Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus).

These birds tend to utilize open fields and prairies and can be seen hunting close to the ground in the hours close to sunset. Due to continued loss of habitat, their numbers are progressively declining and they have been listed as threatened in several states.

I first saw this bird flying over open grassland in Northern California and was able to photograph it over several late afternoons before it moved on. The photographic challenges were that it almost always showed up close to dark, and flew very quickly and close to the ground which made focusing difficult. It is not technically a very good picture, but I like the pose and the illustrative foreground.

Original file size is 7.4 MP.

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus).

These birds tend to utilize open fields and prairies and can be seen hunting close to the ground in the hours close to sunset. Due to continued loss of habitat, their numbers are progressively declining and they have been listed as threatened in several states.

I first saw this bird flying over open grassland in Northern California and was able to photograph it over several late afternoons before it moved on. The photographic challenges were that it almost always showed up close to dark, and flew very quickly and close to the ground which made focusing difficult. It is not technically a very good picture, but I like the pose and the illustrative foreground.

Original file size is 7.4 MP.