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<\/p>\nWe’ve had recent snow and today’s high is supposed to be below freezing.\u00a0 For me those conditions always bring thoughts to mind of Barn Owls, especially early on in the season.\u00a0 I typically go about 10 months of the year without seeing them\u00a0flying in daylight but when snow and extremely cold temperatures arrive they’re often forced to hunt during daytime in order to obtain enough food to survive.\u00a0 When that happens I have decidedly mixed feelings – it’s always a delight to see them but it’s a tough time of year for them and many do not\u00a0survive if conditions are unusually harsh.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0\u00a01\/1250, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n I photographed this owl last December as it hunted for rodents in the deep snow among the phragmites.\u00a0 Typically they hunt from the air by plunging into the snow after voles but this one was also ground-hunting.\u00a0 It would listen intently from its perch and\u00a0when it heard something under the snow it would go after it.\u00a0\u00a0Several times it simply walked a few feet to a new spot and\u00a0hunted from there.\u00a0 This technique saved energy when energy was at a premium.<\/p>\n On this heavily overcast day it was very difficult to get light in the eyes.\u00a0 There is some here but it’s quite muted and diffuse, typical of these conditions in low light with snow covering the ground.\u00a0 This bird was acclimated to all the hunter traffic on the road and virtually ignored my pickup (I never left my vehicle)\u00a0as it went about its business.\u00a0 At times it even closed its eyes and slept but\u00a0if it had been disturbed (or if its behavior had been altered)\u00a0by my presence I’d have left the area.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n I saw it capture several rodents – both\u00a0voles and mice.\u00a0 It consumed one of them on the spot but\u00a0the bird flew off with this\u00a0mouse (notice the long tail compared to the much shorter tail of a vole).\u00a0 The mouse is still alive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a01\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n A few frames later I got a slightly better head angle but it’s still\u00a0far from\u00a0ideal.<\/p>\n I absolutely love photographing Barn Owls but if I had the power I’d choose to never see them hunting during daytime.\u00a0 It’s so very sad to see them shivering in the cold (they actually do shiver) and finding a frozen owl carcass in the snow is simply heartbreaking.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I typically go about 10 months of the year without seeing Barn Owls flying in daylight but when snow and extremely cold temperatures arrive they’re often forced to hunt during daytime in order to obtain enough food to survive. <\/p>\n![\"barn](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/barn-owl-9023-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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