The owl was spotted sitting atop the poplar tree that gave a good vantage point of the hunting ground. I slowly got out of my car, eased into the snow-covered country roadside ditch and hunkered down in the best position to photograph this beauty. It was late afternoon, an hour before sunset, and -15C.
After what seemed like an interminable wait, the owl locked on a sound and launched into a hunting run. The owl's sense of hearing was incredible. It is amazing that it was able to detect such tiny prey burrowing in anywhere up to a foot of snow from such great distance.
I was lucky that this individual flew straight towards my direction, hovered briefly above the snow-covered field, eyes intently focused.
Nikon D500 w/ 300mmf4D + 1.4X
Thank you all very much for the visits and comments
© All Rights Reserved
Great Grey Owl
This individual was seen hunting along the snow-covered roadsides in the late afternoon winter sunlight. I took this shot just as it left its perch and glided past me virtually soundless.
With acute hearing, night vision, sharp claws and stealthy flight, the Great Grey Owl is a formidable predator.
From Archive. Taken on: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Nikon D500 w/ 300f4D + 1.4X. Uncropped.
Thank you all very much for the visits and comments.
Happy New Year to all my Flickr friends. May your 2022 be a year of peace and health.
© All Rights Reserved
The owl showed well in the late afternoon winter sunlight, especially when it happened to look in my direction with those big eyes. The spot light effect captured the owl's form and feather detail nicely as well as making the overall image quite pleasing, despite the pesky wire fence. *
*Due to human encroachment, we often find the owls hunt along roadsides or perch on fence posts rather than the more photogenic (moss-lichen covered) branches.
Taken on: 2018 Archives; Nikon 300mm f4D+1.4X; 1/800; f7.1; ISO600.
There are many places to find the middle grey tone in the scene. I metered the grey tone and underexposed it by 2/3EV.
Thank you all very much for the visits and comments.
© All Rights Reserved
I observed this owl hunting along the roadside in the late afternoon sunlight. I sat quietly in one place in the ditch becoming part of the environment and this method had enabled me to bag some good shots of this owl doing what it did naturally. I was fortunate that this owl tolerated me and kept hunting in the same area.
Here, it flew past me to perch on a fence post to resume listening to prey beneath the snow.
Taken on Jan.2017, Temp: -15C; 3.45pm, an hour before sunset
Nikon D500 w/ 300f4D+1.4X
Lightroom 6.0
Copyrighted. All rights reserved. No unauthorized use.
Thank you very much for the visit and comment.
© All Rights Reserved
The Great Grey is a specialist in hunting voles that live under the snow. It has large facial disc that acts like a radar dish to collect sound and funnel it to the asymmetrical ears located on the side of its head.
The Great Grey Owl can hear and pinpoint the movements and exact location of the prey under as much as 60cm (2 ft) thick of snow from a great distance. Isn't that amazing?
2018 archive; Nikon D500 w/300f4D +1.4X; f7.1; 1/1250; ISO3600
Lightroom 6.0
All rights reserved. No unauthorized use.
This 20MP Nikon DSLR camera + the old lens combo is quite ancient in digital technology by today's standard. But in my view, with proper shooting techniques and discipline, you can still make it sing.
Thank you very much for the visit and comment.
© All Rights Reserved