Eastern Screech-Owl (Red Phase)!!!

[Daniel Cadieux]

What an awesome surprise encounter this morning!! I had spent a few hours in the woods with only a few chickadee pictures to show for when I suddenly accidentally flushed a Ruffed Grouse. I went way off into the thick woods in search of it, but to no avail. I sat on a fallen tree to eat a chcolate bar and contemplated heading back home when the phone rang. It was my wife and we chatted a bit...I told her I would not be long as it was pretty much dead at this location. The phone dies and and it this point I've been sitting for about 15 minutes. I get up, turn around, and perched in the tree that was behind me the whole time, not 12 feet off the ground is this GORGEOUS red phase Eastern Screech Owl...right out in the open!! I've got the flushed Ruffed Grouse to thank for this chance encounter:S3:

Canon 7D + 100-400L @370mm, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/500s., f/7.1, ISO 800, FF, natural light, handheld, lightened a few shadows vis dodge tool, patched out an OOF branch near the bottom, darkened the trunk along left edge. In my excitement I forgot to try to close down to get the feet sharp..oh well, I'm pretty stoked anyhow...

[Marina Scarr]

I am green with envy over this one, Daniel. He looks so large in this frame. I love his standing ears and squinting eyes.

[Jon Swanson]

Super image Daniel! Getting one in the open not in a hole in daylight is a true rarity.

[Grace Scalzo]

Daniel, This might be my most favorite photo of all time. Nothing more needs to be said. (Even tho we are supposed to. :w3)

[dankearl]

You are the bird whisperer!
They just show up around you?
Very nice image.
The Owl is in beautiful plumage, perfect tree, what else could one ask for.

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Congrats Dan! What a beauty this bird is!! Great techs as usual!

[arash_hazeghi]

oh man, I am speechless. looks like a creature from a different planet. awesome shot!

[Loi Nguyen]

Daniel, congratulations! I have never seen this species in the wild, so I'm envious. Everything has been said, so the only thing I would wish for is too see his eyes, but I understand he was snoozing. Beautiful shot.

[Sachin Saraf]

This is incredible...What a chance encounter. Wow!!! I am sure you must be having few more frames of this fella...Looking forwards to more...

[Greg Schneider]

Absolutely beautiful Dan. Always cool to have an amazing chance encounter.

[Ignacio Yufera]

Superb portrait, Daniel. Beautiful detail and soft light, and couldn't hope for a more complimentary pose and BG.

[PhilCook]

That's one strange looking Owl Daniel, I presume a bit of a rarity over your way....they dont exist here at all sadly.

Lovely color and natural environment...if I was to be picky I would ask for the feet to be in good focus as well, but my eyes are drawn immediately to it's head anyway

[Karl Egressy]

I call it the out of focus bird.
This guy (the red morph) is almost impossible to get a nice sharp image of.
I was very upset with mine until my friend who has been doing avian shooting professionally for over thirty years told me the same.
I can see yours is not as sharp as your usual Daniel and it is not your fault. It is an OOF bird by nature.:S3:

[Jonathan Ashton]

Great shot Dan I reckon we all deserve a little luck sometime and you certainly made the most of it. My only criticism is the one you already mentioned i.e. the feet slightly OOF.

[vishaljadhav]

Nice one,
I like the details on this one, a very different looking bird.
Lovely one

[gail bisson]

Hi Daniel,
I can understand how excited you must have been.
Luck has nothing to do with it though.You put all that time wandering the woods and it is just a matter of time before you get rewarded with a wonderful bird like this.
A big congrats. My qeustion is...how many shots did you take of this guy? 100, 1000...:bg3:
I am so hoping that you got one with the feet in focus. Otherwise, I love the vertical comp, the red lichen, the full frontal view (so rare to get) and the squinty, sleepy eyes.
Well done and well deserved,
Gail

[Daniel Cadieux]

Thank you everyone!! Believe or not I only took about 25 images of this fella, all at this angle and this pose. This was the only good angle (it was pretty ugly on either side). This also the only pose it gave me...it did not open nor fully close its' eyes and remained motionless except for one fast glance upwards at who-knows-what that flew above. Truly a remarkable creature!!

[Ivan Ellison]

Superb shot, what a stroke of luck the grouse delivered for you , cant say much more apart from WELL DONE.

[D. Robert Franz]

What a great find. A really striking bird and a fine image!

[Tim King]

Could only imagine the ones just staring down at us as we stumble our way through the forest. A great image and a memorable experience.

[Richard Unsworth]

Thanks for showing this amazing creature Dan and the frame is just brilliant

[David Salem]

Congrats on a great exciting find. I agree with Gail. There isnt much luck in wildlife photography. If you get out there and pay your dues, you will be rewarded. Well done Daniel.

[shane shacaluga]

What a great looking ginger bird! I think its all been said above. Lovely image and really like the orange and white of the feathers against the greenish brown background

[Tom Rambaut]

Very lucky to find this static subject. Love the colors of the owl.