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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: 2008-12-07
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III, Canon EF 400mm f4.0 DO IS USM, RAW ISO 640, Canon EF 2x Extender II
Exposure: f/11, 1/500 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-12-11 1:10
Viewed: 633
Points: 36
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A Short-eared Owl at Capel Fleet in Isle of Sheppey. Another picture of the Owl I posted few days ago in different pose and angle.

Now the bird looks leaner but he just practised evil stare by trying to kill an adult Pheasant cock with it. However, the Pheasant seemed to be too scary or large or our Owl just prefers mice. Both parties finally got tired of the staring game. Unfortunately the birds were a bit too far away from each other for a picture.

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.
eng55, uleko, maurydv, nglen, JoseMiguel, Gert-Paassen, siggi, Jamesp, jaycee, boreocypriensis, CeltickRanger, hester, sandpiper2, SelenE has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To nglen: Owlspekkavalo1 1 12-11 12:48
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1139 W: 32 N: 1164] (3582)
  • [2008-12-11 1:14]

Hi Pekka,
Very nice capture of this owl.I liked harmonious colors,BG,framing and composition a lot.
Thanks for posting.

dear peka, very nice shot of this owl. maybe i would set the animal a little bit more in the middle.. nice sharpness and colors.

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2993 W: 162 N: 961] (2823)
  • [2008-12-11 2:12]

Hej Pekka,
This is another very fine capture of this Owl that looks a bit sleepy here! Great focus, sharp details and fine natural colours. Well composed too.
TFS and cheers, Ulla

Ciao Pekka,
un'altra splendida immagine di Gufo di palude, catturato in una bellissima posa con uno stupendo OOF BG, ottima la definizione del piumaggio, molto belli i colori.
TFS.
Maurizio

Hello Pekka,
Una captura muy buena de ésta preciosa ave, la composición es muy adecuada.
TFS. Ferran

Hi Pekka, beautiful diagonal composirtion with lovely Owl, fine details and excellent sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2909 W: 34 N: 8636] (32186)
  • [2008-12-11 12:24]
  • [+]

Hi Pekka. I shall have to set my self the target of getting a Owl i have yet to ever take a picture of one. as you say in you notes this looks a lot thinner than the other posting . You have good detail and colours. With a nice POV. well done .TFS.
Nick..

Hi Pekka,
A very effective capture plenty of good light.
I like the pose got, nice details and patterns of his plumage.
Good work and thanks for share.
My best regards,
JM

Hi Pekka,

good composition of the owl in his natural habitat.
I like the pov and dof evenso the beautiful colours.

Gert

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1376 W: 56 N: 4736] (16296)
  • [2008-12-11 13:39]

Hello Pekka,
A very nice composition and with a good pov.
Very nice pose of your model and taken with very good sharpness and details.
Nice light and the yellow of the eye is good to see.
Regards Siggi

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1351 W: 0 N: 5494] (16522)
  • [2008-12-11 14:20]

Hi Pekka

Great pose with really nice light and colour. I also like the BG here - it compliments the owl well.

James

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2008-12-11 16:45]

Hi Pekka,

I just love seeing these owls. This Short-eared is wonderful in a lovely pose and with fine details and terrific colors. The white border around his face and the yellow eyes really stand out. He looks marvelous against the blurred background.

Jane

Hi Pekka, wonderful capture of this beautiful Short-eared Owl in a fine composition. Great DOF/POV and details. i love its facial expression. TFS and cheers,
Bayram

hello Pekka

excellent shot of the Short-eared Owl with fine POV and framing,
beautiful luminosity, excellent sharpness and details,
and a lovely eye-contact with you, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1515 W: 18 N: 3165] (11638)
  • [2008-12-12 14:34]

Hi Pekka

I have yet to see a wild owl myself. This is really a beautiful image in fine light, lovely DOF and sharp details. Really lovely to look at

TFS

Karan

Hi Pekka

Good shot of this owl looking evil or maybe just hungry.
Good composition and even though its a distant shot, its OK.

Chris

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2008-12-13 15:23]

Hi Pekka,
another excellent photo of a Short-eared Owl!
Very sharp.
Excellent DOF.
Well composed too.

Superb work!

Cheers,
Joe

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2405 W: 63 N: 4227] (13822)
  • [2008-12-25 23:57]

Hi Pekka,
Colors, background, POV, pose and expression you caught are very nice.
TFS
Best wishes,
Selen

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