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Thread: I Can't Believe My Luck...Another Northern Saw-whet Owl!!

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Default I Can't Believe My Luck...Another Northern Saw-whet Owl!!

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    Photographed February 29th while I was actually on the lookout for waxwings...the leap year's extra day sure came in handy! This species is rather rare up here during the winter months so it was an extra special unexpected treat to come across this little fella. As usual with these owls it was the mobbing nuthatches and chickadees that alerted me to it. Never pass up a tree that has multiple stressed-out small songbirds birds within it :-)

    This guy was pretty much sound asleep and only slightly opened its eyes when dogs passed by (this is at a park popular with dog owners)

    Canon 7D + 100-400L @200mm, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/200s., f/6.3, ISO 800, flash at -0.3 FEC, handheld, small cro pto eliminate ugly branches at right, some highlights in the BG tamed via cloned and burn tools, the stem of some twigs toned down via burn tool.

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    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
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    I like the DOF on this Daniel. The OOF branches up front actually add to it and frame the Owl.
    They are beautiful.
    Dan Kearl

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    Great find, well captured. Love the habitat and the sleepy look you are getting.

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    Lifetime Member Marina Scarr's Avatar
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    Your PP is so good, Daniel, that I feel as though I am looking at the REAL owl. The details are tremendous, and I just love this darling bird and the story this capture portrays!
    Marina Scarr
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    Great find and photo Daniel. All around a fantastic shot of this little guy.

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Daniel:

    Your usual good field craft has yielded another nice one!

    Well exposed, subtle flash use, good to have a clean shot at him.

    In a perfect world, I would prefer not to have the dangling OOF branch on the left, the ones on the right blend in well with the trunk.

    I appreciate its possible framing effect, but would prefer it gone.

    Good shooting angle for an owl as well. How high up would you estimate him to have been?

    Cheers

    Randy
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    "Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy" Sir Isaac Newton

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    Beautiful natural environment, and great pose.

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    Ofer Levy
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    So nice!! Excllent job!

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Hi Dan, nicely framed amongst the foliage, and love the sleepy pose. Good DOF, and good use of subtle flash. I like your comp too.

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    Great job Daniel. I like the framing, I see Randy's point that no branches would look excellent too but you took a tough situation and did well, not just the best you could.
    And were awful close at 200.

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    Excellent image Daniel! I like the setting, exposure, flash work and pose.

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Lovely shot Dan, I like the subtle flash. "Saw-whet" seems like a very curious name to me - any ideas regarding the derivation?

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Thanks everyone! I was thrilled with this one as this is my second great view of a Saw-whet Owl since last fall (these guys are more often than not found deep in cedars and not so great to photograph).

    Randy: Yes I too would have preferred that low hanging branch not be there. Thankfully I was able to reposition myself and take some full-frame verticals as well...those pretty much negated distractions Oh, and this guy was about 8 feet up.

    Stan: Yep, pretty close. I couldn't go back any further either as I was pressed against some other evergreens at my back!

    Jonathan: Thanks! For the name, here is a description taken from http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?gen...ecies=acadicus :

    The Saw-whet Owl's name comes from the "skiew" call that is made when
    alarmed. This sound has a resemblance to the whetting of a saw.

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    So precious I love it. The setting is great and the sleeping pose and fluffy little body make it even sweeter.

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    Very cool Daniel! Pretty sweet to find one in such a nice natural setting. Cheers!

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    Congrats on this beautiful find. Real nice pose, love that it just barely has its eyes open. Shows it was confortable by you being so close. Excellent detail and well composed.
    Very well done.

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