2017 Wildlife Photo Contest

Species: Great Horned Owls | Location: South Florida , United States of America

The day before this photo was taken a close friend said that he watched a Great Horned Owl during the last light of the day, fly into the top of a dead tree with a Moorhen. I told him that I will meet him out at the Refuge the next evening. We hoped that the Owl was using this perch to spy on the marsh area and possibly use it as a perch to eat its catch. Right after the sun went down, in the last light of the day, a Great Horned Owl flew down to the perch, called out a few times and seconds later its mate flew in. This was the only photo I took that night and the mating only lasted seconds but it was an experience of a lifetime. I have never seen a wild image of Great Horned Owls mating before.

About The Photographer

I have been taking photographs of wildlife most of my adult life. I have traveled around the world in pursuit of my passion! But my favorite place to photograph wildlife is still the area were I live in Southern Florida. My photos have appeared in many different articles, both scientific and general interest and have received many awards. My photos may be seen on my website www.sunderlandwildlife.com and on my Flickr page (https://www.flickr.com/photos/35303070@N02/), which has over 5 million views . Our photos have been exhibited in art galleries all over southern Florida and in the visitors centers at Everglades National Park and J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.