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Christine's 1,000 Words A Day
On one leg at a time
This was taken at 9 yesterday morning, sleepy time for owls having dined all night. You can really see the heart shaped face here, the shape of their face has a lot to do with their acute hearing. The following from the web.
The face of a Barn Owl is flattened out and almost circular when the owl is alert, but as it relaxes, the “facial disc” falls into a more heart-shaped appearance. The distinctive face is actually very practical, funnelling sound towards the ears.
A ridge of feathers between the eyes effectively splits the face into 2 dishes collecting sound waves. Feathers are arranged in a way that carries sound into the ear openings, which are hidden beneath.
I'm very much an amateur photographer. I live in the hills of the Scottish Borders which has fantastic flora and fauna, as well as wonderful light.
@Veronique: I am about 9 feet at the bottom of the tree. They are wary of me and will go into the box if they are near it, they will always remain wild
@Mariana Maoduš: Thank you Mariana :))
@CElliottUK: I didn't know that. They need to hear the mice below them :))
@Phil Morris: Thank you Phil, I don't think I would see them, usually they lean into a branch but this is a young one so will still be learning. Adult owls have 3 or 4 roosts they use regularly, our owl box will be one of those roosts for the parents.
This image has been featured in 1 Remix collection.
NIKON D7000
1/125 second
F/6.3
ISO 200
300 mm (35mm equiv.)
