Farmington Barn Owl Perched and In Flight

Three days ago I stopped and talked to friend Jerry Ellison along the refuge road at Farmington and he informed me he’d photographed a cooperative Barn Owl at dawn. I’d been in that area just a few minutes after the sun came up but had no idea the bird had been there. A Barn Owl hunting in daylight this time of year is rare indeed so I congratulated Jerry on his success with the owl, chalked up my miss to unfortunate timing and went on my way to look for other birds.

By the time I made it back to that area the sun had been up for almost two hours and I figured there was no chance the owl would still be flying. I was wrong.

 

barn-owl-9957-ron-dudley1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

As I was leaving the area the bird was waiting for me on a sign post right next to the water. This meant that the owl was side-lit and I was frustrated by that to the point that I almost drove right into the damned water in an effort to improve my light angle! At this angle it was nearly impossible to get light in the right eye and this is one of the few times I did. After this shot I adjusted my ISO to lower my shutter speed but I never got light in that eye again while my extender was attached.

The owl was extremely relaxed in my presence and I spent quite a while photographing it while it was perched but what I wanted most was flight shots. The best chance for that was if/when another vehicle approached from the north and flushed the bird so I removed my extender and waited to see what might happen. I knew my chances of getting any light in the eye after the bird took off were virtually nil but miracles do happen so I waited patiently.

 

 

barn-owl-0140-ron-dudley1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

Sadly, there were no miracles. When another vehicle eventually came along and flushed the owl I was able to get multiple takeoff and flight shots but none of them had significant light in the visible right eye. However I do like the arch of the wings, the complementary colors of owl and grasses and the bicolored background (the upper background is the nearby Wasatch Mountains). I think the softness of the wingtips is due more to depth of field than it is to shutter speed.

It’s been a long time since I’ve photographed a Barn Owl (perched or in flight) so it was still a great morning at Farmington, catch light or not.

Ron

 

25 Comments

  1. My spirits were lifted and the day has ended on a good note thanks to your persistence and patience and allowing us to share your perfectly amazing photographic ‘imperfections’

  2. Just marvelous Ron!

    Charlotte Norton

  3. Late to the party today. But so very grateful to arrive.
    These images loosen up tense muscles and undoubtedly reduce blood pressure.
    Oooh. And ahhh.
    And thank you.

  4. Beautiful shots!

  5. Revisiting your blog,as I always do (several times) , I’m struck once again by the beauty of these birds(in serious decline, according to my friend, Jim) and how the image is enhanced by the subtle , complementary colors and beauty of the backgrounds…there is something magical about these birds…makes me wish I was rich enough to buy up lots of land and build lots of barns all over the place….Sigh!!!

  6. Barn Owls are such beautiful birds. I like the backgrounds for both of these shots, but especially the first one. In the second shot, I’m not sure if it’s the angle of the photo or something else, but to my eyes the Owl’s face looks to be a strange shape – flat on the left side of the face, and strongly angled on its right side. Apart from that I like the arch of the wings, too.

  7. Great shots, what great fun to have a cooperative owl.

  8. Love the first image with the side light and glad you didn’t get stuck in the mud. Actually the lighting is unique and you did a great job with a difficult exposure situation. Flight shot is great as well, even sans eye issue.

    • Frank, I was actually a little concerned that when I tried to back out of there my front tires would have sunk in the mud. Turns out there was no problem.

  9. Both images are really nice Ron. The lack of catch light does not affect my admiration of the images. The overall scene, especially the blurred background with the opposing colors of light blue and golden yellow is beautiful.

  10. I know youwere frustrated to miss any catch light but I’ll take these two shots and drool over them – especially the second one – just stunning!!

  11. I love these birds so any image is appreciated, catch light or no….the catch light, to me, is just another bonus. It’s the overall image, with or without it,that I enjoy so much….and the catch and commentary on behavior…my, friend Jim Eyring, falconer and Enviromental prof.(Pace Environmentsl Center’ Pace univ.)had some of his birds at the FrOG Show yesterday, including a Barn owl, a kestrel, Harris Hawk and Gyr falcon. It was too windy to fly them ( to my relief), but they always attract a big crowd and huge interest…giving Jim opportunity to educate like mad. He’s very charismatic and knowledgable…a great combination!

    • I agree, Patty. Many, many things contribute to a “perfect” image and almost without exception one or more of them is missing from the photo. Just because an image isn’t perfect doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a lot to offer to the viewer. Still, I sure wish I had some light in the eye…

  12. Beautiful photos of a gorgeous owl! They are not easy to find any more. I love the pose on the post, there is a thoughtful look on the Barn Owl and you captured it perfectly (probably contemplating next snack). 🙂 The photo in flight is incredible – very nice clarity!

    • “probably contemplating next snack”

      It was, Jerilyn. It was scanning the grasses next to the water for voles. Soon after that shot was taken it took off and made an attempt on one of them but it missed and returned to the post.

  13. Beautiful shot even without catch light in the eye! 🙂 It does blend perfectly with the grass and the arched wings are wonderful.

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