<< Previous Next >>

In flight


In flight
Photo Information
Copyright: Helene Provencher (chouette) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 302 W: 0 N: 843] (3000)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-03-20
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel, Canon EF 75-300mm USM III
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-02-05 19:47
Viewed: 1922
Points: 46
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Another image of gray owl in flight. I can't resist ;-)

I hope you like it!
Thanks for viewing and comments.

Great Gray Owl - Strix nebulosa

With a large circle of feathers around those bright yellow eyes, you might think that the great gray owl is one of the prettiest owls. However, those feathers are not just for looks but are actually covering the owl's ears. Instead of having ears like ours, a great gray owl has a circle of feathers which channel sound into holes on the sides of the owl's head. These holes are the owl's ears.

Great gray owls have incredible hearing. This comes in handy during the winter. Normally great grays eat mice and other rodents, but in the winter there is usually a thick layer of snow hiding their prey. No worries, a great gray owl can hear a mouse running under two feet of snow. It will then plunge feet first into the snow and catch the mouse. This leaves behind an interesting track in the snow. It often shows the imprint of the wing feathers as the owl flapped to take off.

Winter is one of the best times to spot great gray owls. In the summer time, the owls are deep in the boreal forest, but in the winter the snow gets deep and many of the owls leave the forest in search of food. They can often be seen along roadsides sitting on power poles or roadside signs.

Some winters, the great gray owl population experiences an irruption. During an irruption many individuals leave the forest and show up in unpredictable places. For great grays, it usually happens following a summer when there was an abundance of food. This means that more young were able to survive and there are more birds in the population. When winter comes, these birds travel in search of food, as there is not enough in the forest to support them all. When irruptions occur great grays are more likely to be seen, making winter a great time to spot them.

Speed: 1/2000 f/11
ISO 400
Focal Length: 300mm
Tripod
scottevers7, eleana, Demetrio, coasties, fiyo, wallhalla15, Luis52, marhowie, PDP, Luc, Hamurkaroglu, glazzaro, Janice, SelenE has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To carper: Yes, it's real!chouette 1 02-07 22:37
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Hi Helene,
WOW! Fantastic in-flight shot on this Great Grey Owl. Great colors and detail in the owl. Pose is perfect, as is the composition and framing.
Outstanding work! Worth 10 points

Scott

  • Great 
  • chiliu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1494 W: 0 N: 1175] (6494)
  • [2006-02-05 23:43]

Hi Helene,
Brilliant in-flight pose very well captured with good timing,
excellent details and nicely framed.
Thanks for sharing!

Hello Helene, great capture of flying owl, excellent sharpness for such heavy work! I like the pose and especially expressive eyes here :-)
TFS and best wishes,
Elena

Hello Helene, this is a very nice shot you have captured here. With the white surroundings you have focused in well and captured the moment. Its a good shot well done.

Demetrio

Hi Helene

Nice shot. Good POV and well composed. Crisp, clear and sharp. Excellent exposure. Good job. Thanks.

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1490 W: 72 N: 1427] (4744)
  • [2006-02-06 6:29]

Wonderful in-flight picture Helene. Great composition and perfect exposure. Good details and lovely POV. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 987 W: 5 N: 2762] (10618)
  • [2006-02-06 13:04]

Hi Helene,
Magnificent ! Great POV and DOF, good pose, details and sharpness.Very well done.

wow helene,
What a shot, what a capture, is this real, Yes sorry that I think that, but I have problems to see an owl, to get it on the photo only in zoo not in wild. with my compliments, fantastic job.
gr. jaap

  • Great 
  • hibou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 216 W: 1 N: 329] (1617)
  • [2006-02-06 19:26]

Bonjour Hélène, Encore une photo qui me fait croire que vous êtes capable de dresser les oiseaux pour qu'ils prennent des poses pour votre lentille ! Bravo et merci de partager vos clichés. Donald L.

Thankyou for sharing this photo.
Awesome pose and composition.
Almost comical looking.

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1110 W: 5 N: 3457] (12761)
  • [2006-02-06 21:04]

Helene.- Lograste una muy buena foto, se que es muy dificil hacerlo, Me gusta el fondo blanco. Tus comentarios son muy buenos tambien Luis52

Fantastic one Helene, I really like the composition. Not an easy catch! Very good sharpness and excellent POV. Very good job. WEll done. Thank you.

Hello Helene,
I've enjoyed everyone of your gray owl inflights. This one is excellent, with the POV and pose very nice. Great impact. Luv those eyes..Very well done. Thank you!

Hello Helene, superbe cliché propre et net de cette chouette en pleine action, chose que l'on ne peut admirer qu'à de très exceptionnelles occasions.
Cette position est spectaculaire et on dirait qu'elle a des pattes de lapin... J'aime également ce regard déterminé, visant la cible.
Bravo et merci pour le partage,
Claude

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2006-02-07 16:36]

Hello Helene, very ncie shot. Great composition and action. It's a beauty, love the legs! Well done.

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1575 W: 5 N: 2181] (12252)
  • [2006-02-07 18:42]

Fantastique prise Hélene!

La pose de l'oiseau, les ailes complètement levées, est très spéciale et spectaculaire.

Merci pour cette belle composition.

joseph

  • Great 
  • optic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 322 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2006-02-08 7:47]

Bon matin Hélène, il est splendide et quelle pose il adopte n'hésitez pas à en publier d'autre, j'en recherche sans succès au Cap Tourmente c'est temps-ci !

Christian

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 126 N: 5246] (23469)
  • [2006-02-10 8:36]

Vraiment très très bien ! C'est clair et net. Excellent "timing" pour la prise. Du vraiment beau travail, bravo !

Mario

bonjour Hélène bravo pour cette belle prise de photo en plein vol cette chouette prise de face superbe couleur de ses yeux, et impressionnant la forme de ses ailes. encore une fois bravo et merci

Hi Helene,
Very, very nice shot and clear photo. TFS.
Mehmet Hamurkaroglu

Beautifully caught and presented, such a clear and vivid shot, nice work!

Greg

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2006-03-01 22:52]

Sorry Helene, I seem to have missed some of your photos lately.
This one is superb! He is beautifully shown, especially at this angle showing his feet and tail and wings like this. And he contrasts so well against the snow. Very well presented, thank you
Janice

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2405 W: 63 N: 4227] (13822)
  • [2007-04-18 4:20]

Hi Helene,
The pose you caught is great. Very well done and TFS
Selen

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF