Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

This beautiful owl often hunts in daylight searching for small mammals especially voles. It is often seen in open countryside and heathland. It nests on the ground among vegetation. The 4 - 8 eggs hatch after 24 days. The first eggs to hatch are the most likely to survive.

The photographs were taken on mainland Orkney where they are often seen from the roadside at dusk. We used the car as a mobile bird hide, one driving and the other leaning out of the two rear windows to take the shots.The soft evening light always adds that something extra. The camera was hand held with the shutter speed set to 1/2000 and the f stop at f 9.5. We used the Nikon 500mm prime lens with a 1.4 teleconverter.

Filmed with Swarovski 80HD scope, 30W eyepiece, Flip HD Camera