This male Snowy owl was caught just before the sun set, giving him a golden glow.

Canon 7D with the 500L f4 lens with the 1.4 extender II on tripod @ 1/500, 5.6, ISO 640, +1 2/3 exposure compensation. No crop.

With the very low light and ISO 640, some noise is to be expected, but for me it is a good trade-off for the light obtained. The same goes for the distance to the owl - that will come with time.

All-in-all, a great beginning for a new season.

Cheers,

Mike