Barn Owl 2 by Gobi-Jovler on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Sheer luck and good fortune allowed me to catch this little fella. Had my camera set up to take pictures of the tree, not more than three or four metres from its base, and had actually finished those shots and was contemplating packing up and calling it a night, what with the cold and the fading light.

So I glance up and there's this owl staring down at me from his nook.

He stays like this for six or seven minutes, checking out the scenery (and me) before hopping out onto a nearby branch, stretching his wings a few times, then swooping - silently - off across the fields. Unreal.

And get a load of the Exif data! Taken at the absolute limit of the camera's capabilities, had to expose for a full second (!) even with the lens open as wide as it would go at this zoom. What a generous owl to pose for me like that, and what a great way to finish a beautiful afternoon. Made my day, this did.

Wider view, here: [link]

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ref.: DSCF9830-1-2