Hangin' With the Owls

Cheri, my friend, neighbor, and photography mentor is a fabulous wildlife photographer.  One of her favorite subjects is owls.  She's a pro at catching these magnificent birds in flight, and always knows where to find them.  

A short eared owl looking my way

During the winter months, short eared owls migrate to the Pacific Northwest and frequent wide open grassy fields to hunt.  Cheri had been visiting a nearby natural area where the "shorties" (as she and her photography buddies have adorably nicknamed them) could be seen in abundance.  She posted some amazing images of these beautiful owls in flight.  I started having owl envy.  So I asked Cheri if I could tag along on her next outing.

Sitting atop a fence post

I'd visited this particular natural area many times before and didn't have a good track record when it came to spotting owls.  In the past, every time I accompanied Cheri here the owls either didn't appear or were so far away it made photography challenging.  I joked to Cheri that my presence was bad luck for seeing short eared owls.  But Cheri was determined to find some owls that I could photograph and encouraged me not to give up.

Time to go!

So one afternoon in early January Cheri and I traveled to the local natural area where the short eared owls hung out.  Since the "shorties" (and most other owl species) began hunting near dusk, we wanted to be in place well before sunset.

Another liftoff - look at those legs!

Bird sighting news travels fast among the local wildlife photographer community and when we arrived there were at least a couple dozen other people scattered about the field, large lenses in tow.

A flyby

At first there was no owl action to be seen.  But after about an hour of waiting, someone spotted the first shortie fly-by.  Soon after three different owls could be seen soaring above the grassy fields.

"Enough with the pictures!"

The owls weren't flying close to where Cheri and I were at.  Some of the photographers started to walk closer towards the field where the owls were hunting.  Although it was tempting to follow them, Cheri encouraged me to stay put.  After many days of visiting this location, she knew that the shorties would eventually fly closer to where we stood.  Besides, it seemed about the time one walked over to where the owls were, the little buggers would fly off somewhere else - usually the place you'd originally been waiting!

Looking for dinner

Cheri, of course, was right.  Eventually the little owls began soaring over the fields closer to where she and I were stationed.  Then two of the birds started to circle a marshy area behind us.  One of the owls kept landing on a nearby fence post.  A couple of people waded through the water to get a closer vantage.

In flight

I couldn't stand it any longer and followed the other photographers through the swampy field to be closer to the owl's flight patterns.  It turned out to be an excellent decision.  Two short eared owls kept flying around the field directly adjacent to the fence.  One particular owl kept landing on the same post.

Flying near the water

Having not captured moving birds for awhile, my photography skills were quite rusty.  At first my ratio of in-focus shots to blurry misses was quite dismal.  But with a bit of practice eventually I was able to get a few keepers.

Some close flight pics

The bright sunlight made photography a bit challenging, especially when the owls flew directly into the sun.  Since I shoot in manual mode, I was forever making exposure adjustments.  (Note to self - start experimenting with aperture and shutter priority modes.)

One of my faves

After a good half hour of watching the two shorties soar back and forth across the field, one owl flew straight at myself and the two other photographers who were beside me.  It soared right over our heads!  I was awed by the quiet, smooth flight of this beautiful bird.  The close owl encounter was quite amazing - a definite highlight of the day.

Wings spread out

With dark fast approaching, I waded back across the marshy field to meet up with Cheri.  From her spot she'd also had great views of the short eared owls soaring across the field.  She even captured images of an owl and harrier fighting in flight.  It had been a most successful afternoon!

Crusin'

Short eared owls are medium sized birds, usually about the size of a crow or mallard duck.  They get their name from small tufts of feathers on their heads, resembling ears.  These tufts are small enough they are often not visible.  Short eared owls have large heads, short necks, broad wings, and adorable black-rimmed yellow eyes.  They fly low over fields using floppy wingbeats, often looking like giant moths.  Shorties live in open grassland areas throughout the world and feed mainly on rodents.

A cute chipping sparrow

I'm happy to report that my short eared owl curse has now been lifted.  I came away from that photo session with many images of these gorgeous birds in flight.  Hope you've enjoyed my photo gallery!

Drama at the Duck Pond

Time for a few wildlife photos!

