Barn owls occasionally nest in the Derbyshire village where I live and, as a result, I have been able to sketch them several times.
 
The subject of this sculpture was quite tolerant of people and flew during daylight hours, especially in the early morning. I noticed it had a favourite perch on top of a telegraph pole, so I set my telescope up and waited for him to return.
 
The female bird had a nest in a nearby farm building. Sometimes the male would make himself very thin and slender but when he puffed up his feathers he looked twice the size. In the distance I could see him float effortlessly on his huge wings, searching for small rodents.
 
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