![\"short-eared](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/short-eared-owl-7134-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThis time of year my thoughts invariably turn\u00a0to Montana’s Short-eared Owls.<\/p>\n
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1\/1250, f\/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The light was marginal for much of the time I spent with this male Short-eared Owl and his family in early June of 2010.\u00a0 At ISO 800 (high for my 7D)\u00a0I barely had the shutter speed to keep this owl sharp in flight but since he was hunting regularly and I love flight shots of raptors with prey I had to try.\u00a0 Because of the conditions\u00a0many of my shots were soft but occasionally I got lucky.<\/p>\n While this bird was actively hunting in the mornings and evenings he would typically catch a vole for his family about once every half hour so I had plenty of chances.\u00a0 The background here is the snowy Centennial Mountains.<\/p>\n I hope to return to western Montana four or five times this summer.\u00a0 The Great Horned Owls on the family farm and the Short-eared Owls of Beaverhead County\u00a0are already calling my name.\u00a0 Loudly…<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This time of year my thoughts invariably turn to Montana’s Short-eared Owls.<\/p>\n