Short-eared Owl and Carrion Crow by Ron Macdonald

With another fantastic selection of images to choose from this week, it was Ron Macdonald's terrific capture of a Short-eared Owl in pursuit of a Carrion Crow which caught our collective eye here at BirdGuides. We see many great photos of Short-eared Owl, but this one stood out for its individuality. The owl, wide eyed and clearly livid with the crow, is wearing an intense stare ... if looks could kill! Presumably the crow had been up to no good, disturbing the owl as it rested or harrassing it while it hunted, and the latter decided enough was enough. The bluish tones to the image hint that it was taken late in the day, and Ron did very well to freeze the action in low light conditions, as well as crucially ensuring that the owl's extraordinary gaze was in focus. With so many Short-eared Owls around this winter, this is likely a scene being played up and down the country, but capturing these snapshots in time is never easy and Ron is to be commended for this excellent and entertaining POTW winner.

Other notable images

Eurasian Teal, Greylake RSPB, Somerset & Bristol (Carl Bovis).

Harlequin Duck, River Laxa, Iceland (John Dickenson).

Common Scoter, Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire (Ron Macdonald ).

Common Scoter, Burghead, Moray & Nairn (Steve Nicklin).

Gentoo Penguin, Yorke Bay, Falkland Islands (Jim P).

Great Cormorant, Toft Newton Reservoir, Lincolnshire (Nick Clayton).

Cooper's Hawk, Merced National Wildlife Refuge, California (Alexander Viduetsky).

White-tailed Eagle hunting Little Egret, Tiszaalpár, Southern Great Plain (Jane Graham).

Common Gull, Alvaston, Derbyshire (Neil Loverock).

Egyptian Plover, Central River Division, Gambia (Dave Jackson).

Waxwing, Barnoldswick, Lancashire (Craig Bell).

Waxwing, Larne, Antrim (Ian Dickey).

European Stonechat, Bidnija, Malta (Natalino Fenech).

American Goldfinch, Garry Point Park, Richmond, British Columbia (Brian Avent).