Looking for short-eared owls

Last week I tried to photograph short-eared owls at the famous location in Uitkerke at the Belgian coast. Thousands of people come here every winter to observe the owls hunting at dusk. If lucky, they start foraging before sunset. Which, again, wasn't the case when I was there. Very pretty, nevertheless.

 

\"Aint had no peace in the farm yard Since my little red roosters been gone\"

Yes, this really is the famous Belgian Ramsar site for pink-footed geese

Stoat hunting voles

Sunset... Time for owls?

This is the best I could do... meaning I will have to go back and finally get them in good light conditions.

Foxes are eating common sea-buckthorn (duindoorn) berries, but do not seem capable of digesting them properly

Huge rope washed ashore

Sanderlings

Winds were sand blasting both photographer and his topic. Nice how they really shut their eyes.

Dunlin amongst the sanderlings