Three Short-eared Owls
Side lit Short-eared Owl – Small in frame – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
Short-eared Owls are nomadic so from one year to the next I can never tell if I will be able to photograph them during their nesting season here in northern Utah. Last year I didn’t add a single image of this charismatic species of owl to my photo galleries. Three days ago I photographed at least three individual Short-eared Owls in northern Utah.
The first Short-eared Owl I spotted and could photograph was off in the distance, side lit and on the wrong side of the road but I really like how my photos of it turned out. The grassy field behind the owl was lit up while the back side of the small mountain was still in the shadows which gave my background a two toned layered look. If I were to write an article about Short-eared Owls I’d want this photo to be included in it somehow.
Adult Short-eared Owl perched in front of a sagebrush sea – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
The second Short-eared Owl I was able to photograph happened to be perched in good light with sagebrush in the background. I took a lot of photos of this owl thinking I might not have another opportunity to photograph an owl again that morning.
Head on look from an adult Short-eared Owl on a old metal post – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
When this owl took off I thanked it and figured I might be done with owls for the day.
By the way, Short-eared Owls are not strictly nocturnal and there is nothing physically wrong with an individual owl when owls are seen flying at any time during the day. Short-eared Owls are known for being diurnal and crepuscular and I’ve probably seen them in flight during every day light hour at one point in time.
Adult Short-eared Owl perched on a 40 mph speed limit sign – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/8000, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
Later on I saw another Short-eared Owl perched on top of a 40 mph speed limit sign. I’m certain there are some bird photographers that wouldn’t stop to take the photo above because the sign represents the “hand of man” but I like this image. I like how it shows that the owls can benefit from having a high place to perch on and that it isn’t impossible for humans and wildlife to share this planet.
Short-eared Owl, a bug and a speed limit sign – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/6400, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
So, I took more photos of the owl on the speed limit sign and even caught a bug in flight next to the owl in one frame.
Typically standard speed limit signs in the U.S. are 24 x 30 inches so this image can show that these owls are not as big a some folks might think they are. They are only 15 inches in length and weigh about 12 ounces. The few times I have held Short-eared Owls it felt to me that they were lighter than air.
Adult male Short-eared Owl after lifting off from a sign – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/5000, ISO 800, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
When the male Short-eared Owl lifted off from the 40 mph speed limit sign I was ready for it and happy to take a few flight shots. Both of his wings are fully extended and his eyes are on something in the distance.
Male Short-eared Owl in flight over a sagebrush sea – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/5000, ISO 800, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
One with his wings over his head.
Short-eared Owl adult banking in flight – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/3200, ISO 800, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
And another that showed the male banking in flight. When I lost focus on the owl I watched him him flying and saw that what he had his eye on when he lifted off was another owl in the distance. I observed them have a short aerial skirmish before I lost sight of them against the distant hillside.
I don’t know for sure if I will see another Short-eared Owl to photograph this year but I do know I had fun photographing these three.
Life is good. Stay safe.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Short-eared Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.
love the background of the haunting sky in the flight photos, sure enhances the owl
At the risk of sounding like a Millennial….”OMG!” Those are fabulous shots! Just when I think you can’t outdo yourself you come up with a showstopper series like this. Amazing! Thanks Mia.
That first image is truly stunning .. I had an audible wow reaction as it showed up on my screen!
That shot with the overhead wings is stunning! The feather detail and coloration is amazing!
Because of their humongous wingspan, I often feel (and mistakenly so) that Shorties are much larger than they are. Thank you for an image I can tuck away to recalibrate my brain. 🙂 These are all fantastic shots and I’m so glad you’ve found some Shorties this season. Here’s hoping you find many more!
You have started my day on a most excellent footing. Owls.
I hope it is an omen.
And thank you. Muchly.
These are beautiful, I am so happy you found a few had returned. I don’t mind when photos of birds are on humans signs, to me the owl merely sees it at a higher perch than the surrounding foliage. Maybe something humans have made can be useful as a platform to hunt from.
I thought Short-eared Owls were bigger until I saw the photo of it perched on the speed sign. It definitely shows off the size. Great series of photos.
Such lovely images. Thanks for sharing.