owl

Barn Owl image choices

By Mia McPherson, on January 16th, 2013%

Perched Barn Owl – High Key

I photographed this perched Barn Owl yesterday at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in northern Utah near a hill that was covered in snow which gave this image a high key effect. High key images seem to be an acquired taste and I quite like this one. but I also wanted to see what it would look like in black and white.

Perched Barn Owl – Black and White

I actually like them both, the color image because it shows the rich colors of the Barn Owl and the black and white image for its simplicity.

[cardoza_wp_poll id=2]

The image that got the most votes was the color version with 76% and the black and white version was 24% of the vote.

Mia

Burrowing Owl Butt Shot!

By Mia McPherson, on July 15th, 2012%

Let’s face it some butt shots aren’t very pretty but some can be awfully darned cute!

Butt Shot! – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

I’ve never been able to think of a great caption for this Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) image, if anyone has an idea for one, please leave it in your comment.

The juvenile had been preening and gave this wonderful pose, oh how I wish it had been facing me! Even though I didn’t have eye contact from the owl I simply couldn’t delete this file, it is too funny.

Mia
OnTheWingPhotography

More Burrowing Owl images

Friday Photos – Short-eared Owl in Glacier County, Montana

By Mia McPherson, on August 19th, 2011%

Posing pretty

A Short-eared Owl posing pretty
Glacier County, Montana
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 320, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

Sorry I’ve been so quiet lately, I spent last week in Montana and have been trying to catch up with work, culling images I took last week and trying to find free moments to edit some of the photos that I took.

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. We’d never seen one near the farm in Glacier County but there it was posing as pretty as can be on a fence post.

I’d missed seeing the Short-eared Owls at Red Rock Lakes NWR; a story I’ll write about later, so this beautiful owl felt like a treasure to find. It hunted on some CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) land that has been allowed to go unplanted and has or is reverting back to the natural grasses and flora found in the area. A pretty nifty idea which I believe helps to sustain the birds and animals that may have been misplaced by the farming done in the area.

Mia

Coming soon: Flat tires, Cattle, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Glacier National Park and Short-eared Owls

More Short-eared Owl images

Friday Photos – Juvenile Burrowing Owl

By Mia McPherson, on August 5th, 2011%

Juvenile Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) just after sunrise
Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f8, 1/750, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

I just adore Burrowing Owls, especially the juveniles because they seem to be more animated than the adults. This owlet had three other siblings that were equally as cute. This is probably one of the moments were the juvenile looked more serious than at other times.

Just a short post this morning as I am heading out to photograph more birds.

Mia

Montana Short-eared Owls

By Mia McPherson, on June 12th, 2011%

Male Short-eared Owl with prey for chicks

Male Short-eared Owl with prey for chicks
Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/1500, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

I am so excited I can barely contain myself. By the time this article is posted on my blog I will be on the road back to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southern Montana, another one of my favorite locations on this planet.

On the 30 mile drive from Monida I will be keeping an eye out for Ferruginous and Swainson’s Hawks, Bald Eagles, Long-billed Curlews, Kestrels and Sandhill Cranes. I will also be looking for Elk, Pronghorns, Mountain Bluebirds and more. You never know what might be seen.

Last year we were fortunate to find a Short-eared Owl nest not too far from one of the roads on the refuge where we could park to use the vehicle as a mobile blind and at a distance we could watch and photograph the owls without disrupting or disturbing them. Will lightning strike twice and we’ll be lucky enough to find another Short-eared Owl nest? Who knows but I will keep my fingers crossed!

Red Rock Lakes NWR feels magical to me. There are times when the light is simply gorgeous and almost takes my breath away. The lakes, marshes and open grasslands and the Centennial Mountain Range beckons for me to explore and photograph the wonders before my eyes.

I’ll wake and hear the howls of coyotes in the area and the calls of the Sandhill Cranes. During the day I will hear the captivating sounds of the Long-billed Curlews and the unmistakable calls of the Trumpeter Swans. The Lupines and Shooting Stars will be in bloom and the pungent aroma of Sagebrush will fill the air. The stars at night will enchant me by twinkling against the dark velvet sky and the expected lake mists early in the morning will add an air of mystery.

Oh yeah, I am very excited to be going back to a place that has become near and dear to my heart. I am hoping for good light, good weather, plenty of birds, other wildlife and another awesome adventure to a wonderful location that fills me with inspiration.

Mia

* I have set up a few pre-scheduled posts for while I am off the grid.

More Short-eared Owl images