For reasons that should be obvious I call this guy Bloody Bill. When you think about it the name works two ways.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
These are older photos of an adult Burrowing Owl hunting from various perches in late May in Box Elder County. Here ‘he’ was hunting from a rusty old metal fence post but his next hunting perch was…
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
a wooden fence post that was so old and weathered I’m surprised it was still standing. His bill was extremely bloody so I suspect he’d been feeding on voles, although I never saw him catch one while I was with him. To me it looks like he did a poor job of applying lipstick.
This is a tighter composition than I prefer. With my teleconverter attached I was a little too close to him optically so after this photo was taken I removed it.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
His next hunting perch was another metal fence post. Here he’d just spotted potential prey, probably another vole, so he’s in the process of turning on his perch before…
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
taking off toward it but if I remember correctly he came up empty. Oh well, he didn’t need any more lipstick anyway.
At this point I want to apologize to readers for posting so many older photos recently. I always prefer to post a mix of photos over time that includes more new ones than old ones but in the last couple of weeks circumstances haven’t cooperated. Between wildfire smoke, the long Labor Day holiday (I don’t like crowds and traffic when I’m photographing birds so I usually stay home during holidays and most weekends), various unfortunately-timed appointments and poor shooting weather my shutter finger is getting rusty.
But starting today the rest of this week is looking good for bird photography so maybe, just maybe, I’ll soon have some new photos I like well enough to share.
Now all I have to do is find some cooperative birds.
Ron
Ron, I enjoyed your burrowing owl very much. My wife had a burrowing owl for five years. He spent most of his time in her fourth grade classroom. Your pictures bring back many memories.
Very nice, he looks like he has a small crop bulge too. It is amazing how rusty you get when taking time off from shooting. Not only am I rusty, I am shooting mostly manual with my telephoto. The Auto focus is not working. I know it is the lens, my camera works fine with all other lenses. After Duck Hunt starts I will send it in. Photography gets slim for about 4 or so weeks with the beginning of duck hunt.
The lipstick adds a nice touch!
I thought so.
You have had Feathered Photography a lot longer than I have been tuning in, so most of your reposts are new for me. And always interesting with, of course, a pedagogical element. The double entendre is a hoot, too.
Thanks, Lyle. Just to be clear, when I say “older photos” I just mean that I took them more than a year ago. It doesn’t mean that I’ve posted those photos before. Nearly always when I’m reposting a photo I say that I am.
Today’s photos are new to my blog although I have posted other photos of this owl in the past.
Bloody Bill sounds like a character from one of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novels. Excellent photos. Their eyes seems to show such personality. Your reference to not liking to be out in the big crowds etc, reminds me of a post maybe a couple years back when you explained why you don’t attend the first day arrival of the eagles. You really made me laugh when you mentioned the guys showing up in camouflage as if the eagles would not know they are there.
Everett, getting all decked out in expensive camo just doesn’t make any sense to me in most situations. In very few cases are you fooling the birds. There are a few exceptions but eagles at Farmington aren’t one of them.
I understand that you are itching to go out – but I am MORE than happy to see older photos. Sometimes it feels like I am visiting friends.
That said, I hope your weather and the birds do co-operate and I am thrilled to hear that the smoke is diminishing.
Thank you, EC. I did find a few (very few) interesting birds this morning. Don’t yet know if I got any decent photos of them though.
These older shots don’t bother me a bit! 🙂 Lipstick or “nail polish” it sure shows up! They do make use of whatever is available for an elevated perch man made or otherwise 😉 Glad he was a successful hunter regardless!
We’ve had a few smoke free days – sure hope it continues!
Thanks, Judy. It’s been pretty clear down here for the last couple of days too. As you say, I hope it continues.