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Michel d'Oultremont's Image
In a winter white-out, two short-eared owls squabbled over a mouse that the larger one had caught. Michel focused on their piercing yellow eyes, capturing the scene from his car so as not to disturb them. As the owls demonstrated their aerial agility, Michel captured his shot, but the contest had no victor. ‘The mouse fell and escaped alive,’ he says.
Skilled hunters, short-eared owls detect their small mammal prey by listening intently for it rustling in the vegetation of open countryside. They fly low, almost silently, in their search. Owls are solo hunters and it is unusual to see two fighting for the same prey – it may be that the snow meant food was scarce.
Behind the lens
Michel d'Oultremont
Belgium
Michel's passion for nature began as a child growing up in the beautiful surroundings of a small village in Belgium. He started taking pictures as a teenager. His photography is guided by the emotions that the natural world evokes in him. By photographing animals in their environment, he hopes to help raise awareness of the beauty of nature and the importance of conservation.
Image details
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III
- 500mm f4 lens
- 1/640 sec at f4.5 • ISO 1250
- Cambrai, France
Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.
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