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PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Simone Baumeister​ | Two Owls on the Church

Name: Simone Baumeister
Picture title: Two Owls on the Church
Category: People’s Choice Award
Nationality: Germany
Occupation: I am not a full-time photographer. I have been taking pictures for about 10 years.

Technical information
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Lens: EF 600mm, F/4L IS II USM
EXIF: 1/400 sec, at F(4.0 (-1/3 EV), ISO 1000
Accessories: Tripod

Simone​ says:

In this area, there is a very large population of Eagle owls. There are Eagle owls in every quarry, sandpit, gravel pit, and also at some churches. In recent years I have visited the areas where many walkers spend their leisure time. So the animals there are less shy of people.

As soon as the adult birds leave the breeding grounds after about 5 weeks to keep watch from surrounding trees or houses, and the chicks start to explore the territory on their own, it is a good time to take pictures.

The young animals made their first flight exercises and the first hunting attempts in my unhidden presence. They flew at the church roof, crashed during their first landing attempts at the high cross at the church, and cleaned their feathers before taking a nap. All in the presence of the likewise relaxed old animals and me.

These two young sibling Eagle owls lived at a church in northern Germany – Emsland. After a few weeks, the young owls learned to fly. While sitting at the cross in the evening the owlets were waiting for their mother.