Hello All...
I have had the pleasure of following the growth and development of 3 owlets since late April, 2024. These owls have been super tolerant of my presence, and thus provided me with many many hours of fun behind the camera. All three owlets are continue to be fed by both parents, but have begun to fly and hunt with some skill. I am guessing that I have about month left to document the development of these little ones, but feel like I have enough decent images that I am willing to share as a set.
thanks for looking...
bruce
The Chicks
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S Z TC-1.4x lens784mmf/8.01/1000s6400 ISO0.0 EV
3 Babies and the Mum
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S Z TC-1.4x lens784mmf/8.01/1000s6400 ISO0.0 EV
Blending in
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens400mmf/4.51/1250s6400 ISO-0.7 EV
Blending in like Mum
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S Z TC-1.4x lens784mmf/7.11/1000s6400 ISO+0.3 EV
Owls' Revenge... mum with meal of crow
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens560mmf/5.61/800s6400 ISO+0.3 EV
Backlit Baby in Lichen Forest
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens560mmf/4.01/2000s6400 ISO-0.3 EV
Feather Maintenance
LEICA SL2-SVARIO-ELMAR SL 1:5-6.3 / 100-400 lens400mmf/7.11/500s6400 ISO0.0 EV
Mum can Fly
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens400mmf/3.21/1600s6400 ISO-0.3 EV
Baby flies
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens400mmf/5.01/2500s2200 ISO-0.3 EV
Baby #2... Jump and flight
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens400mmf/5.01/2500s6400 ISO-0.3 EV
Take-off
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens560mmf/4.01/2500s6400 ISO+0.7 EV
Landing
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens560mmf/5.61/1000s6400 ISO-0.3 EV
Bruce these images are stunning. I got a similar opportunity a few years ago to watch three little GHO's grow up, but not even close to some of the images you have here, really special. That Z400 is very impressive with two teleconverters. Some of those are real tough lighting situations but you nailed them and the others have a real 3D look to them. The family shots are especially sweet. I love mom's revenge, In the spring I got to see two little one for a short while and they were really being attached by the crows and that mom got her revenge as well. Really enjoyed these.
Wowza Bruce you have some very special moments captured here and I can only imagine the hours and patience you have put into getting these
I really like the comps on 'Blending in and like Mom' shots, great presentation IMO.
Flight shots rock
The shot in the moss is wonderful, just love that environment!
Wonderful set of GHO images. You're fortunate to have been able to shoot them that long of a period. Usually it gets tough to find them after a few days of fledging. Looking forward to seeing more. The are excellent !
These are all excellent images!
The first two are over the top superb!
It's great that you have been able to follow them for months and may have some more time with them. That's so much better than just a few quick shots.
I hope to see more of your photos of them.
Dave_E wrote:
Bruce these images are stunning. I got a similar opportunity a few years ago to watch three little GHO's grow up, but not even close to some of the images you have here, really special. That Z400 is very impressive with two teleconverters. Some of those are real tough lighting situations but you nailed them and the others have a real 3D look to them. The family shots are especially sweet. I love mom's revenge, In the spring I got to see two little one for a short while and they were really being attached by the crows and that mom got her revenge as well. Really enjoyed these.
Thank you for the kind comments Dave.
This body of work required more trips to the location than I can recall, but with each repeated visit I am offered new opportunities. While most of my images are owls with distracting foregrounds or backgrounds, the frequency of my visits to the site created opportunities for me to see them on exposed branches.
regards,
Bruce
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Karl Witt wrote:
Wowza Bruce you have some very special moments captured here and I can only imagine the hours and patience you have put into getting these
I really like the comps on 'Blending in and like Mom' shots, great presentation IMO.
Flight shots rock
The shot in the moss is wonderful, just love that environment!
Looking forward to more to come
Karl
Thanks Karl... It has been fun to watch the owls transition from awkward fluff-balls that could barely balance on the limbs to flyers and hunters. I had numerous opportunities to watch mom lead flight school. She would fly to a branch and call the chicks to her. In one case, I saw a baby tumble and then scramble back up a trunk... it was a great opportunity to develop a broader understanding of GHO behavior.
bruce
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morris wrote:
A delight to view Bruce. The families I"ve followed move away from the nest quickly after the owlets fledge and vanish into the woods.
Morris
Thanks Morris... I feel quite fortunate to have had such a long time to watch these owls develop. While their forest is fairly large, the trails throughout give me pathways to search for their various locations.
regards,
bruce
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johnohio wrote:
Wonderful set of GHO images. You're fortunate to have been able to shoot them that long of a period. Usually it gets tough to find them after a few days of fledging. Looking forward to seeing more. The are excellent !
John
Thanks John...
My post to Morris explains my ability to follow this family, but I'll one more point to this... The State Park where I've been following these owls has a relatively high biodiversity. I was able to follow the development of a red-shouldered hawk family, and know of a nearby red-tailed hawk family. What's more, I hear great horned owls in my neighborhood as well as other neighborhoods within 20 miles of this group. All of this suggests that these owls have carved up productive territories and stay within their range. Because the owls I follow congregate in forests that are adjacent to fields and trails, I can find them if I spend enough time in the field. Furthermore, as long as the babies continue to "cry" for food, I have a way of honing in on their location.
regards,
bruce
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louie champan wrote:
What an incredible set of images, your time was well invested in getting these images. Great job!
Thank you Birdie... this has been a very fun project for me.
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dclark wrote:
These are all excellent images!
The first two are over the top superb!
It's great that you have been able to follow them for months and may have some more time with them. That's so much better than just a few quick shots.
I hope to see more of your photos of them.
Dave
Dave,
Thank you very much. The first two shots were super special for me as well. I had seen the chicks on the same branch previously, but never with all 6 eyes in my directions. Furthermore, one or more have been obscured by hanging branches or junk in the background. Similarly, I've seen mom with one or two chicks, but never with them all... This day is what I would call a "flight school" day. Mom was teaching them how to fly, so she would go to a branch that would allow the owlets to successfully fly downhill. I happened to be lucky enough to be there during these lessons.
regards,
bruce
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Ronny Olsson wrote:
Stunning set !
Ronny
Thank you Ronny
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quigsby wrote:
Wow. I am so happy for you, the pictures are great, and the experience greater. Im jealous. well done
Thanks for commenting... I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunitiy.
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Erictator wrote:
A cornucopia of great horned goodness! You hit paydirt with this family and had one heck of an experience. Congratulations!
Eric
Thank you Eric... sometimes it's better to be lucky than good
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sum1sgrampa wrote:
Wow Bruce ! That second shot is just wonderful.
Gary
Thanks Gary... I had a mental image of getting all four owls on the same uncluttered branch... after 7 continuous days of visiting and watching, I was in the right place at the right time.
