Picture Of The Week 03-15-10

Great Horned Owl
(Bubo virginianus)

Where: Richmond, VA Notes: Thanks to a tip from a friend, I was directed to this amazing site. At first look, this nest seemed to high and too far away to photograph. But a little searching revealed a closer vantage point with a lucky window between the trees, branches and pine needles. Next I had to visit at different times of day to find the best lighting. Late afternoon seemed the best. Because the best view of the nest faces north and there is often backlighting on the subjects, which is not perferred. But you take what you get in these situations. After a few hours of observation, I was amazed to find out that the female was usually sitting on a carcus. Every so often she would reach undernieth herself and produce a chunk of prey. From that she would tear off small pieces of meat and feed it to the two downy chicks (left). This "self-storage" system seemed like a good way to keep the chicks fed through out the day.

Equipment: Canon EOS 40D • Canon 400mm f-5.6 Prime L Series Lens • 2X Converter • Manfroto Tripod

Exposure: Shutter Speed = 1/125 second • Aperture = f 11 • Exposure Mode = Aperture Priority • Focus Mode: One Shot • Lens (Focal) Length = 1120 mm (400 mm w/ 1.4X and 2X converters) • ISO = 400 • Aprox. Camera Distance = ~120 Feet • Date Shot:03-10-10

©2010 Robert W. Schamerhorn. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.

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PRINT: Great Horned Owl (No. 2179)
Size: 8" x 10" • Signed Print with 11" x 14" White Matte • S&H Included
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