Wintering Burrowing Owl On Antelope Island

Burrowing Owls are “supposed” to migrate out of Utah during winter but yesterday I photographed one up close on Antelope Island that apparently didn’t read the book.

All of my field guides (Sibley, National Geographic, Audubon, American Museum of Natural History) show Burrowing Owls only as summer residents (breeding range) in Utah. Birds of North America Online (BNA) goes into a little more detail, saying that in the Great Basin Burrowing Owls are mostly migratory but “a small proportion of breeding owls overwinter in their nesting area”.

This bird must be one of those rare exceptions.

 

burrowing owl 8957 ron dudley1/400, f/8, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4 tc, canvas added for composition, not baited, set up or called in  

Despite the clouds and fog on the island early yesterday morning I decided to venture out and try to test my new lens. I had seen this bird twice in the last few days but it had always been buried in vegetation so all my photos were garbage but this time it was in the open and elevated on a small mound. Though the bird was obviously sleepy it was still very alert but it would only open one eye to a slit.

It was foggy, the light was dismal and it was quite cold as you can see by the frost on the ground. I was amazed that I got a catch light in the eye because the only occasional bright spot in the clouds was mostly behind the owl – its light must have been reflecting off of my pickup. Normally I don’t post banded birds because with few exceptions I prefer there to be no signs of the “hand of man” in my images but I made an exception to document the presence of this owl here in winter. Later I’ll see if an extreme crop of this or other images will allow me to read enough of the band numbers to report them to the biologist on the island. I know they appreciate feedback like that on these owls that they’ve been banding for several years now and they may (or may not) be especially interested in one that’s overwintering here.

I know of one other person who has seen at least one Burrowing Owl on the island this winter. Whether it was this one or not, I don’t know.

Ron

 

31 Comments

  1. The picture came out great for a foggy day. I love how Owls will keep one eye open. Hopefully you can make out the numbers on the band.

  2. Love!

  3. Hooray for a Burrowing Owl on staycation. Hooray for your new lens.

  4. Great shot! We have burrowing owls here too. They have made projects move their boundaries.

  5. What a wonderful shot!
    Charlotte

  6. I’m not sure, but that little guy may have been golfing (see “Tee” sticking up in front of feet),may have “assisted” the ball into the hole and is hoping no one saw him do it. He iis obviously trying to look innocent but can’t help peeking to see if anyone was watching. I don’t play golf, but imagine this isn’t legal.

  7. I’ve never taken your images for granted, but am so grateful and relieved to be able to see them again, read your and your follower’s comments again (thank you Mia!), especially now as the presidential campaigning heats up…with all it’s negativity, smears, lies and BS (in this case, make that BISON you-know-what!). I LOVE! LOVE! LOVE these little Burrowing Owls! They ALWAYS make me laugh and uplift my mood.

  8. Ron,

    It’s nice to see all those IIs attached to your equipment! I’m very close to selling my 100-400 for the new version also and look forward to your reviews. Great image and hope to see this little guy later this week. Should be able to get on the island Thursday and Sat.

    Happy Shooting!

    Chris

  9. Hi Ron,
    Great picture. I just bought the new lens 100-400 and have been using it with the 1.4 extender. So far I like it a lot.
    Len

  10. This is a beautiful bird. I’m amazed that you could get a catchlight with just that little slit of an open eye. I love the way the background, with the frost and dead grass, matches the feather patterns.

  11. Antelope island seems like Wild Kingdom. Looking forward to photographing there next month. I see that you have the 1.4x TC on the new 100-400 Mark II. Image looks very good.

    • “I see that you have the 1.4x TC on the new 100-400 Mark II. Image looks very good.”

      I think that combo worked pretty well, Richard – especially considering the crappy light and fog. I still need further testing in better conditions to draw any concrete conclusions though…

  12. Awww bless ’em … darling, sweet capture!!! I really enjoyed it … brings a smile!!!

  13. I am happy to see that you found a very good substitute to the EF500mm. So sharp and beautiful.
    Thanks for sharing.

  14. I appreciate seeing the banded birds. Since it is the “hand of man” that has caused so many problems for our wildlife and habitat, it’s a good reminder for me of what we have had to do to self-correct (if that is even what it is).

  15. As a past bander for 30 years, it is always important to receive feedback on birds banded in a particular area. I’m sure the biologist will appreciate the information if you can read even part of the band.
    Great shot, he/she looks cold, and it looks like the lens is working well.

    • Dick, Just now I sent an email to the island biologists that includes a highly cropped photo that allows some of the band numbers to be read. I also included a link to this post so they could see the entire bird and get more info if they’re interested.

      That owl was cold. I think it was looking to warm up in the rays of the rising sun but on that morning it was a lost cause and the next time I came by it had apparently returned to its burrow.

      • Dick, I just heard back from one of the biologists (that was quick, huh?).

        They were already aware of the presence of the bird on the island this winter and using the partial band number I sent them they’re going to try to pinpoint precisely which bird it is.

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