Photographing Little owls (Brine Pits Farm 2021)

Photographing Little owls in Worcestershire at Brine Pit Farm. A day spent at a well known location for wildlife photography where these owls are very reliable.
Mike Lane wildlife photography www.nature-photography.co.uk
The Little owl site is at www.brinepitwildlifephotograp...
www.buteophotogear.com/c-3439...
Equipment I use or are mentioned in the videos I produce for KZbin. These are affiliate links and this channel will receive a small commission at no charge to you.
Olympus Cameras
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1X Camera amzn.to/36ebMR7​
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 MARK II Camera amzn.to/2GljWfO​
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Camera amzn.to/33ZUpRa​
Olympus Lenses
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4 IS Pro Lens amzn.to/2S3PzNm​
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 IS Pro lens amzn.to/3jbt9px​
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14 mm F2.8 PRO Lens amzn.to/343ZeJv​
Olympus M.Zuiko DIGITAL ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 amzn.to/3ifEvY6​
Other Lenses
Panasonic LUMIX 100-400 mm LEICA Lens amzn.to/3mYb8gD​
Tripods
Manfrotto 502 Fluid video Head with flat base amzn.to/30j6fFg​
Hides
Photo hide Buteo Mark II One Person amzn.to/2S6H4RF​
Bag throw over hide in leaf amzn.to/30hXYBh​
Bag throw over hide in army dpm amzn.to/34b9Xlc​
Bag throw over hide in waterproof army pattern amzn.to/2G6mcHS​
Camera Bean Bags
Grippa Camera Bean Bag, Prefilled amzn.to/3jcvn7Y​
Grippa Camera Bean Bag , Empty amzn.to/3mYQHjs​
Camera Bean Bag, Prefilled amzn.to/2S9sJE9​
Grappler Camera Bean Bag, Army Prefilled amzn.to/2S83UZe​
Grappler Camera Bean Bag, Leaf Prefilled amzn.to/2Gfbw9y

[@TheOpenImage]

I like owls and owlets of all kinds. They make great subjects.

[@mikewarrender9646]

Great video, thanks Mike.

[@nickclaytonphotography]

Fantastic Mike, Love the rain drops in the in flight & static shots at the end. Thanks for sharing another great place that I will have to add to my list.

[@karenthompson7684]

Thanks enjoyed watching this

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Henry30065]

I have watched this video numerous times and I thoroughly enjoy it each time I see it. The images are pin sharp and the owls are fascinating to watch. Well done Mike!

[@dalepowell5368]

I love litte owls, fantastic birds. It's wonderful to see them, thanks for sharing.

[@yurigabrilovich2190]

Nice work Good Luck

[@CamillaI]

Love the flight shots and the classic stills with the A1 of the little owl 👍😍

[@esoxchris]

Brilliant Mike as always

[@leovin38]

Woww, Beautiful Bird Mike

[@MartinJSmithPhotographyUK]

Thanks Mike Great set of photos and video thanks for sharing.

[@fernandafernandex]

I liked everything, thank you!

[@ronnieoutdoors]

Great stuff Mike !!!

[@joncothranphotography9375]

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@JoshsPhotoJourney]

Beautiful footage Mike! Truly a magnificent creature. 👍👍

[@davidburchettephotography6513]

Beautiful images. Great video.

[@telkirton]

Excellent images Mike..

[@ValkoBranislav]

Poučné a krásne. Ďakujem...

[@rogerhance5883]

Great video Mike

[@ronnyolsson2802]

Great video Mike !

[@derricksalisbury7631]

Brilliant Mike👍👏

[@smiffy5467]

Love little owls, one of my favourites... Nice one Mike.. 👍

[@robertmaier7519]

Excellent, in spite of the bad weather!!!!

[@richardpill8322]

Thanks Mike, great video. It’s a good set up that Sharon has.

[@sunnyrockvictor373]

Stunning filming and stills thanks for sharing Mike

[@mervpage9975]

Superb video Mike as always , I’m certainly going to have to book there it looks fantastic

[@patthompson1253]

I was particularly interested in the Hyde, thanks for the wonderful video Mike.

[@adrianmoore4690]

Great images Mike and great video

[@martinpettinger]

Wonderful to watch Mike :-) Thank you

[@joshmaresch811]

AMAZING photo's, Mike! Those wings?!?! Incredible. Nice one. PLEASE keep making more videos.

[@JoyEze1]

So beautiful - Greetings from Denmark 🙏

[@lisabirdluvr9742]

Mike, I thoroughly enjoy this video. I really enjoy all of your videos but this one was so special. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@macg33zr]

Great video and images Mike. I wish Olympus would update their AF to catch up!

[@daviddouglasuk]

Great video. I must visit this hide and the kingfisher hide as they are only a few miles from me. Didn't realise they were there so thanks for that.

[@Rhiannoncout]

I like when the little owls look scruffy.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Makes me feel better because I am scruffy too.

