Great Horned Owl in a desert – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
Happy Thanksgiving to all
Overnight more snow has fallen in the Salt Lake Valley and I am not sure if I am going to be able to get out into the field to fulfill my tradition of photographing birds on Thanksgiving morning. Time will tell and if nothing else I may hop into my Jeep and head to the local pond for a few minutes to view the birds that gather there at this time of the year even though the clouds are thick overhead.
I reached back into my archives and found this photo of a side lit Great Horned Owl in desert habitat that I spotted from one of the dirt access roads that lead to the Mt. Moriah Wilderness of eastern Nevada in 2012. I noticed this owl from a long way off only because the tip of the owl’s left ear tuft moved in the breeze which caught my eyes. If that tuft hadn’t moved I might have missed seeing the owl altogether because it was well camouflaged against the rocks of the outcropping.
Pointing out the owl to my companion was not an easy task. Not at all.
It was the first time I’d photographed this owl species in such an arid area and although I wish I had been closer and had a better light angle I am still glad to have this photo in my portfolio.
I remember wondering while I photographed this Great Horned Owl if it used crevices in the rocks to nest in during the breeding season because there weren’t any trees, old buildings or other man made structures for miles and miles that would have been suitable. My mind does get plenty of exercise when I am out in the field photographing and observing birds.
Life is good and I have so much to be grateful for.
Mia
Click here to view more of my Great Horned Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.
Happy Thanksgiving, Mia!
You have a good eye!
Happy Thanksgiving, Mia! Thank you for your wonderful blog. I’ve learned so much from it and not just about birds. I did not know what the Belt of Venus was called until I read about it here. I like tody’s post especially because I saw a Great Horned Owl yesterday on my walk by the Boise River and I heard owls calling to each other very early this morning around 5:00 a.m. Hope you have a wonderful day.
Any day with an owl in it is a good day.
Thank you – and Happy Thanksgving.
Fabulous! My favorite owl species — and on Thanksgiving too! 🙂 It’s gonna be a great day!
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Nice find! Strange thing I have seen a lot of GHO in the desert of Utah and Nevada while exploring back way dirt roads. I guess they are more common than I thought they would be.
Happy Thanksgiving, I hope you make it to the pond today. We will be out your way today for our dinner with extended family. We have gotten large enough it is at a church out there. I would rather be stomping around in the snow in the gully than schmoozing with all the relatives I hardly know.
This is a beauty, Mia…I, too, wonder where they nest in such habitat…
Beautiful photo, Mia.
Have the happiest ThAnksgiving ever.
Wow, I love this photo. Yes, it is well camouflaged.