In many of my images of this Barn Owl it was coming straight at me but in this series I was able to get a quartering angle on the bird.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
The owl was hunting a canal near the road just after dawn eleven days ago at Bear River MBR. At first it was flying away from me but then it began to turn and come back my way. Right after I locked focus on it I had the Promontory Mountains in the background but the bird was a little too far away and the eye was in deep shade. I include this image mostly for context.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
But 23 shots later as the owl continued to approach and turn slowly my way I was able to get a catch light in several images where the bird was large in the frame.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
In the image with the best look under the wings the owl glanced down so we can’t see its eyes but I decided to include the shot anyway.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This is the last shot I got of the owl without cutting off wings because it was quite close to me. I wish there was more of the snow-covered mountains in the background than we see here but I like the wing position and the nice light on much of the face.
Soon after this last shot was taken the owl came in my general direction once again but it was lower in the sky so I was able to get a whole series of images as it approached with a much different background than you see here. I’ve been posting quite a few Barn Owl images in recent weeks so I’ll hold off for a bit to post some of those shots.
Ron
I’m always amazed at your owl photos. I’ve never been able to see Barn Owls when there is any light outside. Outstanding captures.
Beautiful photos Ron. One can never see too many Barn Owl photos. How lucky you are to have seen her in person.
Oooooh.
Lovely, lovely, lovely. Even without gazing into their eyes I find owls mesmerizing. And so very beautiful.
Thank you, EC.
WOW! What a great morning you and Mia had that day, Ron.
Those deep set eyes are really challenging, but when they light up with a catch light, the images really pop. Not that I dislike the others. Great Work as usual.
Unfortunately, thats the same morning we were there and my trusty old 400 2.8 decided, after 15 years, it wasn’t going to play nice and focused inconsistently or not at all. Off to Canon she goes. I should have gone for your old 500 when you upgraded. Oh well! We will get her back in the field soon.
Speaking of your upgrade, What differences did you find most apparent between the two lenses?
Dang, that’s too bad about the 400, Neil. I know what it’s like to have one of your primary bird lenses in the shop. When it happened to me I wasn’t a happy camper.
There are many upgrades on the new Canon 500 f/4 over the old one but the ones I appreciate most are the improved image quality, faster and more accurate focusing, improved image stabilization and the significantly lighter weight. The weight difference is truly amazing – a couple of pounds may not seem like much but it makes a huge positive difference.
“a couple of pounds may not seem like much but it makes a huge positive difference.”
Thats one of the biggest considerations I’m dealing with. The old 400 is 13+ lbs. and I think the newer 500 is a little over 7. Not a 50% reduction, but close. Hard decision since the 400 is paid for and has performed splendidly over the years.
Time for some deep contemplation on equipment.
Whoa, I had no idea that lens weighed so much!
I fully understand that “deep contemplation” thing…
Thanks for posting that first photo (which is awesome!) The other night, an owl crossed the road in front of our car and being familiar with Short-eared owls and their flat faces, I assumed it was a Short-eared. I wondered what a Barn Owl looks like in flying, and now I know! It was probably a Barn Owl I saw. It’s hard to capture owls in flight because of the decreased light, but you really did well! Love your posts, Ron!
Good, I’m glad this post helped with your ID, Lauren. I’m also glad the bird survived – so many owls are killed by vehicles at night. I’ve come close several times to hitting one but so far it hasn’t actually happened.
I actually like that first shot best of all (all are lovely). Perhaps it is the overall light and the sky.
I like it too, Sallie. I just wish that eye wasn’t such a black pit…
Even without the eye the angle of the head was worth the shot. Beautiful bird. Even Great Blue Heron can be a challenge at times! Hard to get used to deleting MANY shots for a coupe of “keepers” 🙂
“Even Great Blue Heron can be a challenge at times”
Agreed, Judy – ANY bird in flight can be and usually is a challenge. But the big, slower flying ones are usually a bit easier. I also agree with you about the pain of culling images…
Great shots as always – not to give away future posts, but did this fellow catch anything and if so were you able to document the hunt?
Dick, No, I didn’t actually see this owl or either of the other two I saw that morning catch anything. But they often landed as if on prey while they were far away so they could have. They gobble those voles down so quickly that it’s often hard to tell.
Beautiful, Ron. It is so hard to get some light in those deep-set eyes and in flight, too!
“It is so hard to get some light in those deep-set eyes”
Isn’t that the truth! If they had brightly colored eyes like many owl species do it wouldn’t be so important to get a catch light but Barn Owl eyes are like light-sucking black holes. Thank you, Justine.
Wonderful shots Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
I really admire these (or any) photos of birds in flight. Sine I am not a photographer – just a birder with a camera – I enjoy seeing what an artist like you can do with a camera. Thanks for sharing all of your photos.
That was nice of you to say, Mark.
It reminds me of how intimidated I was by flight shots when I first started out. After a few fruitless attempts at them early on I pretty much gave up on even trying for over a year. But eventually I went back at it and occasionally got a few that weren’t too bad and that inspired me to work at honing my skills (mostly on gulls, just for the practice). I remember the first decent flight shot I got was of a big, lumbering Great Blue Heron.
I do love the Barn Owl and you do it justice…thanks Ron 🙂
Thank you, Zaphir.
Just spectacular shots, Ron. You capture so many up-close-and-personal, once-in-a-lifetime shots. You just gotta love the exquisite beauty of Barnies, either in flight or perched, and how you manage to catch them in full frame is astounding. Yes, I know about your delete finger, but the jackpot photos are in there. What a joy!
Laura, the “jackpot photos” are usually few and far between but this owl did increase my keeper rate just a bit. In my experience that doesn’t happen very often with a Barn Owl so I was very pleased. Thank you.