[@JoeHTX]

Awesome video of photographing these little owls.

[@peterhirzel]

I truly appreciate your immense practical experience with birds and gear and thank u so much for teaching me. I stick with canon R6 which is great as well,but of course less cropable.

[@eaglesfield102]

Great video, I photographed my 1st Little Owl a couple of week ago near Ribblehead Viaduct, Great little bird to watch/photograph.

[@RobJorg]

10:00 LOL its a dive bomber owl. i bought the sony A1 and 200-600mm too for work on my channel. love this setup. good job mike

[@KurtBevan]

I was just searching for videos of people photographing little owls yesterday afternoon then you upload this haha

[@malcolmfawell5938]

👏👏👏 fantastic footage Mike. I currently shoot with the a7iii but you're convincing me I really need the a1 in my life. 🤗

[@wildcat1065]

The image quality and autofocus looks superb on the Sony combo. I'm tempted by both the Sony and also the Canon R5 with 100-500.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

I was unsure which way to go. The Canon might have been the better option as I was already familar with their system. I would not expect there to be much to choose between them.

[@wildcat1065]

@@MikeLaneFRPS . I expect the Sony was better for you as the Canon has some issues with overheating on video, possibly only on 8k though. I don't tend to shoot video, so the cheaper, lighter Canon pairing may be a better choice for me. I would still keep my Olympus gear for macro, stacking and procapture though.

[@richandgem]

Absolutely Brilliant video, strangely enough we have just done the same thing last week at the Isle Of Sheppey. Luckily for us the rain held off, now editing it for tomorrow. Always love your videos and Photos, keep up the good work Gem 👍🏻😃

[@desmond259]

Great videos Mike as always, not sure if this setting is on the a1 but I shoot with the older 7riii and there’s a zoom function that works with video and essentially punches in on my 4K sensor 4x with out any quality loss! Add it with the super 35 mode and you get ridiculous reach! Not so good for photos but amazing quality for video!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks Desmond, I use the clear image zoom for video on the A1. Upto 1.5x mag and it looks good for stills to. Certainly better than the plain digital zoom. I may do a YT film on the subject.

[@desmond259]

@@MikeLaneFRPS Ah the A1 did keep it in then! admittedly I never had much luck with the clear image zoom especially on the stills front nor with the digital zoom. But on the video front only, do give the digital zoom a go! you will be very surprised at the detail that’s retained from the sensor considering it’s a digital zoom and not an optical. Looking forward to more uploads what ever the subject! Keep it up

[@davidosborn3356]

Another very enjoyable Saturday morning fix, long may they continue. Like you I’m seriously considering buying the A1, any thoughts on high iso performance yet?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Hi David, The AF is outstanding. The ISO levels are also excellent. 1600 is my default setting. I do not bother going lower. I do not notice much difference when I get to 6400. For the first time ever I use auto iso. Camera is set to manual and seems to rarely move from 1/2500th with the lens wide open. It is not a fast lens (200-600) so I have only stopped down the aperture once I think. The ISO goes up and down and when I am looking at my images on the computer I do not notice noise. If I try and compare 1600 iso to 3200 it is hard to see a difference. I jump between two images trying to make up my mind that one is worse than the other. If I compare between 1600 and 6400 then you can see a slight difference. In other words I need two stop increments to make the difference noticeable.

[@davidosborn3356]

@@MikeLaneFRPS Thanks Mike. That’s really what I’d hoped to hear. I always use auto iso these days and find it an invaluable asset. I also find that in the winter here in darkest Norfolk that I regularly need iso 6400, so your findings on that were just what I wanted to hear. As a Nikon user I’m waiting to hear the specs on the Z9 before I make a final decision, but I suspect I’ll get an A1 far cheaper and certainly far quicker. You normally have good purchasing links, could I ask you discreetly or not where you bought your A1?

[@oneeyedphotographer]

It would be interesting to see the G9, Panasonic has just released another firmware update for G9, G90, GH5s. Not the GH5. Users reckong the AF is pretty good now. I don't know how that compares with Canon and Sony, I like the lack of weight.

[@malcolmdodds2850]

Have a look at the Mirrorlesscomparisons website - the G9 FW2.4 focusing is better - but not at Canon or Sony levels.

[@jirilicka2056]

It´s great video Mike! The hiding is great, I expect that it is mobile. So am I understand correctly that you find the nest hole and there you put there the hiding and prepare the attractive places for owls?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

The hide is permanent and the owl is in the area throughout the year and breeds in the tree. The perches are arranged in front of the hide.

[@nicksmith557]

Great video ,what make was the netting in the hide?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

The netting is known as clearview netting. I do not know what make was in the hide, but Jack Pyke sell such material. Search for "Clearview netting" on Ebay.

