THE GIANT EAGLE OWL

Magaret Meintjes

THE GIANT EAGLE OWL

LOCATION CAPTURED: GROENLAND GAMELODGE, Tolwe, Limpopo Province, South Africa

CAMERA: NIKON D50
Lens: 70-300mm F/4-5.6 D
Focal Length: 220mm
Digital Vari-Program: Sports
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/500 sec – F/5.3
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 400

OWLS
Nocturnal, erect-standing birds of prey characterized by large, rounded heads, large forward-facing eyes set in a flattened face and feathered legs (except for Pel’s Fishing Owl). Some have feathered adornments on their heads that resemble ears. Immature are usually darker and fluffier than adults.

THE GIANT or Verreaux’s Eagle Owl
A large grey owl, immature is browner.
Told by pink eyelids and dark brown eyes at all ages. ‘Ear’ tufts not always raised.
Voice is a series of deep grunts ‘hu=hu=hu,hu-hu’; female and young utter a long drawn –out whistle that may be repeated all night.
Singly on large trees in bushveld and open savanna, especially along rivers and watercourses. 60-5 cm.

This shoot was shortly after the “Giant Eagle Owl” swooped out of a high tree to a palmtree, close-by, and grabbed a “weavers nest”, with chics inside, and went straight to this tree with the nest in his claws. It still is under his claw. He ripped it open with his beak and had his breakfast very early, just after sunrise.

THE GIANT EAGLE OWL belongs to the following groups:

!$ I LOVE BIRDS !, 300+ Go Long!, All Animals Great And Small., Animal Kingdom, Animals in Action two a day , Animals of Africa - Best of the Best, Art from the Workplace, Birds and Creatures of Flight, Buyers R Us..., Creative, Talented, and Unknown, EF Welcome Center, FAUNA, FLORA, LANDSCAPES AND ARCHITECTURE OF SOUTH AFRICA, Friends of RedBubble, High Quality Animal Images - 1 Submission a Week, ImageWriting (2/24), Indigenous to East & Southern Africa, Nikon DSLR Users Group - 2 uploads per 24 hours, Rural Around The Globe, Shameless Self-Promotion, South Africa - Rainbow Nation, The Addicted Photographer►2 Per Day◄, The Birds, The Great Outdoors or Uninhabited lands of the World, Top Shelf Wildlife & Nature Art, TPW (3 PER DAY ONLY), Welcome to Wisconsin, Wildlife, Landscape, and Nature Photography Online Magazine and Zoophoria (2 per day, approval required) Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints, Framed Prints and Posters

THE GIANT EAGLE OWL by Magaret Meintjes
THE GIANT EAGLE OWL by Magaret Meintjes
  • Scott  d'Almeida

    Scott d'Almeida

    love it,

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much Scott, take care

  • Magaret Meintjes
  • Linda  Syms

    Linda Syms

    Fantastic capture Mags.

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much Linda, much appreciated, take care !

  • dawndavies

    dawndavies

    another great picture, well done, dawnx

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you my sweet friend, hugs xx

  • Lucertola

    Lucertola

    This is a certainly a captivating bird & a beautiful shot. Almost at a loss for words ~ Lu

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    thank you for a great and very inspiring comment, i really appreciate it, take care!

  • KMorral

    KMorral

    Beautiful capture- simple colours, very effective. Great capture of the light

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much my dear friend, always appreciate your kind and inspiring comments, take care ! x

  • Anne Smyth

    Anne Smyth

    stunning capture, beautiful POV and composition—Wow!!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so mch dear Anne, appreciate your great comment, take care xx

  • Olitto

    Olitto

    This is such great photography Mags. Perfect!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Such a sweet and kind comment, thank you so much dear friend, take care ! x

  • Mark Peterson

    Mark Peterson

    Cool shot, I like this ;)

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much Mark, much appreciated, take care !

  • gaylene

    gaylene

    Brilliant photo – right time and place with the skill to capture the moment. Stunning.

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much galene, appreciate your kind comment, take care xx

  • melant1017

    melant1017

    Beautiful capture, well done Mags :-) Congrats on your TPW feature!

