Eurasian Eagle Owl

Eurasian Eagle Owl.

 

So this officially wraps up my Owl series, I think…

Eurasian Eagle Owls are not native to the US, but are a favorite with Falconers because of their strength and hunting abilities. This one was part of a great workshop we did with Georgia Mountain Falconry a couple of years ago. They are huge and are capable of hunting small mammals even deer! I love the orange eyes.

 

Tamron 18-400mm Di-II VC HLD lens on a Nikon D-500, Manual Exposure mode, f8, ISO 400, shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second, handheld, processed in Lightroom Classic. #withmytamron, #tamron, #tamronlensesusa, #tamronusa, #tamronimagemaster, #bearwoodsphotography

K2, Eurasian Eagle Owl, at the TRC

K2, Eurasian Eagle Owl at the TRC.

 

Yesterday I shared an image of Frost, the smallest bird at the Teton Raptor Center, today is K2, a Eurasian Eagle Owl. I can’t remember how tall Becky told us she was, and I know never to ask a woman her weight, but lets just say, she is substantially larger than Frost. She can not be released into the wild because she is non-native to American and was captive bred and raised. They are larger than the Great Horned Owl and very closely resemble them with the distinct difference being the orange eyes vs the yellow eyes of the Great Horned Owl. Doing these educational programs with the TRC is not only informative but you can obviously see that the photographic opportunities can be fantastic.

 

Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD G2 lens on a Nikon Z7, Manual Exposure mode, f8, ISO 1600, shutter speed of 1/500th of a second, Sirui P326 monopod, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #Tamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #Tamron150600g2, #TetonRaptorCenter, #SiruiUSA, #NatureInFocusPhotographyWorkshops, #BearWoodsPhotography

Yonah

Yonah.

 

Yonah is the Eurasian Eagle Owl that Georgia Mountain Falconry brought out to our workshop. She was also the one I photographed last year in October. Those eyes are mesmerizing! She is a captive bred, since EEOs aren’t native to the US and is only about 2 1/2 years old. She weighs in at about 9 pounds! You can see the incredible detail in the eyes and feathers of the bird thanks to the Tamron 100-400mm lens and the D-850! I am really loving this combination for sharpness, clarity and convenience. The lens is lightweight and easy to handhold when needed.

 

Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD lens on a Nikon D-850, Manual Exposure mode, f8, ISO 400, shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second, handheld, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #TamronUSAMagazine, #GeorgiaMountainFalconry

“You looking at me”?

“You looking at me”?

 

The only thing more mesmerizing than seeing the orange eyes of a Eurasian Eagle Owl would be to have them staring through you like this one did to me. She was fascinated by the sound of the camera and the feet on my Sirui monopod. The great thing about using a long lens, like I did, was the minimum focusing distance of the Tamron is close enough that I could fill the frame with the owl’s face almost with very little post process cropping and be far enough away not to scare the owl. The owl was moving so I had to move back a little to leave room in the frame as it shifted left and right slowly. I think people see an owl like this and don’t realize how strong it can be. This owl is over 2 feet long and almost 6 pounds. One person asked if they could move in beside the owl to get a photo with it. The falconer replied, “only if you don’t need that ear”. I thought that was the quote of the day for me.

 

Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD G2 lens on a Nikon D-800E, Aperture Priority, f8, ISO 800, resulting in a shutter speed of 1/60th of a second, Sirui EP204S monopod and L10 head, MindShift Gear FirstLight 20L backpack, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #Sirui, #SiruiUSA, #SiruiProfessional, #MindShiftGear

Eurasian Eagle Owl and a Picnic

Eurasian Eagle Owl and a Picnic.

 

Yesterday was the Annual Member’s Picnic for the Mountain Conservation Trust of Georgia held at a private residence in Tate Mountain Estates near our house. Evelyn and I have been involved with them for about 20 years now and have been donating our services for them as well. They help to preserve the lands around us for future generations to enjoy, so we believe strongly in their mission. At yesterday’s meeting a newly acquired property, Forry Farms, was dedicated by the MCTGA along with the Forry family to their late parents who were long time supporters of the MCTGA. All I can say is what an incredible gift by the kids to keep their parents dream alive for generations to com.

 

Every year they have a group of Falconers bring in some birds for people to see and learn about their craft. This year there were 2 Red-tailed Hawks, a Lanner Falcon, and this beautiful Eurasian Eagle Owl. Although it looks similar to our Great Horned Owl, it is significantly larger and native to Europe. These Falconers are always a pleasure to talk with and we are going to do a Birds of Prey workshop with them in the future.

 

Get involved with local conservation efforts if you can. It is very rewarding and you meet some of the greatest people all of which share your love of the outdoors. If you live in Georgia, check out the MCTGA!

 

Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD G2 lens on a Nikon D-800E, Aperture Priority mode, Matrix metering, f8, ISO 800, resulting in a shutter speed of 1/125th of a second, Vibration Compensation active, Sirui P204S monopod and L10 head, MindShift Gear TrailScape 18L backpack, processed in Lightroom Classic CC. #WithMyTamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronLensesUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #Sirui, #SiruiUSA, #SiruiProfessional, #MindShiftGear