Avian - 2nd HM

Gallery: EPA 2011Posted November 30, 20116,212 views51 comments

Juvie SEO

Olympus E5, 150mm, 2xtc, f4, 1/1000, ISO 100

Haven't been here or doing much birding for a few months, so here is one of the shots from this past summer that I didn't post then. This was during the week or so that I got shots of several juvenile Short-eared Owls, and learned a lot about their behavior. This was just a big stretch, and I saw several of them do this. Slight crop here, and I know I could have cloned out the droppings on the post, but I don't usually like to clone anything out. BG is a wheat field.

Comments

51 comments

Comment posted by Soubhik Patranabis on November 30, 2011 at 12:16 PM

Beautiful.

Registered on January 25, 2010, 54 Posts, 610 Comments

Comment posted by Hans Overduin on November 30, 2011 at 12:21 PM

Excellent ! Really great image

, cheers, Hans

Registered on August 31, 2011, 491 Posts, 3807 Comments

Comment posted by Mitch Erwin on November 30, 2011 at 12:25 PM

A wonderful pose here David and I like how you centered the bird in the frame!

Registered on April 24, 2006, 98 Posts, 656 Comments

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on November 30, 2011 at 12:27 PM

Dave-great image. I like the wing and tail spread, and the eye contact. I'm not bothered by the droppings on the perch.

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by Dottie Short on November 30, 2011 at 12:49 PM

It looks as if you color coordinated this image before the shot. BG compliments the owl so well. Such an interesting pose and it just makes the image. This is one time that centering the photo is the things to do. Nice and sharp. I also don't like to clone too much out of an image, because that's just the way it is.

Registered on April 12, 2010, 61 Posts, 375 Comments

Comment posted by Doug Backlund on November 30, 2011 at 1:09 PM

Holy smoke, Dave! Awewome photo! No nits at all from me.

Registered on September 29, 2005, 252 Posts, 3380 Comments

Comment posted by antino cervigni on November 30, 2011 at 1:14 PM

Absolutely beautiful and lovely dreamy picture!

Registered on April 17, 2010, 70 Posts, 202 Comments

Comment posted by Verdon on November 30, 2011 at 1:18 PM

hohohooooooooooooooooo amazing!!!

Registered on June 10, 2011, 147 Posts, 1444 Comments

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on November 30, 2011 at 1:19 PM

Awesome pose! Didn't even notice the droppings on the post until you mentioned it. Background really helps this image. Nicely done.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on November 30, 2011 at 3:39 PM

Terrific image. A very strong composition. Great colors. Nice sharpness.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Leggett on November 30, 2011 at 6:04 PM

What a cool pose, David !

Registered on July 21, 2004, 706 Posts, 3233 Comments

Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on November 30, 2011 at 7:03 PM

Fabulous! Sharon

Registered on November 1, 2003, 392 Posts, 4810 Comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on November 30, 2011 at 7:08 PM

Amazing image, truly. Beautiful.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Wick Smith on November 30, 2011 at 7:14 PM

Beautiful shot - super sharp!

Registered on June 12, 2009, 91 Posts, 379 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on November 30, 2011 at 7:23 PM

superb, Dave. what an amazing pose. great colors, great detail, very well captured. I'd consider cropping off roughly half of the perch at the bottom, but just an idea. spectacular shot.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Jaymes Dempsey on November 30, 2011 at 7:26 PM

Lovely shot; great pose and smooth bg.

Registered on June 28, 2010, 47 Posts, 590 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on November 30, 2011 at 7:39 PM

Just wonderful Dave - one of the most intriguing poses I've seen of the species. I love it all but for me it's the spacing between the wing feathers that grabs my eye again and again, even more than those eyes do. Really fine shot.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on November 30, 2011 at 8:02 PM

Nice eye contact and I really like the pose. Nice clean background as well.

Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Harris on November 30, 2011 at 8:12 PM

Dave, next to your "Twisted point of view" image, this is my favorite of your SEO's. IMO the centered composition works well with this pose. I did not notice the droppings until I read your narrative. Great image.

Skip

Registered on August 2, 2010, 169 Posts, 741 Comments

Comment posted by Alan Murphy on November 30, 2011 at 8:24 PM

Best pose ever.

Registered on December 3, 2003, 192 Posts, 739 Comments

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on November 30, 2011 at 9:19 PM

Outstanding! couldn't be better. Love the pose.

Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Schiebelbein on November 30, 2011 at 10:34 PM

Wow!

