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Flying away


Flying away
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: 2006-01-28
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel, Canon EF300mm 4/L IS
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/2500 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Birds in Flight, Birds and Animals in the Snow, Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-03-14 22:21
Viewed: 2247
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 49
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello everyone.
Here is the second post of this beautiful bird, flying away to another prey.
I hope you'll like it!
Thanks for viewing and comments

Description: The Snowy Owl is a large, diurnal white Owl that has a rounded head, yellow eyes and black bill. The feet are heavily feathered. A distinctive white Owl, their overall plumage is variably barred or speckled with thin, black, horizontal bars or spots. Females and juveniles are more heavily marked than males - adult males may be almost pure white, although they have up to three tail bands. Adult females are distinctly barred throughout, and have from four to six tail bands. Immatures are very heavily barred throughout, and dark spotting may codominate or dominate the overall plumage. Intensity of dark spotting varies with the sex of the immatures, females being the darkest. Juveniles are uniformly brown with scattered white tips of down.

Size: Length 51-68.5 cm (20-27") average female 66cm (26" inches), male 59cm (23")
Wingspan 137-164cm (54-65")
Weight 1134-2000g (40-70oz) average female 1707g (60oz), male 1612g (57oz)

Habits: Snowy Owls are active during the daytime, from dawn to dusk. They have a direct, strong, and steady flight with deliberate, powerful downstrokes and quick upstrokes. They make short flights, close to the ground, from perch to perch, and usually perches on the ground or a low post. During hot weather, they can thermoregulate by panting and spreading their wings. Snowy Owls are very aggressive when defending their nest.

Habitat: The Snowy Owl is a bird of Arctic tundra or open grasslands and fields. They rarely venture into forested areas. During southward movements they appear along lakeshores, marine coastlines, marshes, and even roost on buildings in cities and towns. In the Arctic, they normally roost on pingaluks (rises in the tundra) and breed from low valley floors up to mountain slopes and plateaus over 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) in elevation. When wintering in the Arctic, they frequent wind-swept tundra with little snow or ice accumulation. At more southern latitudes they typically frequents agricultural areas.

Speed: 1/2500 f/7.1
ISO 400
Focal Length: 300mm
eev, Luc, goutham_ramesh, emmari, viv, Janice, AndyB, wallhalla15, coasties, thistle, ddg, marhowie has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Aramok: Thank you!chouette 1 03-17 23:07
To LCannon: Thank you!chouette 1 03-17 23:05
To pauljk: Thank you!chouette 1 03-17 23:03
To eev: Thank youchouette 1 03-17 22:58
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Critiques [Translate]

Very nice capture. The movement in this shot is just wonderful. I was wondering if you have considered increasing the contrast in this shot, making the owl stand out a little more.

Helene, it's a beautiful photograph! I just heard my first owl in the woods yesterday and this photo is so lovely after that experience. I didn't get to see my owl, I imagine it might have looked simular to this one. So very dramatic and powerful looking, yet graceful with it's sweeping wingspan. Your photo shows so much motion I can almost see his wings move. Excellent work, perfect framing and lighting, composition is great, you've provided just enough dark at the top to be interesting.

Hi Helene,
Beautiful capture. Great framing and controlled exposure in difficult conditions. The slight motion in the tips of the wings adds to the image well. You've caught those great eyes well too...love the way they seem to be scanning the ground.
TFS
Paul

Greaaaaaaaaat photo!!

you have got captured it very well, the eyes and the wings are superp

TFS
Goutham

Salut Hélène, vraiment impressionnant comme photo. Pas facile de capturer un tel oiseau en plein vol. Bien cadré et des superbes yeux jaunes !
Félicitations
Martin

Superbe attitude ! Et puis comment ne pas craquer devant ce regard d'or ?!
Félicitations.
Emmanuel

Hi. Helene
Good exposure controll. the composition also nise. I was bored to see birds spreading wings horizontally or upwards. Now this is a change and good shot.

Hi Helene,
Very nice action shot with perfect timing,
excellent pose and POV, incredible detail in the eyes.
Thanks for sharing!

Hello Helene,
What a marvellous bird, it is great you can see him fly. Very nice.
TFS
Vivian

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2006-03-15 4:25]

Helene, I love these snowy owls, they are so attractive. Great catch here of it in flight! Very good job, thank you,
Janice

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1391 W: 32 N: 1350] (3982)
  • [2006-03-15 5:06]

Hello Helene,
A lovely capture.
Excellent exposure,nice detail and very good composition.
Superb!

TFS

Hello Helene,
very good shot. Great POV and very good details. Good visual impact. TFS.

Ciao Helene,
veramente uno scatto favoloso!
Bravissima.

  • Great 
  • TPAKT Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 114 W: 23 N: 19] (87)
  • [2006-03-15 12:10]

Privet Helene.
I shall not speak for a long time - work of the high level!

Well caught and shown. The first thing that caught my attention was how well they actually blend in with snow and this shows it very well. I love the way you can almost see through the right hand wing.

TFS

Excellent inflight of my favorite owl. If it weren't for those spots and those yellow piercing eys this bird of prey would be cloaked. :)

Awesome Helene!!! well done!

  • Great 
  • carper Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2009 W: 122 N: 2581] (8424)
  • [2006-03-15 13:49]

fantastic Helena,
the shot is fantastic, but who am I to tell you what is good, The capture is fantastic, the job is great, thank you,
gr. jaap

Hi Helene

A littled rushed this moring, so just a quick visit. Enough time to see that this is a well composed shot, with very good light and details. :-)

  • Great 
  • wuta Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 856 W: 2 N: 617] (2142)
  • [2006-03-15 14:42]

Hello Helene , Great shot from this beautiful owl,
very good compositie nice frame ,good job ,TFS
Greetings Teunie .

Salut Hélène :D
Wow! Quel belle capture de ce superbe oiseau. Vraiment bien réussie a tout les niveaux! Exposition parfaite dans un contexte dificile de blanc. Superbe netteté. Impressionnant! A bientot! Jean.

  • Great 
  • hibou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 216 W: 1 N: 329] (1617)
  • [2006-03-16 18:58]

Belle capture Hélène, En plus de la beauté du sujet et la qualité de la photo on peut en effet sentir l'attrait de l'oiseau vers une autre proie. Bravo Donald L.

Hello Helene,
The owl looks great. The pose you've captured it in is superb. The picture has nice details and is overall very clear.
VERY WELL DONE!

  • Great 
  • ddg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 855 W: 23 N: 942] (5111)
  • [2006-03-17 3:35]

Bonjour Helene, cette photo est irrélle!! C'est la technique du pointillisme!! Quelle legereté dans ce vol et le fond de neige, la cerise sur le gateau!! Toutes mes félicitations, Didier.

Hello Helene,
This is another excellent inflight of this beautiful owl. I agree with Paul, if not for those piercing eyes and spotted wings, this predator would be nearly invisible.
Very well done.

  •      
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 126 N: 5246] (23469)
  • [2006-03-17 11:20]

Très jolie capture Hélène, très bon contact des yeux, superbe mouvement de l'oiseau. Bravo.

Mario

Although this is probably not as sharp as some of your other in-flight shots, I prefer this one because of the powerful pose. Exposure must have been difficult!
Well done.

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