Burrowing Owl at Night

[Terry Sohl]

My treat for the summer was finding a nesting pair of these guys, only 3 miles from my house. It had been several decades since these guys had been found breeding in this part of the state, so it was definitely unexpected.

They were pretty darn shy though, and I didn't want to get up close to the burrow itself and disturb them. On a whim one night though I stopped by on my way home, and found the 2 adults and 4 youngs all chasing grasshoppers along the side of the adjacent gravel road. Unlike during the day, they didn't care that I was 15 feet away, clicking away.

Canon 40D, 400 5.6L, ISO 400, 1/60, f5.6, 430EX.

[Fabs Forns]

Good catch and use of flash. A lower angle, with you on the ground if that was an option, would have made it better.
Let's see some more :)

[Tony Whitehead]

Well done, Terry. I agree with Fabs regarding a lower angle if possible. I like the pose looking to the side. You could lighten the harsh flash shadow to may it less obvious and run a little NR on the BG. Great to hear of them being back after a long absence.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the pose and details. A lower would have been even better.