Photographer Jack Lodge has spent over 30 evenings and early mornings with barn owls in the U.K. but has never witnessed anything as dramatic as what he captured last weekend.
Lodge tells PetaPixel that he has never seen another predator try and take a barn owl’s catch until a hungry hawk showed up on Friday night.
“The Sun had just begun its descent after three hours of waiting patiently in a local field, leaving what was a beautiful golden field to turn quickly into shadow and (in my head) my chances of getting a good wildlife photograph being left behind,” he explains. “Little did I know, this tranquil evening was about to turn into a high-stakes drama.”
Lodge writes on his blog that he followed the “elegant” barn owl as it glided over the field and swiftly dived to catch its rodent prey. But a hawk had arrived on the scene and Lodge says his “heart raced” when he realized he was about to witness a thrilling clash.
“I could hardly contain my excitement as I clicked away with my Canon R5 and RF 100-500mm lens, capturing each moment of this fierce competition. The determination in the buzzard’s eyes and the resilience of the barn owl were a stark reminder of nature’s relentless struggle for survival.”
Common hawks are confusingly known as buzzards in the U.K. but semantics aside the barn owl won the competition and saw off the raptor totally unscathed as it was back hunting for its next meal just minutes later.
“This encounter was a humbling reminder of the delicate balance in nature and the constant fight for survival that unfolds daily, often unnoticed by human eyes — a truly amazing encounter to witness, let alone photograph,” adds Lodge.
Patience is Key
Lodge is a young, yet accomplished photographer who has already proven patience to be a great asset after he waited four years to capture a perfect sunburst shot of the iconic Durdle Door landmark on the south coast of England.
“Wildlife photography often involves long hours of waiting. Stay patient, and your perseverance will pay off,” Lodge says while also advising photographers to “familiarize yourself with your camera settings to quickly adapt to the dynamic changes in wildlife scenes.”
Lodge is a professional landscape photographer who operates photography courses. More of his work can be found on his Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and website.
Image credits: Photographs by Jack Lodge