As I've mentioned in prior posts, there's a neighborhood park close to my home with a large pond.  This water body is home to all types of waterfowl.  Since ducks are there year-round, long ago my family nick-named it the "duck pond."  But not only ducks, this suburban park is home to all types of feathered fauna.

A cormorant caught a nice fish

During winter months, cormorants and pied-billed grebes dive for fish that live in the pond.  I enjoy strolling around the pond with my camera, in hopes to catch one of these birds with a fish in their beak.

Flipping his catch around

Every once and awhile I get lucky.  One day in mid-January I was watching two cormorants as they dived underwater.  After several minutes of observation, one of them came up with a good-sized bullhead in his beak.  

Catching the fish in his mouth

This was the photo op I'd been waiting for.  Training my lens on the bird, I fired off multiple shots.  The cormorant didn't eat his catch right away.  He flipped the fish around and dipped it in and out of the water.  I think he was positioning the fish for ease of swallowing.

Another cormorant tried to steal the fish

Suddenly another cormorant burst out of the water and tried to steal the fish from his buddy.

The first bird beat a hasty retreat

Lots of wing flapping and splashing ensued.  Luckily, I had my lens focused on the birds, and furiously snapped away. 

"Stay away from my lunch!"

The first cormorant tried to get away from his aggressor.  With some quick swimming moves, and a bit more flapping, he beat a hasty retreat. 

Quickly swallowing the fish 

With the second bird in hot pursuit, the cormorant had no choice but to hastily swallow his catch to prevent it from getting stolen.

An amused blue heron looks on

What a great bit of drama to capture!  I've discovered the more I visit the duck pond, the greater my chances are of catching these waterfowl in action.  

And that's not the only excitement I've recently witnessed here.  Come back for my next post and I'll share photos from another encounter with my feathered friends.

Making Friends on Mt. St. Helens

One of my favorite places to hike is at Washington State's Mt. St. Helens.  It's such a fascinating place - where else can you see the aftermath of an enormous volcanic eruption and witness the recovery of its surrounding area?  If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you have probably read posts from many of my hikes around this famous mountain.

In late spring, I always plan a visit to the mountain's north side to check out the wildflowers and look for wildlife.  Recent online hiking posts had mentioned numerous mountain goat sightings near Johnston Ridge.  Eager to see (and photograph, of course) the goats for myself, I rose early one late May morning for the long drive to the Hummocks Trailhead.

MSH in early morning light

Mountain weather is always unpredictable, and today was no exception.  Although the forecast called for sunny skies, as I drove the long highway to Coldwater Lake, my car was enveloped in a thick bank of fog.  There were no other vehicles on the road at this early hour, so I wasn't too worried.  Or so I thought - about 20 miles from my destination I came upon a pickup driving a bit slower than the speed limit.  There being no passing lanes, I had to tuck behind the vehicle and putz along.

A few Indian paintbrush were blooming

I told myself there wasn't any hurry, but it's always a bit frustrating to follow a vehicle that's traveling slower than you want to go.  Finally, a passing lane came into view and I sped past the slow truck.  I drove along through the thick fog, hoping no wildlife would pop into the road.  I did scare a bald eagle off of a deer carcass - that was exciting!

As the road climbed in elevation, the fog settled in the valleys, and surrounding mountains began to appear.  I spied Mt. St. Helens' deflated summit and smiled in joy.  I'd see her after all!  Then a sign indicated an overlook.  A fog-shrouded MSH summit?  Well, of course I had to stop for the photographic opportunities.

MSH slowly emerging from the fog

A lone car was parked at the overlook, its occupant a young man who was outside cooking his breakfast over a backpacking stove.  It appeared he'd slept in his car overnight, an observation verified when I said hello and we began to chat.  As I clicked away at the mountain, we both exclaimed at the wonderful view of MSH coming out of her foggy prison.  The man said he'd gotten some great nighttime photos of the mountain with the milky way as a backdrop.  I was instantly awed and jealous.

However, my pit stop at the overlook cost me my lead over the slow pickup.  As I readied myself to pull out of the parking area, the pickup passed by.  Again I was back in the rear position, eating its exhaust.  Good thing the trailhead wasn't far now!

