Burrowing Owl Sleeping
Sleeping burring owl and it’s all about the eye lashes.
This burrowing owl kept winking at me and I was wondering what was going on. When getting the photos on my computer realized that he was falling asleep. Haven’t seen a sleeping burrowing owl before so this was a treat, especially after seeing those eye lashes. Adorable.
Taken with Canon 1DX and Canon 500mm F4 IS II with 1.4X III teleconverter, handheld out my car window.
1/2000 sec @ F5.6, ISO 800, evaluative metering, + 2/3 exposure compensation, 700mm
Jackrabbits
While on a recent business trip to Lubbock TX, took my camera along to check out the local wildlife. It has been a few years since I’ve taken any photos in Lubbock so it was good to get back out there. Got some great tips on where to shoot and hit the ground running after work on my first day there and found several jackrabbits about 4 miles from my hotel.
This one took off accross the field away from me so I drove over to the other side and got him as he was running towards me in some decent light.
1/2000 sec @ F8, ISO 800, evaluative metering, + 2/3 exposure compensation, 700mm
My favorite way to photograph jackrabbits is with back lighting. It’s all about the ears. Caught three of the jackrabbits hanging out right in front of me with the sun starting to set behind them. A perfect opportunity to get the sun coming through their ears.
1/1000 sec @ F8, ISO 800, evaluative metering, + 2/3 exposure compensation, 700mm
Owl Tender Landing
This Burrowing Owl tried to land in this thorny bush but didn’t stick around long. Kept his wings flapping for some good photo op’s. I’m gonna miss these little owls.
Taken with Canon 1DX and Canon 500mm F4 IS II with 1.4X III teleconverter, handheld out my car window.
Aperture priority, 1/500 sec @ F 5.6, ISO 3200, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation, 700mm
Guess Who?
This juvenile Burrowing Owl seems unphased by his sibling jumping on her back. Got several shots of the encounter with him reaching around and looking like he was trying to kiss her and then they fell over.
Taken with Canon 1DX and Canon 500mm F4 IS II with 1.4X III teleconverter, handheld out my car window
Aperture priority, 1/500 sec @ F5.6, ISO 6400, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation, 700mm
Intimidation
Here are more photos of Burrowing Owls trying to intimidate prairie dogs that got too close. They do a great job of expanding their body size with their feathers, which makes for some cool photo op’s. Hoping to get the opportunity to see them again.
Taken with Canon 1DX and Canon 500mm F4 IS II lens with 1.4X III teleconverter, handheld out my car window
Aperture priority, 1/1000 sec @ F8, ISO 1600, evaluative metering, 700mm
Aperture priority, 1/1600 sec @ F7.1, ISO 1600, evaluative metering, 700mm
Burrowing Owl’s Crazy Eyes
This would have been a good post for Halloween with the fully dilated eyes of this Burrowing Owl. He got all puffed up and stared down this prairie dog that got a little too close.
Saw this behavior a few times this summer but this was the only one with the owl looking in my direction.
Taken with Canon 1DX and Canon 500mm F4 IS II with 1.4X III teleconverter, handheld out the car window
Burrowing Owl Portrait
This juvenile Burrowing Owl was hanging out near the fence line where I was taking photos. Moved my car up close to him and shot away for about 10 min as he was trying to stay awake.
He finally moved for the second photo but there was a blurred out barbed wire fence right above him so I cropped it tighter.
Had to use negative exposure compensation to keep from blowing out the whites on his chest.
Taken with Canon 1DX and Canon 500mm F4 II II with 1.4X III teleconverter, handheld out the car window
Aperture priority, 1/800 sec @ F9, ISO 800, evaluative metering, -2/3 exposure compensation
Aperture priority, 1/640 sec @ F9, ISO 800, evaluative metering, -2/3 exposure compensation
Bobwhite Quail
The call of distant quail seemed to be everywhere on this morning in Lubbock, TX. They move quickly and are very fast runners, which makes it challenging to get photos of them. Did a little stalking and was able to get some photos of these elusive birds.
On the last photo, used the back-focus button to lock focus on the bird and then repositioned my lens to get both rows of barbed wire in the photo with the quail in the left third of the shot, i.e. rule of thirds.
Taken with Canon 1DX and Canon 500mm F4 IS II with 1.4X III teleconverter, handheld out the car window
Aperture priority, 1/800 sec @ F5.6, ISO 3200, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation, 700mm
Aperture priority, 1/640 sec @ F5.6, ISO 3200, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation
Aperture priority, 1/500 sec @ F5.6, ISO 1600, evaluative metering, +1 2/3 exposure compensation
Prairie Dogs
This is my 400th post since starting my blog in Jan 2011. Thanks again Sheldon for talking me into doing it. With 166 followers and over 67,000 hits, it’s been a very good time and thanks everyone for checking it out.
Here are some of my original targets from my trip to Lubbock, TX – prairie dogs. They are cute little critters that I’m sure drive farmers crazy with all of their burrows in the fields. They were very photogenic and would come out just after sunrise.
The youngsters were getting older but still fun to watch interacting with their parents. I missed the money shot as one got too close to a burrowing owl and the owl attacked him. Maybe next time…
Taken with Canon 1DX and Canon 500mm F4 IS II with 1.4X III teleconverter, handheld out my car window
Aperture priority, 1/640 sec @ F9, ISO 1600, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation
Aperture priority, 1/640 sec @ F5.6, ISO 2500, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation
Aperture priority, 1/500 sec @ F5.6, ISO 2000, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation
Aperture priority, 1/640 sec @ F7.1, ISO 3200, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation
Burrowing Owls
During my visit to Lubbock, TX a couple of weeks ago, saw my first burrowing owls while checking out the local prairie dogs. They are very cute little owls with bright yellow eyes that use abandoned prairie dog burrows.
Pulled my car up along a fence line and shot between the rows of barbed wire out the car window. It was lots of fun and I’m looking forward to going back again sometime in the future.
Taken with Canon 1DX and Canon 500mm F4 IS II with 1.4X III teleconverter, handheld out the car window
Aperture priority, 1/800 sec @ F6.3, ISO 1600, evaluative metering, +1/3 exposure compensation
Aperture priority, 1/500 sec @ F5.6, ISO 2000, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation
Aperture priority, 1/400 sec @ F5.6, ISO 2000, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation
Aperture priority, 1/800 sec @ F6.3, ISO 1600, evaluative metering, +1/3 exposure compensation
My First Jackrabbit
Got my first jackrabbit photos while in Lubbock, TX this week. They are actually hares and not rabbits and are much larger than the common cottontail with very large ears. They almost look like a mutant with those large back legs/feet, which propels them very fast, up to 40 mph.
The first two photos were taken in partly cloudy conditions while I was getting photos of prairie dogs and burrowing owls out my car window. He walked out right in front of me, very unexpected. He sat down long enough for a few shots and then took off.
On the last two photos, he bolted out in front of my car as I was leaving the area. Couldn’t get a good angle on him so got out of my car and got these photos hand-held as he crossed the dirt road.
Taken with Canon 1DX and Canon 500mm F4 IS II with 1.4X III teleconverter, handheld out the car window.
Aperture priority, 1/640 sec @ F5.6, ISO 2500, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation
Aperture priority, 1/800 sec @ F5.6, ISO 2500, evaluative metering, +2/3 exposure compensation
Aperture priority, 1/1600 sec @ F7.1, ISO 1600, evaluative metering
Aperture priority, 1/1600 sec @ F7.1, ISO 1600, evaluative metering
Tim Timmis Photography 