Silent Hunter by Nick Saunders

Saturday, 17th January 2009

Silent Hunter

by Nick Saunders

Well, it finally happened! After 6 years of not being in the right place, or being in the right place at the wrong time, I got to see not one, but 3 Great Gray Owls during a bird count I participated in at Candle Lake, Saskatchewan.
This one was actively hunting and was waiting patiently for the slightest movement under the snow…

Equipment: Canon 40D with 100-400L

Nick Saunders

Originally from England, I have been fascinated with wildlife since I was very young.
I now spend most of my spare time looking for and photographing anything i can find on many hikes around the river , local parks and on country drives, here in Saskatchewan Canada where I now live with my wife.

www.saskbirder.com

18 Comments

James and Kelly Stone Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 6:03 am
Your patience paid off. You were definitely at the right place at the right time this time. Excellent capture. Congratulations on this beautiful prize photo and for your POTD!
mike Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 6:07 am
I love the detail you can see on the owl.
Kate Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Great photo! Such a wonderful bird and you caught him just perfectly.
Anurag Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Perfect. you’ve got great focus and a pleasing background. Though the left eye of the owl is a bit hidden neverthless its a prize catch!
Fantastic color harmony between the bird and the surroundings, an example of the awesome camouflage that predaters use.
Su Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Wonderful shot and well spotted, I thought all owls were nocturnal and this is one I hadnt heard of before. Congrats
Pauline Jones Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 10:02 am
What superb camouflage, this was a good capture. I have seen two owls recently swooping over me at night but there wasn’t a hope of photographing them.
Malta Photography Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Great shot indeed. Clear neat and great composition of the background. Patience is part of the potion for a good shot like this. wonderful.
Hanna Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I really like the brightness of the eyes, as if this amaxing bird is looking directly at you. Very nice image indeed.
I hope I can see more beautiful pictures from you in the future!
Mandy Kilpatrick Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Such a great picture – the best I have seen of an owl. I love the color contrast between the eyes and everything else. It looks like the owl was posing for the shot – it couldn’t be more perfect. Congratulations!!
Katherine Lee Strassburg Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
This is a great shot! The colors of bird and tree are a perfect match. One can see how the bird could melt into the background and disappear before your eyes. What a wonderful image, and well worth waiting for all those years. Congrats!
planet lover Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I absolutely agree with all the praise above and have nothing to add. I love this picture!
hassan Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Absolutely breath taking!
Sue Gagnon Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Excellent and accurate title for this picture. Of course, I LOVE it. Love the snow and the intensity of the bird through the snow, Well done.
Marie Dunphy Harding Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
He is “waiting patiently” as did you!
I hope he got a ‘great catch’ as well.
Renee Says:
January 19th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Very excellent his colors just blend right in with the tree! WOW!!
kml Says:
January 20th, 2009 at 1:43 am
A prized capture for you – he is so beautiful! You must be so pleased!
su Says:
January 17th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Nice one..
Renee Says:
January 17th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Very intersting owl!