The Barn Owls are still hunting sporadically during daylight in northern Utah. I’ve seen them doing so in a variety of areas and heard reports of it happening elsewhere.
Some areas near the Great Salt Lake are literally “magical wonderlands” in the early mornings due to the thick layer of hoarfrost that covers nearly everything. The frost falls off the vegetation during the day, then reforms during the night. The hoarfrost produces a setting for my images that appeals to me.
The camera settings for the images in this post were: 1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4. The owl was not baited, set up or called in.
Yesterday morning this owl was hunting along the upper edge of a steep-sided hill as it came in my general direction and then rounded the hill to my right. In the first four shots you can see that its attention is riveted to the side of the hill where the snow cover is much less deep than it is everywhere else, which would increase the chances of spotting a vole.
I chose to compose these images a little differently so that the frost-covered hunting ground becomes almost as important to the image as the bird. If you have any thoughts on this composition I’d be interested in hearing them.
As the bird rounded the hilltop and got closer to me the frosted vegetation became more dominant in the images.
You can see that the snow on the hillside is patchy (most of the white is frost) so I believe that is why this bird was hunting there.
This is the last shot I got before losing focus on the owl.
I’m including this next image (using that term loosely…) simply for the fun of it.
I’ve mentioned in previous posts how difficult it becomes to maintain focus on a bird in flight when the background is relatively close to the subject and has a lot of texture/contrast. That’s what happened here. It was easier to keep the owl in focus when the background was blue sky or white frost but when the bird moved in front of the bare ground my focus point almost immediately locked on to the background and the bird became very soft.
And what a surprise it was to find the female Ring-necked Pheasant in the upper right hand corner of the photo. I didn’t know she was in the shot until I reviewed my images at home (this photo is full frame).
By the time I locked focus on the owl again it had rounded the hill and was too far past me to see the eyes well without a head turn in my direction (which simply wasn’t going to happen since the owl was more interested in hunting than posing for me…)
I liked the first four images because of the hunting behavior and the frosty setting but I just can’t help but feel a twinge of angst for the welfare of these owls when they’re forced to hunt during daytime.
Ron
Outstanding work Ron this beautiful bird has yet to have the pleasure of getting in front of my camera but its days are numbered lol
Breathtakingy beautiful! What are my thoughts n the first shot? I thik it really give a sense of both the owl and the weahter in which it was hunting. Stunning! How do you fid these wonderful birds? I’ve never seen a barn owl and seldom an owl of any kind. This surely must be daytime. Thanks again for sharing your woderful talent.
Seeing the owl searching the beautifully frosted grasses while turning into the curve brought me into the hunt with her which is very exciting.
Incredible photos of my favorite raptors. Thank you so much for capturing these beautiful creatures. When is winter going to be OVER? I hope it’s sooner rather than later. I want to continue to see them for as long as live…
I’m tired of the extreme cold, snow and crappy air around here, Nicole. I think I feel a blog post coming on soon that includes older images with some green and other spring colors…
I love the sense of scale and how you framed the owl to the left to include this magical landscape.
Thanks, Maria. I appreciate your feedback on the framing.
Really beautiful shots… I love these guys, but the colors are simply mesmerizing.
Those colors appeal to me also, Christina – there’s something about the rusty-reds combined with the creamy whites.
Wonderful stuff! I really like the inclusion of the habitat as it’s tied to the subject. It tells us what the owl is doing and how he’s doing it. I’m striving to include more background in the hope of achieving more meaningful (to me) images. I’ll still try to include “portrait” shots when possible, too, but hopefully will have options when selecting which I like better.
Wally, I’ve vacilated on the habitat vs portrait type of shot in the past and still do at times but right now I think I have no preference for either style. Something about the image just has to “grab” me – it might be fine detail or something else in a portrait or something about the interaction of bird and habitat when the bird is small in the frame. For me it’s often an intangible that’s hard to put into words.
The colours of the owl against the snow are magnificent, Ron and the focus and detail on the face is testament to both the equipment you use, but moreover the skill with which you use it.
Thank you for the kind words, Christian.
I think barn owls are the most beautiful of all the owls I’ve ever seen. The hoarfrost backgrounds definitely make the pictures more magical. I think that is the appropriate word. I was fortunate enough to get very close to a barn owl (educational, unable to be released) at a wildlife rehab place in WA, and they are even more beautiful close-up. It’s like every feather is a work of art in itself.
Leisa, I’ve also experienced rehab Barn Owls up close and had a reaction similar to yours.
Splendid sequence Ron !
Thanks, John.
Nice ones Ron. I like the compositions, the frosted plants give some perspective to the owl and help explain the story of hunting. I was in Anchorage photographing a Bald Eagle once and when I reviewed my shots, a lousy soft eagle image revealed an in focus Dall sheep in the background!
Thanks for the composition feedback, Chris.
Beautiful shots, and I love the surprise of the pheasant.
That pheasant amused me too, Tana.
Beautiful BIFs as usual, Ron. Let me add that I appreciate it when you post one of your (rare) flawed shots as an instructive tool. They look like some of mine, so your explanations are very beneficial.
I appreciate the feedback on the flawed shot, Dwynn. I didn’t know if I should include that one or not.