How to photograph little owls

Athene noctua

Thanks to a Juza's user and of his suggestion, I've update this article adding some scientific info about the little owls.

Scientific classification:

• Scintific name: Athene noctua
• Common name: little owl
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Aves
• Order: Strigiformes
• Family: Strigidae
• Genus: Athene
• Species: A. noctua

Distribution and habitat

The distribution of this birds is widespread across Europe, Asia and North Africa, but in some countries has been introduced by man; for example in New Zealand and in United Kingdom. The little owl is a sedentary species and can be found almost everywhere using many different range of habitats. The most used habitats are countrysides with open space areas or near small woodlands, but they can live in urban habitats, like city parks or garden, if the enviroment is pretty quiet. But it can be found also in sandy lands and stony semi-deserts, as well as rocky lands and old ruins. More difficult in high mountains, although it's been seen in Tibet.The little owls can use differents kind of nests, as ground holes, pile of stones, trees, or old countryside ruins. I've never seen them in urban context, but it might be possible, so if you have some news about that, please tell me.

Wildlife in the blind - buzzard and black redstart

As you know, for me wildlife photography is really rewarding, and everytime I can, I go into my photographic blind to take some picture of the buzzards, jays and other birds. This time I wanted to try better the Sony 200-600G lens, with the teleconverter 1.4x as well. The morning has been quite good, and I took some nice pictures of the buzzard and a male black redstart. I also shoot some short clips to use in my Youtube channel. But let's my images speak. First of all the buzzard:

and then the black redstart:

That little guy was jumping between two perches and made me a bit difficult to follow it. The buzzard was quiete, infact it stayed quite a lot on the perch, and it came a second buzzard as well, even though I didn't know if was the mate. Unfortunately I couldn't take any picture of the couple.

As I said before, when I was photographing them I shoot some clips, and I enjoyed following them in their movements, even though I couldn't move too quickly the lens, otherwise I would have scared the birds.

Thouse pictures and the short video below are the result of some hours of work in the blind, and I couldn't have a better morning.

I hope you enjoy watching the pictures and the video, and please subscribe to my Youtube channel for having all my news about wildlife and landscape photography.

Cheers.

How to photograph the osprey

Here in Sardinia there's a spot where to watch and photograph easily the osprey. As every year, they come from the north Europe to pass here the winter season, and part of the spring as well. The most interesting aspect of that spot is that you can stay in your car for taking pictures. It's really easy and confortable, and you'll be able to going around the spot always using a car, without get the osprey in trouble. Unfortunately you'll scare the other birds in the place, because they aren't get used to see car too close to them. So, be careful during your driving across the road, going as much slow as possible. The other species living in the pond, are several, and there are cormorants, ducks, seagulls, marsh harriers, flamingos, common kestrels, common sandpipers, and many others.

So, if you're really interested in wildlife photography, that is your spot!!

The ospreys group, is composed by several members. So far they are four, but some years ago they were seven. Probably it depends by many factors, one of them could be that someone goes somewhere else, instead coming here in Sardinia, or someone could die, unfortunately.

Talking with an another photographer, he told me that some osprey is coming from France, due to the tag ring that he has seen, but there is the German osprey, that comes here by many years. Actually I don't really know how much an osprey can live, even though I read somewhere, and I can't verify the source, that it can live about 20 years.

For this photographic session I used my favourite wildlife camera, the Sony A9. In my opinion is the best wildlife camera so far, due to its competitive price now in comparison with the many features, like the realiable AF system, the 20FPS burst and the silent shooting as well. Togheter with the Sony 200-600G they form a perfect union for wildlife photography.

But now it's time to see some pictures. At beginning I took some picture of flaminogs:

In this area the flamingos group isn't too numerous, maybe they are nearly one hundred. Despite the fact, it's quite easy to photograph them, because they are everywhere, I mean that you can find them on the left side of the pond, or on the right side, so it doesn't matter where you are sitting on the car, you'll have always the opportunity to see and photograph them. The photo above is part of a sequence taken with the Sony A9. The incredible thing is the every shot was in focus, despite I was using a monopod and I was inside the car, so not really comfortable for following a birds fliying. Anyway the camera has worked as I expected, ginving me the chance to choose the perfect shot. In some shot is also visible the identifier ring on the leg, sign of the good quality of the whole system.

After I took some pictures of the osprey. In that case I wasn't so lucky, despite there were two specimens of falcon and they were quite far. However, these are the pictures taken in two different place of the pond. The first one was in the middle of the water, quite near the beach, where the usually have a rest, or eat a fish. In the second one, the osprey was farer, near the ground, so the background was a bit messy.

To end with the sand piper:

This little guy was very confident, pretty near to the car, walking and eating something, and I was be able to take some nice picture really clear, like that. The sand piper in that pond is very common and often they form a small groups flying around the area, or in the small beaches of the pond, looking for food.

Despite it wasn't the first time that I went there, I took some new picture, mostly of the flamingos in flight, but it's always rewarding staying in place like that, so I hope to go there again as soon as possible hoping to capture some new picture of the osprey, maybe hunting some fish.

To end, if you are interested to go in that place, you need to be careful about the animals. Despite it's easy to see and photograph them from the car, it's always more safe for them if you stay in car, without get off. And as always, if you need a guide, or more information about anything, don't esitate to contact me.

In my YouTube channel I published the video as well of the journey, so please, subscribe to the channel if you don't have already made and leave me a comment.

Cheers.

 

 

This wonderful male of peregrine has been a dream for a long time until a day I managed to photograph it. It was quite far from the blind, and I had to use an APSC camera, with a 1.5 crop factor, and a 600mm lens.