GERRIE BOTHA
Canon EOS 7D Mark II Tamron 150 – 600 mm lens
GERRIE WRITES: We live in a retirement village about 10 km outside Rustenburg, at the foot of the Magaliesberg. Some pearl-spotted owlets made a nest in a tree on the premises, and I watched them breed.
I wanted to show a friend the nest when this owlet suddenly burst from a mulberry tree and landed on the ground in front of us – with a young African green-pigeon in its talons!
The owlet was about 10 m from us – we watched as it strangled its prey. I lay down on the ground to take photos in an attempt to get a neutral background. After about 10 minutes, the owlet flew off with the pigeon and disappeared behind a building.
Pearl-spotted owlets are small but fierce!
What a photo! A stroke of luck brought
