Short Ear Owls and Harriers

Northern Harrier-Female

Each year in January the Short Ear Owls, Northern Harriers and Rough Leg Hawks show up at a farm near us to feed for a couple of weeks.  During mid day it is fun to watch the Rough Leg Hawks and Harriers cruise the fields for food.  Then, about an hour before dark, the Short Ear Owls make their appearance and chase the Hawks and Harriers from the fields.  The owls dart and dive and catch mice and perch on fenceposts, telephone poles and roofs of houses and barns.  I always look forward to visiting there this time of year to observe and capture the action. I have worked hard to get a good image of a harrier in flight.  Yesterday, was a great day!  The owls chased one of the harriers right over my head and I was able to get a good image of the female. 

The owls are somewhat elusive-but I was able to get more shots of them last evening sitting and in flight.  Most of the shots were high ISO so the detail is not as good as I would like.

Short Ear Owl sitting on Telephone pole.  Taken off bean bag laying over car window.

Short Ear Owl in flight taken from Wimberley II mount.

Until Next Time.

Jim Borden

Click here for more camera critters