Winter birdwatching

This short-eared owl is silently swooping over the open English countryside as it searches for its next meal. Named for the tiny and inconspicuous tufts on top of its head, the golden-eyed bird is often affectionately called ‘shortie.’ Here in England, short-eared owls are seen more frequently in winter, when their numbers are boosted by an influx of continental birds migrating from Scandinavia, Russia, and Iceland.
© Ben Hall/Minden Pictures