Female Short-eared Owl along a road in northern UtahFemale Short-eared Owl along a road in northern Utah – Nikon D810, f10, 1/200, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

I photograph from inside a vehicle probably 98 to 99% of the time I spend in the field here in Utah. Using a vehicle as a mobile blind works because the birds are often accustomed to the traffic and have grown used to vehicles whizzing by or parked as a farmer or rancher works out in the fields but they don’t tolerate people on foot as well in many of the locations where I go to photograph. So I stay inside the “mobile blind”.

Earlier this year, after spotting this Short-eared Owl female on a fence post in northern Utah, I was able to drive up slowly and park on the opposite side of the road and photograph her as she preened, dozed and looked around the nearby grassy areas. I took a ton of images of her but still haven’t found the time to process them all.

I haven’t been seeing the Short-eared Owls lately and that is most likely because their young are now on their own and they don’t need to hunt as much because now they only need to feed themselves. It was great being able to photograph so many Short-eared Owls this year.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Short-eared Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.