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Vince Maidens's Image
Vince Maidens (Canada) records the “absolute chaos” when a barn owl brings a vole back to its fledgling chicks.
Vince spent hundreds of hours over three months in England’s Yorkshire Dales, watching this growing family of barn owls.
While keeping a respectful distance, he didn’t conceal his presence. “If you're working with a species that can hear your heartbeat, it isn’t really going to help.”
Barn owls are efficient hunters thanks to their sensitive hearing and silent flight.
Barn owls are dependent on the availability of small mammal prey. Environmental factors such as the weather and habitat change can threaten their numbers.
Behind the lens
Vince Maidens
Canada
Vince is a Canadian wildlife photographer and workshop and safari leader. He’s travelled the globe to photograph all forms of wildlife, especially owls. Mentoring and continued education are also a passion of his as he strives to help better the art of photography with constructive critique and challenging projects.
Image details
- Canon EOS R7
- 600mm f4 lens
- 1/2000 at f8 • ISO 5000
- Yorkshire Dales National Park, England, UK
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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