Explore Wild India – July 2019

(Elle) #1
EXPLORE WILD INDIA ।Online Discussion Moreat http://www.explorewildindia.app ।Online Discussion

IMAGE: VEDANG SAIKHEDKAR

Photograph of theShort Eared OwlAsio Flammeus

"I have been looking for Short Eared Owls in Udaipur, from the past 2 years and this winter was my
search was successful. On one fine birding day, while walking through an open scrubland, a bird
suddenly flew out of the base of a large scrub as I walked past it and it took me no time to realize it
was a Short Eared Owl, after I took a few record shots. The owl flew far away to a distance I couldn't
reach. It was then I realized that the owl had been sitting too close to me and was completely
hidden in the surroundings with it's amazing camouflage. The next day, I again went to the same
scrubland in the hope of seeing the owl again. I had been looking for it since the morning and i
couldn't find it. It was then in the evening my luck charmed. While riding on bike, I thought I saw a
small figure sitting aside a tiny mud hill. I stopped the bike, and had a look through my binoculars
and there it was, sitting there staring at me and all I knew was to be very calm and cautious in order
to not make the owl scared. I laid myself on the ground, crawled a few meters and got this
photograph of the habitat camouflage of the Short Eared Owl. Even being so much close to the
beautiful raptor, it wasn't easy for me to sight this beauty. This winter migrant to India, has the best
owl camouflage I had ever seen. This photograph I clicked is one of my favoritesas it displays the
super camouflage of the Short Eared Owl. "

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