Six days ago on Antelope Island as I rounded a curve in the road I encountered this Burrowing Owl on a large rock with a clean setting and background. It was a cool morning and the sun had only recently come up so this bird was obviously enjoying the warming rays and showed no nervousness as I approached.
Burrowing Owls are among my favorite species to experience and photograph but in recent years some of the joy has been taken out of it.
It’s easy to miss the potential of a photo when viewing it full frame. This image makes me wonder how many diamonds in the rough I’ve deleted over the years…
Because of their comical tendencies, expressive faces and uninhibited behaviors juvenile Burrowing Owls just may be the most interesting and entertaining birds I photograph.
Most adult voles I see are about the same size but occasionally I notice one that appears to have been on an extended steroid regimen. Perhaps they’re not voles at all…?
Great Horned Owl chicks at this stage are inquisitive, adventuresome, cute and clumsy – all of which makes them wonderful photography subjects.
Short-eared Owls are a favorite subject of mine and I particularly enjoy flight sequences that highlight habitat.
It’s not often that I photograph a perched Barn Owl doing anything but resting. Opening and closing their eyes is about as exciting as it usually gets.
In previous posts of this male Barn Owl I mentioned that he had good hunting success while I was with him. Here’s evidence of that fact – three butt-shots in flight with prey.
During my recent encounter with this male Barn Owl I noticed something I’d never seen or even thought of before – manipulation of the facial disc that changes its shape and alters what we can see on the face of the bird.
Earlier this week I spent 59 minutes with this Barn Owl (a male I believe). This is early in the encounter when he was still getting used to me.
I’m normally not one to wax sentimental. I do have those feelings of course but I don’t often express them. Not nearly as often as I should. The Christmas season gives me an excuse…
Yesterday was chock full of avian surprises!
It was overcast and gloomy the entire day, the kind of day we normally stay home, but in an effort to relieve cabin fever we finally broke down and left for Farmington at midday. While there we didn’t see many birds and almost left for home after one tour of the area but at the last minute decided to do another. That’s when this cooperative Barn Owl came into play.
Getting light in the eye of a Barn Owl in flight is often a challenge because of their deeply set eyes but when you throw in the dark foreboding skies of an approaching storm it becomes even more difficult.
