{"id":50197,"date":"2017-12-24T06:00:21","date_gmt":"2017-12-24T13:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=50197"},"modified":"2025-08-04T08:45:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T13:45:30","slug":"barn-owl-in-a-winter-white-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/12\/24\/barn-owl-in-a-winter-white-out\/","title":{"rendered":"American Barn Owl in a Winter White Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four years ago I photographed an American Barn Owl in a winter white out at Farmington Bay WMA and I have to admit that photographing it was tough. Tough because the light was so awful, tough because of snow and fog and tough on me because it was so cold. Even with heat packs in my gloves my fingers became numb very quickly.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Barn Owl in a snow-covered marsh – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/640, ISO 640, +2.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 314mm, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The American Barn Owl above perched on some phragmites in the marsh as it looked around for prey on a gray, gloomy winter day.<\/p>\n

I’ve photographed American Barn Owls in better conditions when the light was better and when it wasn’t so cold and I love those photos.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Barn Owl swallowing a vole – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/640, ISO 640, +2.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

But these photos remind me of how hard it can be for these owls in our harsh winters, how they struggle just to survive the bitter cold nights, how they have to fight to get through the heavy snow that can cover the marshes and landscapes to locate prey and how difficult it must be for them to get through each day until the spring thaw.<\/p>\n

The American Barn Owl did locate and capture a vole after the first photo and flew close to the road to consume the prey it fought hard to catch. It might look like the American Barn Owl in the photo above is smiling but it is really swallowing the vole whole and if you look real close you can see just the tip of the vole’s tail in the owl’s bill.<\/p>\n

I always feel conflicted at this time of the year because I hope we don’t have a harsh winters so these beautiful owls don’t have to struggle so hard to survive but I also know we need the snow for spring runoff to fill the reservoirs that provide the water we need.<\/p>\n

They are tough, beautiful birds.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my American Barn Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Four years ago I photographed a American Barn Owl in a winter white out at Farmington Bay WMA and I have to admit that photographing it was tough.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":151311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[129,27,1022,697,26],"tags":[4004,3985,2663,4286,4175,4094,3967,294,4104,4050,4328,5549,49,4290,4095,6300,373],"class_list":["post-50197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-barn-owls","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-barn-owl","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-eating","tag-fog","tag-marsh","tag-owl","tag-owls","tag-perched","tag-snow","tag-snowy","tag-swallowing","tag-tyto-furcata","tag-vole","tag-wetlands","tag-white-out","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/barn-owl-winter-mia-mcpherson-2061.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-d3D","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":76280,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/12\/20\/hunting-barn-owl-in-flight-over-the-frozen-marsh-at-farmington-bay-wma\/","url_meta":{"origin":50197,"position":0},"title":"Hunting American Barn Owl In Flight Over The Frozen Marsh At Farmington Bay WMA","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"During the winter there are times I am able to photograph Barn Owls in flight during the day when the snow is deep and the temps are bitter cold.","rel":"","context":"In "American Barn Owls"","block_context":{"text":"American Barn Owls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/owls\/barn-owls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hunting American Barn Owl in flight, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/barn-owl-hunting-daytime-mia-mcpherson-9521.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/barn-owl-hunting-daytime-mia-mcpherson-9521.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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winter, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/barn-owl-flight-winter-snowy-mia-mcpherson-9479.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/barn-owl-flight-winter-snowy-mia-mcpherson-9479.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/barn-owl-flight-winter-snowy-mia-mcpherson-9479.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/barn-owl-flight-winter-snowy-mia-mcpherson-9479.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12276,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/12\/24\/barn-owl-on-a-snowbank\/","url_meta":{"origin":50197,"position":2},"title":"American Barn Owl On A Snowbank","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I spotted this beautiful American Barn Owl on a snow bank yesterday along the side of a dirt road at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "American Barn Owls"","block_context":{"text":"American Barn Owls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/owls\/barn-owls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Barn Owl in winter marsh habitat, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/barn-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-1615.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/barn-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-1615.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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There were a few Barn Owls hunting for food and I captured images of this one as it flew towards me.","rel":"","context":"In "American Barn Owls"","block_context":{"text":"American Barn Owls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/owls\/barn-owls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Barn Owl in flight on a foggy morning at Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/barn-owl-flight-mia-mcpherson-4086.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/barn-owl-flight-mia-mcpherson-4086.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/barn-owl-flight-mia-mcpherson-4086.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/barn-owl-flight-mia-mcpherson-4086.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7139,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/01\/16\/barn-owl-image-choices\/","url_meta":{"origin":50197,"position":4},"title":"American Barn Owl Image Choices","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 16, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this perched Barn Owl yesterday at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in northern Utah near a hill that was covered in snow which gave this image a high key effect.","rel":"","context":"In "American Barn Owls"","block_context":{"text":"American Barn Owls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/owls\/barn-owls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Perched American Barn Owl - High Key due to a snowy field in the background. 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