Approaching Owls

[John Mikes]

How close should we get to wintering owls, especially boreal owls? I'd love to get some nice shots of the little guys, but I assume they're starving and stressed and the last thing I want to do is cause one to use precious energy and leave a roost.

[Steve Foss]

Good instincts, John. Pushing up close to starving/stressed owls is hard on them.

How close is too close? It varies from species to species, and from individual to individual within species.

Some GGOs fly away as soon as you approach, while others seem to hunt on without giving viewers a second glance. Same with NHOs. I don't think I've ever spent more than 10-15 minutes with an individual owl simply because I don't want to be pushing them around from perch to perch. That being said, the owls that seem fine with our presence will move to different perches every so often, and as long as I don't seem to be the one driving them, I will occasionally follow to another perch to rephotograph and hope for better backgrounds, etc.

Tight shots of great grays with a 400 or 500 mm lens are almost always possible without approaching too closely to push the owl. Quite often it's the same for NHOs, even though they are smaller.

Boreal owls are a different matter. It appears there are a lot of stressed/starving boreal owls around this winter. If I recollect correctly, MOU has reported three found dead from Duluth to Two Harbors, all three emaciated, so they likely died of starvation.

Also, boreal owls roost in dense cover and roost with their eyes closed to avoid the attention of birds such as chickadees, which will mob and harass them if they find them. It seems the chickadees can more easily see the roosting owls when their eyes are open. This is an issue because if a photographer discovers a roosting boreal, it's generally in heavy evergreen cover and you have to get in really close to get a view unobstructed by branches. In doing so, not only will the owl often become alert and open its eyes, but human activity is a magnet for birds like chickadees and nuthatches, and if you find a boreal that is stressed/starving, it's very hard on the bird and could be the final straw to have someone that close and to be mobbed by chickadees. Alerting the owl also perks it up and then it expends more energy, energy it desperately needs to conserve if it is at risk of starvation.

I have only photographed one boreal owl, and it appeared to be in good shape.

So keeping these things in mind, I just try to minimize my impact on the owls, and there have been times I've passed up photographs altogether (except for more distant environmental compositions) because the owl seemed too stressed.

There's always a line in the sand that one may or may not cross when weighing the wants of the birder/photographer against the welfare of the owl (or any bird/animal). Problem is, it's a moveable line depending on species and individual. The decision is up to each birder/photographer himself or herself.

In the "for what it's worth" category, while all the rage among so many avian photographers is for tight portraits (what wildlife photographers often call "fang and claw" portraits), it's the images showing birds in a nicely composed and typical environment that tend to be more popular among print buyers. I have hundreds of sharp tight NHO portraits, but my favorite is still the one that leads the series I posted awhile ago on this board titled "northern hawk owls at eye level" because of the environment shown. Placing the bird in a typical location for the bird is easier on it and more attractive to many viewers.

All just IMO, John. What I've written reflects the way I look at the world and my approach to it, and it is not my place to judge people harshly because their worldviews do not match mine. In the end, it's each individual's call, whether they are toting the binoculars of the birder or the lenses of the photographer.

Enjoy your bog trip. It's a lot of fun up here!

[John Mikes]

I think I'll just stay away from any boreals I might see, unless I can get a clear shot with the 500 and doubler from a distance. Which isn't too likely. But who knows, maybe the photography gods will smile on me. So far this winter they've been giving me the evil squint eye, so I'm due.

[Steve Foss]

The longer you pay the photography gods, the more likely they are to occasionally cough up a golden opportunity!

[MN Shutterbug]

I expected to see a photo of incoming owls.

[Steve Foss]

Life's full of disappointment.

[JayinMN]

Don't worry XT I'll find some for you today... You will have to wait till evening though for me to post them I slept in today...lol