Category: Short-eared Owls
A Few Seconds, A Light Change – What A Difference!
Changes in light in a very short time can have a dramatic effect on our images. The phenomenon tends to be well understood by landscape photographers but it can have a similar impact in wildlife photography.
Short-eared Owl In Flight (with prey in silhouette)
Photographing Short-eared Owls in flight with naturally obtained (not baited) prey in a wild setting is near the pinnacle of my bird photography aspirations. Thankfully I’ve had that opportunity several times and I’ll be forever grateful.
Short-eared Owl In Flight Against A Darker Background
On my Montana trips Short-eared Owls are always one of my primary target species but sadly I seldom see them in recent years. This bird was one of two owls I found in almost five days of searching at the end of last month.
Short-eared Owl Pushing Off With His Talon-tips
On our Montana trips I’m always looking for Short-eared Owls but sadly, unlike just a few years ago when they were relatively abundant, they’re virtually nonexistent in the Centennial Valley these days. I’m pretty much convinced their absence is largely due to all the cattle (mostly yearlings who are the juvenile delinquents of the bovine world and they really tore up the place) that were allowed to graze Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge a couple of years ago.
Short-eared Owl With Prey
Short-eared Owl With Huge Vole (or is it something else?)
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…?
Short-eared Owl Flight Sequence In Habitat
Short-eared Owls are a favorite subject of mine and I particularly enjoy flight sequences that highlight habitat.
Short-eared Owl Carrying A Vole In Its Beak (for a change)
I have many images of Short-eared Owls carrying prey in their talons in flight but very few where they’re carrying the prey in their beak. This is one of them.
Short-eared Owls And The “Handedness Phenomenon”
Handedness is a preference for using one hand (or limb) as opposed to the other. It’s a phenomenon many of us associate strictly with humans but other vertebrates can also show handedness, including birds. For example, many parrot species have a strong and consistent preference for using their left foot when bringing food to the beak.
Based on my own observations in the field I believe that Short-eared Owls may also display handedness.
The Interdependence Of Short-eared Owls And Voles
Though Short-eared Owls are one of the worlds most widespread owls, the species is highly dependent on the density of its small mammal prey, voles in particular. Since vole populations fluctuate wildly, Short-eared Owls show significant local variation in numbers and reproductive success from year to year.
Owl Head-on Flight Shots Don’t Have To Be Baited
Head-on flight shots of owls have often been baited using live, store-bought mice. I’m of the opinion that baiting raptors is not only unethical (a debate I’d prefer to not get into here) but unnecessary for those kinds of images. However they typically require patience, intimate knowledge of the subject, a keen eye for interpreting behavior and even a little luck.
Short-eared Owl In Flight With Prey
This sequence is from the summer of 2010 in southwest Montana. The adult male was kept busy hunting and delivering voles to his family of two chicks and the female on the nest.
A Close Encounter With A Short-eared Owl
This was a day I’m sure I’ll never forget – my first up close experience with an owl of any species in the wild. I’d only been photographing birds for about a year and I still had a lot to learn – about my gear, about technique and about my avian subjects.
Fighting Male Short-eared Owls
I’ve posted once before about the fighting Male Short-eared Owls I photographed in south-west Montana but I spent several days with these sparring birds and thought they deserved some more attention on my blog.
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A Few Seconds, A Light Change – What A Difference!
Changes in light in a very short time can have a dramatic effect on our images. The phenomenon tends to be well understood by landscape photographers but it can have a similar impact in wildlife photography.
Short-eared Owl In Flight (with prey in silhouette)
Photographing Short-eared Owls in flight with naturally obtained (not baited) prey in a wild setting is near the pinnacle of my bird photography aspirations. Thankfully I’ve had that opportunity several times and I’ll be forever grateful.
Short-eared Owl In Flight Against A Darker Background
On my Montana trips Short-eared Owls are always one of my primary target species but sadly I seldom see them in recent years. This bird was one of two owls I found in almost five days of searching at the end of last month.
Short-eared Owl Pushing Off With His Talon-tips
On our Montana trips I’m always looking for Short-eared Owls but sadly, unlike just a few years ago when they were relatively abundant, they’re virtually nonexistent in the Centennial Valley these days. I’m pretty much convinced their absence is largely due to all the cattle (mostly yearlings who are the juvenile delinquents of the bovine world and they really tore up the place) that were allowed to graze Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge a couple of years ago.
Short-eared Owl With Prey
Short-eared Owl With Huge Vole (or is it something else?)
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…?
Short-eared Owl Flight Sequence In Habitat
Short-eared Owls are a favorite subject of mine and I particularly enjoy flight sequences that highlight habitat.
Short-eared Owl Carrying A Vole In Its Beak (for a change)
I have many images of Short-eared Owls carrying prey in their talons in flight but very few where they’re carrying the prey in their beak. This is one of them.
Short-eared Owls And The “Handedness Phenomenon”
Handedness is a preference for using one hand (or limb) as opposed to the other. It’s a phenomenon many of us associate strictly with humans but other vertebrates can also show handedness, including birds. For example, many parrot species have a strong and consistent preference for using their left foot when bringing food to the beak.
Based on my own observations in the field I believe that Short-eared Owls may also display handedness.
The Interdependence Of Short-eared Owls And Voles
Though Short-eared Owls are one of the worlds most widespread owls, the species is highly dependent on the density of its small mammal prey, voles in particular. Since vole populations fluctuate wildly, Short-eared Owls show significant local variation in numbers and reproductive success from year to year.
Owl Head-on Flight Shots Don’t Have To Be Baited
Head-on flight shots of owls have often been baited using live, store-bought mice. I’m of the opinion that baiting raptors is not only unethical (a debate I’d prefer to not get into here) but unnecessary for those kinds of images. However they typically require patience, intimate knowledge of the subject, a keen eye for interpreting behavior and even a little luck.
Short-eared Owl In Flight With Prey
This sequence is from the summer of 2010 in southwest Montana. The adult male was kept busy hunting and delivering voles to his family of two chicks and the female on the nest.
A Close Encounter With A Short-eared Owl
This was a day I’m sure I’ll never forget – my first up close experience with an owl of any species in the wild. I’d only been photographing birds for about a year and I still had a lot to learn – about my gear, about technique and about my avian subjects.
Fighting Male Short-eared Owls
I’ve posted once before about the fighting Male Short-eared Owls I photographed in south-west Montana but I spent several days with these sparring birds and thought they deserved some more attention on my blog.