![\"short-eared](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/short-eared-owl-7465-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt’s barely the New Year but I’m already weary of snow and cold so there’s\u00a0a change of pace this morning\u00a0provided by a\u00a0Short-eared Owl, flowers and the color green.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1\/1000, f\/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n This is the male of a mated pair photographed several years ago at Montana’s Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. He was an industrious and highly skilled hunter as evidenced by the dozens of voles I saw him capture over most of a week in late June. When this shot was taken he had been hunting (and defending his territory from other owls) all morning so he was taking a much-needed rest break atop a low-growing sagebrush.<\/p>\n The bird is largely backlit but there’s plenty of light on the shaded parts of the owl to make the image work for me, especially considering how well that bright yellow eye still stands out. I also like the single, tall stalk of grass leaning in the same direction the owl is looking.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Several hours later on the same morning I photographed him with a vole amongst the dandelions and sagebrush. Even though he’s partly obscured by the vegetation I like seeing him in habitat.<\/p>\n I’ll admit that part of the reason for my choice of subject this morning is the highly unfortunate criminal activity occurring now at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. It made me think of all the\u00a0remote National Wildlife Refuges and other\u00a0public lands that are precious to me, Red Rock Lakes NWR among them. I can’t even begin to adequately express the loathing and disgust I feel toward the thugs carrying out this action.<\/p>\n If anyone out there reading this has a different view that supports the illegal and immoral activities of\u00a0these terrorists\u00a0please don’t express it here. I will not debate the issue.<\/p>\n I invite those who don’t support the rule of law to spend their time somewhere other than this blog (remedial civics class would be my suggestion).<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n Addendum: In response to Dick Harlow’s question in the comments below I’m adding this highly cropped version of the second image in this post for a somewhat better look at the vole. It’s difficult to see well because of the foreground vegetation.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s barely the New Year but I’m already weary of snow and cold so there’s a change of pace this morning provided by a Short-eared Owl, flowers and the color green.<\/p>\n![\"short-eared](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/short-eared-owl-7648-ron-dudley.jpg\")
1\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"short-eared](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/short-eared-owl-7648b-big-crop-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n