A Short-eared Owl female – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 300mm, natural light, not baited
It has been a few years since I have seen Short-eared Owls with any regularity and I really miss seeing these beautiful owls. I spent 13 minutes with the owl in the photo above at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley of Montana in September of 2010. It might have only been thirteen minutes but that foggy morning and this owl will always be a wonderful memory for me.
Short-eared Owls are on the decline and I’d like to ask everyone who sees them to report them on eBird.org because Hawk Watch International is starting a Short-eared Owl citizen science project next spring.
I sure hope to have more wonderful memories of Short-eared Owls someday soon.
Life is good.
Mia
I haven’t even seen one yet! I keep looking but these owls along with the Barn and Burrowing face some human issues. Basically habitat loss and people just grazing over their areas! They are rare in southeastern AZ but they do show up during the months like January and February. Last year many searched for these owls and I think there was one that was hanging around the grasslands at one point.
Lovely image Mia.
Aweinspiringly, gob-smackingly beautiful. I so hope they survive us. I really, really hope they do.
That is such an unusual shot…all hunkered down, standing on one foot…love it! Sure hope these owls are not lost to us by human actions…
The fog really sets the mood for this outstanding image.
Mia, that is a very special photograph! Incredible. You were very fortunate to have that 13 minutes etched in your memory. Thanks for sharing with us.
(Sorry for being away for awhile. Life interrupts.)
WOW, THAT IS SUCH A SUPER SHOT!!! I HAVE A SPECIAL FONDNESS
FOR OWLS, AND STILL RECALL PHOTOGRAPHING MY FIRST SHORT-EARED OWL
WAAAAAY BACK IN THE 60’S…. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MIA… LOVE YOUR IMAGES. ;-)))