58
Votes
Jake VanderHoeven's picture

Beauty in a Struggle to Survive

What’s great about wildlife photography is you can recall details of those special moments when it all comes together for something special. In this case, I happened to be standing on a frozen road in the Farmington Bay Bird Refuge when this amazing barn owl flew by. I was lucky enough to swing the camera around to capture a few shots. They’re some of my all-time favorites. It was a bitter cold day in a particularly harsh winter.

I learned later, from a refuge ranger, that many of the owls died that winter of starvation. Normally a nocturnal animal, they were hunting in full daylight for anything they could find. I wonder if she survived.

Nature can be cruel, but that can make it all the more awe-inspiring. There’s something to learn there as we face our challenges.

NIKON D300S
400mm · f/5.6 · 1/2000s · ISO 250
Log in or register to post comments
8 Comments

I love the owl's "expression"!

Love the freeze. I've been meaning to get a photo of one of these Barn Owls in flight since quite some time. May be one of these days.
Keep up the good work. :)

Look at the frost on it's talons.

Yeah, crazy. I’ve actually a few photos with blood on the same. Nature has no pretense, and makes no apologies. :)

Beautiful picture!

Nice bird in flight photo !!!

love that portrait, beautifull colors and amazing bird. what more is needed...

Thanks for the kind words! I’m glad you liked it.

In Lists