Baby Screechie

Image Critiques Avian Critiques
1

Screechie2.jpg
Screechie2.jpg1660×2000 972 KB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

While hiking the boardwalk at Magee Marsh, I heard alarm calls off to my right and as I turned, a young screech owl was only 2 feet away from me in heavy cover. A robin swooped in and flushed the poor owl with other passerines in hot pursuit. All I had was my 600mm f4 and I needed about 16 feet for close focusing. I walked a short way and the screech owl was clutching the trunk of a young ash tree hoping that was enough cover to keep the birds at bay. I quietly began to take pictures then a family with noisy kids showed up. The owl remained perched and I kept firing away. The crowd of mobbing birds increased to a yellow warbler, 4 robins, 3 red winged blackbirds, and a pair of Baltimore orioles. I sat and watched and the owl finally left for a more secure perch.

Specific Feedback

I left the dark OOF leaves in place and only removed a twig on the right and some small portions of leaves in the upper rh corner. Does this look OK to you?

Technical Details

Z9 600mm f4 (1/6400 sec at f10, ISO 2500) Levels, shadows & Highlights, desaturation of cyan in sky, rubber stamp tool for stick removal, crop for comp, DeNoise.

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2

What a cool experience, Jim. This is a very fine image and the dark green leaves just let me know that it’s not a dead tree the owl is clinging to. There are a couple of very out of focus lighter green leaves coming in on the right side that provide just enough variation in the background to draw my eyes to them, so you might consider removing them. A lovely opportunity and you took great advantage of it.

3

This is way more than OK!!! Gorgeous subject and pose, wonderful sharp detail, good environment! And the fieldcraft to get the shot!

Mobbing birds are bad enough but don’t you just love other people’s noisy kids!! (And their parents!) The harassment probably helped give this wide-eyed wary pose – kudos for the capture!

4

Nice catch! And sounds like a fun experience as well.
Nice pose, bg, and sharpness

5

Hi Jim, great catch with fine details and exposure. Well composed and love seeing those huge eyes so well. Well done.

6

Thank you @Allen_Sparks , @Dennis_Plank , @Diane_Miller , and @Sandy_Richards-Brown . I had fun with this guy and even though I was close, it never was frightened of my presence. Hopefully, it will learn how to hide from those robins better. …Jim