I've been wanting to see and photograph one of these little guys for years. Yesterday I got my chance. There was a narrow window through the foliage that gave an almost unobstructed view. He refused, of course, to open his eyes fully while I was there, but I was delighted to get a shot of him nonetheless. My first outing with the big rig in 6 months, since the shoulder repairs, and a nice way to start the new year. Now that I know where to find him, maybe I'll get an open-eye shot and a little more light. Slight crop, slight cleanup of a twig and whitewash, otherwise very little processing.
D500, 500f4, ISO 3200, 1/400s @ f/5.3 manual. Gitzo and Mongoose.
A great start to the new year Bill - All the best.
I love the little peeping through the foliage framing, it adds nicely to the feel and gives a good example of how hard it must be to spot these little guys. Hope you get your shot with the open eyes - that'll be something else
You were rewarded for your first outing with the big rig Bill, a wonderful "peep" into the Saw-whet. I hope you have other opportunities and look forward to see more posts. They are so small and stay protected and camouflaged that it is very unusual to get an unobstructed view.
What a sweet little bird. I would be thrilled if I found this bird.
I like the soft foliage at the edges of the frame- really gives us the feeling of peeking into the tree.
Gail
How cool to locate one of these birds! This is a solid first effort, but I have a feeling you're going to get him with his eyes open one of these days! Look forward to seeing that image post!
These birds are almost impossible to get a clean shot of. I have only seen one ever and it was from John Whaley who used to post here. Bird was in a great spot considering the mess I have seen them in over the years. I have a different view than most and prefer to shoot nocturnal owls at night but that by no way means that I think others should agree. One of the better frames I have seen of this species. I know where this bird was seen, are the Long-ears there this year as well?
Thank you all for your comments. We went back several days later and found not one but two of them - a pair, I assume? - but they were buried deep within the foliage of their respective Junipers.
Isaac, getting a night shot at this location would be tough, since the park rangers sweep the park and lock the gates shortly after sunset. They are also vigilant about making sure folks stay on the established trails (with a $1,000 fine if you stray), so not only do you need to find the bird with a clear view, but you can't bushwack to find it. All the better for the birds. I did hear a report of a Long-eared Owl in the general vicinity of this Saw-whet, several weeks ago. I've scoured the area (from the paths) with no success. The only Long-eared's I've ever seen were in this general area about ten years ago.