[@bestpix100]

Another fine video, do you think Micro 4/3 days are numbered? I sold mine and went to the R5 and RF 100-500, I don't regret the move!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

No I would expect all brands to catch up on the AF to the new standards of the Sony A1 and Canon R5, R6.

[@scdawes]

Great video Mike , how do you find the A1 regarding battery life particularly with doing video and did you experience any overheating ?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

The batteries drain fast. I have 3 now. They are not as expensive as other brands. I shoot both video and stills so not able to prove video uses more battery life but suspect it does. Over heating problems reported were with 8k which I hardly use. However the camera did overheat once on a hot day using WiFi. I was not recording just WiFi connected and waiting. Not been able to replicate the problem.

[@scdawes]

@@MikeLaneFRPS Thanks for the prompt reply Mike , I switched to Sony after many years shooting with Canon and recently purchased the A1. It is a phenomenal camera and I believe it is the best thats out there at this moment in time. I am going to start trying to do more video work as I have hardly done any before but like you I had an overheating message come on the camera and I hadn't even done any filming , just had it on S&Q ready whilst waiting for a Barn Owl. Had to switch the camera off altogether and leave it for a few minutes which caused me bit of head scratching. By the way if Covid permits I look forward to seeing you at Shropshire Ornithological Society in December as I organise the indoor meeting programme.

[@shanefeetham2920]

Hi Mike Great videos what settings are you using on your a1 I’m using the a9ii plus the 200-600.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Difficult to answer. Settings vary depending on the subject. I hope to do a KZbin video soon on all the A1 settings.

[@shanefeetham2920]

@@MikeLaneFRPS Thanks for the reply look forward to your video

[@shauryataneja6251]

The S&Q setting on a7iii causes the camera to record at a much lower bit rate, i think 16 bits, however if you set it manually at 120 fps you can get 50 bit rate in 4k. Does the a1 also have the same issue? You might be able to get more quality if yes.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

This is something I will have to look into. I do not know the answer or how to find out quickly.

[@laurencearnold5822]

Thouroghly enjoyed that so much so I’ve made a booking enquiry, I was just curious when you actually visited ? Are the birds there for nesting only?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

I was there in May. This is the first year for this hide so no one will know yet. Sharon the owner will be able to tell you if it is still around. I know there were photographers there last weekend taking pictures.

[@laurencearnold5822]

@@MikeLaneFRPS Hi Mike just spoke to Sharon, unfortunately 2 of the Owls have been predatated, she is not sure if it’s 2 young or an adult and 1 young but the others have spooked off . She is hopeful that they will return thanks anyway.

[@joanantonim.p.2400]

Thanks... 🙏 Where is the Olympus E-M1X ...?? , I haven't seen it for days... 🤔🤔🤔😭😭

[@FendaSantana]

by olympus I started to follow this man. because I love Olympus. I liked seeing how he worked with this camera.

[@oneoldgit]

He is trying out the Sony

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

It still gets used and I do not want to sell it. I hope Olympus will catch up on AF. The Sony A1, Canon R5, R6 are a new breed when it comes to AF. It is not a slight improvement. It is huge. Surely other brands will follow.

[@joanantonim.p.2400]

@@MikeLaneFRPS 14.000 €... 🤔🤔😅😅 or 20.000 €... ??? 🤔🤔

[@edwardrussell5413]

@@MikeLaneFRPS Hope Oly catch up soon Mike, the Sony is really tempting :-(

[@fgb3126]

I just watched the segment Sony A1 in which you talk about this camera's ability to keep focus - on even small flying birds. You do mention Canon cameras so I wonder: is this auto focus the same technology that Canon called "auto-eye". I believe that it is the name. Regardless what it has done for auto-focusing on moving birds is phenomenal. As you said of your A1, if the bird is in the frame the camera can find it and even detect the eye and focus on it. Would this be a fair comparison betw. the two brands? Lastly, in the list of cameras above that you use I see only Olympus not Sony.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Bird eye tracking is now available on most brands of camera. It is a recent development and stunning. Hard to say which system is the best. I have sold the Sony some time back and use OM cameras. The list needs updating.

[@robertlowe1962]

Hi Rob Lowe here you gave a hire hide in Droitwich bur you did not state where it was and how to contact them so could you please send me information as I used to go to Upton Warren I have been a member of Wocestershire Wild Life for more than 4 decades and how far the hide is many thanks

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

It's in the description under the video

[@Chareece24]

Do you have to rent a hide

[@Chareece24]

Or can you pay to walk round

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

You can't walk around. It is only for those who want to use the hides.

[@Chareece24]

@@MikeLaneFRPS thanks

[@fgb3126]

So then, the "Little Owl" must be its common name as accepted by your birding organization? You don't give a scientific name and if you did you'd save me a bit of effort. Just a suggestion. We 'Norte Americanos' don't know what a "Little Owl" is. 🤔

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Noted.

[@oneoldgit]

Must be the laziest owls around