Burrowing Owls

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)

Place: Santa Cruz Flats, AZ
When: February 5, 2016, 12:18 pm
Equipment: Nikon D7200, Nikkor AF-S 300/4 & TC14E (1.4x), beanbag from car window
ISO 800, aperture priority matrix meter, 1/640th @ F/16
Raw, PS CC 2015 on Mac, 67% of full frame

Burrowing Owls are getting harder to find in central AZ as housing subdivisions replace agriculture. One of better remaining places to see them is in the agricultural areas west of I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson.

I wish I’d have found this pair earlier in the day in better light, but what I had was harsh AZ noon light. I used the 300/4 with 1.4x instead of the 300/2.8 with 2x to avoid being too tight, and to avoid swapping lenses in this terribly dusty location. I stopped down to f/16 to help with the second owl a bit behind the front owl.

Honest critiques requested; all comments appreciated. Larger image for critical viewing provided.