{"id":1611,"date":"2010-12-11T04:40:35","date_gmt":"2010-12-11T10:40:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=1611"},"modified":"2025-10-12T13:36:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T18:36:53","slug":"adult-burrowing-owl-blur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/12\/11\/adult-burrowing-owl-blur\/","title":{"rendered":"Adult Burrowing Owl Blur"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult Burrowing Owl head spin blur –\u00a0 D200, f5.6, 1\/60, ISO 800. +0.3 EV, 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The day I took this image there was low light as the sun had barely risen, but the day was cloudy and gray and that makes for difficulties when photographing birds.<\/p>\n

This adult Burrowing Owl was near a burrow that was used in 2009 for a brood of four chicks.<\/p>\n

When I saw this bird I hoped that the burrow would be used again in 2010, that was not to be though. The other adult from the year before had been struck and killed by a passing car, this bird probably didn’t find a mate in the same location as last year.<\/p>\n

I wanted to get images of this Burrowing Owl<\/span><\/a> even though the light was dim so I cranked my ISO up to 800, set my aperture at f5.6 to get the most shutter speed possible and the fastest shutter speed I could get was 1\/60.<\/p>\n

When the owl was staying still that was sufficient, it sure wasn’t when the owl spun its head though!<\/p>\n

This blur was not intentional, but I do like the effect caused by the head spinning. Makes me dizzy just viewing the photo!<\/p>\n

Life is good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Burrowing Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This blur was not intentional, but I do like the effect caused by the head of the Burrowing Owl spinning. Makes me dizzy just viewing the photo!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":159904,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,52,26],"tags":[4004,58,55,4083,4042,4214,11978,16860,156,3967,294,165,30],"class_list":["post-1611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-burrowing-owls","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-antelope-island-sp","tag-athene-cunicularia","tag-birding","tag-blur","tag-burrowing-owl","tag-desert-island","tag-head-spin","tag-low-light-2","tag-owl","tag-owls","tag-spring","tag-utah-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-head-spin-7037.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-pZ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":18739,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/01\/20\/calling-juvenile-burrowing-owl\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":0},"title":"Calling Juvenile Burrowing Owl","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The first year I after I moved to Utah was great for photographing Burrowing Owls and their young both on Antelope Island State Park and the causeway to it.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calling juvenile Burrowing Owl, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/burrowing-owl-calling-mia-mcpherson-5102.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/burrowing-owl-calling-mia-mcpherson-5102.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/burrowing-owl-calling-mia-mcpherson-5102.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4744,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/04\/06\/burrowing-owls-friday-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":1},"title":"Burrowing Owls – Friday Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 6, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I've selected a few Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) images taken a few years ago to post today.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Burrowing Owl adult near mudflats of the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-0343.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-0343.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-0343.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-0343.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":195,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/08\/16\/burrowing-owl-juveniles\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":2},"title":"Burrowing Owl Juveniles","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 16, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"If you have never had the opportunity to photograph Burrowing Owl juveniles I would suggest you find a burrow and be prepared to laugh yourself silly.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Three Burrowing Owl juveniles, causeway to Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-utah-three-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-8264.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-utah-three-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-8264.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-utah-three-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-8264.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-utah-three-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-8264.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3090,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/09\/11\/sequel-to-burrowing-owls-loved-to-death\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":3},"title":"Sequel to: Burrowing Owls – Loved to Death?","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 11, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this year in March I wrote an article titled \"Burrowing Owls - Loved to Death?\" and this post is a sequel to it.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Burrowing Owl on a concrete wall, causeway to Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-0364.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-0364.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-0364.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35067,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/01\/22\/winter-burrowing-owls-on-antelope-island\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":4},"title":"Winter Burrowing Owls on Antelope Island","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"It was the first of the winter Burrowing Owls I was to find yesterday while on Antelope Island State Park.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Back lit Burrowing Owl in winter on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-back-lit-mia-mcpherson-5674.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-back-lit-mia-mcpherson-5674.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-back-lit-mia-mcpherson-5674.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-back-lit-mia-mcpherson-5674.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14672,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/02\/young-burrowing-owls\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":5},"title":"Young Burrowing Owls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The past few years I have missed seeing and photographing young Burrowing Owls on Antelope Island State Park for numerous reasons.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Burrowing Owl with its head cocked, causeway to Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5223.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5223.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5223.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5223.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1611"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1611\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}