Montana is beckoning to me…
Seeing the word "Montana" so often has gotten me anxious, antsy and itching to head north soon to see more of a state that beckons to me because I have fallen in love with it.
Burrowing Owls – Friday Photos
I've selected a few Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) images taken a few years ago to post today.
Any day now…
In early spring after Barn Owl (Tyto alba) chicks have hatched there are opportunities here in Utah to see the adult owls hunting just after dawn breaks.
Birds with “Blown Eyes”
I recently read about a congenital condition in humans called "iris colobomas" which is also found in other mammals and birds and have begun to wonder if that might not be the cause of the abnormal pupils I see in some species of birds instead of an injury to the eye.
Wild and Wonderful – Antelope Island State Park – The Birds
This is the third post in my series about Wild and Wonderful Antelope Island State Park, I've saved the best (and longest) for last. The Birds! Okay, maybe they aren't the best thing about Antelope Island State Park, but I am a bird photographer and they are what I am most passionate about!
Juvenile Burrowing Owl Portrait
Burrowing Owls are beautiful birds with lemony yellow eyes, downy soft feathers and subtle coloration. It's hard to believe that they aren't that much different in size from an American Robin.
Double Delight and an Observation – Great Horned Owls
I'm excited that two Great Horned Owls are using the same roosting location on Antelope Island.
Juvenile Burrowing Owls – Friday Photos
I adore Burrowing Owls, especially the juveniles because they can be funny, serious looking, comical and at times they act like clowns.
Great Horned Owl – Tiger of the Sky
My favorite name for Great Horned Owls is "The Tiger of the Sky" and it is very descriptive of this large, fierce owl.
Sequel to: Burrowing Owls – Loved to Death?
Earlier this year in March I wrote an article titled "Burrowing Owls - Loved to Death?" and this post is a sequel to it.
Flat tires, Cattle, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Glacier National Park and Short-eared Owls
Life is an adventure. I can't deny that, ever. There are times when there are bumps in the road, smooth sailing, or a multitude of mishaps that occur in a single journey.
Friday Photos – Short-eared Owl in Glacier County, Montana
I am always looking for the unexpected birds to show up in locations where I might not expect them them to be and this Short-eared Owl was a bit of a nice surprise.
Friday Photos – Juvenile Burrowing Owl
I just adore Burrowing Owls, especially the juveniles because they seem to be more animated than the adults.
Barn Owls on Antelope Island
I really, really, really wish these young Barn Owls had been perched on something that looked more natural than old bent metal with droppings all over it
Short-eared Owls – An interesting surprise
Soon after that I saw the shape of a larger bird near where the Coyote had gone into the sagebrush which turned out to be an adult Short-eared Owl.
Friday Photos – Short-eared Owl
The grasses are beginning to turn golden with the summer heat, the Moth Mulleins are starting to bloom and the Great Salt Lake level is still rising from spring run off.
Montana Short-eared Owls
I will soon be on the road back to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southern Montana, another one of my favorite locations on this planet.
Barn Owl Delight
I had a delightful experience this past week in northern Utah with a Barn Owl (Tyto alba) that was flying along side the road that we were traveling on.
Burrowing Owls – Loved to Death?
What made me sick was that there were three of those people tromping around the owl's burrow. I mean RIGHT up on it. They had no need to be that close but they were.
So ya think ya want to be a bird photographer?
Be prepared to become addicted to birds. You will have withdrawals if you don't shoot often enough, your shutter button finger will develop a nervous twitch
Hidden Treasures
As a bird photographer I often strive for images where the subjects are out in the open, without distractions in the fore or background, but as with any photographic "rule", they are made to be broken.
Short-eared Owl In A Fog
I hope to find some Short-eared Owls this winter in Utah, I think that some snow would make for a lovely setting for these delightful & enchanting birds.
Adult Burrowing Owl blur
This blur was not intentional, but I do like the effect caused by the head of the Burrowing Owl spinning. Makes me dizzy just viewing the photo!
Adult Burrowing Owls
I felt it was time to put the beauty of the adult Burrowing Owls in the limelight.
Short-eared Owl female – 13 minutes of joy
A foggy morning at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge brought me 13 minutes of joy after spotting a shape on the gravel road, it was a female Short-eared Owl and she flew up and landed on a post not too far from the road.
Great Horned Owl Chick – Angles and Backgrounds
The photographs I have attached to this post are of the same Great Horned Owl fledgling, taken in the same location on the same morning.
A Matter Of Taste?
I got excited while I was on the refuge when I spotted a female Short-eared Owl that flew up from the gravel road and landed on a fence post in a heavy, swirling fog.
Burrowing Owl juveniles
If you have never had the opportunity to photograph Burrowing Owl juveniles I would suggest you find a burrow and be prepared to laugh yourself silly.
Frost-covered American Barn Owl
This was taken on an early December morning, there was heavy, dismal fog and at times a light snow was falling. The hoar frost was still clinging to the feathers and the facial disc of the Barn Owl.