Image of the Month
January
Short-eared Owls are nomadic in their lifestyle during the winter months and are constantly moving around, trying to find the best location to sustain them through the tough times ahead. To a Short-eared it is all about prey and when there are a high number of rodents, you then you get a high number of Owls. The most important prey item for them is the short-tailed field vole and this little rodent has periods of boom and bust. Every so often the conditions are just perfect for them to have a good breeding season and numbers just explode. When you get a Vole year, you get an Owl year too. Watching a Short-eared Owl quartering effortlessly over rough winter pasture in search of prey is one of the finest sights to witness in the natural world. I have had an enforced break over the past couple of months because I have an hectic first part of the year, so this shot was taken last winter. It has been so mild so far this winter but was the complete opposite last year.
Canon 1D MK4, 500mm Lens, 1.4x Convertor, F5.6, 1/1000, ISO 200.
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