Wide eyed
Burrowing owl greeting the morning on a thistle.
Burrowing owl greeting the morning on a thistle.
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Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is one of about 50 Burrowing Owls that that live side by side with Prairie Dogs in a local farmers field in Northeastern Colorado. They generally arrive in the spring. Owlets are born during the summer and begin to fledge by mid July, before starting to migrate in late August.Time
The shot was taken in the early morning as the Owls were coming out to greet the day and start hunting for breakfast.Lighting
The golden hour at its finest. About 45 minutes after the sun had risen this cute little guy posed quite nicely for me.Equipment
I currently shoot with a Canon T3i. Entry level camera, with a monster Tamaron 150-600 mm lens. Hand held.Inspiration
I love photographing birds, but burrowing owls are by far my favorite. Their mannerisms and expressions are adorable. They are also quite a cooperative subject. This particular owl Was quite content on his perch for 15-20 minutes while I photographed him.Editing
All processing was done in Lightroom. Very minimal crop with some small adjustments to bring out the color and hue of the morning sun.In my camera bag
My bag always has my Canon T3i, Tamaron 150-600 mm. Canon 70-300 mm. Canon 10-18mm. And the kit lens 18-55 mm. I prefer zoom lenses over prime lenses simply for their versatility, especially when photographing wildlife.Feedback
The first challenge is finding them. They camouflage extremely well with their surroundings. They can generally be found in Prairie Dog colonies. Early morning or early evening is the best time to find them out of the burrows. They'll be hunting and the light is best. Once you've found them the key is to stay in your car. Most burrowing owls I've photographed are used to cars. They will quickly return to their burrows if you approach them. As a wildlife photographer the most important piece of advice I can give you is to remember they are a wild animal an we are on their territory. Be respectful of their habitats. Don't pressure them as stress can be harmful to them. Keep your distance and give them room to be themselves and you'll be rewarded.
