The Model Owl

The owlets have all flown the coop!  

But before they left, this little one was interested my the camera.  Every snap got a different pose--as if it knew exactly what to do.  

 A great picture depends on your subject, the lighting and the background.  With animals and birds it is hard to get everything just right. In these pictures the subject is a wonderful owlet who was looking right into the setting sun, and a background of a tree with a little blue sky peeking through!

 It is hard to believe that all these different poses came from a subject that does not take any direction or suggestion:  turn your head, look at the camera, open your eyes, SMILE!

 With the subject looking so shy and timid, it is surprising that it stood still for these great shots!

(Copyright 2015)

It's Not Over Yet ©

After spending many hours over many weeks out on the hiking trail, following the growth of the two hawk chicks and watching them fledge, and catching their first flight in the camera lens, a photographer feels a little down.  But this year it goes on and on, as new families with young hawks and owlets keep presenting themselves to this amateur photographer.  

These may be the only shots I get of this fledgling brancher, who stopped this once for a brief visit right outside the front door!  It is very rewarding to capture a great photo just by being alert, looking up, grabbing a camera and being patient!

It is amazing to watch these young birds stretch, bounce, balance and leap into flight!

Flying from one saguaro to another...

And then finally flying off into the wild blue yonder.........


(Copyright 2015) 

Catch of the Day ©

The Gila Woodpecker 

announces its presence with a noisy, trilling and downright irritating squeak.

Both the female and male have a brown face, with black and white zebra striped feathers, and white wing patches which are visible in flight.  The difference is that the male has a red cap of feathers on the top of his head.

The woodpecker nests in the saguaro cactus in a cavity (called a boot) that is excavated by the parent's long beak.  The inside of the cactus provides a safe, cool place for the woodpecker to raise its young. 

Both the male and female incubate the eggs, which hatch within about two weeks.  Both, also, feed the young... 

The young fledge and leave the nest within about a month but show up at mom and dad's dinner table for several more weeks. 

 

Dinner or diet is mainly insects--yum-yum!

But the woodpecker will eat the cactus fruits, mistletoe berries and other seasonal fruits.

The irritating and squawky woodpecker has adapted somewhat to the human presence by learning to hang onto backyard hummingbird feeders to lick up the sugary water!

(Copyright 2015)

More Hooters ©

These are two of three owlets that have fledged the nest and are now branching.

Branching refers to the owlet being out of the nest, standing on branches and still being fed by the parents, while making short wing-assisted hops or walks between nearby branches.

Different angles of the camera, different lighting due to weather conditions and different personalities make these owlets look so different from each other.

The parents will encourage them to start learning to fly once they are physically capable.

This is mom flying over, checking on her three owlets almost ready to fly themselves.

Beautiful in flight with a wing span of three feet to five feet!

At the end of a busy day mom needs a little shut eye!

Nite Nite

(Copyright 2015)

Just a Little Prehistoric ©

The pelicanis a large bird and is known for the pouch in its beak, which the pelican uses to scoop fish out of the water.

The pterodactyl, sorry, the Brown Pelican is an enormous bird with some species having a wingspan of well over 9 feet 9 inches.  Other species of pelican are much smaller and tend to live on land rather than spending their lives at sea.

This comically elegant bird with its oversized bill, winding and curving neck, and big dark body glides above the surf along the southern coast of La Jolla in southern California. It rises and falls in the shadows of the sun with the echo of the ocean waves in the background.

The pelican feeds by plunge-diving from high in the sky, using the force of its impact to stun small fish before scooping them up in its bill.  As the pelican is draining the water from its bill after a dive, gulls often try to steal the fish right out of its pouch. 

                                                                                     

But don't feel sorry for the pelican--it is not above stealing fish itself! It may follow fishing boats and hang out around piers waiting for its opportunity!

(Copyright 2015)