Outdoor Ontario

Photography => Ontario Birds => Topic started by: RobMcKay on January 12, 2008, 08:03:17 PM

Title: Short-eared owl NOT found!
Post by: RobMcKay on January 12, 2008, 08:03:17 PM

We tried again today, and again it was a very dull overcast day, but we did see him this time.
One backlit  :?  short-eared owl.
(http://canadabirdingphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/dsc_0997.jpg)

More info here,
http://canadabirdingphotography.com/ (http://canadabirdingphotography.com/)

Title: Short-Eared Owl
Post by: Mark D on January 12, 2008, 08:45:17 PM

Nice pic Rob!  You can really see the patterns on the bird.  I was just wondering what would be a good time of day to look for these and other owls on the trail.

Mark

Title:
Post by: GStuart on January 13, 2008, 01:39:11 AM

It's a very nice picture, but looking closely, the wing seems to be fairly uniformly dark excepting the buffy "window".  Also the underwing close to the body seems to be darker.  In a Short-eared Owl I would expect a greater contrast on the back of the wing and a very pale underwing.  Also, the face seems to show the brighter ruddy markings of a Long-eared Owl (whereas the Short-eared is very pale.  And there is evidence of at least one feather on the top of the head which could be an ear.

I think you have a Long-eared Owl there, not a Short-eared.

Title: Blame Me
Post by: BIGFRANK on January 13, 2008, 08:41:48 AM

Appologies to Rob and the others with us at the time,I goofed. Thanks to GStuart for the correction. We were looking for Short-eared Owls reported where this LEO was seen,and boy when it was up briefly flying around it behaved like a SEO. With my very limited experience with owls in flight,it appeared to be a SEO. I never got on its face with binoculars. Live and learn. Red-faced BIGFRANK

Title:
Post by: RobMcKay on January 13, 2008, 11:36:56 AM

Quote from: "GStuart"

It's a very nice picture, but looking closely, the wing seems to be fairly uniformly dark excepting the buffy "window".  Also the underwing close to the body seems to be darker.  In a Short-eared Owl I would expect a greater contrast on the back of the wing and a very pale underwing.  Also, the face seems to show the brighter ruddy markings of a Long-eared Owl (whereas the Short-eared is very pale.  And there is evidence of at least one feather on the top of the head which could be an ear.

I think you have a Long-eared Owl there, not a Short-eared.

Thanks for the ID GStuart, correction made.
Rob

Title: Re: Short-Eared Owl
Post by: RobMcKay on January 13, 2008, 11:37:47 AM

Quote from: "Mark D"

Nice pic Rob!  You can really see the patterns on the bird.  I was just wondering what would be a good time of day to look for these and other owls on the trail.

Mark

Hi Mark & thanks,
We saw this guy between 10:30 & 11:30.
Rob