Galapagos Barn Owl

Galapagos Barn Owl
Tyto alba punctatissima

A distinct barn owl species, unique to the Galapagos. Rarely seen and even more rarely well-photographed. (And I'm not suggesting my shot is one of these few!)

If you get to the Galapagos, I would highly recommend you end your stay with a few days at the Royal Palm resort on Santa Cruz Island. The highlands are a wonder in and of themselves, and if you're on a cruise, you won't spend much time in the highlands. They are definitely worth the time.

To find this barn owl, I had to walk through a long, dark, fabulous but somewhat precarious lava tunnel, then scout around for the abandoned property described by the manager at the resort. He said: look for the abandoned barn, and quietly peek inside. Sure enough, there was not one but TWO Galapagos Barn Owls! A mating pair, certainly. I was thrilled just to see them, and even happier when they didn't stir as I tiptoed just inside the cracked door to take a few shots of the one perched close to the door.

I did not spend much time, as I didn't want to invade their sleeping quarters. And, you may kick me for this, but -- I'm pretty sure there was a chick 'hidden' in the far corner of the barn on the ground, and I didn't go over and even investigate. At first I just heard a slight stirring, and then a few seconds later a sort of hissing. I don't think I could have been anything but a chick. It might not have disturbed the owls who seemed to go right back to sleep after they initially saw me, but I didn't want to take the chance. I would have had to walk directly under them, and G-d forbid they fly away from their baby. Besides, they have big claws.

This was a noisy image, and the original was quite a bit darker. I tried to eliminate as much noise as I could. Bumped up exposure in Lightroom. But it will never be great, I fear. The available light was just not there. I only had the daylight coming in from the cracked door, and under the eaves.

Questions: Should my settings have been different?? (Note - I would not have set up a tripod here. I wanted to get in and out as quickly as possible without disturbing the birds.) Should I have / would you have gone to peek at the chick?

Canon 7D
24mm f/1.4 II L
f/1.4
1/200 s.
ISO 1000

Thank you in advance for your help and all C&C!