{"id":47632,"date":"2017-07-09T05:41:50","date_gmt":"2017-07-09T11:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=47632"},"modified":"2024-02-22T14:28:27","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T21:28:27","slug":"short-eared-owl-surveying-the-centennial-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/07\/09\/short-eared-owl-surveying-the-centennial-valley\/","title":{"rendered":"Short-eared Owl Surveying the Centennial Valley of Montana"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-121800 size-full\" title=\"Centennial Valley Short-eared Owl\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/short-eared-owl-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-4628.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/short-eared-owl-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-4628.jpg\" alt=\"Centennial Valley Short-eared Owl, Beaverhead County, Montana\" width=\"900\" height=\"670\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27670%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20900%20670%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27670%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/short-eared-owl-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-4628-200x149.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/short-eared-owl-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-4628-250x186.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/short-eared-owl-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-4628-300x223.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/short-eared-owl-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-4628-400x298.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/short-eared-owl-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-4628-600x447.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/short-eared-owl-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-4628-768x572.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/short-eared-owl-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-4628-800x596.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/short-eared-owl-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-4628.jpg 900w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Centennial Valley Short-eared Owl &#8211; Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>I haven&#8217;t been able to photograph as many Short-eared Owls in Utah this year as I did last year but this species is nomadic and will go to where ever food is plentiful. Where ever the Utah Short-eared Owls are this year I hope they have done well and that there are plenty of young shorties out learning how to fly and hunt. I have thousands of images from these owls from last year I haven&#8217;t even processed yet from Utah, Idaho, and Montana.<\/p>\n<p>I photographed this beautiful Short-eared Owl in the Centennial Valley of Montana last year while heading up for my first trip over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/07\/21\/black-butte-of-the-gravelly-range-montana\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Gravelly Range<\/span><\/a>. I couldn&#8217;t resist photographing it with the out of focus mountains, sky and valley floor in the distance. And love or hate barbed wire, in this photo the barbed wire reminds me of the curves of roller coasters or the gentle waves on a lake. I think that the owl is so regal it eclipses the man made articles in the frame.<\/p>\n<p>The Short-eared Owl was perched on the post and slowly turned its head to look around as if it was surveying the beauty of the valley it had made its home in. I know whenever I am in the Centennial Valley I am delighted by the beauty there.<\/p>\n<p>Life <em>is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/short-eared-owl-images\/\">here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Short-eared Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><em>I&#8217;m getting out of this heat and heading north. If I don&#8217;t post just know that I am okay, it just means I have a cruddy cell signal.<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Short-eared Owl was perched on the post and slowly turned its head to look around as if it was surveying the beauty of the valley it had made its home in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":121800,"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":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1513,27,223,12,130],"tags":[4004,4114,4430,3830,5958,11344,4069,3967,294,2415,3971,2315,5434],"class_list":["post-47632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-avian","category-centennial-valley","category-montana","category-short-eared-owls","tag-adult","tag-asio-flammeus","tag-barbed-wire","tag-fence","tag-fence-posts","tag-gravelly-range","tag-mountains","tag-owl","tag-owls","tag-owls-of-montana","tag-short-eared-owl","tag-summer-3","tag-valley"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/short-eared-owl-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-4628.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-cog","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8306,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/05\/06\/owl-see-you-at-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":47632,"position":0},"title":"Owl See You at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 6, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I've said before that owls fascinate me; probably more times than I can count, and Short-eared Owls are always a delight.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Short-eared Owl with prey for his young, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/short-eared-owl-mia-mcpherson-8724.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/short-eared-owl-mia-mcpherson-8724.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/short-eared-owl-mia-mcpherson-8724.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/short-eared-owl-mia-mcpherson-8724.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40562,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/07\/18\/short-eared-owl-in-flight-over-a-wet-meadow\/","url_meta":{"origin":47632,"position":1},"title":"Short-eared Owl In Flight Over A Wet Meadow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 18, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This Short-eared Owl in flight over a wet meadow was just one of my favorite images taken yesterday in the Centennial Valley.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Short-eared Owl in flight, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/short-eared-owl-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-4988.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/short-eared-owl-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-4988.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/short-eared-owl-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-4988.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/short-eared-owl-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-4988.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42843,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/10\/26\/photographing-short-eared-owls\/","url_meta":{"origin":47632,"position":2},"title":"Photographing Short-eared Owls &#8211; From Chicks to Adults","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 26, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This year was exceptional for photographing Short-eared Owls in Utah, Idaho and Montana and being able to see them in all the stages of their growth.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fledgling Short-eared Owl lifting its wings, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/short-eared-owl-chick-stretch-mia-mcpherson-7142.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/short-eared-owl-chick-stretch-mia-mcpherson-7142.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/short-eared-owl-chick-stretch-mia-mcpherson-7142.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/short-eared-owl-chick-stretch-mia-mcpherson-7142.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15063,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/05\/28\/male-short-eared-owl-in-evening-light\/","url_meta":{"origin":47632,"position":3},"title":"Male Short-eared Owl In Evening Light","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The nicknames for Short-eared Owls are many and include Evening Owl, Mouse-hawk, Marsh Owl, Bog Owl and Flat-faced Owl but I just call them Shorties in the field.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Short-eared Owl in evening light in flight over a marsh, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/short-eared-owl-male-flight-mia-mcpherson-8254.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/short-eared-owl-male-flight-mia-mcpherson-8254.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/short-eared-owl-male-flight-mia-mcpherson-8254.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/short-eared-owl-male-flight-mia-mcpherson-8254.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40569,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/07\/19\/hidden-short-eared-owl-fledgling\/","url_meta":{"origin":47632,"position":4},"title":"Hidden Short-eared Owl Fledgling","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I know that this hidden Short-eared Owl fledgling image isn't one of my best because of the grasses in front of its face and the shadow of a stem falling on its left eye but I love it.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fledgling Short-eared Owl hiding in grasses, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/short-eared-owl-fledgling-in-grasses-mia-mcpherson-5218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/short-eared-owl-fledgling-in-grasses-mia-mcpherson-5218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/short-eared-owl-fledgling-in-grasses-mia-mcpherson-5218.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/short-eared-owl-fledgling-in-grasses-mia-mcpherson-5218.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26888,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/07\/24\/i-am-missing-short-eared-owls\/","url_meta":{"origin":47632,"position":5},"title":"I Am Missing Short-eared Owls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 24, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"It has been a few years since I have seen Short-eared Owls with any regularity and I really miss seeing these beautiful owls.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hunched over Short-eared Owl female, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/short-eared-owl-fog-mia-mcpherson-8598.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/short-eared-owl-fog-mia-mcpherson-8598.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47632","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=47632"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47632\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/121800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}