Mountain peek-a-boo

As the road wound downhill, I was again enveloped in the thick fog.  The pickup ahead continued on the same course, and ended up turning into the Hummocks Trailhead, the same destination as me.  Emerging from my car, a man and woman from the pickup walked over to where I was parked.  The woman asked if I was hiking the Boundary Trail to Johnston Ridge, and if I was, could she join me?

Apparently, the woman's husband wasn't interested in hiking that far and she didn't want to hike alone.  Always one to enjoy company on the trail, I said "of course!"  The lady introduced herself as Linda - we then both had a good chuckle when I told her that was my name too.

Almost clear!

Linda's grown son was going to meet her here - but he was running late and planned to catch his mom on the trail.  So after donning my boots and eating a second-breakfast granola bar, I was ready to go.  My new hiking companion and I began our adventure from a very foggy Hummocks Trailhead.  The fog was so thick, it hid all the nearby scenery.  With both of us in search of mountain (and mountain goat) views, we both hoped it would dissipate as the day went on.

Wonderful views from the trail

Chatting as my new friend and I walked along, I discovered we had much in common.  Linda was a few years older than me, loved hiking, and was a member of a local outdoor group in her hometown.  She also was in to plants and birds, and could identify most of the local flora we passed by.  Unlike me, she loved backpacking and usually completed several trips over the summer.  

Red currant was blooming

It didn't take long for Linda's son to catch up to us.  He was a nice man, and it was heartwarming to see a son that loved to hike with his mother.  Our now band of three began climbing the Boundary Trail out of the flat Toutle River valley.  The higher we rose, the thinner the clouds became, and the mountain began giving us a few peek-a-boo views.  Finally, rounding a bend in the trail, MSH emerged from the fog in a most dramatic fashion.  Made for some wonderful images!

Panoramic viewpoint

A little over 2 miles in we came upon an impressive overlook.  The trail wandered onto a ridge, providing breathtaking front-and-center views of MSH.  Lucky for us, the fog was nearly gone by that time.  We took a short break to take photos and enjoy the scene.

My new friends take in the scenery

Another thing Linda and I had in common - we'd chosen to hike this particular trail in hopes of seeing mountain goats.  Both of us had read the same online trip reports, and seen the numerous goat photos posted by other hikers.  As we rounded another bend, Johnston Ridge and the visitor center came into view across a large valley.  Linda noticed a few tiny white dots on the slope directly below Johnston Ridge.  With the aid of her binoculars, she confirmed that the dots were mountain goats.

Mountain goat!

Although it was exciting to see the mountain goats, I wished that they were a bit closer.  Even with my 400mm zoom lens, they were too far away to get decent images.  However, the trail would take us closer to the slopes where they were sitting, so my friend and I hoped we'd get some better views.

Mama goat with baby hidden in bushes to the left

Onward we trekked.  Our group of three passed by the Loowit Viewpoint, where Linda and I scanned the hillsides for closer goats.  Linda's son decided to press on to Johnston Ridge Observatory, while we ladies chose to take a more leisurely pace.  After parting ways temporarily with her son, Linda and I continued walking towards Johnston Ridge.  We hadn't traveled far when she spotted several mountain goats on the slope ahead directly below the trail.  Although we couldn't get good photographs at our present location, there appeared to be a good viewing opportunity up the trail.

Another goat checking us out

Passing over a high spot on the trail that blocked all views of the mountain goats, we descended and rounded a bend and came upon a nice overlook with the goats in clear sight.  A young man with a long camera lens was set up here.  Approaching the photographer, I recognized him as the car camper I'd met at the viewpoint that morning.  Small world!

Linda, the young man, and I hung out for a bit, taking copious photos of the goats.  There were three adults.  Two of the adults were mama goats, with their tiny babies hidden in the nearby bushes.  The third goat was a single, resting in the shadow of a small rock face.  It was amazing to see these shaggy, white beasts at a close (but safe) distance.

Golden-mantled ground squirrel

After a few minutes, Linda decided to continue on to the observatory and catch up with her son.  Hoping that the goats would start moving around, I elected to stay put.  The young man also initially stayed, but after another five minutes, he too decided to head for Johnston Ridge.  I waited a bit longer, but after several minutes with no goat movement, I decided those guys weren't going anywhere soon.  Time to move on.

