PDA

View Full Version : Big Eyes



Mad Aussie
04-18-2012, 05:33 AM
We'd just started a nightwalk. I was wanting to show my brother and his young nephew that it's surprising what wildlife you can find at night. We found this wild Tawny Frogmouth, often called a frogmouthed owl, sitting on their front fence.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5319/6943861598_6d24efdd36_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/6943861512_9a4ae963fa_o.jpg

celksy
04-18-2012, 07:58 AM
Really nice; love those eyes.

AntZ
04-18-2012, 09:05 AM
Love these against that black background. They are a beautiful bird.

Marko
04-18-2012, 09:22 AM
wow - VERY striking!!!! Love shot 2.

Andrew
04-18-2012, 10:26 AM
It's surprising that you can get that close to wild owl take a shot. Nice #2.

Mad Aussie
04-18-2012, 03:48 PM
Thanks everyone.

These are actually not an owl although often called one. They rarely chase their food or eat mice etc. They sit on a low perch and wait for insects to come to them.
It's amazing how many animals will sit still when blinded by a strong spotlight.

Matt K.
04-18-2012, 06:50 PM
Always amazes me how one can focus in the dark and get such brilliant results. #2 for me please, wonderful eyes ....

Mad Aussie
04-18-2012, 07:16 PM
Always amazes me how one can focus in the dark and get such brilliant results. #2 for me please, wonderful eyes ....
I explain how to achieve these results here Matt http://www.photography.ca/Forums/f14/wildlife-night-shooting-setup-17466.html

Matt K.
04-18-2012, 08:11 PM
I explain how to achieve these results here Matt http://www.photography.ca/Forums/f14/wildlife-night-shooting-setup-17466.html

This is quite ingenious ... I was in a freaking lava tube, camera and all, backpack, even had my trusty headlamp ... but i did not have the elastic bands to tie the freaking torch to the lens ... so it was : camera in one hand, flash in the other, torch between the knees (and that is really not easy). I managed to get some shots off not too bad, but the majority were just no good .. i will post some later ... and thanks for the tip.

Mad Aussie
04-18-2012, 08:39 PM
Too easy :)

asnow
04-19-2012, 07:04 PM
Wow, that second one is amazing. Love the detail and those eyes.

Bambi
04-19-2012, 08:53 PM
excellent shots of a very weird looking bird

Mad Aussie
04-20-2012, 12:23 AM
Thanks asnow and Bambi :)

Hillbillygirl
04-22-2012, 06:19 AM
Another vote for that second shot MA. Beautiful capture.
I could not help but see the uncanny resemblance to our Nighthawks here. They look, and act similar. Catching insects at night with huge gaping mouths.

Mad Aussie
04-22-2012, 06:49 AM
Another vote for that second shot MA. Beautiful capture.
I could not help but see the uncanny resemblance to our Nighthawks here. They look, and act similar. Catching insects at night with huge gaping mouths.
Thanks HBG.
Yes, they are very similar to Owls but there are several differences that make them more closely related to Nightjars than owls.

From wiki ...


The Tawny Frogmouth is almost exclusively insectivorous, feeding rarely on frogs and other small prey.[2] They catch their prey with their beaks rather than with their talons, another way in which they are different from owls. Owls fly around at night hunting food, but Tawny Frogmouths generally remain sitting very still on a low perch, and wait for food to come to them. They catch prey with their beaks, and sometimes drop from their perch onto the prey on the ground.
Tawny Frogmouths and owls both have anisodactyl feet - meaning that one toe is facing backwards and the other three face forwards. However, owls’ feet are much stronger than the feet of the Tawny Frogmouth as owls use their feet to catch their prey. Owls are also able to swing one of their toes around to the back (with a unique flexible joint) to get a better grip on their prey. Tawny Frogmouths have fairly weak feet as they use their beaks to catch their prey. Owls eat small mammals, like mice and rats, so their bones are shorter and stronger than those of Tawny Frogmouths which usually hunt smaller prey. Tawny Frogmouths typically wait for their prey to come to them, only rarely hunting on the wing like owls.