Short-eared owl in flight, Børgefjell National Park, Norway

Børgefjell National Park in Norway protects a vast, water-rich mountainous area that remains snow-covered even in the height of summer.
It was a sunny late July afternoon when I encountered the short-eared owl. A warm light bathed the landscape. The bird of prey flew just a few meters above the ground, circling, changing direction suddenly, and soaring upward. It was like the flight of a large butterfly. It was hunting rodents among the low shrubs that covered the depressions in the ground. I followed its maneuvers for quite some time, until, finally, it decided to fly straight toward me, giving me a close-up view I’ll never forget.