{"id":38896,"date":"2016-04-27T06:08:31","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T12:08:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=38896"},"modified":"2025-06-15T12:03:07","modified_gmt":"2025-06-15T17:03:07","slug":"the-day-my-short-eared-owl-obsession-began","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/27\/the-day-my-short-eared-owl-obsession-began\/","title":{"rendered":"The Day My Short-eared Owl Obsession Began"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Short-earedShort-eared owl on post in low light at Bear River MBR – Nikon D200, f5.6, 1\/100, ISO 500, +.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Six years ago today I photographed my first Short-eared Owl in low light at Bear River MBR<\/span><\/a> and it was the day my obsession and fascination with these beautiful owls began. I’d seen them before but not through my viewfinder. Even though the light was low I was simply dying to get a few high quality images of this male as he sat perched on a wooden post next to the road and I was elated when that happened. Sure, that post isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as a natural perch, but it was a Short-eared Owl!<\/p>\n

\"Short-earedShort-eared Owl concentration – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1\/640, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 357mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The same year I found a Short-eared Owl nest and from a distance I was able to watch the male bring prey into the nest and watch the female feeding a chick. I was also able to experience 13 minutes of pure joy<\/span><\/a> when I observed and photographed the female owl above early on a foggy morning at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/a> in southwestern Montana. I took hundreds of images of her in that short 13 minutes while the fog and lake mist whirled around her as the sun rose. And each time I have passed the post this female owl was perched on… I have to smile. I can’t help myself.<\/p>\n

\"Short-earedShort-eared Owl looking for prey \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/400, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

This month I have had several opportunities to watch and photograph Short-eared Owls in northern Utah<\/a><\/span> and I couldn’t be happier. Okay, well maybe I could by seeing them every day instead of just a few times a month. This month I’ve photographed them hunting, perched on posts, dive bombing a coyote, seen males way off in the distance perform their aerial courtship display of wing clapping and enjoyed just being around them again. And the month isn’t over quite yet.<\/p>\n

\"Short-earedShort-eared Owl with a green field \u2013 Nikon D810, f8, 1\/400, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

All<\/em> birds fascinate me, all<\/em> birds fuel my passion (some might say addiction) for bird photography and I am truly obsessed with them all.\u00a0 <\/em>Today simply marks the day six years ago when my delightful obsession with photographing Short-eared Owls began on a dirt road at Bear River MBR.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good. Life with owls included is a hoot!<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Six years ago today I photographed my first Short-eared Owl in low light at Bear River MBR and it was the day my obsession and fascination with these beautiful owls began.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":148639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[124,1513,1148,223,12,608,130,26],"tags":[4004,4114,4070,156,4062,12280,3967,294,4104,3971],"class_list":["post-38896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-centennial-valley","category-montana","category-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge","category-short-eared-owls","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-asio-flammeus","tag-female","tag-low-light-2","tag-male","tag-obsession","tag-owl","tag-owls","tag-perched","tag-short-eared-owl"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t