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Stretching


Stretching
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: 2005-02-26
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel, Canon EF 75-300mm USM III
Exposure: f/11, 1/400 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-01-31 21:33
Viewed: 1491
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 32
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I was observing this gray owl for about an hour. Standing on his perch, he (or she?) began preening and stretching. On this picture, we can even see some of his long toes and talons. It was amazing to see all the strange movements that he was doing.

I took this gray owl in his natural environment at Cap Tourmente Natural Wildlife Area.

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

Great Gray Owl - Strix nebulosa

Size: Length 61-84cm (24-33")
Wingspan up to 152cm (60") average 140cm (55")
Weight: 790-1454g (28-51oz)

Food and Feeding: The Great Gray Owl's diet consists of almost entirely small rodents. About 90% of their diet consists of pocket gophers and voles. Other small mammals taken by the owl include mice, squirrels, young rabbits, hares, rats, moles, and weasels. Also taken are birds, usually small, although there are records of Sharp-shinned Hawks, ducks, and grouse. Small mammals are usually swallowed whole while larger prey is torn into pieces. The Great Gray can also detect prey under the snow by sound alone and will dive into the snow for hidden prey. Generally they hunt from a perch by listening and watching. Primarily a nocturnal and crepuscular owl but may occasionally hunt by day on dark overcast days during the winter months, and while feeding young.

Breeding: The Great Gray does not build its own nest or modify it in any way other than to potentially deepen the cup. Most nesting is done in abandoned raptor or crow nests or broken off treetops. Typically clutch size is 3 - 5 eggs but 1 - 9 is possible. In the case of the loss of the eggs, re-nesting may occur two additional times but only one clutch is raised yearly. Nest sites may also be used for multiple years. The female usually lays 1 egg per day and the incubation period is generally 28 - 36 days. The male does all the hunting during this period. Although the owlets leave the nest at 20 - 29 days they are incapable of flight (but can climb trees well) for another 7 - 14 days. Fledging occurs before they are 55 days old but they remain cared for by the female until 4 - 5 months of age when they begin to disperse. Great Horned Owls are serious predators of the young although humans are responsible for the greatest losses of the eggs and chicks.

Young: Initially the young have a grayish down above and white down below. The juveniles are olive-brown with dark bars and white spots above. Light gray- white below with dark bars; bold black facial marks. Adult plumage develops over the first 5 months but first year birds have white tipped flight feathers.


Speed: 1/400 f/11
ISO 200
Focal Length: 300mm

Tripod
jossim, Luc, dew77, coasties, fiyo, scottevers7, livios, hummingbird24, PDP, Hamurkaroglu has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To wildimagination: Close!chouette 1 02-01 23:16
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Critiques [Translate]

Absolutley outstanding image. Great exposure, atypical pose, expressive and natural, The blue sky and winter branch background sets of the owl perfectly. I am very impressed. A 300mm? Did you crop or were you really close? Either way its great.

WOW!

What a pose! Very well done Helene. The composition of this picture is superb, the focus and DOF just right.

Jan-Hendrik

Hi Helene,
A very nice portrait of this Owl.
The pose and the POV are very good.
I like the composition too.
Well done.

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2006-02-01 2:01]

Hello Helene!
Excellent capture.I liked POV,framing,
expression on face,details and composition
a lot.TFS...:-)

Hi Helene

Great shot. Excellent timing. Sharpness, detail and clarity are spot on. Nice work. Thanks.

Wonderful photo, composition and technically wise! Thanks for sharing - Xplorator Radu

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 987 W: 5 N: 2759] (10600)
  • [2006-02-01 4:46]

Hello Helene,wonderful capture.POV,colors,sharpness and composition are excellent.TFS

Hi Helene,
Your patience paid off with an excellent capture on a unique pose. I think you did a great job wih the exposure. The dark owl against the bright sky. Both are well done. Excellent detail. Composition and framing of this are flawless. Very well done!
Scott

  • Great 
  • optic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 322 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2006-02-01 7:51]

Elle est chouette cette chouette, chouette :-)
bel expression de l'oiseau, très haute définition, l'arrière-plan flou met en valeur le hibou, merci du partage et bonne journée !

Christian

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1576 W: 5 N: 2180] (12248)
  • [2006-02-01 20:40]

Wow!

La pose du spécimen est vraiment particulière et les détails du plumage sont très bien. Félicitations pour les couleurs justes et la beautée de l'oiseau.

Félicitations et merci Helene!


joseph

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2156 W: 322 N: 4258] (16906)
  • [2006-02-02 21:09]

Helene, this is very beautiful.

Excellent sharpness, pov and composition.

I like colors and bg too. Great pose.

Congratulations.

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2006-02-03 5:51]

Hello Helene, what an interesting pose! Lovely shot, nice lighting and a good composition, well done.

Hello Helene,

Sorry, no time for a decent comment, but definitely worth a ;-)

A fantastic capture!

TFS.

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1873 W: 304 N: 4300] (14729)
  • [2006-02-12 1:31]

Excellente photo.
Une superbe composition.
Vous avez passer du bon temps en bonne companie et attendu le bon moment pour prendre vos photos.
Merci Hélène.

  • Great 
  • chiliu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1494 W: 0 N: 1175] (6494)
  • [2006-02-15 14:27]

Hi Helene,
Brilliant image, perfect exposure and good lighitng,
excellent details and nice POV,
Thanks for sharing!

Hello Helene,
What a nice photo. TFS.
Mehmet Hamurkaroglu

  •      
  • hibou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 216 W: 1 N: 329] (1617)
  • [2006-04-02 20:23]

Avec cette phose la chouette est presque méconnaissable ! L'expression de ses yeux est vraiment spécial. Bravo ! Donald L.

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