    ~A

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much Antonio, appreciate your kindcomment and I am thrilled and honored for the feature! thank you, take care dear friend !

  • CarolM

    CarolM

    Great shot and information. Love the golden glow from the sun. Wonderful pose with the wings and stare. Amazing how he is the same brown color as the tree. Even the dark patterns in the wings meld with the shadows in the tree.

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much for a great comment carol. I think the color has a lot to do with the early sunrise light, he actually looks completaly different in color on a capture I did later that same morning. I want to place a real close up on him as he is stunning in size and looks! Take care dear friend xxx

  • Nature's Realm

    Nature's Realm

    He is certainly a beauty. Nice capture and read. – Dennis

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    So sorry for my late reply Dennis, still appreciate it just as much, thank you so much for your very kind comment, take care!

  • Lisa G. Putman

    Lisa G. Putman

    Great one, Mags! I love the lighting!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Sorry for the late reply Lisa, still am honored and really appreciate it, just so snowed up in our bow-hunting season that I just get round so often! Thank you so much, take care!

  • mrsmarrero

    mrsmarrero

    Beautiful!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much for your time and very kind comment! take care xxx

  • Lisa  Weber
  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much for the honor in featuring my work I am thrilled and very excited! Take care !

  • David Clarke

    David Clarke


    Congratulations, Mags!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Wow! I never thought this capture would honor me with features! thank you so much for helping me in making my dream come true! Take care !!!

  • Dave & Trena Puckett

    Dave & Trena P...

    amazing shot! beautifully captured!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much, really appreciate your great and very kind comment, take care !

  • David Clarke

    David Clarke

    Hi Maggie, would you please consider entering this great shot to the current Birds of Prey challenge in the Indigenous to East & Southern Africa group?

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Wow, I just did that, thank you Dave what a honor and very inspirational gesture, appreciate it very much, take care !x

  • Olitto

    Olitto

    CONGRATULATIONS on your 1st Place in the Birds of Prey Challenge Mags. Well deserved!!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much sweet, sweet friend, you know, this is my first ever challenge win and it is just such a awesome honour! I am so glad it is in one of the ‘indigenous’ groups, that is my dream… nature and wildlife! I honestly never expected this I am still just drifting… on a cloud of… am I dreaming? I have worked so hard for a very long time, whenever I had the time with this winters hunting season, to try and win a challenge and then it just happened! I am exstatic and absolutely overwelmed! Thank you…. Take care xxx

  • Macky

    Macky

    Congrats Mags, honoured to share the podium with you dear friend!!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Macky I am stunned and overwelmed! this is my first ever challenge win and I am so happy to share it with you my dear rb friend! Congrats to you as well, its just awesome! Just so caught up in our winter season hunting, can’t wait for it to end to enable me to spend more time on RB! its the same thing every year this time, just feel I miss out on so much! Thank you sweet friend and take care xxxx

  • dawndavies

    dawndavies

    many congrats on your feature,dawnx

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    thank you so much my dear friend, really appreciate your comment on this one, this is like the end of my dream that I have been waiting for, for such a long time! Still can’t believe I got this one! take care sweetie, still waiting for results on your book, remember? hugs xx

  • thywickeddragon

    thywickeddragon

    WOW~ Breathtaking~

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much for a great and very kind comment, take care XX

  • Jan Cartwright

    Jan Cartwright

    Amazing creature and a wonderful capture!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    thank you so much Jan, really appreciate your time and very kind coment, take care xx

  • A.M. Ruttle

    A.M. Ruttle

    Yahooo !!! You hit the big time!!! First thing I saw when I got to the Home Page was your cool Giant Eagle Owl !!! And what a sight this must have been, watching the owl snatch the nest and down the chicks – thanks for the great image and story!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Sorry for my late reply, just so caught up in our winter season hunting and I just can not believe whats happened! this wonderful and beautiful Giant eagle owl is like a ‘sole-mate’ to me! We have this meetings at sunset and at dawn! He is amazingly beautiful! He still visits and I actually wait to hear his call! If something happens to him I will really miss him! Thank you so much for your wonderful and inspirational comment, I really appreciate it! Take care !

