A Fair Substitution
A Fair Substitution
From Paul Moore
Visited RSPB Wallasea today to photograph the Short Eared Owls with my mate Mark O'Dell. It was a beautiful clear sunny day but there was a harsh cold wind. Unfortunately the Shorties didn't show but we were treated to a display by a Barn Owl as we were leaving at sunset. Great to see and capture my first Barnie of 2025.
It looks kind of ethereal, with the pale feathers and the light shining through the wings. Great pose.
I really like when a photo has the backlighting to highlight that translucent quality of the flight feathers. Owl feathers are less dense and have more give than most bird feathers. It's very noticeable if you ever get the opportunity to handle an owl feather. It lets some of that trapped air through, cutting down on flight noise, so it's part of their stealth ability.