Normally it’s my practice to avoid posting the same species two days in a row. But in celebration of the (unexpected) good news about the juvenile Short-eared Owl we rescued from barbed wire two days ago I decided to make an exception. After all, I think we all prefer our owls happy and acting normally rather than hanging from barbed wire and in despair.
For those who never revisited yesterday’s post and missed my update I received the following email from Mike Shaw of HawkWatch International yesterday afternoon:
- “Just heard from DaLyn (director of the rehab center) in Ogden: the owl made it through the night, ate all it’s food, and she’s optimistic it can be released. The wing was pretty beat up and needed stitches, but no broken bones.”
So as I was deciding what to post today my thoughts kept coming back to young Short-eared Owls as they’re growing up without trauma, learning life skills and delighting me with their antics.
1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
Three weeks ago I photographed a pair of sibling, juvenile Short-eared Owls in the same general area (though some miles away) as where we found the owl hung up on barbed wire. They were very close to the edge of the road and unconcerned about occasional traffic which always makes me worry for their safety but I couldn’t resist stopping and checking them out. When I did they returned the favor.
Young owls in particular parallax objects they’re interested in and they were very interested in my pickup. When they do so they weave and bob their heads in order to receive and process visual and auditory depth information and occasionally they turn their heads to amusing angles. This youngster, perched on tumbleweeds just a few feet away from its sibling, seemed to be the most curious of the two.
1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
But its sibling, perched on a dirt pile even closer to the road, was curious too. I didn’t have enough depth of field to get anything but the head sharp but for this behavior the head is the most important part.
I don’t know about you but occasionally this image flip-flops for me. Usually I perceive the head of this bird as being tilted to my right (which it is) but then it flip-flops to the other direction. It’s probably just me…
1/640, f/8, ISO 400, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 153mm, not baited, set up or called in
I took a few shots with one of my other cameras and my zoom lens so I could show both birds in the same image. I never could catch both birds parallaxing at the same time, though I did come close. Notice how much darker the bird on the right is than its sibling.
I sure enjoyed my encounter with these friendly young owls more than I did the one hung up on the fence.
I’ll end on a related personal note. In the last couple of days I’ve received news about two people close to me, a good friend and a family member I’m close to (neither is my daughter Shannon or Mia), who have received devastating health diagnoses. I desperately needed some good news to help balance things out a little and the improved outlook for the “barbed wire owl” picked up my spirits.
Birds to the rescue once again.
Ron
Great news Ron! Job well done!
Too many owls are barely enouogh.
And yes, the small joys (which aren’t) help us cope with the bigger sadnesses. A welcome shift in focus.
I am, as so many people are, grateful for the education, the beauty, the delight I find here each day.
Mega thanks.
Thanks very much, EC.
I Will definitely make a contribution. Keep up good work. WRC!!!! Sorry about bad news Ron It’s one reason I bought a lens I couldn’t afford. Life is unpredictable!! Want to enjoy short time I have left. Too many freinds sick or passing on….
“It’s one reason I bought a lens I couldn’t afford”
I like your philosophy, Marina! Makes me feel a little less guilty about my own expensive lens…
Ron–about your own “expensive lens”—I wonder how many people, in how many states (and countries), you’ve provided education and enjoyment to with that “expensive lens”…how many people whose days have been started with a smile, or chuckle, on a high note, because of the images that lens has provided…How many people have been distracted, at least temporarily, from their sad, scary worries, losses, and concerns by your images ( I think of some of my own concerns in the past year and then immediately think of Burrowing owls and these more recent baby short-ears)…you invested your money in that equipment and so many of us have, and continue to benefit. Thank you….
Ron I hope you don’t mind a pitch for the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Norther Utah (WRCNU), you may delete my message and I will understand. Your owl is in good hands. I have given part of my heart and soul to this organization for over 10 years. The staff and volunteers are the most dedicated hard working group you could ever meet. I have worked from 10am and not gone home until 2am the next day.The goal is to be out by 12am but sometimes there are too few hands to help and too many needy animals. I only did this 2 days a week. Dalynn does this everyday during the busy season. If they have baby mammals they go home with her and are fed around the clock every 2 hours through the night. There is no government funding for this work, all of it is donations from the public. WRCNU uses almost every penny for the animals. Surgeries and food are extremely expensive. Please take a look at their site and If anyone would like to donate it is greatly appreciated. They have a great Facebook page and a website http://www.wrcnu.org/ if you would like to follow them. Thanks Ron, you do beautiful work. I hope it inspires people to have respect for our wild friends too.
Thank you, April, for sharing this good news about the rescued owl–and for all you, Dalynn and others like you do for the critters in your incredible, dedicated care…
April, thank you for all the information! I worked with a raptor/rehab/education group for about 15 years and it’s ALL done with the kindnesses (donations–in dollars, hours and expertise) of others. I can’t even begin to think what we’d do without rehab organizations like this one. Please, everybody that can, please donate!
I don’t mind the pitch at all, April. I’m glad you made it and it’s particularly appropriate on this post.
