![\"burrowing](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/burrowing-owl-4115-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt’s my working theory that Burrowing Owls may lean into the take-off (from an elevated perch) at a flatter angle than most other raptors.\u00a0The\u00a0angle of launch of this juvenile is just one of many examples\u00a0I’ve photographed\u00a0recently.<\/p>\n
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\u00a01\/4000, f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon<\/em> EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called <\/strong>in<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0The youngster was perched on this old fencepost in Box Elder County just over a week ago when it apparently reacted to another owl in the distance by…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/4000, f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon<\/em> EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called <\/strong>in<\/strong><\/p>\n turning toward it and\u00a0beginning to call out. Only one of the many vocalizations of Burrowing Owls is referred to as a “scream” and I can’t recall the sound this bird made so it may be literary license for me to refer to it as such but I went with it anyway. This bird called out repeatedly before, during and after take-off. It definitely wasn’t reacting to my presence – I’m pretty sure it was in response to one of its nearby family members though I suppose it’s possible that it was because of another raptor it saw in the distance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/3200, f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon<\/em> EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0As the owl took off…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n it squatted down and launched in an almost horizontal angle. I’ve seen and photographed this many times recently when Burrowing Owls take off from an elevated perch. I can’t help but wonder if they launch at such an angle in order to take advantage of the extra momentum available by pushing off with\u00a0their extra-long legs. That’s just a theory from an amateur of course but it’s something that I’ve noticed so many times that my mind definitely goes there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/3200, f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon<\/em> EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, canvas added for composition,\u00a0not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n The next shot (the\u00a0last 3\u00a0shots\u00a0are consecutive images in a burst that spanned approximately .3 sec) shows that the bird actually did take off horizontally and I suspect that if the image had been taken a millisecond earlier it would show\u00a0both legs extended straight back to the perch from the push-off.<\/p>\n Yes I know, once again I’m fiddling around in “much ado about nothing” territory but I can’t help myself.\u00a0 There’s good reason(s) for the unusually long legs of Burrowing Owls – one of them is so they can see their surroundings\u00a0better from the burrow but perhaps they’ve “learned” to take advantage of them in other ways too.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s my working theory that Burrowing Owls may lean into the take-off at a flatter angle than most other raptors. The angle of launch of this juvenile is just one of many examples I’ve photographed recently.<\/p>\n![\"burrowing](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/burrowing-owl-4121-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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\u00a0\u00a01\/3200, f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon<\/em> EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, canvas added for composition, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"burrowing](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/burrowing-owl-4127-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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