“Demure” pops into my mind every time I look at this photo. Maybe another word works better for you.
- de·mure – adjective: reserved, modest, and shy.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed this cooperative Short-eared Owl in late spring three years ago in northern Utah. The fresh green background colors are typical of the time of year when I’m most likely to see this species and there’s a dried grass stem in the claws that is most likely a remnant from an earlier hunting foray. I like the shy, almost withdrawn pose, the old and weathered perch and the clean background.
My good friends Jim and Nancy DeWitt were the inspiration for this post. They spent part of this past weekend in Idaho’s Upper Weiser Valley doing their Short-eared Owl survey. They’ve been volunteering their time surveying their assigned route for several years now and when Jim told me it was time for another survey my mind became fixated on SEOW’s for much of the weekend (beats the hell out of thinking about coronavirus.)
Depending on available prey SEOWs can be highly unpredictable in their choice of nesting grounds from year to year so I never know if they’ll show up in good numbers around here. For several years running they were relatively easy to find in northern Utah during the nesting season but last year was a near-total bust.
I have hopes for this year but then I do every springtime. Sometimes they pan out and sometimes they don’t.
Ron
Note: Jim DeWitt is a prolific and astute blogger on an eclectic range of subjects including bird photography, politics, science, legal/ethical issues (he’s a retired attorney) and concert reviews. Some of my readers may know him by his blog title Wickersham’s Conscience or by the pseudonym Hieronymus Bosch.
She’s darling!
Lot’s of interpretations of the Owl’s look. As much in the eye of the beholder as in the eye of the Owl. Beautiful image in any case. I get Wickersham’s Conscience in my inbox everyday now. His commentary, especially on politics, is spot on. Thanks for the link.
And he’s punctual too. Most days I get my links to his posts at 6:17 AM… 🙂
I could only take so much of the latest “presser” on the radio, so am now listening to classical music and enjoying this lovely SEOW. Coy, demure, “come hither” look … I think “her” name might be Mae … you should be able to decipher my reasoning. 😉
Thanks, Chris. Mae works for me.
The word, “coy” also comes to mind — mainly because of the “come hither” sense that I’m getting from those slightly raised ear tufts.
(OK, perhaps I need to get out more…) 😳
“perhaps I need to get out more”
Better not, Marty. Social distancing ya know… 🙂
I guess it depends on what kind of getting out you have in mind.
I’m waiting for some odd entrepreneur to develop a portable 6-foot spacer to wear about, akin to a giant umbrella. 😉
I’d buy one of those! (And not a dozen to up-sell, I promise.)
She seems not to have a care in the world! Peaceful!
Peaceful works for me, Pat.
Demure? That piercing (almost) sultry gaze doesn’t fit for me. I like they wayward feather tuft too. But then I never saw an owl I didn’t like.
I do hope you see them this year. For you I hope it, for me I hope it.
Funny how we perceive things differently, EC. That gaze looks far from piercing to me. I think it looks detached. Maybe we’ll have to ask the owl what was on its mind…
Beautiful pose, colors and light. I hope the owls return this year.
Boy, so do I, April. I haven’t seen any “up there” yet.
Love the relaxed look he has… maybe a good meal just finished ! His beautiful color is perfect against the green background ❤️
On our third day of rain and snow, loving it.
Thanks, Diana. We finally had nice weather here today.
As far as I’m concerned, any owl is worthy of admiration, especially one so charming, and anyone who uses the pseudonym Hieronymus Bosch is worthy of exploration. Thanks for a great image and interesting information.
“anyone who uses the pseudonym Hieronymus Bosch is worthy of exploration”
I strongly doubt you’ll regret checking him out, Shoreacres. Thank you.
“Demure” fits the photo even if they can be pretty ferocious!…. 😉 “Winter” caught up to us the past few days – helpful in keeping me in a behaving myself…… 😉
Judy, I’ve seen some photos of that recent storm taken about 100 miles north of you. Looks pretty ferocious.
Really like this photo Ron. The colors, both hers and the background blend together so well. Yes, hope that your friends get a good count worthy of their efforts. And thanks for the vocabulary reminder. Demure is kind of a forgotten word in mine. Don’t recall using that for many years.
Thanks, Everett. Jim says their survey route “isn’t very productive” but it’s important that it be covered anyway. So they do it. Both Jim and Nancy are birders and I suspect they usually find some nice birds other than owls as a consolation prize.
You are so right! I think it is that slightly lowered eyelid that makes it for me. I like that slightly raised feather tuft on the top of her head also. Total bust for me here this year so far; I was out yesterday for the afternoon looking…you know hope springs eternal. I hope you are successful and post every single photo you get this year…perfect or not just to satisfy my craving for SEO’s! 😍 I follow his blog…I find his writings quite interest. Found him because of you…thanks for that.
Kathy, I think that tuft is one of his ear tufts, hard to tell for sure.
I read virtually ever blog post Jim publishes, which means daily. I like his writing style and you just never know what subject he’ll cover.