Huge congratulations to Dave Soons, local wildlife photographer whose photo of a short eared owl flying in the Cotswolds was BBC Earth’s photo of the day yesterday. Dave told BBC Earth, “It rained most of the day. The owls decided to come out when the sun came out, and luck have it the wind was blowing from behind me, it meant the owls were hunting face forward for once.”
Short eared owls have great eyesight even in low light conditions and have hearing keen enough to pinpoint small mammals in the undergrowth. Unlike other owls they hunt during the day as well as at dusk. They can often be seen flying in the Cotswold Water Park.
An amazing capture!
Short-eared owl on the prowl
Photo of the Day: Short-eared owl on the prowl by Dave Soons