Jungle Owlet is a common species of owlet found in Kerala, may be the most common. It is small in size and belongs to the genus Pygmy Owls, or small owls. These photos are of the same owlet, taken from Cheruvally.
Jungle Owlet photos from Cheruvally, Date:20.12.2013
In the first photo, the owlet was perched on a medium high branch and was behind the leaves. And I think the haze created by the out of focus leaves has added a nice effect to the image. In such a case, single point AF (AF-S with the central focus point) works better. Otherwise the camera will try to focus on the foreground elements (here it is the leaves).
The second picture was taken a few moments after the first one. The Owlet had move its position to a higher branch.
It belongs to the family of True Owls, Strigidae. Scientific name is Glaucidium radiatum.
Also added to Portfolio – Birds.
