Short-eared owl NOT found!

[RobMcKay]

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.


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

[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

[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.

[BIGFRANK]

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

[RobMcKay]

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

[RobMcKay]

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