ML613107208

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Counted carefully with binoculars sweeping across field in different directions by different observers several times. We always came up with 6 as our highest independent count. Some were flying high, about 100-200 feet while others were low actively hunting successfully for rodents. Mostly to the south of Hotchkiss Lane at the east end. As it became darker they all flew closer to the ground hunting rodents, occasionally landing and calling. These are optimum hunting conditions with no snow and short cut hay grass fields at stubble height. Normally, this type of observation and behavior doesn’t occur because the fields are usually covered with snow. We are experiencing drought conditions with traces of snow and mild daily temperatures of 25-39 degrees. The highest amount of SEOWs we’ve seen in one spot aside from the boat landing at Malheur Lake one year in April doing courtship flights. We were listening to Travis Miller the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge ecologist talk about grass field habitat for wildlife as we watched the 🦉s . Perfect! Poor photos in low light. Peter Olsoy observed 2 at this location the night before. I wonder how many other owls are hunting similar fields on the floodplain. And are these winter migrants since it was unusually difficult to see just one SEOW this year in the basin. Will have to expand our search area to see how many other owls are here now.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Lens

EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III

ISO

10000

Focal length

560 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/8.0

Shutter speed

1/80 sec

Dimensions

3726 pixels x 2439 pixels

Original file size

1.7 MB