Short-eared Owl (Shortie) in flight in nice light

The Great Lakes have no ice on them because it has been unseasonably warm this winter, so there have been a lot of lake-effect clouds, rain and snow. We were treated to a few hours of blue sky and enjoyed every moment with this Short-eared Owl photographed in the last drops of golden light.

I will limit the number of Winter Owl Workshops again next winter, so book early HERE to avoid missing out.

Short-eraed Owl in Flight in last drops of light (Asio flammeus, Hibou des marais, SEOW). From my second Winter Owls Galore workshop that concluded on Friday. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 10,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Short-eared Owl with Prey

A Short-eared Owl was proudly showing off its Meadow Vole lunch. The image was captured during my first Winter Owl Workshop last week. As I turned the ISO to 20,000, I had fond memories of the first time I photographed this species with 25 ISO Kodachrome 40 years ago!

Short-eraed Owl in Flight with Meadow Vole Prey (Asio flammeus, Hibou des marais, SEOW). From my first Winter Owls Galore workshop that concluded on Friday. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 20,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

Short-eared owl

This was the last frame from the first of my Winter Owl workshops, which concluded yesterday. The snow was a welcome treat after many weather-related challenges (Rain & tropical weather)!

The Short-eared Owl was first described in 1763 by Danish bishop and amateur naturalist Erich Ludvigsen Pontoppidan. They have also been called the Evening Owl, Marsh Owl, Bog Owl, Grass Owl, Meadow Owl, Mouse-hawk, and Flat-faced Owl.

Short-eraed Owl in Flight (Asio flammeus, Hibou des marais, SEOW) The last frame from my first Winter Owls Galore workshop that concluded yesterday. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 12,800, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full Frame image.

Short-eared Owl Stare

Here is another Short-eared Owl from my scouting trip for my Owls Galore workshops. There was a burst of flight activity when we got there and we had overcast conditions with a window of blue sky. These owls forage mainly on the wing: flying low over the ground, sometimes hovering briefly at heights of 6–100 feet. They are incredibly maneuverable in the air, dropping suddenly to capture prey or climbing to avoid pursuers. They also soar hawklike on their long, broad wings, a flight mode they probably use for migratory travel.

There are currently only two openings due to last-minute cancellations:

January 9 to 13, 2023 SOLD OUT!

January 16 to 20, 2023 SOLD OUT!

January 23 to 27, 2023 ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT!

January 30 to February 3, 2023 SOLD OUT!

February 6 to 10, 2023 SOLD OUT!

February 13 to 17, 2023 ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT!

Short-eared Owl in flight

I had a great afternoon in great company yesterday while scouting for my Winter Owls Galore workshops. While the sky was dramatic and spectacular with storm clouds and golden light at times, my favourite poses and closest encounters happened against a bright white part of the sky with the slightest hint of pink - happens :)