A habitat where I seldom see Great Horned Owls.
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
This is an older photo of a Great Horned Owl at Bear River MBR. Almost certainly this is the same owl that has been hanging around the maintenance building at the refuge for years because I found ‘him’ only about a half mile away from that building. Most folks who come to the refuge probably never see him because the building is essentially off limits to visitors. But he’s like an old but distant friend to many local sharp eyed bird photographers and birders who know he’s there on the distant building.
On this morning I was surprised to find him perched in the reeds right next to the canal near the end of the auto tour loop. I had the distinct impression that he was hunting waterfowl that he might ambush as they were swimming along the canal just below him but I never saw him make an attempt. I’ve visited the refuge countless times since this encounter and I always look for him in that area but I’ve never again found him there. .
Baby it’s cold outside!
As I type this in the pre-dawn darkness my thermometer says 32° and some areas of northern Utah have been slammed with snow from this series of storms (Logan has had a lot of damage from the storm). The mountains have been dumped on and that’s a very good thing. Maybe the water managers will allow some of this water to actually reach our refuges, including Bear River, and eventually the Great Salt Lake.
The bad news – my tomatoes are toast. It’ll be a long nine months until I have BLT’s again.
Ron
I’m glad to know your water storage snow arrived. Love the owl shot but do wonder what drew him to dwell and hunt in this atypical location.
“I’m glad to know your water storage snow arrived”
Granny Pat, it’s far from enough but it’s a good start. We need a helluva lot more before winter is over.
Happy to see a GHOW grace the pages of your blog! It is weird to see him “tufts down,” though.
Yesterday turned out to be Black Phoebe day. There were a bunch of them over at the shelter and they seemed to be interested in me and all the dogs I had out. One came very close to us in one of the more secluded play yards and hung out on a lower branch of the tree overhanging where we were training. “She” stayed there until the dog started trying to dig down to the gophers (I think she was startled by the suddenly-flying dirt — I know I was!). So weird.
Glad you guys might be getting some drought relief and hope (but doubt) the politicians will let the water go where it is supposed to go. I saw some pictures of Logan and surrounding areas. What a mess! I hope they get power back soon. Sorry about your tomatoes — gotta take them off before it snows and do some pickling and canning one of these days. Pickled green tomatoes are the best — especially accompanied by a not-too-nice scotch on the rocks and a little salami and cheese.
Marty, I’m jealous of your phoebe so close. I couldn’t get anywhere near a bird this morning while I was out shooting. I didn’t even see very many. I think most of them vamoosed ahead of the storm.
I don’t like anything pickled, except certain kinds of cuke pickles. And if you have too much of that Scotch you’ll be pickled yourself…:)
“I don’t like anything pickled” — then how did you teach diffusion and osmosis? 😉
I never once used pickles, of any kind, while teaching diffusion and osmosis. There are endless other examples to use, many of which taste better! And smell better.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you like kimchi…
I like kimchi – and some day will get off my lazy fundament and make it.
I’ll be honest EC, I’ve never tasted kimche. But after watching a certain episode on M*A*S*H* I know all I need to know about it… 🙂
How I would love to meet your old friend. And I thoroughly enjoy seeing his photo too.
It is wet here this morning – which I loved. The cat will not. Tough.
Tomatoes? When our lockdown finally lifts enough I am itching to buy and plant seedlings. Perhaps at the end of this month. I feel for you though. Homegrown tomatoes are bliss.
EC, in the last few weeks I’ve given away hundreds of tomatoes to neighbors, friends, ex-wives, hardwood floor installers, handymen and others but there’s still hundreds of them out there and now they won’t be any good. I HATE to waste tomatoes!
Ron, could you compost your tomatoes?
I do, Frances. I turn them into my garden soil with my tiller.
What a beauty. That looks like a bird built for winter.
I loved to watch the snow fall in Logan, but dreaded the resulting plowing and shoveling to get out of the driveway. I swear the guy that plowed the streets got a kick out of blocking everyone’s driveway entrance.
You’re right about the street plowing. I KNOW that the guy in Champaign piled the snow in front of driveways or surrounding parked cars ON. PURPOSE. Of course, this was 30 years ago, so hopefully, he’s retired. Not sure which was worse — tackling Mt. Snow-and-ice at the end of the driveway or digging my car out of an icy snow fort.
“That looks like a bird built for winter”
Lyle, if they can live happily for decades on our northern Montana farm (and the do), the average winter in most places would be a piece of (lukewarm) cake for them.
Whenever I use the word “lukewarm” I always wonder who Luke was…
I know what you mean about those Logan winters. I lived in Logan for a total of about 18 months while I was going to USU back in the mid 60’s. I think I’ve told you that before.
Ron,
Love the owl … as always. I will have to look for him next time.
I enjoy your blog and stories.
The colorful leaves have distracted me from the birds as of late!
Gorgeous Fall!
Stephen
Thanks, Stephen. Sadly I never made it up to see the leaves turning this year. Too much going on down here.
Wonderful GHO, Ron. I so miss getting to know the GHOs in the Salt Lake City cemetery. We lost all but one of a family of five a year ago spring. I still don’t know if it was poison or some parasite or disease. First the adult male got very sick, then died. Then the adult female brought him to the owlets to eat, then she died. By the time the crew got a bucket truck to rescue the owlets two of the three had died. None have shown up since, but I always search. I know they are all over the valley so it should be just a matter of time before they return to the acres of open space that is the cemetery.
I love autumn, but hate to see the real tomatoes come to an end!
Cathryn
That’s a sad story about the owls at City Cemetery, Cathryn.
I love visiting that cemetery. It’s huge and so peaceful. I even found “Killer Joe’s” first wife buried there (Matilda – who cheated on my great grandfather Joseph Smith Dudley in the 1870’s and Joe shot and killed the guy she was involved with). I’ve told that story here before.
Wow, Ron, I think I missed that story and would never have guessed you had outlaw blood! 😉
It is a fine cemetery. We lost 257 trees last September in the big blow, including a giant old Elm that was part of a grove of Elms perfect for meditating. Between that and losing the owls it’s been a year of coming to terms with “the impermanance of all things.”
The mountains and valleys of far Southern Utah got slammed with snow too !
I’ve not seen even usually common birds here for about 48 hours now–I guess
they knew what was coming–and we certainly welcome the water, even though it came with a lot of downed tree limbs !
“I’ve not seen even usually common birds here for about 48 hours now”
The same thing may have happened here, Kris. I went shooting this morning in the west desert and essentially got bird-skunked.
Beautiful – I don’t often see them on the ground. He certainly has his “horns” down at the moment – also unusual.
30 here – beats the predicted 23. Our tomatoes were pretty much “toast” some time ago though drought had as much to do with it as cold. Still have a few I brought in.
That IS a mess in Logan – when those trees get caught with leaves still on it IS nasty. We didn’t get anything off the storm – all stayed in SW MT and some to the SE of us. 🙁 Good “water” for those who did get it tho.
Judy, I too was a little surprised he had his ear tufts flattened.
I brought a bunch of tomatoes in a couple of days ago so maybe we’ll have BLT’s one more time. Hope so.