I’m going to give it some time and see if I get a repair bill for the fence I cut. If I don’t I’ll be donating that “fence money” to WRCNU.
I am so delighted to hear that the injured Owl is doing well. And am glad that the news could counteract the other bad news. The photos you posted today gave both my husband and me a good laugh. There’s just something about Owls parallaxing that is amusing to see.
I’m glad that both of you enjoyed the images, Susan – a “twofer” for me!
What a bitter-sweet posting!…so very, VERY happy about the rescued owlet, but not so happy about good people in need…if there is truly is such a thing as a higher power, that can actually intervene, I hope those mentioned, by you and others, will get the help they need…and their “support teams” will have the strength and wisdom to be there, as needed, for them..It’s very hard being on the sidelines when you want so badly to help….I ‘d like to think your interventions and rescues, such as the recent one of the young owl and the baby pronghorn, will count in your favor…
“It’s very hard being on the sidelines when you want so badly to help”
It truly is that, Patty. In so many instances like this there’s just nothing anyone can do but “be there” if your called upon or if you yourself see a need. Or want.
Oh I’m so sorry to hear about your friends’ devastating news. ((((HUGS)))) for you and them!
As for the owls, first delighted to hear the good news about the one rescued (and hearty thanks again to you guys for doing the rescuing part). And I don’t know about you, but the upside down head thing (or variations thereof) melt me into a puddle of AWWWWW! Yes, I know all the scientific stuff involved, but Jeesh! Who can see that without giggling (and wishing we could do that, too)? Seriously.
“Who can see that without giggling (and wishing we could do that, too)? ”
I too get that feeling of wishing I could do it too, Laura, but on the other hand it makes my neck hurt just to watch their performance!
Ron, I couldn’t bear to look at yesterday’s posting, so I’m most relieved to learn of the happy ending and to see these delightful juveniles giving you the ‘hairy eyeball’! Makes my day! Thanks.
I couldn’t/didn’t look at that posting either…good to have company…glad it seems to have a potentially positive outcome…
Alison, those photos weren’t gory, just incredibly sad. Still, hard for anyone who loves birds to look at.
Beautiful! They young owls certainly entertaining as they view new things from various perspective. 🙂 Glad the one you rescued has a fighting chance! Sorry about the bad news in your life – part of life BUT always stressful and saddening to deal with. I’m sure you will be able to support them through this as you did your cousin who made your long lens possible. Glad you can find a little joy in the birds to balance it out – sort of.
Thanks for remembering my cousin Ken, Judy. He’s also connected to the story of my family member who is so very ill, in a very sad way.
What absolutely terrific news about that special owl fledging you and Mia rescued. I heaved a big sigh of relief and smiled to myself from ear to ear!! I’m also smiling at these 2 youngsters you shared today. I am afraid that their lack of fear is one of the reasons for why so many raptors like my wonderful Bald Eagles don’t survive their 1st year. I’m so sorry to hear of your two friends who are dealing with serious health issues. A good Doctor and Modern medicine can do amazing things however (with a good amount of prayers thrown in). My best friend was diagnosed with an aggressive Endometrial cancer last spring. After going thru Chemo and Radiation and receiving lots of prayers from Family and Friends her PET Scan came back totally clear. When she asked her 2 Oncologist what her chance of reoccurrence was, she was told 5-10%. She was thrilled because she would have been happy with any thing at 50%!! As I did for Shannon I will add your friends to my prayer list. I worked in Health Care for over 40 years and attitude is a big part of how well someone does with a serious illness!!
“I am afraid that their lack of fear is one of the reasons for why so many raptors…don’t survive their 1st year”
That’s exactly the case, Jo Ann. Many juvenile raptors through their first year are much more approachable than adults are and that’s often not a good thing, for them.
Seek joy, Ron. Sometimes it is all we can do!
Agreed, Arwen. Sometimes it’s sure hard to find though…
Help from the rehab people was wonderful ; without your and Mia’s intervention , that young owl would surely have died……..you demonstrated that
although we frequently experience a feeling of powerlessness ( especially in the face of sad personal news like you received ), occasionally situations DO
present themselves where there IS power to make the difference between life and death , and you two committed yourselves to action…blessings on you.
“Help from the rehab people was wonderful”
It certainly was, Kris. My options would have been severely limited or nonexistent without them!
Wonderful images Ron, whenever young owls do this head tilting, it always gives me a chuckle.
Thanks for the good news about the owl.
Dick, it isn’t easy to hold a long lens steady and chuckle at the same time but I even do it then. Can’t help myself…
Great images as always, but even more important is the “devastating health prognoses” you just receive
about those close to you… my sympathy to you, and my best wishes for their hasty return to normal. Years
ago, and aging aunt said to me…”Roger, If you have your health, you have everything.” There are times in
life when all other things fail in importance to ones health.
It’s all a matter of perspective, Roger. The good owl news certainly doesn’t make up for the other stuff, but it helps…
Wonderful. So glad you rescued it the other day. I know what you mean about needing to be cheered up. This helped me too. So thank you!
Birds can certainly be therapeutic, can’t they, Cindy!