Masked Owl Release at Tasmania’s Raptor Refuge
A few weeks ago I photographed Craig down at the Raptor and Wildlife Refuge of Tasmania Inc in southern Tasmania as he released a young female Masked Owl back into the wild. The evening started with a little suspicion on the Owl’s part regarding just what exactly Craig’s intentions were, and she kept a close eye on him – taking full advantage of that unique ability owls possess to turn their heads almost a full 180 degrees.
She obviously didn’t completely trust him (that sly grin wasn’t fooling anyone) so she gave him just a little reminder of who’s boss:
Now that the “pecking order” had been established and we all knew exactly who was running this show our feathered friend granted us a couple of minutes of well behaved posing for the camera before freedom.
After that she was gone – straight to the top of the nearest gum she could find, and free to make a home in the hills around Kettering. She did keep an eye on us though, a long way below.
Craig does an enormous amount of work looking after Tasmania’s endangered raptors. The Raptor & Wildlife Refuge is home to many injured raptors such as the masked owl, Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle and others. The Refuge produces a calendar every year. Purchasing this calendar is a great way to support the refuge as all funds raised by calendar sales are used to keep the Refuge running. I am very pleased to be associated with the refuge and using my photography to support the conservation of Tasmania’s magnificent raptors.