  • CapturedByKylie

    CapturedByKylie

    Congratulations on the home page feature! August 23rd 2009.

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much! I am stunned and humbly honoured, never ever expected my wonderful ‘Giant Eagle Owl’ to bring so much happiness and joy! Take care !

  • Steve  Buffington

    Steve Buffington

    Awesome shot. Congrats on the homepage feature.—Steve

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much Steve it really is a great honour and I appreciate it so much! Take care !

  • Crowmanic
  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much! I am thrilled, honoured and very thankful! Take care !

  • AnnDixon

    AnnDixon

    This is a fantastic capture, so clear and sharp, well deserved CONGRATS for the home page feature,

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much Ann, still floating on a cloud of enjoyment! It is such a honour! Take care !

  • ccwri

    ccwri

    Beautiful capture!! CONGRATULATIONS on your hp feature!!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much, I am overwhelmed, still can’t believe it ! Take care !

  • dawndavies

    dawndavies

    many congrats on your homepage feature,dawnx

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you dear friend, this is what our dreams are all about isn’t it? My Giant Eagle Owl did it for me! I am stunned, thankful and thrilled! Take care sweet friend ! xxxx

  • Olitto

    Olitto

    CONGRATULATIONS on the RB Homepage feature Mags!! Well done!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much Olitto, this is a dream come true! I am floating and waiting for the bubble to burst! I always wanted to do that one special capture that would catch the eye and imagination and my Giant Eagle Owl made it possible. I am humbly honoured and thank ful. Take care dear friend x

  • Sanne Thijs

    Sanne Thijs

    Congrats on the homepage

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Wow!!! This is amazing! My dream come true! I am thankful and very honoured, thank you so much, I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming! Take care !

  • jesika

    jesika

    A superb capture & congratulations, you’ve hit the headlines!
    jx

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Jes, this is just so amazing! it’s like a bubble that’s going to burst any second! i am so thankful, thrilled, honoured and very, very happy! It is my dream ‘come true’! Thank you so much sweet, sweet friend, take care xxxxx

  • SandraRos

    SandraRos

    CONGRATULATIONS on your home page feature that is wonderful and I am so happy for you

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much dear Sandra, this is the last capture that I thought would make my dream come true! I am just so happy that I succeeded in showing what I see through the lenz of my camera, it really is worth more than anything else to me, I just love nature and wildlife! Take care, hugs xx

  • Lori Peters

    Lori Peters

    Congratulations on the Home Page feature!! xoxo

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much Lori, we have been friends for a long time on RB and I do appreciate your kindness and loyal support, it’s not always easy to keep up and that makes it very special to me. Take care sweet friend, hugs xx

  • David Clarke

    David Clarke


    Congratulations, Maggie, for this great win and also for the Home Page feature!!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    David, I don’t know what to say! I am still floating…. cloud no 9! This is just a dream come true! I have tried so hard to become a ‘Challenge Winner’ and just could not make it! i never thought that my wonderful ‘Giant eagle owl’ would hand it to me, but he did and I am so happy, thrilled, honoured and thankful for that! thank you so much for the honour I really appreciate it. Take care xx

  • Graham Povey

    Graham Povey

    Beautiful shot Mags.

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much Graham, take care !

  • Macky

    Macky

    Wow Mags, 2 SAfrican photographers on the homepage, well done my friend, congrats!!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    We did it! thank you so much and congrats to you to sweet Macks! take care xxxx

  • Macky

    Macky

    :-) Thanks Mags!!

  • Jared Bloom

    Jared Bloom

    Awesome Shot. Great Light

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    thank you Jared, take care !

  • Ken McElroy

    Ken McElroy

    Congratulations!

    Your image above was featured in our telephoto lens group;

    300+ Go Long!

  • Magaret Meintjes replied

    Thank you so much for the honor Ken I am thrilled and very happy! Take care !

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