Talons of Death . . .
GREETINGS! Hot, hotter & hottest down here. Hope you got to vacation somewhere cool which would be about 75º to me right now. Our schools are about to start, so I’ve got to remember to crawl through the zone at 15 mph---did get stopped for that one year---not a pleasant experience.
Owl in the first branch, feeder below right.
When I was taking a nice, cool, refreshing shower at noon, I looked out the window and saw a shape like one of those large fake owls up in a tree. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a real owl. With the little horns, too!
Barred Owls 
We’ve seen Barred Owls in the yard before. They’re about 20 inches with brown & white stripes in front & a different pattern elsewhere. I’ve even gotten some great images of their chicks way up in a huge old oak tree. You can recognize them from the fuzzy grey bodies, yellow beak & large dark eyes. But this owl had the feathers that look like horns & it was larger than a Barred owl. When I first spotted the bird, he was sleeping. By the time I got my camera he was pruning and occasionally looking down at the nearby bird feeder.
Then, I remembered that a few months ago, an owl was in the exact same place. There was a dove around the feeder. They have to land sideways to the perch because it’s really meant for smaller birds. It was dusk, so I got my camera ready & hoped to capture the owl swooping down to snatch the unsuspecting dove in mid-air with his talons of death. So I waited with my camera poised for the attack.
Sadly, it happened, but the owl was too slow and the dove easily escaped. All I got was
very blurry, smeary smudges which I knew were actually great action shots without enough light. Our sprinkler was on near the bird feeder, so I don’t know if that messed up the owl’s attack or if he was just an inexperienced killer, oops, hunter, oops, harvester? The one today must have been very hungry.
The Great Horned owl was looking down at that same feeder with a large selection of bird appetizers on display. I took pix through the shower window & then went out onto the balcony. But, as soon as I stepped out the door with the big camera, the great horned owl flew away. All I got was a weird squirrel who came down to sniff the spot where the owl had been sitting. Bummer.
I did learn that YouTube.com has lots of videos of owls: barred adults, chicks, hoots,
barn owls, screech owls, great horned owls, snowy owls but the young eagle owls playing with tennis balls were some of the strangest looking birds I’ve seen.
PHOTOTIP: When you spot something unusual, try getting some pictures from where you are. Then try to get closer for a better shot. Don’t be surprised if your subject takes flight.
BLESSINGS!
Matthew 6:26
See more pix
Go the my home page
Facebook connection
email:artisticimagesbypc@me.com
Owl in the first branch, feeder below right. When I was taking a nice, cool, refreshing shower at noon, I looked out the window and saw a shape like one of those large fake owls up in a tree. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a real owl. With the little horns, too!
Barred Owls We’ve seen Barred Owls in the yard before. They’re about 20 inches with brown & white stripes in front & a different pattern elsewhere. I’ve even gotten some great images of their chicks way up in a huge old oak tree. You can recognize them from the fuzzy grey bodies, yellow beak & large dark eyes. But this owl had the feathers that look like horns & it was larger than a Barred owl. When I first spotted the bird, he was sleeping. By the time I got my camera he was pruning and occasionally looking down at the nearby bird feeder.
Then, I remembered that a few months ago, an owl was in the exact same place. There was a dove around the feeder. They have to land sideways to the perch because it’s really meant for smaller birds. It was dusk, so I got my camera ready & hoped to capture the owl swooping down to snatch the unsuspecting dove in mid-air with his talons of death. So I waited with my camera poised for the attack.
Sadly, it happened, but the owl was too slow and the dove easily escaped. All I got was
very blurry, smeary smudges which I knew were actually great action shots without enough light. Our sprinkler was on near the bird feeder, so I don’t know if that messed up the owl’s attack or if he was just an inexperienced killer, oops, hunter, oops, harvester? The one today must have been very hungry.
The Great Horned owl was looking down at that same feeder with a large selection of bird appetizers on display. I took pix through the shower window & then went out onto the balcony. But, as soon as I stepped out the door with the big camera, the great horned owl flew away. All I got was a weird squirrel who came down to sniff the spot where the owl had been sitting. Bummer.
I did learn that YouTube.com has lots of videos of owls: barred adults, chicks, hoots,
barn owls, screech owls, great horned owls, snowy owls but the young eagle owls playing with tennis balls were some of the strangest looking birds I’ve seen.
PHOTOTIP: When you spot something unusual, try getting some pictures from where you are. Then try to get closer for a better shot. Don’t be surprised if your subject takes flight.
BLESSINGS!
Matthew 6:26
See more pix
Go the my home page
Facebook connection
email:artisticimagesbypc@me.com
Posted by Pamela at 8/17/2011 8:29 PM 
Categories: Florida, America, How to take better pictures, Photography tips
Tags: barred owl great horned owl owl chicks youtube.com talons of death killer hunter dove eagle owls
Categories: Florida, America, How to take better pictures, Photography tips
Tags: barred owl great horned owl owl chicks youtube.com talons of death killer hunter dove eagle owls
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