Registered on November 8, 2008, 55 Posts, 393 Comments

Comment posted by Suzanne Huot on December 1, 2011 at 12:10 AM

Unique and wonderful.

Registered on December 28, 2010, 32 Posts, 240 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on December 1, 2011 at 7:28 AM

Great wingspread, unusual pose n terrific effect !!!
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on December 1, 2011 at 11:38 AM

Wow, one of the best poses I have ever seen, excellent timing to get this, everything comes together on this one, the larger image was a pleasure to view, way to go.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on December 1, 2011 at 12:33 PM

This is great, Dave! I like your composition, too.

Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments

Comment posted by Butch Lama on December 1, 2011 at 12:51 PM

Wow... The fan out wings spread is so hypnotic... with so much details. This is incredible!!!

Registered on July 23, 2010, 42 Posts, 316 Comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on December 1, 2011 at 10:51 PM

This image is just terrific. Nothing else can be said to make it better.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on December 1, 2011 at 11:37 PM

Nice to see another post from that series over the summer David. I liked each one of those shots and this one is no exception. Another beauty!

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by denise ippolito on December 2, 2011 at 8:23 AM

Awesome pose, details and background.

Registered on December 17, 2009, 202 Posts, 1529 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Huff on December 2, 2011 at 12:50 PM

Great image, well done

Ron Huff

Registered on August 31, 2010, 69 Posts, 440 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Schwarz on December 2, 2011 at 3:43 PM

Fantastic capture. You really nailed it.

Registered on November 29, 2006, 236 Posts, 1210 Comments

Comment posted by Robbie Knight on December 2, 2011 at 8:18 PM

Great capture David thanks for sharing.

Registered on April 10, 2010, 30 Posts, 135 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on December 3, 2011 at 8:56 PM

You absolutely MUST enter this in a competition! And, let me know the name of the judge/judges who don't think this is a winner!

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments

Comment posted by Monica Siri on December 4, 2011 at 3:26 PM

Stunning image!

Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on December 4, 2011 at 4:23 PM

Whata sweet little beauty and the pose is excellent. Nice eye contact and a clean bg.

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on December 7, 2011 at 8:50 AM

Wow, and double wow, simply amazing catpure.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on December 7, 2011 at 2:52 PM

Congratulations on a well-deserved EP, Dave. It's an extraordinary photo.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by David Williams on December 7, 2011 at 3:20 PM

Thanks for all the kind words and the pick. This was my favorite shot from my SEO encounter, so I am glad others have enjoyed it as well.

Registered on March 8, 2005, 315 Posts, 2291 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on December 8, 2011 at 12:16 PM

Really exceptional! Wonderful pose, great face and eye, nice BG, and I can ignore the bird poop!

Congrats on the WP!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Rhodus on December 13, 2011 at 2:04 PM

Wonderful image Dave. The stretched wings add a deal of tension and dynamics to this image. Congrats on the WP.

Registered on November 16, 2003, 157 Posts, 3326 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on January 2, 2012 at 8:12 PM

Big congrats on the 2nd Honorable Mention Dave. This is one of the very best images I have ever seen of the species - a real eye-catcher.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Conway on January 2, 2012 at 9:04 PM

Congratulations Dave. Wonderful pose and composition. I really like the overall tone provided by the wheat BG. Beautiful work.

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on January 3, 2012 at 12:45 AM

Wonderful image!! many congrats! Way to go!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by denise ippolito on January 3, 2012 at 8:03 AM

Congratulations and well deserved!

Registered on December 17, 2009, 202 Posts, 1529 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on January 3, 2012 at 12:50 PM

Congratulations - a deserving winner.

May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on January 3, 2012 at 8:24 PM

Congratulations on such a well deserved award!

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by John Launstein on January 3, 2012 at 9:01 PM

Congratulations, Dave. You are most deserving...this was such a cool series of images. You did an outstanding job capturing this and made outstanding decisions in the field and in processing. Amazing pose and incredible look. Just beautiful.

Registered on April 5, 2011, 223 Posts, 1193 Comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on January 3, 2012 at 10:10 PM

Enjoyed the entire series that you posted. Congrats on this one-it's a winner (they all were)

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Mohammad Hosseini on January 5, 2012 at 8:25 AM

Dave Your image is the winner, Congrats. What a capture!!!

Registered on May 16, 2011, 15 Posts, 301 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on January 6, 2012 at 9:37 AM

Congratulations on the 2nd HM, a wonderful and very unique image, way to go.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments