This Barred Owl sat quietly with his catch, a Five-lined Skink, a common lizard in South Carolina.
After squeezing it with his beak for a bit he transferred it to his talon. You can see the tail dangling below the branch in this next image.
I didn’t see any sign of life in the lizard, but the owl kept a firm hold for six or seven minutes before flying off with it.
What a thrill it must’ve been to witness and capture this, Ellen. Fantastic photos. Perhaps the owl carried it off for a young one.
It sure was, Jet, thank you! Very likely… there is a mated pair with an owlet, about 8 weeks old that they are still feeding. I haven’t seen it, but other photographers I know have captured junior learning to hunt. Other years I’ve seen the male share with the female, too, even after the chick has left. It’s sweet to see them show that affection.
Nice catch and capture. Beutiful pattern on it’s back in the shadows.
Thanks, Hans. The dappled sunlight made a nice look.
What great photos!
Thank you, NJUrban!
Your owl photos are gorgeous.
My heart breaks for the lizard.
Thank you, Dawn, and thanks for stopping by. Seeing nature’s food chain at work can be tough sometimes.
The pleasure was mine, the owl is beautiful. Yep, Nature is healing as well as heartbreaking.