Most adult voles I see are about the same size but occasionally I notice one that appears to have been on an extended steroid regimen. Perhaps they’re not voles at all…?
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This is the size of most voles I see in our western states. For future reference note that the length of the body sans tail and hanging legs is slightly longer (if the neck weren’t bent) than the vertical diameter of the owl’s facial disc.
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Here’s another view of the same vole for a different perspective.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
But once in a great while a Short-eared Owl would come in with a much larger rodent (there’s a piece of debris poking out to the right of the head of the prey). In the excitement of the shoot I never paid much attention to the size difference while out in the field but last night I became curious about it. Now I’m wondering if the larger rodents aren’t Northern Pocket Gophers.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Another look at the same bird and rodent.
All four of these photos were taken in late June (within two days of each other) in the Centennial Valley of southwest Montana. The Northern Pocket Gopher has a light-colored tail but in these two shots the tail is in shade so the dark appearance here might be deceiving. My Audubon Field Guide to Mammals says that the Meadow Vole is roughly half the size of the Northern Pocket Gopher (2.5 oz vs 4.6 oz max). These larger rodents don’t appear to be any kind of ground squirrel that I’m familiar with.
Anyway, my curiosity got the best of me once again so I decided to post these images (the last two are less than tack sharp) and see if any of my readers are better amateur (or pro) mammologists than I am.
Any thoughts, educated or otherwise?
Ron
Wonderful photos! The difference in the size of the rodent is a bit startling to me. My favorite is the last photo – I guess it shows the bird’s face in a way that is more appealing to me.
Could it be a normal sized meadow vole and a “little person” SEOW? 😉
Thoughts? A good meal.
Ron, do you think this guy (and his mate for that matter) could swallow such a large rodent….whole???
No, I don’t believe so, Leslie. These owls usually swallow small mammals (like voles) whole but often take larger prey apart.
It’s a R.O.U.S.! HAHAHA! (Rodent Of Unusual Size from The Princess Bride)
Beautiful shots as always!
Thanks, Jeff.
What time are these owls hunting?
The SEOs in my area don’t come up until dusk, and I’m wondering whether that is by choice or due to competition from Northern Harriers during the lighter hours. The scrap with the Harriers frequently during the transition period.
Bruce, the male was hunting pretty much all day though he slowed down in midday. But he had a hungry family to feed – female and two chicks.
Ah, that makes sense. These were taking during breeding season.
Alas, the SEOs in Ohio do not find the surrounding sufficiently romantic for amorous activities.
I like how the background complements the colors of the vole and gopher. -:) The owls turned out pretty nice too.
Thank you, Dave. I like these backgrounds also.
I can’t help with the prey i.d., but I sure do love the images of the owls carrying them! Just discovered that Short-eared Owls are occasionally seen in parts of Florida. I’ll be visiting some of those parts soon and hope to get lucky!
Great post, Ron!
Good luck with the Shorties, Wally. I absolutely love photographing them.
Looks like a Big Mac to me…guess even owls are going foe the super sized meals…the former mayor of NYC definitely woul not approve. Love wing position in last frame…beautiful and different….
Thank you, Patty. The closest “golden arches” are 70 miles away but maybe this bird is addicted enough to fly that far…
#2 and #4…….Awesome! Made my morning!
Tim
Thanks very much, Tim.
Being here in the east and not familiar with western rodents, BUT looking up the Pocket Gopher, I would concur with Ed’s ID. Otherwise, I would be also calling it a vole, more specifically a meadow vole. Did a lot with meadow voles in graduate school. The short of it is these are truly excellent captures Ron, many thanks for sharing.
Just finished shoveling 10 inches of powder. Times like this wish I was a skier.
Dick, Then you obviously are very familiar with Meadow Voles so your input is also very helpful. Thank you.
Wish we had some of your snow, at least in the mountains. It’s beginning to look like another relatively “dry” winter for us.
Hi Ron, looks to me like a pocket gopher. It looks like the head and mouth of a pocket gopher. The gopher is the staple of the Barn Owls here, and those of us with orchards love the fact the owls eat so many of them. (We finally have a SEOW in the Santa Fe area, I hope I get to see it.). Great photos of such a beautiful owl Ron.
Thank you, Ed. That’s very helpful.
You mentioned that the field guide states that the tail would be light colored. I wonder if, like bird feathers, there can be regional variation in coloration due to present factors like diet or camouflage.
Could be, Steve, I just don’t know. But I do know that color is quite variable in some rodents.