Short-Eared Owl Frustration

 

I was in the Skagit Bay area of Skagit County, Washington, on a brisk winter day. My goal was to capture this beautiful owl in flight. Several other photographers were there, all trying to catch the same moment. We watched the two short-eared owls work for hours, searching for a meal. They covered an extensive area, following the same oval pattern.

The two short-eared owls would occasionally find a vole to snatch up. But they were always quickly buzzed by another predator, such as a juvenile eagle, hawk, or northern harrier, which would then take the vole.

The short-eared owl tried its best to outmaneuver the northern harrier, but ultimately, the harrier won the vole. The owl flew high, low, and then high again, trying to catch the vole in its talons. But the harrier was too quick. It swooped down and snatched the vole from under the owl's beak. The owl watched as the harrier flew away with its prize.

The other owl watched as the Northern Harrier took its prey. It immediately flew over to help its mate. However, it's possible that the owl was actually moving in to take the prey for itself. The Northern Harrier quickly went into a steep dive to retrieve its prize.

While the aerial battle for the vole was going on, another female Northern Harrier was on the ground and had already located the vole. She was determined to keep the vole and was ready to have a battle of her own. This sort of event played out pretty much the entire time I was in the area.

The owls had been working hard all day, searching for a meal. Tired and the sunset, the Short-eared owl decided to take a deserved break on fence t-posts.

© Chris LeBoutillier