Little Owl

Hi to all,

One from the weekend, Little Owl sat atop his shouting tower. As you can see from the lighting the sun is just behind and to the left, so maybe a visit in the evening is called for to capture him in better light.

Processed in DPP / CS2 ( Full frame with a little cropping for comp )

1D3, 500F4IS+1.4T/c, Bean bag, Car window
1/160th @ F5.6 +2/3rds iso400

All comments most welcome and thanks for looking.

Andy...

Cracking colours and comp Andy. I like the expression too

He looks a little over sharp perhaps Andy, as the eyes really stand out. Be carefull as they lay eggs during this period, hatching early next month.

Steve

Thanks for the comments guys,

Hi Steve, if theres one thing I don't do, it's hound a subject, whether that be in the breeding season or at any other time. As you can see from the techs I'm working at a distance and no disturbance was caused and the owl happily sat on his perch, he even nodded off a couple of times.

Andy...

Very nice indeed Andy and great to see the wider view, especially as it's so fresh and colourful.

Very nice, this is how most of us see them, sitting looking then often flying away. What I like about this is that for once the head is clearly defined; usually the head seems to blend seamlessly into the body. The well worn perch and OFF but interesting background set the shot off well.

Bob.

Andy, I don't think in my reply I suggested/implied you were hounding the subject, I only mentioned it as it was current.

Good enviro shot-very good comp and eye contact

Dave

Agree with Dave's comments above.Like it Andy.
Not sure about using the mallet to flatten the top of his head though!

Phil.

Thanks for the comments, always appreciated.

Sorry Steve I think I overreacted a little to the word "Careful" and in my reply the choice of words ie " Hounding" was the wrong word to use. I should have replied that I'm always careful, even more so at this time of year.

Andy...

Good to see more 'environment' type shots being posted at present, and I love this one, which suits the subject very well. Hopefully you will show us some more in due course.

David

Very nice indeed Andy. The perch complements the owl really well.

No worries Andy.

Steve

Nice image!!
Paul.

Compositon,lighting has made this image for me,wonderful shot Andy

Love it Andy - the are fantastic.

David

Wondeful setting and light!
Lovely image!

greetings,

Jeroen Stel

The eyes definitely have it . A nicely composed image and the light quality adds to the scene .

Very strong eyes Andy,

Nicely done.

Cheers

Austin

very nicely caught, and excellent enviro shot, strange head shape compared to others i have seen, but its mum must love it ;)

Those eyes are like magnets, really draw your attention, (maybe a hat that shades our eyes would make it easier to get closer to wildlife?)
Great shot, wish it were mine.

Tim

Can only echo what has been said.... excellent...

Cheers guys, pleased you like it as much as I do

Andy...