On the Prowl

This snowy owl was actively hunting along a snowy beach in February of 2014.   It paused on a dune to eat some snow.   I was fortunate to be in position to make this image.   Below is an excerpt from an article I wrote about this image and how to safely photograph snowy owls.   You can read the entire article and see more images here: http://wbhunt.com/blog/adventures-in-photography-the-elusive-snowy-owl/
  <div>"Based on its size and coloration, I assumed that it was a male owl.   There is no way to tell the sex of an owl for sure without capturing it.    Male owls are typically smaller and paler than the females, but this is not always true.   As I photographed this stunning owl, it flew from its perch and landed on a nearby snow covered dune.   The more natural setting was very appealing and I was thrilled to create some excellent images.</div> <div> </div> <div>This owl was on the prowl.   It was very active, constantly moving around.   At one point it scooped snow with its beak, presumably for a chilly winter drink.   Within a few minutes the owl flew further away, but it had made my day!

To photograph this owl, I used a 600mm f4 lens and a Nikon D 7000 with a 1.5 crop sensor.   This combination effectively functions as a 900mm f4 lens!    This allowed me to keep a safe distance from the owl (more than 50 feet) and still make sharp and close images, without disturbing the owl."</div>