A Quick Photo Shoot With A Horned Owl

I was getting through the organization of my bird shots from the last year so that I could update the master gallery, and found some photos tucked away from a brief photoshoot of a Great Horned Owl over the summer.

While I didn’t walk away with a tremendous amount of shots, I did meet my expectations of the day as I was looking for tight frame-filling head or body shots that would still print in large format without any issues. I probably would have had even more usable ones if I was not in aww just studying things with my avid birder curiosity.

You may not know that Great Horned Owls have a lot of prey but they almost have no predators. Though they may be killed in fights with other Great Horned Owls, Snowy Owls, and Bald Eagles. This likely accounts for the many more photographic opportunities with them. Great horned owls tend to nest earlier the further north they live, but can be found in almost any habitat in the states.

If you are going Owling, I suggest you Study a field guide to learn which owl species you are likely to encounter, Research owl calls to be prepared for birding by ear (many owls have distinctive calls), Choose the proper optics – e.g. wider lenses to capture more light is the best option for me, and Dress appropriately for the local weather, bearing in mind that temperatures can drop quickly after sunset. Choose non-reflective, quiet fabrics without metal fasteners.