A daring kestrel tries to steal a vole right out of a barn owl's talons - PHOTO

They're supposed to be the wisest of birds, but this owl didn't look too clever after almost having its dinner snatched by a daring kestrel.The dramatic scene unfolded after the owl had successfully picked up a vole from a nearby field and tried to carry it off to feed. But the smaller bird of prey had other ideas, deciding to use its lesser size to sneak up, swoop and snatch the rodent.Chris Armstrong, an off-duty policeman, witnessed the incident while out walking with his camera and reacted quickly to catch the impressive pictures. The two birds grappled in midair as they fought over the vole, then plummeted from the sky and crash-landed, having been distracted by their high-stakes tussle.Eventually, the owl emerged as victor and flew off with his prey.Mr Armstrong, who is a constable with Thames Valley Police said: 'The kestrel swooped down out of nowhere and tried to grab the vole.'Somehow, the kestrel managed to grab onto the owl's talons, so the pair ended up being locked in a midair battle.'Suddenly they started spiralling towards the ground - neither one looked ready to give up. After they crashed, the kestrel flew off and the owl calmly retrieved the vole.'PC Armstrong, from Reading, witnessed the scene from a hidden position at Moor Green Lakes, Finchampstead.He said: 'After the battle the owl flew right over my head and sat up in a tree directly above where I was hiding, and he finished his lunch.'I staked out the spot using camouflage gear because I knew the owls would be out around that time. I recognised the kestrel - I've seen him mobbing other barn owls before.'The kestrel is very territorial so he often attacks the owls - but I have never seen him go after their food. In winter, birds have to fight for survival.'Ben Hoare, features editor for BBC Wildlife magazine said: 'Some kestrels have mastered a sneaky way of catching a vole for supper. They watch a barn owl hunting over grassland, then when it makes a kill they swoop out of nowhere to seize the prey.'After a midair tussle the owl often drops its prize and the kestrel emerges victorious.'Kestrels have learned they can save precious energy in winter by stealing food from barn owls. This behaviour doesn't always work, but more often than not an owl will drop its meal rather than risk injury in a scuffle.'Jemima Parry-Jones MBE, director of the International Centre for Birds of Prey, said the incident which PC Armstrong witnessed in February 2013 could be explained by harsh hunting conditions.She said: 'February this year was bitterly cold. Because of the freezing weather, grass didn't grow and this meant the mouse and vole population plummeted.'Because there were fewer voles, there was more competition for food between birds of prey. 'If both the owl and the kestrel were hunting in the same area, they would have both been desperate to get their talons on the vole - it would have been a hunger-driven attack.'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az