Photographer Dan Howe captured a rare moment when a peregrine falcon swooped down on a short-eared owl mid-flight in East Yorkshire, England.
Dan Howe reported that he witnessed this rarely seen event at the RSPB Bempton Cliffs Nature Reserve near Bridlington in East Yorkshire on the afternoon of May 18, as reported by BBC.
Peregrine falcon catching a short-eared owl in mid-air. (Photo: Dan Howe).
At first glance, one might think the peregrine falcon is “holding tightly” to the small owl, but the reality is far from “warm.”
The photographer stated that while the peregrine falcon seemed poised to eat the short-eared owl, he believed the small owl managed to escape afterwards.
Howe mentioned that he could not be certain about the final outcome, but the encounter was “very dramatic.”
“This is the harsh world we live in, but the story doesn’t end there. After catching the short-eared owl, the peregrine falcon seemed to lose its prey,” Howe shared.
According to RSPB, peregrine falcons primarily feed on other birds that they catch in flight.
Their typical prey includes pigeons and small mammals.
Bempton Cliffs is a site of significant scientific interest, home to half a million seabirds, including short-eared owls, seabirds, gulls, and guillemots, that breed there each year.
