01-02-2025, 12:25 PM (This post was last modified: 01-03-2025, 03:12 AM by Dave.)
Local photographer (a very talented one) and friend Sandy and I made another visit to the Bolsa Chica Wetlands Ecological Preserve yesterday, hoping to spot and shoot the Burrowing Owl that had been spotted there.
Against the odds, we succeeded, as did many other local photographers. This photo, taken by Sandy, shows just a few of the many photographers. The lady lying down under the rail was only a few feet from the tiny owl, and I'm the one kneeling.
I came away very pleased with the outing - I got 4 keeper photos: 2 of the owl (my first photos of this species) and one each of a Great Blue Heron and a Snowy Egret. I'll share them one a day, starting with this shot of the Burrowing Owl and American Coots in the background...
Don't blame me - I didn't vote for him!
Nikon D7500 with Nikkor 18-300 mm; PSE2021, PSCS5 Ny Flickr Albums
The owl's comfort with a number of people frequently very near was a surprise to me. Every once in a while the owl would turn its head around at a noise; that made for even better photos.
Don't blame me - I didn't vote for him!
Nikon D7500 with Nikkor 18-300 mm; PSE2021, PSCS5 Ny Flickr Albums
Owls are well known for their lack of perturbence.
Frogmouths in particular will pretend to be a dead branch forever.
Decades past, I once moved a ladder around the tree multiple times to get closer and used a whole 36 shot roll of Ektachrome on it and it didn't move an eyebrow.
Good morning guys. Nice capture on the burrowing owl. Reminds me of the annual trips we used to have with the Georgia Nature Photographers Association down to central Florida. During the 2018 trip we ventured a bit farther south to see some burrowing owls - photo below. We were able to get relatively close enough so that I got some close-ups with my 600mm lens. Interesting little birds.
Sadly, the leader of these trips could no longer manage them after the 2022 trip. Actually, I had to take over leading the trip after the first night as he became ill and asked my to take over and finish the trip. I didn't really want to, but I didn't want the trip to be cancelled either since we had a nice little group of photographer. I probably could have continued the trips but chose not to. DW and I will still occasionally go back down on our own to visit. Sadly, the leader that I mentioned passed on a few months ago. He was a really nice guy and great photographer.
Peter, great photo of the Frogmouth. So many birds there that we in the states will never see.
"A moment in time
Immortalized forever
With silver and light"
01-03-2025, 11:54 AM (This post was last modified: 01-03-2025, 01:59 PM by Dave.)
Fine capture of the Frogmouth, MFI.
What an odd-looking character: extremely well camouflaged as Rich noted; to me it looks ancient as if it were something from many thousands ago that was somehow transported through time to our era.
Don't blame me - I didn't vote for him!
Nikon D7500 with Nikkor 18-300 mm; PSE2021, PSCS5 Ny Flickr Albums
![[Image: 53986964849_6e9a3df296_b.jpg]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53986964849_6e9a3df296_b.jpg)
