2005: Animal Portraits - Specially Commended
Scott W Sharkey (United States of America)
Glare of the great owl
Great horned owls are among the first birds to nest, sitting on eggs in winter. So when Scott spotted a nesting female in mid-February in a Minnesota pine forest, he decided to return in a month, when there would be chicks and the likelihood of an atmospheric covering of snow. Sure enough, in mid-March a heavy storm dumped 20 centimetres (8 inches) of fresh snow. Scott returned to the nest at dusk, taking up position on a slope overlooking the tree. 'I could tell she had an owlet, because every so often her lower body would jerk as her chick wriggled under her,' says Scott. But he was anxious not to disturb her by his presence, and when the owl glared at him, he took the hint and his final photograph and left.
Canon 20D with 500mm f4 lens and 1.4x extender; 1/15 sec at f4; mirror lockup, tripod.
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