Burrowing Owl Wing And Leg Stretch

Two versions of the same photo.

 

1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in

Like me, this photo is an old-timer. This bird was one of a large family of Burrowing Owls that I photographed many times that summer in a remote area in Box Elder County way back in 2015. Over time they became acclimated to my pickup and I spent many hours with them as they went about their normal daily activities.

This was one of the most leisurely and relaxed wing and leg stretches I’ve ever seen from a bird of any species. It was leisurely enough that I was able to get lots of photos that were somewhat similar to this one. The fact that the owl was so relaxed and accepting of my close presence is one of the many reasons I like it.

 

 

If you prefer, here’s a vertical composition of the same photo.

I’m posting this older photo today because if feels so good to finally be able to search my photo archives again and actually find what I’m looking for – after many months of being unable to do it after my backup computer was repaired and I couldn’t get my photo organizer to recognize the drive paths.

You might say I’m posting it just because I can.

Ron

 

23 Comments

  1. I can’t help but smile when looking at that photo. Thanks for posting an oldie that I had never seen.

    Also, I didn’t see it until today so I didn’t comment in the other post, but I loved the shots of the dark morph Red-tailed Hawk – such a beautiful bird!

  2. Such a lovely little creature, horizontally or vertically, there’s so much to see in that pretty wing and those long legs. No matter what they’re doing, Burrowing Owls are fascinating to watch (or, in this case, carefully study). It’s great that, should you finally be gifted with snow in your area, you’ll be able to seek out more treasures of the past.

  3. I’m always wowed by how long Burrowing Owls’ wings are in comparison to their bodies (same with the legs, but that’s more of a giggle 😉). So glad you’re able to access your archives. Can’t wait to see what else you post just because you can! 😃💜

  4. THANK YOU for starting my day with awe, wonder and a HUGE smile.

  5. So much to love about this photo! So glad you can access your earlier work. I like the horizontal crop for the initial story, and then the vertical for the details. It’s always interesting when you give both – the crop does make a difference in how the viewer reacts.

  6. Beautiful shot, Ron. 🙂 The owl’s wing stretch shows the amazing length of the wing relative to his body – I’m always in wonder as to how they can fold them up so neatly….. 😉

    Glad you’re able to peruse the “oldies” once again.

  7. Very interesting and really cool photo. No problem with using your archives, I am betting there are some real treasurers there.

  8. You’re also posting it because you should – it’s a great shot! Thanks.

  9. Burrowing Owls are my favorite owls. Such personality! Years ago used to see them in some coastal fields. Been a long time now.

    Prefer the composition of first photo.

  10. Team Vertical! What an unusual and captivating pose! And ‘just because I can’ is a blessing!! Glad your technology is back in order.

    • Kathleen, I’m surprised by how relieved I am to finally be able to find older photos again. That’s probably partly because I can now actually respond to image requests in an appropriate way.

  11. I’m glad that you posted these photos……the only times I’ve seen
    Burrowing Owls, they’ve been standing stock-still like little statues
    with their wings folded next to their torsos–it’s nice to be able to see their legs and wings extended, and I was surprised to see how
    proportionately long that wing is !

    • “I was surprised to see how proportionately long that wing is.”

      Kris, when I first started photographing Burrowing Owls, I was too. Early on I cut off many of their wings in takeoff and flight shots because I didn’t allow for their length.

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