Northern Pygmy Owl - # 1
ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/200 sec, Canon 500mm IS lens + 1.4X extender, tripod. Our backyard is set up as a woodland garden, designed to be bird friendly. We get a variety of birds (72 species logged in the yard so far), but I never expected to have a visit from this bird! This is a very small (slightly less than 7" in length, smaller than a robin) owl that is active in the daytime. It is very aggressive, feeding mainly on smaller birds, but also on other small prey. It has been known to go after prey that is almost as large as it is - it is a fearless little bird. I first grabbed some shots with a smaller, 'portable' (by bird photography standards) rig and then when I was sure I had some decent shots, I grabbed the larger lens and camera and put it on a tripod for this shot.
Uploaded on September 23, 2008