![\"barn-owl-0076-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/barn-owl-0076-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nI believe this\u00a0first image\u00a0may be\u00a0only time I’ve ever\u00a0managed a decent\u00a0shot of\u00a0an owl of any species during the landing process.<\/p>\n
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1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n I spent time with\u00a0the bird just over a week ago at Farmington Bay WMA. It hunted from this\u00a0sign post for quite a while\u00a0and soon took off after prey it had\u00a0spotted nearby (it missed the prey, presumably a vole). In anticipation of\u00a0the bird\u00a0(possibly) returning to the same perch I pre-focused on the post and hoped for the best. In this shot I caught the owl with its wings flared at the moment its\u00a0feet touched the post.<\/p>\n Obviously the image has some issues. The bird was side-lit, the eye is in deep shade (no catch light) and the light is a little harsh. But I’ll keep and enjoy the photo for what it is – a landing owl with an interesting wing position at the moment of touch-down. An image doesn’t always have to be of the highest image quality for me to appreciate it on some level.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Three minutes later another vehicle approached from the north and spooked the owl off the post and I was able to get this shot as the bird flew past me. I like the angled look at this huge wingspan, the dangling dark clump\u00a0of feet and talons and for my tastes the background couldn’t be much better.<\/p>\n I do wish there was some light in the eye but I took\u00a085+ shots of this bird while it was perched and in flight and got a catch light in very few of them (none of them while the bird was in flight). The deeply-set eyes of the species make doing so particularly difficult with this light angle.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I believe this first image may be only time I’ve ever managed a decent shot of an owl of any species during the landing process.<\/p>\n![\"barn-owl-0141-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/barn-owl-0141-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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