Eastern Screech Owl

[Anthony Barsotti]

I spent the majority of this winter looking for an Eastern Screech Owl and after finding a few cavities that I knew some roosted in but never being there at the right time, I managed to finally find one. It was raining the entire day so light was pretty low but I liked the atmosphere those conditions added. Shot with my Canon 1DX and 600mm f/4 IS II with the 2x Extender III, ISO 2500, f/11, 1/320sec. Slight crop to straighten composition and have bark edge to edge, levels and curves adjustments to even out lighting on the bird and darken the bark a bit.

[Isaac Grant]

It is so rewarding when you finally find one of these guys in a place that you can shoot. I know the feeling so congrats. Looks like the hole is well situated and low enough so hopefully you will have more opportunities. For me this image is too dark and you need to bump the exposure by at least half a stop. Also the problem with these types of shots for me is when the birds are sleeping and you do not have direct eye contact then it is less engaging. But there is something nice and peaceful about this shot. For the owl that I found, it is only active at dusk and rarely if ever opens its eyes during the day. For that reason I just do not go back until that time of day and just let it sleep the rest of the time. Actually have not been back since December so maybe it is time to pay him a visit.

[Chris van Rooyen]

Very rewarding to finally get a shot you have worked for so hard. Eye contact would have been great, but I know its difficult to get that in day-time. The little droplets on the head is a nice detail . I'm okay with the exposure.

[Anthony Barsotti]

Yep it’s probably like 8-9ft off the ground and consistently there so I’ll definitely be trying more for a shot with its eyes open. This was taken at about noon if I recall correctly and I stuck around until after dusk hoping I’d get a chance with its eyes open but no such luck. I agree though, at first I wasn’t crazy about it with its eyes closed but I like it as a behavior shot, even if that behavior isn’t particularly engaging. I’ll try boosting the exposure a bit though, thanks for the feedback, Isaac!

[William Dickson]

Looking good Anthony...Love the colours throughout the image. Nice details on both bird and perch. Exposure looks ok here. Well captured.

Will

[John Mack]

Looks quite content with just staying tucked in their and napping away. I like the composition and the texture on the tree. Nice one.