Deep or crusty snow makes hunting difficult for Barn Owls.
- Note: I’ve posted a couple of these images previously but the rest are new to my blog.
1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM, not baited, set up or called in
Three years ago today the snow was deep along the Wasatch Front and as a result this Barn Owl was active and hunting during daytime at Farmington Bay. These conditions are good for bird photographers (though the light was horrible that day) but not for Barn Owls who must extend their normal nocturnal hunting time in order to find sufficient food for survival. When they don’t, they die. There’s good reason why these generally non-migratory owls are virtually nonexistent in states like Montana and North Dakota with their frigid winter temperatures and deep snow.
Typically they fly low and slow and listen for rodents (often voles in my area) under the snow and when they hear something they plunge…
1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 320mm, not baited, set up or called in
head first into the snow in an attempt to capture it. When the snow is deep (as it was on this day) or if it has a hard crust on the surface their chances of success are significantly reduced. On this morning the snow was soft and fluffy and despite its depth the owl…
1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 320mm, not baited, set up or called in
came up with a mouse. Typically at Farmington their prey is voles but this one is obviously a mouse based on its white ventral surface and…
1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 320mm, not baited, set up or called in
long tail (vole tails are significantly shorter). The owl gobbled the mouse down very quickly.
1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM, not baited, set up or called in
This bird was having a very good morning because only four minutes later it caught another mouse. But this time it flew off with the rodent to enjoy its meal in a more secluded location.
1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM, not baited, set up or called in
This mouse didn’t have the white belly so perhaps it’s a different species than the previous one.
We’re scheduled to have a Christmas Eve snow-dump so I suspect conditions similar to these are just over our horizon. If it happens I look forward to potential photographic opportunities with Barn Owls but it also makes me apprehensive for their survival – many of them freeze or die of starvation when there’s deep snow and it turns very cold.
In those conditions I sometimes see them shivering uncontrollably and that really tugs at my heart…
Ron
Great images Ron. I love the last one the best as it really shows a neat scene of a Barn Owl content with a winter meal. I hope you get some good snow and have fun this holiday season photographing the beauty of the Great Salt Lake.
gorgeous series… I love Barn Owls…
Great series!
We get lots of harvest mice and gophers but not many voles here. Kangaroo rats in the desert.
And packrats too.
So wonderful-they must have incredible hearing. I like the owl taking the plunge especially. Merry Christmas to you and your family and here’s hoping for a peaceful new year and lots of great birding!
Ron, all your shots are very good, but this series is certainly among the very best!…ever!
Thanks very much, Jerry.
Ron, these are outstanding shots of the owl’s hunting methods and outcomes. The brownish and yelowish of its feathers against the white background make these shots look like Japanese kakemonos. Congratulations. Two technical questions: did you switch lenses, from 100-400 km ii to 500 in the middle of the action? How happy are you with your 100-400 km ii? I’m quite unhappy with mine…
Ricardo, Yes, I was switching back and forth but I had each lens mounted on different 7D’s.
I’ve been very happy with the new version of the 100-400. I don’t use it often but I always have it with me and when I need it I really need it!
Christmas morning here. And you gave me a truly beautiful gift.
With some sadness attached. A shivering owl would tug on my heartstrings too.
Thank you, Merry Christmas – and best wishes for all the birds.
Merry Christmas, EC. I didn’t know if your time in Australia is ahead or behind ours. I learned something…
Wonderful! I especially like the image of the “dive”. Over the years, I have found two “snow angels” made by owls (in Great Grey Owl habitat), but I have never seen an actual attempt. Very, very nice. Thanks, as always, for sharing, and Merry Christmas!
Cheers,
Dick
Thanks, Dick. I’ve never even SEEN a Great Gray in the wild though I have looked for them in appropriate habitat. One day, hopefully…
Thank you Ron…just perfect for the festive season…the best to you and yours!
I’m glad you thought it was appropriate for the season, Susan. Thanks.
A beautiful Barn Owl for Christmas Eve! Thanks Ron.I feel so bad that she has to be out in these conditions. I wonder why they don’t move a little south for the winter.
I hope you have a wonderful and peaceful Christmas Ron.
Debbie, with very few exceptions most Barn Owls just don’t migrate. I guess the effort must not be worth it for them overall.
Wonderful series! I especially like the dive shot… I’m amazed that the Owl was able to catch two mice in such a short time. Hopefully the expected snow won’t be too hard on these beautiful birds. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Thank you, Susan. Have a wonderful holiday!
Beautiful series, Ron, and great timing on capturing the plunge! I guess when conditions are dire it’s never to soon to pursue the next meal, but four minutes in between captures is simply amazing!
That was a well-fed owl that morning, Diane – even in the snow.
These are incredible shots — capturing the owl’s behavior and the composition! Wow! I like the way the slight curvature and the angles of the brush in the first shot draw my eye toward the darker feathers framing the white face of the owl.
I’m glad you like them, Marty. Thanks.
Oh, what a wonderful set of photos!!!!
Thank you, Gail.
Great captures on this Barn Owl (they are seriously in decline) and I am glad to see this one eating. 🙂 Your photos are beautifully done. Great work!
Thanks very much, Jerilyn.
I hope the expected snow is not too deep for these beautiful birds to find food…their struggle for survival is so tough as it is…..
It’s a quandary as to what to wish for, Patty – we really need lots of snow for the water year and for the Great Salt Lake but when it really dumps on us it’s bad for Barn Owls. I guess my preference would be for tons of snow in the mountains but only moderate amounts in the valleys, along with moderate temperatures.
Love love love lucky you right place right time and the background white snow with orange brush blend perfectly with birds … I know it’s against the rules to feed wild animals but D O W does when elk are starving and in New York one year when it was a really bad winter dead birds everywhere they were announcing over radio for everyone to please feed the birds.
Marina, most folks, including me, have no problem with feeding songbirds at feeders but feeding (baiting) raptors is another story altogether IMO…
Well I don’t believe in baiting either !!! But helping a starving bird is something else but than of course you would have to know is they are starving and not just having a lean winter.
🙂
WOW! Great captures! The deep snow is hard on all sorts of critters. Our last round has pretty much melted and the vole tracks are visible. In theory, more to come, BUT! You know how MT is about these things. 🙂
“You know how MT is about these things”
Boy, do I ever! Especially when a Chinook comes along…
Ron —-the composition of these is wonderful—–love the soft background and the way the dried grasses reflect some of the same colors as the owl.
I’m glad you noticed the composition, Bobbi. I try to get the best comp possible when I crop – even for behavioral shots.
Once, again…. FABULOUS Pics! Thank you for sharing & Wishing YOU & ALL of Your’s a Very Merry Christmas & Holiday season.
Thanks, CaJ. And Merry Christmas to you and yours.
WOW, WOW ….. Fantastic shots!!
Are these images of the same Owl catching two individuals?
The reason I ask is that the 4th shot the owl is swallowing the mouse it caught, and the last two shots the Owl is flying with a mouse.
Love this set!
Thanks for sharing.
Have a great Christmas tomorrow!!
Dick, Yes – same owl, two different mice with four minutes in-between captures.