{"id":21913,"date":"2014-02-06T07:12:17","date_gmt":"2014-02-06T14:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=21913"},"modified":"2014-02-06T07:12:17","modified_gmt":"2014-02-06T14:12:17","slug":"short-eared-owl-with-huge-vole-or-is-it-something-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/06\/short-eared-owl-with-huge-vole-or-is-it-something-else\/","title":{"rendered":"Short-eared Owl With Huge Vole (or is it something else?)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Most adult voles I see are about the same size but occasionally I notice one that appears to have been on an extended steroid regimen.\u00a0 Perhaps they’re not voles at all…?<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7287-ron-dudley.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"21914\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/06\/short-eared-owl-with-huge-vole-or-is-it-something-else\/short-eared-owl-7287-ron-dudley-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7287-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,643\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"RON DUDLEY","camera":"Canon EOS 7D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1277406943","copyright":"","focal_length":"700","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.000625","title":""}\" data-image-title=\"short eared owl 7287 ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7287-ron-dudley-300x214.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7287-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21914\" alt=\"short eared owl 7287 ron dudley\" src=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7287-ron-dudley.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7287-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7287-ron-dudley-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7287-ron-dudley-150x107.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7287-ron-dudley-400x285.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<em><strong>1\/1600, f\/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>This is the size of most voles I see in our western states.\u00a0 For future reference note that the length of the body sans tail and hanging legs is slightly longer (if the neck weren’t bent) than the vertical diameter of the owl’s facial disc.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7293b-ron-dudley.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"21915\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/06\/short-eared-owl-with-huge-vole-or-is-it-something-else\/short-eared-owl-7293b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7293b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,662\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"RON DUDLEY","camera":"Canon EOS 7D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1277406944","copyright":"","focal_length":"700","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.000625","title":""}\" data-image-title=\"short eared owl 7293b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7293b-ron-dudley-300x220.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7293b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21915\" alt=\"short eared owl 7293b ron dudley\" src=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7293b-ron-dudley.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"662\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7293b-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7293b-ron-dudley-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7293b-ron-dudley-150x110.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-7293b-ron-dudley-400x294.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<em><strong>1\/1600, f\/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0Here’s another view of the same vole for a different perspective.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8110-ron-dudley.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"21916\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/06\/short-eared-owl-with-huge-vole-or-is-it-something-else\/short-eared-owl-8110-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8110-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"6.3","credit":"RON DUDLEY","camera":"Canon EOS 7D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1277542588","copyright":"","focal_length":"700","iso":"500","shutter_speed":"0.0004","title":""}\" data-image-title=\"short-eared owl 8110 ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8110-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8110-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21916\" alt=\"short-eared owl 8110 ron dudley\" src=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8110-ron-dudley.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8110-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8110-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8110-ron-dudley-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8110-ron-dudley-400x320.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<em><strong>1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>But once in a great while a Short-eared Owl would come in with a much larger rodent (there’s a piece of debris poking out to the right of the head of the prey).\u00a0 In the excitement of the shoot I never paid\u00a0much attention to the size difference while out in the field but last night\u00a0I became curious about it.\u00a0\u00a0Now I’m wondering if the larger rodents aren’t\u00a0Northern\u00a0Pocket Gophers.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8111-ron-dudley.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"21917\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/06\/short-eared-owl-with-huge-vole-or-is-it-something-else\/short-eared-owl-8111-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8111-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"6.3","credit":"RON DUDLEY","camera":"Canon EOS 7D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1277542588","copyright":"","focal_length":"700","iso":"500","shutter_speed":"0.0004","title":""}\" data-image-title=\"short-eared owl 8111 ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8111-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8111-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21917\" alt=\"short-eared owl 8111 ron dudley\" src=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8111-ron-dudley.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8111-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8111-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8111-ron-dudley-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8111-ron-dudley-400x320.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<em><strong>1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Another look at the same bird and rodent.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">All four of these\u00a0photos were taken in late June\u00a0(within two days of each other) in the Centennial Valley of southwest Montana.\u00a0 The\u00a0Northern Pocket Gopher has a light-colored tail but in these two shots the tail is in shade so the dark appearance here might be deceiving.\u00a0 My Audubon Field Guide to Mammals says that the Meadow Vole is roughly half the size of the Northern\u00a0Pocket Gopher (2.5\u00a0oz vs 4.6 oz max).\u00a0 These larger rodents don’t appear to be any kind of ground squirrel that I’m familiar with.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Anyway, my curiosity got the best of me once again so I decided to post these images (the last two are less than tack sharp)\u00a0and see if any of my readers are better amateur (or pro) mammologists than I am.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Any thoughts, educated or otherwise?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Ron<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most adult voles I see are about the same size but occasionally I notice one that appears to have been on an extended steroid regimen. Perhaps they’re not voles at all…?<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/06\/short-eared-owl-with-huge-vole-or-is-it-something-else\/\"><span>Continue reading<\/span><i class=\"crycon-right-dir\"><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[334,1493,360,356],"tags":[35,555,146,1856,1855,256,1857,279,315],"class_list":["post-21913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-birds","category-montana-favorite-locations","category-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge-favorite-locations","category-short-eared-owls","tag-asio-flammeus","tag-centennial-valley","tag-flight","tag-meadow-vole","tag-northern-pocket-gopher","tag-prey","tag-rodent","tag-short-eared-owl","tag-vole"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/short-eared-owl-8110-ron-dudley.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1zzJh-5Hr","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21913\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}