cute little thing

[eric s]

camera: 10D 100-400 @ 390mm 1/125 f5.6 ISO 400 +1/2 exposure comp to overcome the bright but overcast sky. tripod 550EX
Photoshop: two kinds of sharpening, crop, touch of contrast.

Didn't have time for noise reduction, or this might have looked better. Gotta get to sleep soon.

This is actually a female Brown Morph Easter Screech Owl (the rarer of the two morphs.) The male often sits right next to her, but he wasn't there today. He was probably in the hole behind her, but who knows? They are behaving like a mating pair, so we can hope they bring some more cuties into the world. This is the same screech I posted links to a gallery awhile back.

I've had overcast weather on days I'm able to slip away from work, or really beautiful days where I'm stuck and can't get away. Really annoying. I was not thrilled with having to shoot at between 1/60 and 1/125 all the time, even with the flash. Gotta get myself a better beamer to give me more flash reach.

Hope you like her, I think she's just adorable.

Eric

[ohenry]

I like the picture. Living in the Pacific Northwest in the winter, I understand overcast gray skies all too well!

Well done!

[huckle]

Superb Photo, very cute indeed. As an ex-PNW'er I too, understand the gray skies.

[checklg]

Lovely shot, Eric.

Regards,
Graham.

[photosbyvito]

that little owl is adorable!

eric....how do you find these owls? is it part of that email thing that tells you the best time to go? or just you being able to spot them?
cuz i've never seen an owl outside of a zoo....

[eric s]

I find them based on locations other have seen them (mailing list of birders.) I also know how to identify the signs they leave behind (pellets and whitewash) and generally know what environment they like, so I've found one or two on my own.

But finding a group of people who go out and spot interesting animals and talks about it raises the chance that you'll find one. My interesting bird sightings have gone way up since I joined that mailing list.

Someone just today reported seeing a GossHawk. They are quite uncommon, only found in deep woods and are rarely seen down here. I'm busy this weekend, but I just might have to swing by that area and see what I can find. Here is a picture of one (not taken by me):

http://rcm-medicine.upr.clu.edu/phys...s/GossHawk.jpg

Eric

[photosbyvito]

nice picture but lacking in sharpness.....

that would be an amazing bird to photograph!

[eric s]

Ya, I wish it were better too. But considering how hard they are to find, I'd be happy even with that shot.

Eric

[Frank Doorhof]

Great pose in that tree, but I love the eyes to be open.

Greetings,
Frank

[eric s]

Ya, I would too. It was sleeping... the only movement was the chest expanding is she breathed. The danger of having the eyes open is that it catches the flash and gives it the animal equivalent of red-eye (steel eye.) I can fix it in PS, but it's annoying.

Eric