Bobg657 wrote:
What a neat collection, you've had great success finding these!
Bob
Thanks Bob!
It's taken some travel, some research and a bit of luck though I do admit the Northern Pygmy Owl caught that Vole in our yard last winter and took it to the neighbor's aspen trees to eat and pose for me. Dumb luck on that one, the only clue I had was all the songbirds at the feeders chattering like crazy so I figured there was a predator nearby and looked around until I saw that little guy pounce on the unsuspecting vole.
Here's a shot after he finished eating and dropped to a lower branch conveniently in front of the neighbor's red metal roof
SeattleDucks wrote:
Terrific captures of such beautiful creatures!
Thanks!
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max2k1 wrote:
Amazing set. The Pygmy owl is great. I can never spot the owls - I can only hear their calls
Thanks!
I know what you mean, often I hear them and can't find them but sometimes there are clues like smaller birds mobbing them and making a ton of noise or pellets and white wash near a commonly used perch that I find when walking around during the day and then revisit. Sometimes it's just being in good Owl habitat near sunrise and sunset when they go out to hunt and sometimes it's the feeding cries of the chicks that bring me to a nest during nesting season.
Here's one of those latter images. I heard the feeding cries of this Great Horned Owl chick while out hiking and was able to find the nest. I came back with my gear later in the day to find them both together. Trick was finding a clear shooting lane from farther up the hillside to push the nest against foliage instead of the bright clear sky.
torobouk wrote:
Very beautiful set of theses beauties, i'm fan of the Pigmy takes in Jackson Wyoming, the pink backgroud creates outstanding picture.
Gerard
Thanks Gerard!
Yeah, I was lucky to have that little guy visit the yard and then pose where I could move around to put him against that background. I saw him come by three different times last winter. With a little luck I might see him again this winter
Great set of images! The ones you added are also superb.
I like to photograph owls too, but I rarely see one, let alone when there is enough light to get a shot. Congratulations on accumulating such an excellent set of images.
dclark wrote:
Great set of images! The ones you added are also superb.
I like to photograph owls too, but I rarely see one, let alone when there is enough light to get a shot. Congratulations on accumulating such an excellent set of images.
Dave
Thanks for the kind words Dave. I feel lucky when I can find Owls in situations where I can also photograph them. Sometimes it's just luck and time out in the field hiking and looking around but like so much wildlife I've found most of the Owls I've photographed focusing on the basics: Feeding and Breeding.
Finding a nest in season or sometimes an empty nest in the winter when they're easier to spot and then checking up on it as nesting season gets under way has worked pretty well for me. Sometimes they'll keep using the same nest for several seasons but other years they trash the nest and move on the following year.
Here's one of the first nests I photographed almost 20 years ago, I came across the empty nest while out cross country skiing in January where it stood out with a big crown of snow on it and no birds in sight. But I checked back a couple of times as spring approached and sure enough this Great Horned Owl nested and produced three chicks from that nest and used the same nest for a couple more years until a wind storm took it down one fall.
Great Horned Owl, Wyoming - Nikon D1H, 600mm f/5.6 P lens
