Finding and photographing Little Owls
Little Owls are one of the few owl species that are active during the day and can be encountered across the U.K. in the right habitat. From woodlands and arable farmland to even suburban parks and large gardens.
Fortunately there are several sites within London itself that holds several pairs of these awesome little killing machines. Many sites include the large royal parks as these boast good habitat, with grassy plains, open areas, woodlands and a lot of old oaks, which they love and provides a good nesting site. For the past couple years I’ve been regularly visiting and finding new owl territories and have managed to find three-four pairs from two different woodland parks.
It took a few seasons to properly nail down their territories and where they would be during the day. Whether that’d be hunting or roosting in an oak tree. Now with these pairs found, during the spring and summer it’s possible to have guaranteed views each visit as well as a lot of calling and activity during dusk. Seeing them during this season is easier (even though there’s more foliage on the trees) because they rarely stray far from their home tree and as it heads into summer they’ll start feeding chicks so will have to hunt during the day.
Eventually if breeding goes well that season, there should be a couple fluffy chicks! Which really pays off the searching and waiting spent earlier that year. The chicks aren’t very mobile, mainly because they can’t fly yet, but you may see them hopping around on nearby branches. Before they leave the nest hole, a good pointer to if there is chicks is to listen out for the hissing like sound, which is a sound that is quite unique among owl chicks. Also when photographing the young owls it’s best to not stay too long or be too close to the tree as the parent may refrain from returning and feeding the chicks, so by watching the adults behaviour you determine whether or not you’ll have an effect on their behaviour.
Once used to the owls, I tried getting different kind of shots. I must admit I struggled with flight shots, when they did they can dip and fly low out of the tree often in an area with a dense background. But, showing a bit of environment and a ‘small in the frame’ shot is a style that came out well in a few shots and I especially like the one below as the owl looks at me while it sits on its prominent branch and there’s a nice green composition, really showing off its habitat.
Even during the middle of the day it is possible to find the owls, they’re less active but often still awake and may move around a bit. At this time of the day the sun is quite intense which combined with the dense foliage it plays tricks on your eyes and they’re barely visible and the patterns and shape doesn’t stand out whatsoever. Sometimes they may sit near the trunk in a shaded part of the tree making it a little easier.
I’ve seen plenty of these Little Owls before and one thing that is important in photographing them is to not look too hard and move on from each side of a tree they’re in too quickly. So many times when I’ve seen a Little Owl fly to a distant tree and I approach the tree I find myself looking around one side on all the branches and leaves and suddenly I look a bit lower and my eyes cast over it, then it’s just there staring right back at me from a spot I didn’t expect it to be. So they can also be watching you long before you find it; if you manage to in the end then it’s quite a rewarding experience.
