It's Owl Season..... Again

[Bill Anderson]

Sunday (4/6/14) was overcast and relatively dark all day long. My son and I went to Yost Park before sunset in the hopes of spotting the barred owl pair. I think the female has yet to lay eggs.

We ran into Finn, one of the regular Yost Park owl hunters, who spotted the male.


After some hooting, the male was joined by the female.




I felt the female was reacting to the clicks of my camera, so I switched to silent mode. While silent mode is truly silent, its high speed burst rate is not as rapid as regular mode. As such, this was my only shot of the female departing.


We tracked her down farther west along the ravine with help from the crows.


The barred owls are venturing to the bottom of the ravine, even though the trees have not leafed out enough to hide them from the evil minions of the Dark Lord. The park is their realm, so I assume they know what they are doing.

 

[fiznatty]

Good stuff, Bill. I really have to try to make it over a little later in the day next time.

Max

 

[Terry O]

Great shots, Bill!

 

[photographmemories]

I really like the second and third shots down. Nicely done!



Chad

 

[photographmemories]

I found out about a Great Horned owl nest a few weeks back in NE Portland. It's been trick-shot photography from the get-go. To start off, the nest is located 35-40 feet up a cottonwood and surrounded by various trees and yes, they all have branches and the weather was terrible the first couple of outings with rain and winds.

The nest apparently only has one owlet along with mom.

The first few times I went out there mom was sitting along side jr. inside of the nest. The weather was showery and overcast.

Showers with partial clearing was the name of the game the following week and mom was perching on a limb just above the nest.

At the beginning of last week the adult female really showing that she wants to coax the kid out of the nest by perching in other trees around the nesting tree

"Come on... Look at me, lets get you into some denser foliage so you can hide and the crows will quit attacking you."

The next few days were complete rain outs. I returned Wednesday of last week, between showers to find no activity. Mom and baby were no where to be found.

The following day was going to turn out to be a nice springtime day so I decided to head back out there to see if they had actually moved up any higher and perhaps completely disappearing into the ever increasing foliage.

Bingo! This is what I call "Sweet Spot Photography." Just the break I was looking for and in the nick of time as this foliage is increasing tenfold and I show up to this!!!!

 

[squirl033]

good stuff, in spite of all the adversity! really like the last couple of images... very nicely done!

 

[Joemeche]

Great photos. Give a hoot!

 

[Joemeche]

Here's the title page photo of a power point presentation that I've done locally.



This wasn't a set-up shot. The Barred Owl feather was found in the creek where you see it, just below one of its favorite perches.

 

[JaniceL]

Eating dinner in tonight, special ordered fresh vole delivered to the door.

 

[JaniceL]

Cool shots, Chad. It wouldn't be fun if it was easy.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Cool shots, Chad. It wouldn't be fun if it was easy.

If we waited for good weather and perfect lighting conditions, we would never get any photos.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Sunday (4/13/14) evening I saw both of the Yost Park barred owls. My best shots were of one (female?) perched about eye level just a short distance off a trail.




Full frame, uncropped shot with the 400mm end of my 100-400L telephoto zoom.


Still no signs of nesting activity.

 

[Terry O]

BRAVO!!!!! These are really cool, Bill!

 

[Jetmaker]

Beautiful captures Bill. I like the lighting and composition, good job!

 

[JaniceL]

Taken today. I don't know what it is, but there seems to be a food theme in my photos lately.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Taken today. I don't know what it is, but there seems to be a food theme in my photos lately.

I enjoy your action shots. All I can catch my locals doing is posing.

 

[Terry O]

Interesting action, Janice. Nice work.

 

[JaniceL]

I enjoy your action shots. All I can catch my locals doing is posing.

Interesting action, Janice. Nice work.

All they do is eat it seems LOL, I'm actually starting to feel sorry for the mice and voles. They wiggle for a long time. I was surprised to see this owl pick the mouse off off a tree trunk.

 

[Bill Anderson]

All they do is eat it seems LOL, I'm actually starting to feel sorry for the mice and voles. They wiggle for a long time. I was surprised to see this owl pick the mouse off off a tree trunk.

One of the Yost Park owl hunters said he talked with someone in the park with a zoology background. That person said there are tree dwelling rodents which the owls will hunt.

 

[JaniceL]

One of the Yost Park owl hunters said he talked with someone in the park with a zoology background. That person said there are tree dwelling rodents which the owls will hunt.

I would have loved to have caught that. There was a tree blocking most of the view.