Once-in-a-lifetime picture of baby owls all looking straight
down the lens
They say never work with animals or children, but one amateur
photographer has brilliantly disproved the theory by showing that
with skill, persistence and a bit of luck it is possible to get the
perfect shot.
Computer scientist Maurizio Malagoli was visiting a
wildlife rehabilitation centre, in Modena, Italy, when he fell in
love with a group of little owls who were being readied for release
back into the wild.
He managed to capture five of the birds all looking the
same way after they were startled by the sound of an earlier
picture being taken.
Mr Malagoli, 36, from Modena, said: "That day I knew they
would release some little owls, so I wore camouflage and waited
them to fly off.
'I had to wait about a couple of hours before a group of
birds were close enough to be photographed. At the first shot all
their eyes turned to the direction of the camera shutter
sound
'Looking into the lens I saw
nothing but yellow eyes looking at me with a curious expression.
Now the owls have become my favourite bird, although in Italy they
are considered unlucky.'
The little owl breed are usually
grows to about 25cm tall and is most commonly found in the warmer
parts of Europe, Asia to the east of Korea and north
Africa.
The animal sanctuary which
released the owls is the largest in Italy and based at Modena which
is near the city of Bologna in the north of the country.
Wounded animals and birds
including wrens, ospreys, tortoises and wild boar from within a
300km radius of the centre have been brought in for treatment and
rehabilitation.
