Another Close Encounter of a Short Eared KInd

[KentYeti]

I thought the amazing close encounter I had at Elmley with three Short Eared Owls on October 14th was a once off life experience. Kent Yeti's Short Eared Owls on Sheppey page And scroll down to October 14th to read about that one.

Well, with just one Short Eared Owl it happened again today. In daylight and I photographed some of it.

A five and a half hour wait at Capel Fleet was rewarded by two SOE's arriving circa 14.30. One hunting the normal meadow, one much closer.

And it got closer and closer and closer. And I stayed sitting in my car, legs out door partly open. Hardly daring to move the camera from my face. But I did a few times very gently by a few inches to just to watch this beautiful creature hovering like a Kestrel into the strong SW wind. Just above the ground about 3 feet from the rear of my small car! Thankfully to one side enough so I could photograph it. Little more than ten feet away from me, I paced it out when it had gone!

A couple of times it flew a short circle. "We though it was going to join you in the car" was what two bird watchers who so very kindly stopped their car a little way along Harty Ferry Road to watch, when it did those circles. I just thought, "I can only see part of it's body now, too close to focus!" At those times I guess it must again have been virtually within touching distance, as the three were in Ocotober.

Totally gobsmacking. It was almost too close to photograph a lot of the time. I have some full frame shots where I cannot crop to move the Owl so the eye is more central. The bird just fills the frame. Side to side and top to bottom, or close to that.

I was using my D7000, 300mm f4 and 1.4TC. So a 420mm lens. I dared not try and get the TC off for fear of the bird spotting me.

Although I have got some slightly "more distant" shots as it came towards me.

Lighting wasn't perfect. It was heading straight into the SW wind, so when the sun was out it was in shadow. But the sun was mainly in and the cloudy shots are better lit.

A very nice Couple who live on Sheppey and are also avid Owl watchers watched it all happen too! I think they were as gobsmacked as me!

I'm very very tired as I've been unwell most of the week. But I'll try and update the web site soon, and post some of the piccies here too.

Cheers,

Bryan

Has anyone here guessed I rather like Owls?

And sometimes I think they like me too! LOL!

[KentYeti]

Just grabbed one of the shots. How on earth do I edit this? Apart from taking a fraction off from behind the tail, it's had little else done to it. All I can think of is to do the really close up of the face as shown in the heavily cropped photo under it: but being in shadow that's not as clear as I would normally want. Might improve a bit with some work, (a bit like my face LOL!).

In reality I doubt I will use this one as I have got better. i.e other shots with wings not so far outspread, so more of them in focus, and legs hanging down more with a better view of the talons. As you can imagine, being so close with a 420mm lens depth of field was nothing like the full width of the bird!

Cheers,

Bryan

[Suffolk-Chris]

Bryan, all I can say is WOW..... as I turn a deep shade of green with envy!!!!


I've had a 'reach out and touch it' moment with a wild barny earlier this year which left me speechless but so far a glimpse of a SEO has eluded me. Our local reserve has 2 or 3 which apparently hunt at 2-3pm every day so have tried there but, you guessed it, they have a day off whenever we go there.

[Hedgehoggy]

I echo the 'WOW' factor! Look at the intensity in those eyes Your photos don't need any editing imo.

[Jersali]

Great shots Bryan
managed to "photograph" one a few weeks ago at Sandwich, after seeing yours I will probably delete 'em
Al

[KentYeti]

Originally Posted by Jersali

Great shots Bryan
managed to "photograph" one a few weeks ago at Sandwich, after seeing yours I will probably delete 'em
Al

No need for that!

What I've done is to find a location they regularly hunt. Then watch their hunting pattern. Then work out the best place to get closest.

Then wait.....and wait......and wait......and wait.....

The exact place I photographed that Owl is one they may hunt just once in an afternoon. Or once every other afternoon. So patience is needed. Especially on days when they hunt their more normal locations and because of where I've stationed myself I can't get any photos worth taking.

I've spent countless hours at Capel Fleet since I first started with bird photography, and yesterday it paid off. But the lighting conditions weren't totally right, and I should have had the TC off as it was so close. So I'll keep going at it!

Oh no. I'm not obsessed with trying to get passable photos! LOL!

One thing that stands out from yesterday. That was when I just had to watch it instead of taking more photos. I just lowered the camera a little from my face and looked along on top of the lens barrel.

They are truly beautiful creatures, and incredibly focussed when they do hunt. A wonderful sight to watch from so close by.

Cheers,

Bryan

[Naturenutz]

well done bryan,i know theres more than just luck involved to get them photo's.I had the same experience last year. there is a very small group of reeds on the field edge i visit.i thought it may get me a little closer than my car (they are used to cars but they steer clear as soon as you get out).I planted myself in the reeds and the owl flew straight over the reed and over my head at only about 4ft feet hieght. i ended up flat on my back trying to frame the owl. This was a case of too close for my long lens to focus,i never thought that would ever happen.I needed a 50mm lens on that accasions .

[ellen h]

Another WOW,what an encounter,I have seen SEO's but only ever at a distance or flying away from me!!Great shot...
Ellen

[RobinP]

Great photos Kentyeti. Unfortunately, my local SEO's proved so popular people were entering their hunting grounds and chasing them trying to get a photo, which has led to them disappearing elsewhere.

[KentYeti]

Originally Posted by RobinP

Great photos Kentyeti. Unfortunately, my local SEO's proved so popular people were entering their hunting grounds and chasing them trying to get a photo, which has led to them disappearing elsewhere.

Thankfully that hasn't happened where I photo them on Sheppey. One side of the road is intensively farmed agricultural land with a few dykes through it, the other side rough grazing land also with dykes. And a fairly constant traffic of vehicles belonging to the farms up and down the road. And I imagine some of the other vehicles are being driven by the farmers and/or friends who regularly shoot the area. All of whom would, without doubt, stop trespass immediately. Not for the Owls' sake, but to just stop it and any crop etc damage it would do.

Plus the fact that the raptor viewing mound and/or the road there are by far the best places to watch and photo the birds. Going into the hunting grounds would most likely guarantee total failure to see and photo the birds!

All you need to do is stand on the raptor mound. The Owls fly surprisingly close to that. Or sit along the road, (NOT blocking field entrances, access to them is daily at present for spray vehicles, other large agricultural vehicles and/or shooting parties etc), in a car, with the door nearest you open and camera at the ready. The open door and only feet outside of the car doesn't present a human form to the Owls and as I have found out, (again today), they will come really close if you sit fairly still like that. Step out of the car and the distance they will come close to you increases very significantly.


Cheers,

Bryan