![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/short-eared-owl-7626c-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"short-eared-owl-7626c-ron-dudley\\"")
1\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\nI spent several days photographing this male Short-eared Owl as he fed his family at their nest in Montana’s Centennial Valley. This bird was almost as addicted to routine as I am as he nearly always followed the same modus operandi – he would capture a vole somewhere far away in the sagebrush flats (sometimes I could see him and sometimes I couldn’t) and carry it in his talons to one of two perches, a particular sagebrush or more often this metal post in the general vicinity of the nest.<\/p>\n
He had a singular purpose for this intermediate stop – to transfer the vole from his talons to his bill before delivering it to the female and two youngsters at the nest at the base of a sagebrush far out of frame to my left. It’s something he always did, without exception (see my reply to Shoreacres below for my theory as to why).<\/p>\n
Did you notice the bee approaching the owl from the left? I’m sure the owl was aware of it but he didn’t care.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1250, f\/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D,\u00a0Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Many of my flight shots of him over several days were taken as he flew between the post and the nest and this is one of them. It isn’t the same vole as in the previous photo but most of the voles seemed to be larger and fatter than I’m used to seeing down here in Utah – perhaps because the grass was so lush or maybe they’re different species of voles. In this photo at least the owl looks a little portly too.<\/p>\n The skies were usually overcast on that Montana trip so I was nearly always struggling to get sufficient shutter speed for flight shots with my older Canon 7D that I never liked to push over ISO 800 for fear of getting too much noise in my images. As a result I got a lot of soft shots that I deleted but I was still able to get quite a few I like very much.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A note about our recent storm here in the Salt Lake Valley for those who may be interested. It’s being called a “massive” snowstorm for our area and it’s supposed to continue through this morning. I estimate that I’ve had about 13 -14″ at my home so far, though it’s light snow and it quickly settled to somewhat less than that. As of last night the storm combined with careless drivers caused 471 vehicle accidents (including an 11 car pileup on I-15); schools, some universities and government services were closed as were nearby canyons and ski resorts. The airport stayed open but some flights were delayed because of de-icing operations.<\/em><\/p>\n This is the first time schools have been closed in the valley because of snow for twenty years.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/short-eared-owl-7172b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"short-eared-owl-7172b-ron-dudley\\"")
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