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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, 1/320 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): TN Classics, Small bird, big World [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-11-22 2:47
Viewed: 646
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A Short-eared Owl flying over RSPB Elmley Marshes nature reserve hunting for small mammals. Another picture of the same bird I posted yesterday from different angle and showing the upper side of wings. Though this is quite large owl it is very difficult to photograph in flight. The flight path is erratic and as it flies very close to the ground autofocus is very easily disturbed by background, fences and bushes. It might only be visible for you 1-2 seconds before it dives behind some vegetation. Most of the pictures I took very completely out of focus.

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.
siggi, marhowie, eqshannon, Evelynn, SelenE, jaycee, nglen, Adanac has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Evelynn: The background bluepekkavalo1 1 11-23 02:38
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1382 W: 56 N: 4768] (16394)
  • [2008-11-22 2:51]

Hello Pekka!
Very nice in flight capture.POV,framing ,detaails,blurred
sky at BG and composition are wonderful.
TFS.Regards Siggi

Ciao Pekka, an other great capture of this splendid flying owl, perfect focus, good details and excellent sharpness, I like a lot, have a great week end, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2405 W: 94 N: 5564] (17694)
  • [2008-11-22 5:39]

Hello Pekka,
Amazingly, you got even two wonderful photos of this Owl in flight. I've seen this owl once and before I had my camera to my eye, it was dived in the vegetation.
Fantastic pose and very beautiful light on the body. The sharp focus is perfect. Great composition and BG.
Regards,
Peter

Hi Pekka,
Nice follow-up shot, the owl looks great set back in the frame too :)
The birds detail, color, and exposure look very good.
Well done,
Howard

Ouch! You got a break on this one. My guess is that you were very happy when you saw this on your monitor. It is a classic and belongs to two of my group themes...I shall quickly add them.
Bob

You managed great panning on this shot. Your owl is so detailed. I'd love to get such a shot of an owl. I find them very elusive however. Did you add to the background blue in PP? It certainly is effective in isolating the owl.

TFS
Evelynn : )

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2405 W: 63 N: 4227] (13822)
  • [2008-11-22 8:55]

Hi Pekka,
That's very cute :o) Good lighting, composition and background. TFS
All the best,
Selen

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2008-11-22 9:39]

Hi Pekka,

I just love this Short-eared Owl and am so happy to see another view of it. This shot shows off the wing tops, back, and tail so well and with amazing details. Still a nice view of the face and the orange eye. You really did well to get two excellent shots of this Owl in flight.

Jane

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2921 W: 34 N: 8658] (32266)
  • [2008-11-22 12:08]

Hi Pekka. i like this picture of the Owl even more than the one yesterday. I think its the angle at which the bird is flying at to the camera. and richer colours. A good POV/DOF. well done TFS.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2008-11-22 13:55]

Hi Pekka,
another fine capture of this Short-eared Owl but this time showing the speckly upper-wings.
Very good sharpness.
Excellent pose.
Nice light.
Imagine trying to get any photos in-focus with my 400D! :-)))
Great work!

Well done,
Joe

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 1399 W: 3 N: 30] (506)
  • [2008-11-23 0:37]

hello Pekka
wonderful capture of this precious bird in flight
i like POV, blurred BG, light, colours and sharpness
TFS
izler

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3001 W: 162 N: 989] (2897)
  • [2008-11-23 8:02]

Hej Pekka,
I'd love to see this Owl that you've focussed in on very nicely here. Great details and colours and well composed.
TFS and regards from a cold Sweden!
Ulla

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 126 N: 5246] (23469)
  • [2008-11-23 12:43]

Hello Pekka, you have a great way of capturing flying birds! This one is reall y well done, sharp and well exposed. Thanks!

Mario

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 1 N: 5208] (17609)
  • [2008-11-24 7:30]

Hello Pekka, splendid in flight capture showing those searching eyes so clearly. Great colors and composition as well Pekka, thank you for sharing.
Rick

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1112 W: 23 N: 3660] (13089)
  • [2008-11-24 11:00]

wow, awesome capture Pekka, the details you caught are very clear and impressive. I admire you dedication at collecting all these images, you have a very good gallery for refernce now!
Paul

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