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Short-eared Owl


Short-eared Owl
Photo Information
Copyright: Pekka Valo (pekkavalo1) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 453 W: 58 N: 2111] (6749)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-11-20
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III, Canon EF 400mm f4.0 DO IS USM, RAW ISO 800, Canon EF 1.4x Extender II
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-11-21 2:36
Viewed: 645
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A Short-eared Owl hunting above RSPB Elmley Marshes nature reserve. I saw this owl yesterday when it was flying around the marshes. Usually they start moving in the afternoon when at this time of year the sun is soon setting down. This was an hour before sunset and the light was quickly getting worse.

From Birdguides:

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

In: Short-eared Owl Ca: Mussol emigrant Da: Mosehornugle De: Sumpfohreule Es: Búho campestre Fi: suopöllö Fr: Hibou des marais It: Gufo di palude Nl: Velduil No: Jordugle Pt: Coruja-do-nabal Sv: Jorduggla US: Short-eared Owl Ru: Болотная сова

Identification
Unlike the other owls, the Short-eared habitually hunts by day. However, it isn't safe to assume that a day-flying owl, even over moorland, is sure to be a Short-eared. To eliminate the possibility of it being a Long-eared you must look for either: a pale belly contrasting with a streaked head and chest, a white trailing edge to the wing, neater, more distinct barring on the uppertail, upperwing and under the wing tip and the yellow, rather than orange, eyes. Also, the colour of a Short-eared Owl varies from under-cooked biscuit-brown to overcooked biscuit-brown and never shows the warm rufous tones of a Long-eared. At rest, the ear tufts are hard to see but the yellow eyes are distinctively encircled by black.

Habitat
Breeds on boggy moorland, upland pasture, young conifer plantations and marshes. Winters in open moorland, grassland and marshes.

Behaviour
The soft hooting song is usually given from a great height above the breeding site and is often the prelude to a spectacular display in which he claps his wings several times below his body. This causes him to lose height but he quickly corrects this and carries out another burst of wing-clapping, thus following an erratic path across the sky. Between wing-claps the male will fly with exaggerated slow wingbeats in which the wings are held almost vertically above the body before each downward beat. Breeding success is dependant on the availability voles, in any year. In a good year, the female will be well fed and so will have enough resources to produce more eggs than usual, sometimes even 10 or more. These are laid at one day intervals and therefore hatch out in such a way that the youngest may be a week or more younger than the oldest. This means that in the squabble for food, the young chicks only get fed when the older ones are full so if the food supply deteriorates, the youngest ones will die without limiting the chances of success of the older ones. Indeed, the parents may feed the remains of the dead chicks to their surviving siblings so that no resources are wasted.

Migration
Resident but, to some extent, nomadic in southern Europe. Northern populations from Scandinavia and Russia are migratory.
SelenE, siggi, ellis49, maurydv, marhowie, Silvio2006, bobcat08, nglen, jconceicao, jaycee, crs has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2405 W: 63 N: 4227] (13822)
  • [2008-11-21 2:46]

Hi Pekka,
A very nice inflight photo of this beautiful owl. I like the patterns on the plumage, neutral background, exposure handling, POV and composition. TFS
Greetings,
Selen

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1392 W: 56 N: 4802] (16520)
  • [2008-11-21 4:07]

Hello Pekka,
Wonderful in-flight shot of this beautiful Owl, stunning detail and excellent colours, amazing detail , perfect background too, Best regards Siggi

  • Great 
  • fthsm Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 147 W: 47 N: 435] (2917)
  • [2008-11-21 4:14]

Hi Pekka,
Such an amazing bird and a great photo. I liked the sharpness light and POV.
TFS
Fatih

hi pekka, very nice shot. a bit dark, because of the background but very sharp. I like the pattern of the body! looks like flames going from the head to the body.

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 4 N: 3262] (14691)
  • [2008-11-21 4:18]

Hello Pekka, Beautiful in flight shot of this bird with lovely focus on the eyes. Great clarity and nice shot Ganesh

Hej Pekka,
a very nice in-flight shot with good sharpness and exposure,
it's not easy to catch an owl in the air, I think a duck is easier.
It's well composed with a good POV, only a small nit is the dark area down.
Well done.

Have a nice weekend,
Gert

Ciao Pekka,
splendida cattura in volo di Asio flammeus (gufo di palude), eccellenti POV e DOF, bellissima composizione con la visione di tutta l'ala e la straordinaria definizione dei dettagli; in Italia questo gufo si vede in inverno, ma raramente; i rapaci notturni difficilmente da noi volano di giorno.
TFS.
Maurizio

hi Pekka,
your timing here is perfect, what a viewpoint very rarely seen, excellent work. tfs.
nagraj.v

Hello Pekka,
Great colors, exposure, and detail.
I like the POV and wings-up pose, nice job of panning and pulling it off so well at 1/400th..
Well done & have a great weekend,
Howard

Ciao Pekka, superb flying owl, great capture with splendid timing, very well done, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

very nice capture, TFS Ori

Hello Pekka,

A very nice inflight photo of this beautiful short-eared owl. Your photo is razorsharp. Beautiful natural colors. Fine details. i love the symmetry in the feathers.

Great shot. Thanks for sharing. have a nice weekend and TFS BOB

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2419 W: 94 N: 5591] (17778)
  • [2008-11-21 12:07]

Hello Pekka,
What a great action photo. Fantastic timing. You were very lucky. And also sharp in 1/400 sec. Wonderful. Very good sharpness and beautiful colours. Excellent composition and BG.
Have a good weekend,
Peter

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2926 W: 34 N: 8678] (32334)
  • [2008-11-21 12:16]

Hi Pekka. A very nice inflight shot of the owl. Good timing to get this one with the upturned wings showing all that detail . I just love the flat looking face . well done TFS.
Nick..

Have a good weekend.

Hello Pekka,

Fantastic capture.
Excellent details with good focus.
Lighting and definition are splendid.

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2008-11-21 13:32]

Hi Pekka,

This Owl is a big surprise and I love it! A wonderful profile with a perfect view of the wonderful orange eye. Excellent wing position showing off the pretty colors and patterns. Beautiful colors, excellent details, and a wonderful in-flight shot.

Jane

  • Great 
  • darwin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 260 W: 0 N: 403] (1393)
  • [2008-11-21 18:19]

Hi Pekka
Great in flight action shot with nice detail and sharpness.
tfs jon

hello pekka,
very nice capture of the flying owl, the sky makes a fine bg and offers good contrast to the bird, the image is sharp and the composition is good, i can see those eyes clearly,
well done,
tfs & regards
pankaj

  • Great 
  • crs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 523 W: 0 N: 920] (3543)
  • [2008-11-21 21:54]

Hello Pekka,

You have made a very fine photo of this flying owl. The body of the bird is sharply shown despite the obvious mouvment pfthe bird. Un sharp wing's tips suggest very well the flight.

Thank you for sharing,
Cristian

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2008-11-22 13:12]

Fantastic capture of this flying Short-eared Owl!!!
The pose is superb.
Very good panning techniques to keep this image tack-sharp even at 1/400!
Superb composition.
Perfectly exposed.

Awesome work, Pekka!

Joe

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