Short-eared owls make farm in Maryland’s Frederick County their temporary winter home
Konstantine Mamalis / @konstantinephotos
FREDERICK, Md. - Western Maryland hit the snowfall jackpot this winter and for one farm in Frederick County the cold temperatures and snowflakes also marked the arrival of a welcomed guest -- the short-eared owl.
Typically seen in the state during fall migrations,wildlife photographer Konstantine 'Gus' Mamalis tracked down several of the owls during the winter months earlier this year with a little help from a friend.
Konstantine Mamalis / @konstantinephotos
Mamalis said he got the call in February when a western Maryland farmer who he had befriended years before tipped him off to the arrival of the birds to his farmland in the Frederick area. Luck always plays a factor when it comes to wildlife photography and during his first trip to the farm -- luck wasn't on his side. Three times he spotted the short-eared owls perched on a fence post and three times he missed his shot, Mamalis said.
SEARCH FOR ELUSIVE SNOWY OWL TAKES WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER TO MARYLAND'S ASSATEAGUE ISLAND
Konstantine Mamalis / @konstantinephotos
Konstantine Mamalis / @konstantinephotos
During his next trip to the farm just after a heavy snowfall -- Mamalis said he found what he was searching for. Through February and into March, Mamalis said he made several trips to the Frederick farmland spotting his winter companions each time. And each time, he said, he was able to find better opportunities for photographing them. "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity," he said. "you just have to put your time in!"
Konstantine Mamalis / @konstantinephotos
On one occasion, Mamalis said he saw one of the short-eared owls dive down and capture a vole - a small rodent that usually ends up on their menu. After grabbing its dinner, the owl took the vole to a fence post along the pasture. "The owl didn't flinch when I slowly crept up in my truck and photographed it while it ate," he said.
Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather
Konstantine Mamalis / @konstantinephotos
Konstantine Mamalis / @konstantinephotos
On another occasion, Mamalis enlisted his wife Maria to be his driver as he lay in the back of his truck covered by camouflage aiming his lens and looking for the perfect shot. "At one point the owl was flying so close that I couldn't fit it in the frame of my camera!" he said. "It was an incredible experience - to say the least!"
Konstantine Mamalis / @konstantinephotos
Konstantine Mamalis / @konstantinephotos
His final trip to the farm came in March but didn't produce any photos as he said the owls probably migrated back north. He did, however, find and photograph an American Kestrel hunting over the pasture. During the winter Mamalis also photographed short-eared owls on Maryland's Eastern Shore and during trips to Pennsylvania and New Jersey. "My main goal was to try for a detailed portrait of them and I came pretty close to achieving that!" he said. This spring he says his attention will turn to warblers, nesting owls and foxes and their young.
FIND MORE OF KONSTANTINE'S WILDLIFE PHOTOS ON INSTAGRAM
American Kestrel (Konstantine Mamalis / @konstantinephotos)