November Photo of the Month

Raghav Mehta is the November winner of the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month Award. At the group’s recent meeting, the participants selected Raghav's photo that captured an encounter between a harrier and an owl.

Raghav was well prepared for the chance conflict at the Fir Island Farm Reserve in Skagit County.

“I spotted the owl at a distance through my scope and had the camera setup on a tripod hoping that the owl might fly towards me”, he said. “After a while, I saw a harrier gently glide in the general direction of the owl. The owl had spotted the harrier as well and tracked the harrier as it flew closer and closer to the owl's perch. When the harrier was about 6 feet from the owl, it decide to dive-bomb the owl to harass it in an attempt to chase it away from that territory.”

Raghav recently joined the EAS Photography Group. He is a self-taught photographer who has pursued wildlife photography as a hobby for the last 5 years.

“I find nature photography to be meditative and calming,” he says. “It takes a lot of effort and concentration to find a bird, absorb all the field marks and behavior, enjoy the beautiful colors and patterns, dial in the right camera settings, and then patiently wait for some magic to happen.”

To view more of his work, see his Instagram page.

The Photo of the Month award was instituted to recognize the work of the Photo Group Members. The group members meet monthly to show their latest photos and videos as well as share their knowledge of photography and wildlife. To attend the meeting, please join the group’s announcement list.

Photo details

The photo was shot on Canon EOS R5 with a Canon EF 600 mm f/4 IS III USM lens. The camera shutter speed was 1/800 of a second, ISO 500, and aperture setting of f/4.