Short-eared Owl

[Jack Backs]

• NIKON CORPORATION NIKON Z 9
• VR 500mm f/4G
• ƒ/5.6
• 700mm
• 1/2000s
• ISO 800
• Jack Backs
• 39.268509753333
• -90.786529211667
• Sun, 25 December 2022 3:27 PM
• Copyright 2022 Jack Backs, All rights reserved.
• DxO PureRAW 2

Quite a few less Short-eared Owls at Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge this year. They flood different fields from year to year for the ducks and are building a new levee. There's also been a dearth of clear evenings, but
I finally hit the jackpot the evening of Christmas day. I was the only person in the refuge that evening.....it was my kids turn to be at their spouse's family this year. There's normally 4-5 vehicles lined along the road they typically
hunt in this year with people milling around and talking. I got up on the bed of my truck with my tripod so I could get landscape backgrounds more consistently. I'm not manly man enough to hand hold a Z9/TC/500F4G combo, plus
it was cold, 5 F. It's nice to be able to stick your hands in your pockets quickly. I was treated with a number very close flybys. I didn't get my Z9 before the end of last SEO season and I will say that finding and getting focus lock is
substantially easier than with the D500. It's not looking good for getting a 800/6.3 before the end of this season. I like the stare and the wing position of this image. I didn't have any more landscape on the left of the image, I could
add more fairly easily but I'm OK with this crop. Processed primarily with DxO Pureraw 2 with global optical corrections turned off. Light(5) sharpening with DeNoiseAI.
Nikon Z9, TC-14EIII, 500F4VRII
f5.6, 1/2000s, iso800

 

[Chris van Rooyen]

Wow, super image Jack! The eye contact really makes this image, I also like the slight blur of the wings. OOF BG really makes the image pop.

 

[Dorian Anderson]

This is really outstanding, Jack! That eye contact is killer, and I think the blurred wings help push our attention to the super sharp face. Can't ask for a better background. Not much I can see to improve this awesome image. Maybe a bit more room at top right, but that's really, really minor.

 

[Colin Driscoll]

That's cold Jack -15C, very nice shot, love the stare and overall colors.

 

[Jonathan Ashton]

Super shot great angle. Maybe my imagination but perhaps the blacks are a little dense.

 

[Daniel Cadieux]

Wow, I could stare at that face for hours! Love it. Sounds like a perfect Christmas evening...(apart from the kids of course).