ou Chouette chevêche
Athene noctua
Il y avait un bon moment que je voulais immortaliser la bonne bouille de mon petit copain!
Une paire de ces rapaces diurnes vit à côté de l’hôtel où je réside lors de mes escapades catalanes. J'avais photographié l'un d'eux dans le vieux pin mort en bordure de la route l'an dernier mais n'avais pas réussi à (ni eu le temp de) le faire sur son monticule préféré où je le vois systématiquement de l'autre côté, à une dizaine de mètres de la route. Un soir le voyant, je retourne chercher mon matos et fais demi-tour avec la voiture au bout et, fenêtre baissée, je passe très au ralenti.
Comme ce petit concierge a l'habitude de compter les voitures, je lui ai donné tout le loisir d'admirer mon Duster qui porte vraiment bien son nom quand je suis en Espagne! On s'est fixé quelques secondes et j'ai fait mes clichés!
Franchement... trop mimi, non?!!
"My" Little owl!
It's been quite awhile that I hadn't taken some pics of this little guy and I was really intent on shooting him on his favourite spot and not in the dead pine tree (see here) where he rests during the hot hours of the day. So one evening, seeing him on his usual spot, I go get my camera, do a U-turn further and drive past very slowly. As he is used to count cars, I give him the pleasure to admire my dusty Duster! We watched each other for a short while and I got my photos:
Also a cute little fella, ain't he?!
These pics are especially dedicated to Richard and John who know why! LOL!
It's been quite awhile that I hadn't taken some pics of this little guy and I was really intent on shooting him on his favourite spot and not in the dead pine tree (see here) where he rests during the hot hours of the day. So one evening, seeing him on his usual spot, I go get my camera, do a U-turn further and drive past very slowly. As he is used to count cars, I give him the pleasure to admire my dusty Duster! We watched each other for a short while and I got my photos:
Also a cute little fella, ain't he?!
These pics are especially dedicated to Richard and John who know why! LOL!
Et là, MDR!!! LA tronche!...
What a face!...
What a face!...
Un autre jour, un matin de bonne heure, il est bien sûr au garde à vous et moi prête aussi. J'effectue mon demi-tour au bout du chemin et je l'ai sur sa pierre avec le soleil levant dans cette belle lumière orangée!
On another day early morning, he is standing guard and I am ready too. I make my u-turn at the end of the road and I have him in the raising sun in this lovely orange light:
Hi Noushka and you lucky lucky lady, Richard and myself had our afternoon out yesterday and we managed to hear a Little Owl each but no birds to see or images taken. We are getting a little depressed at the lack of birds we are seeing so to see your holiday bird is a real bonus. We hope when the leaves have fallen we might start to see more birds. Wonderful post, Thanks. All the best. John. Just going out Owling.
RépondreSupprimerBonjour Noushka,
RépondreSupprimerTrès belle série. La lumière est top et j'aime chaque attitude saisie.
Bises et bon week-end.
comme je suis contente de le voir pour mon retour de vacances c'est un beau cadeau...
RépondreSupprimerc'est chouette ça !
Hi Noushka.
RépondreSupprimerBeautiful these pictures of this very nice Owl.
Groettie from Patricia.
Hello Noushka,
RépondreSupprimerWhat a lovely shots. Great to see this wonderful lttle owl.
They are so nice with their big eyes.
Kind regards,
Marco
Elles me font toutes craquées ... mis à part le hibou des marais, c'est bien le seul que je vois par chez moi ! par contre je regarde souvent des vidéos avec ces chouettes apprivoisées et je trouve qu'elles ont toujours des regards à tomber par terre , elles savent faire les yeux doux ! j'en revient pas .
RépondreSupprimerCoucou Noushka,
RépondreSupprimerJuste magnifique, que te dire, je suis admirative devant ces portrait tout autant que devant cette petite Chouette qui me fait craquer.
Une très très jolie série.
J'espère que tu vas bien.
Bises et bonne journée
Cette chouette est ma copine depuis le lycée car elle est la mascotte des latinistes et des hellénistes. Elle est représentée sur tous les volumes de la collection Budé.
RépondreSupprimerTa chouette est vraiment adorable avec toutes ses mimiques.
Bises et bonne soirée.
Your wonderful Little Owl images have made me feel quite sad, Noushka. The last 12-15 months have been quite disasterous for our local Little Owls. Whereas when David and Miriam visited I was able to take them out one day and show them 10 Little Owls, I'm not sure that I could find just one now. I used to be photographing Little Owls two or three times a week, but it was 1st July when I last saw a Little Owl I could photograph - and that site (the second one I found) now seems to have gone after the roof of the building caved in at one end. I think there are several factors at work - the destruction of trees and buildings that they nest in; predation by Buzzards which are increasing in numbers; loss of food supply due to farming practices; adverse weather making hunting for food more difficult. It doesn't help, however, that I don't have the stamina that I used to have to roam the fields and search for new sites, and the reduced chances of finding sites makes it less attractive to do so anyway. John and I are getting quite depressed by the situation.
RépondreSupprimerHowever, I do have the dragons and butterflies to keep me occupied for the time being - still trying to get to grips with the Sigma 150 macro which I got a few days ago! As mentioned by John, we'll probably put more effort into finding new owl sites once the leaves are off the trees.
With my very best wishes - - - Richard
Wonderful pictures of a beautiful little owl.
RépondreSupprimerLove these photos. I hear the little owl so often and I have never yet managed to take photos of them. They used to often be on the wires next to our house, but that was before I had the Nikon and my little camera could not cope. Since acquiring the Nikon they seem to have moved a couple of houses down and across the road. Wish my French was better so I could make some enquiries. They have to be nesting close by in someones barn!!
RépondreSupprimerTake care and enjoy the warmer spell, cool hugs :-) Diane
The Little Owl is darling! Your owl reminds me of our little burrowing owl that hangs out in prairie dog colonies. I just looked ours up on Google; it's Athene cunicularia. So they're in the same genus. I read that the genus name is associated with your little owl, and that it may come from Athena's original role as goddess of the night. So interesting! Have a good one, my friend!
RépondreSupprimerDidn't she do well, they are a beautiful species. I love the Little Owl, but, I cannot shoot one close as that Noushka, yours are the best.
RépondreSupprimerElle a une trop belle bouille cette chouette là, je suis fan aussi.
RépondreSupprimerDearest Noushka,
RépondreSupprimerPrecious photos!
Haha, I'm singing as a 1st soprano with a ladies choir, called the Knight Owls.
Our leader is Kelly Knight, hence the name...
Had to post this 3rd photo to my OWLS board on Pinterest!
Hugs,
Mariette
Trop mimie ! Tu t'es régalée cette année en Espagne ! Va falloir qu'on te suive à la trace mdrrr....
RépondreSupprimerVl'à un copain trop sympa lol et trop craquant !
Bises oiselle.
Coucou,
RépondreSupprimerton petit copain n'a même pas l'air chevêche lol revêche
Il me plait bien et j'aimerais le croiser un jour.
Bises en espérant que tu ailles bien merci pour tous tes belles photos et informations.