Cape Eagle Owl

[Chris Kotze]

I captured this Cape eagle Owl at a local Bird of prey rehab centre. Some rehab work they do.
Hacking Back, is a method which involves leaving a healthy but unfit bird in a aviary for a few weeks to get used to its surroundings.
The aviary is then left open to let the bird out in its own time to go and hunt.
The bird being unfit usually does not catch anything on the first few attempts and returns to the aviary to get its daily food ration.
The process is repeated until one day the bird is able to hunt and fend or itself and no longer returns.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV lens 300 2.8 ISO 1000.

[Doug Brown]

Interesting story Chris. How can a bird be both healthy and unfit at the same time? Nice habitat in the frame, although the flowers do compete a little for our attention. The bird is a little tight in the frame, and I think it could stand another round of sharpening.

[Andrew Merwin]

Sharpening seems good to my eye. I like the flowers, but I would remove the dead branch sticking up into the owl. I also think a little more space around the owl would be beneficial.

[Chris Kotze]

Thanks Doug, healthy to be release as it recovered from injuries but unfit to hunt due to new surrounding. I will have a look at the comp and sharpening.

[Doug Brown]

Thanks for the clarification Chris.

[Sachin Saraf]

Interesting information Chris and beautiful capture...The branch below is distracting and head can take another round of sharpening...

[Michael Rominger Jr]

Nice capture Chris! I agree with some of the others in that the small twig rising above the flowers is a bit of a distraction although I do like the flowers. Framing is fine for me. Maybe just a touch more sharpening but not much. Thanks for the additional information provided regarding the rehabilitation proccess.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Chris, loved the layers in the BG a lot. they add a lot here IMO. head might be slightly in front of the focus plane is what I am thinking. must have swooped in fast. good job on the underwings.

[Arthur Morris]

Nice bird, BKGR, and pose. The flowers needed to be in either corner as the composition is static with them in the middle with the bird.

[PhilCook]

The wings diagonal in the frame work well I feel, the colors are rather nice, those eyes are amazing ...such an intense stare. Agree regarding cloning out the single grass stalk

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Love the pose, the bg and the eye contact, Chris. I'd be very happy with this one. The flowers below work for me.

[christopher galeski]

nice one,like the pose,BG,would clone out some of the dead plant which is touching the owls tail.thanks.

[Chris Kotze]

Thanks everyone for your time and advice . I will also post another frame of this Bird later.

[arash_hazeghi]

very nice dynamic pose and eye cotnact. agree with sharpening the head a bit more