Great Horned Owl On Nest

• Photographer
  Jamie Johnston
• Technical Info
  Nikon Z9 Nikkor 800/4.5 S Mm Lens. 1/400 Sec. At F/6.3, Iso 4500
• Photo Date
  March 19, 2024

Got a tip on where to find an owl nest. He even gave me a map to find the location. Excited I hiked there the next day looking everywhere with no luck. Took a few photos of tree cavities that appeared promising, but no sight of the owl. Went home somewhat discouraged, until I opened the photos. In one of the tree cavities a yellow eye was peering out at me. Before dawn the next morning I went back, waited for the sun to peep over the horizon, took my shot and left.

In 2021 I started taking an interest in photography. Since Colorado is a wildlife rich environment I set a goal to take 400 photos a day, hoping this exercise would sharpen my skills. Of course, most of the photos were not keepers, especially in the beginning. But gradually the collection of wildlife photographs grew. I loved the sense of adventure, the practice of patience waiting for the perfect shot, and the challenge of finding rare and interesting subjects.