When this hungry barn owl went to hunt voles in the winter sunlight, two kestrels had different ideas.
This barn owl was brave to take on the kestrels - or very hungry.
Daytime is when the kestrels hunt - and it is a right they guard their hunting territory.
They scrambled to scare him off - with their battle for the skies making for a breathtaking display of aerobatics.This barn owl was brave to take on the kestrels - or very hungry.
Daytime is when the kestrels hunt - and it is a right they guard their hunting territory.
The reason the owl was making a daytime sortie was because the cold snap has meant food is in short supply.
The barn owl kept finding voles and mice but, every time, the kestrels attacked it. 'This happened several times until the kestrels had eaten enough and the owl finally got to eat its own catch.'
Both species have suffered moderate declines in population in the past 50 years due to the loss of their natural habitats.
Ordinarily, barn owls and kestrels co-exist peacefully.
They have even been known to share a nest box, the kestrels laying their eggs near the entrance and the owls at the back.
Adults might have to wait their turn when the nest box gets crowded.
As owls are nocturnal while kestrels hunt by day, they rarely come into conflict.
Both species have suffered moderate declines in population in the past 50 years due to the loss of their natural habitats.
The biggest cause of death to kestrels and barn owls in the UK is starvation.