“Short-eared Owl vs Grey Ghost”
A Northern Harrier swooping in to steal a vole from a Short-eared Owl is a perfect example of aerial piracy and the constant competition for survival.
Harriers are incredibly agile, and their low, gliding flight makes them well-suited for such surprise attacks, while Short-eared Owls are known for their acrobatic maneuvers.
Shots like this require lots of focus and concentration. Before this moment, I saw the owl diving towards the field in an attempt to catch the vole. The light was not consistent; the sun was coming in and out of the clouds. Due to the distance to the owl and tall grass, I wasn’t able to pick up the focus on the owl that was taking off with the vole from the marsh right away, but just seconds after, I’m glad I did, because the grey ghost appeared from nowhere in an attempt to steal the shorties’ dinner. And he did succeed. It is incredible to watch these two species competing and fighting for survival in the same habitat…
Camera: Canon R5II + 600mm f/4 IS III USM + extender 1.4x 1/3200 seconds, f/11, ISO2500 (840mm cropped)
Shot of a lifetime right there! You can tell the Harrier was going to succeed too, because it’s got 2 talons on it while the Owl’s got 1. Plus the element of surprise.
I find it somewhat impressive how close the Shorties and Harriers are. They seem to have so much overlap in food, hunting area, and overall range. The harrier even has a facial disc like an owl and uses it’s hearing as a hunting aid like the owl. With so much overlap it would sound like they’d have a tough time coexisting, but perhaps there is enough food to provide for both species.
This thieving of food is called kleptoparasitism.