Like so many raptors, a snowy owl boasts claim to a jealous sky. These majestic birds allege title to all that spans their horizons. A jealous sky does not tolerate the intrusion of competition. It does not condone the company of another mighty hunter. The presence of a peregrine falcon, or even another snowy owl is little endured. There need not be provocation, for the simple sight of another within its visible hemisphere is provocation enough for battle. The battle is short lived and the winner takes all, while the loser takes to the air, to establish its own new horizons, its own jealous sky. These two juveniles carry on that tradition with vigor, and this jealous sky will soon have a new master. #SnowyOwls
Tags: “Snowy Owl” snowy owl bird birds raptor raptors “birds of prey” “birds of North America” “irruption” nature wildlife animals “bird photography” “nature photography” “birds in flight” “snowy owl in flight” “Children’s Wildlife Books by Daniel A D’Auria MD” “Daniel A D’Auria MD” “DrDADBooks” “November2017” “owls of North America”
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Arriving for a winter’s visit, the snowy owl seems to garnish attention no matter where it is found. This alluring bird is surrounded by folklore and mysticism. Photographing the bird without disturbing it takes great patience and “big glass.” #SnowyOwl
Tags: “Snowy Owl” snowy owl bird birds raptor raptors “birds of prey” “birds of North America” “irruption” nature wildlife animals “bird photography” “nature photography” “birds in flight” “snowy owl in flight” “Children’s Wildlife Books by Daniel A D’Auria MD” “Daniel A D’Auria MD” “DrDADBooks” “November2017” “owls of North America” Canon CanonUSA Canon Cameras
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The golden hour is that precious time, just after sunrise or just before sunset, when white takes on the aura of precious metals. It is a time when all things are possible in photography. It is a magical time when all things photographed seem more glorious, a time when darks are richer, and lights are warmer. Unfortunately, like in economics, it seems that inflation must have taken place somewhere between when the phrase was coined and the present day. I have rarely found the golden hour to be an hour at all! At times it can be as short as 10 or 15 minutes. It can all be explained by physics, refraction, and the altitude of the sun, but somehow that only explains the quality and duration of the light, and not the magic of the hour. For wildlife photographers, it is a combined effect, since wild creatures tend to be most active in the minutes surrounding the arrival and the departure of the day. For this snowy owl it means that the bright overhead sunlight does not make him squint, and we get a good look at those beautiful eyes, for which he is known. I love the golden hour. It is a time when all the world seems more pristine.
Tags: Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus white owl owl bird birds of prey birding nature wildlife wildlife photography Edwin B Forsythe NWR Oceanville New Jersey Holgate Barnegat Daniel A D'Auria MD Children's Wildlife Books by Daniel A D'Auria MD DrDADBooks.com December2013 Snowy owl invasion snowy owl irruption 'December2014, January2015
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Photographing flying birds at 1/100th of a second is not really recommended unless you are looking to create motion blur. I’m a big fan of creating motion blur with birds like snow geese and sandhill cranes but the opportunity to try it on snowy owls doesn’t come along all that often. On this occasion, a very early morning encounter, before the sun had broken the horizon, was just that occasion. Although I knew the chances of a clear shot were negligible, it didn’t stop me from shooting this magnificent bird. At 1200 mm handheld and only a small break of light highlighting the owl, I love the moody ambiance. #SnowyOwl
Tags: “Snowy Owl” snowy owl bird birds raptor raptors “birds of prey” “birds of North America” “irruption” nature wildlife animals “bird photography” “nature photography” “birds in flight” “snowy owl in flight” “Children’s Wildlife Books by Daniel A D’Auria MD” “Daniel A D’Auria MD” “DrDADBooks” “November2017” “owls of North America” “December2017” “December2018”
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Snowy Owls have travelled a long way from their Arctic breeding grounds to portions of the US. They scatter across the countryside looking for rest, food, and protection from the elements. Likewise, the light from the early morning sunrise travels a long way through space. When it enters our atmosphere white light, which is actually made up of the full spectrum of colors, encounters the molecules and dust particles that make up earth’s atmosphere. When light waves encounter these elements, their paths are altered or “scattered.” Short wavelengths, like blue light, are scattered more easily, while longer wavelengths, reds, orange and yellow, less so. When the sun is low on the horizon the light must travel through a thicker layer of atmosphere (because it is coming through at an angle). This means that by the time the light reaches the surface of the earth (and our eyes) all the short wavelength, blue color has scattered in other directions. As a result, we only see the longer red, orange, and yellow colors of the spectrum. And so, it seems appropriate that this beautiful light that had travelled such a long way, and endured so much, should fall upon this majestic bird that has done much the same. #SnowyOwl
Tags: “Snowy Owl” snowy owl bird birds raptor raptors “birds of prey” “birds of North America” “irruption” nature wildlife animals “bird photography” “nature photography” “birds in flight” “snowy owl in flight” “Children’s Wildlife Books by Daniel A D’Auria MD” “Daniel A D’Auria MD” “DrDADBooks” “November2017” “owls of North America”
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