Can a bird get famous on HIVE - a platform of modern wiz-kids, knowledgeable professional and crypto experts but still a platform that promotes all kinds of talents by offering them a stage for posting?
I think so. Though this owlet has an askance expression "What am I doing here?", I think it has acceptance in the discerning users of Hive 😀
Do I belong here on HIVE? - Spotted Owlet
My own click
When the #SMAP 78 contest is to present one of my best pics, it is really a challenge. I have struggled to get good pictures of many types of pictures of many birds over last 2-3 years that I have been pursuing wildlife photography.
Some pictures are of a colorful bird - like a Coppersmith barbet..
Colors unlimited - Coppersmith barbet
My own click
This bird is hard to photograph at eye level. Always sitting in treetops and sounding off.
Some pictures are of a beautiful subject like a male Peacock but are even special because of the lighting conditions and the manner in which I could capture the picture. For example, this silhouette in golden evening sunlight...
Sexy silhouette - Peacock
My own click
Some pictures are special because they took me couple of years of efforts to track the bird. For example - this picture of the Spot bellied eagle owl. It's habitat is so fearsome - in rocky valleys in thick forrest - filled with sloth bears - that going after the bird is an extremely daunting task. After endless hours of trekking on several different occasions, scraping knees, getting soaked in rain etc. etc., finally one night I got this picture.
Apex predator - Spot bellied owl
My own click
Some pictures are special because they are of a subject bird so small that it is not much taller than a clump of grass. Difficult to focus on these ones as they dart in and out of cover...
Standing tall (4 inches😀) - Rain quail
My own click
Flight shots of birds are special because they, for me at least, carry the symbolism of spreading one's wings and flying. Like this lovely small minivet in flight...
Raptor pics, of course, are always near to my heart. Getting an eagle at eye level takes a lot of effort but there is something majestic in seeing an eagle float past against distant green background of trees and mountains. For example, this Bonelli's eagle...
Where eagles dare... - Bonelli's eagle
My own click
Action pics of birds are a bit rare and take patience and many attempts to capture. For example, this picture of the common Kingfisher tossing a small water insect for gobbling it up..
Catch!! - Common Kingfisher
MY own click
So many choices ...
I think though, the following picture of a spotted owlet that I took on a misty morning, as the world was still mostly asleep is one of my best pictures for following reasons:
- First of all, it is difficult to locate owlets in general, so, a difficult subject
- Focusing through the foliage, where the owlet was hiding and keeping watch on me was tough
- Light was certainly very low in the pre-dawn darkness but still managed to get the picture
- Expression of the owlet, askance, like "What am I doing here in this world of humans" takes the cake for me. I can relate it to the relevance of wildlife photography posts on HIVE. I sometimes think to myself, I have a noble objective of spreading wildlife awareness but can I really pull it off?
- It is just super cute!!
Therefore, here it is - my entry for #SMAP 78 contest in its original form.
What am I doing on HIVE - Spotted owlet
My own click