Mountain bluebird

I hadn't traveled far when I met Linda and her son coming in the opposite direction.  They were heading back to the trailhead - she had to be home by a certain time.  I was sorry to part ways with my new trail buddy so soon.  But before saying our goodbyes, I made sure to exchange contact information and friended her on Facebook.  Linda, it was great to hike with you!  Hopefully our trails will cross again in the future.

Goats resting below Johnston Ridge

I continued on to the Johnston Ridge Observatory.  Normally, this visitor's center is open by Mother's Day weekend.  However, a huge landslide took out the entrance road last spring and it had been closed ever since.  When the landslide happened, it stranded several visitors and their vehicles - the people had to be rescued by helicopter.  (You can read more about the landslide here)  It was a bit sad to see the shuttered visitor's center and have the entire viewing area to myself.  However, I wasn't quite all alone - the young man I'd met in the early morning hours was also here, camera in hand, watching another small group of mountain goats directly below.

 

Mother goat giving me the stink eye

I had another great conversation with the young man.  I learned he was a wildlife biologist, currently traveling between jobs.  He gave me a card with his website - which I'm now following.  It's called "A Woods Walk Photography" ( https://www.awoodswalk.com/) and you can sign up for his monthly newsletter.

Not only did we spot more mountain goats, the man also pointed out a mountain bluebird perched on a nearby tree.  It's handy to hang out with someone who watches wild animals for a living!

Afternoon clouds over the mountain

After lunch, more wildlife viewing, and a bit more great conversation, the young man bid me goodbye and headed further up the trail.  Since the observatory was my turn-around point, I began retracing my steps back to the trailhead.   

Wonderful views on the return trip

After hiking with people all morning, my return trip was a bit lonely.  The only stop I made was to check out the mountain goats between Johnston Ridge and Loowit Viewpoint.  The three goats were all in the same spots, however, one of the babies was now out in the open.  I snapped a few images of the cute little kid, while mama goat gave me the stink-eye.  By early afternoon, the fog had entirely cleared and I enjoyed wide-open vistas and slopes full of wild strawberry flowers as I rambled downhill.

Wild strawberry blooms lined the trail

Another great hike in the Mt. St. Helens area!  Not only did I enjoy dramatic, foggy scenery, I also got to see some mountain goats.  And I met three nice people - Linda, her son, and the young wildlife biologist.  A wonderful day indeed!

In Search of Burrowing Owls

Ever since branching out from landscape photography to include birds and wildlife, I've paid much more attention to the local critters wherever I'm visiting.  Since I travel to South Dakota fairly often, I've come to appreciate the plentiful wildlife and numerous locations to photograph them that abound in the Black Hills area.  Thanks to the guidance from my neighbor Cheri, photographing birds of prey, such as eagles, hawks and owls, has risen to the top of my "photography bucket list."  Especially owls - they are such cute and interesting birds!  I've been fortunate enough to capture images of several owl species - Barred owls, a Northern pygmy owl, Western screech owls, and just recently, Short-eared owls.  But one specific type of owl had eluded me thus far - the tiny, ultra-cute Burrowing owl. 

The Badlands at sunrise

Burrowing owls are small owls with long legs and bright-yellow eyes.  Not much larger than a robin, these birds live underground, either in burrows they dig themselves, or have taken over from another animal.  Prairie dog burrows are especially popular.  These owls live in open habitats, such as grasslands or deserts.  They can be spotted during daylight hours, usually in the mornings and evenings.

  

Meadowlark announcing the day

Badlands National Park offers perfect conditions to support Burrowing owls.  Over the past few years, I'd seen internet images of these little birds taken in the Badlands by local photographers.  Keen to capture some photos of my own, I decided to try my hand at locating Burrowing owls in Badlands National Park.

Shaggy bison

For the past three years, every time I visited South Dakota, my sister accompanied me on my Burrowing owl quest.  We'd logged several hikes around Badlands prairie dogs towns, but sadly always came up empty.  Credit to my sis - she was a good sport for following her crazy sister all over a bunch of bleak, dusty landscapes.  After several unsuccessful tries, I'm sure she was convinced the owls didn't exist.

A burrowing owl!

In early May, I made a visit to my family in South Dakota.  Of course, another trip to the Badlands was on my agenda.  But this time I did a little research.  My birding friends had recently turned me onto a website called ebird.  This site featured locations all over the US where people posted lists of the birds they had seen (and sometimes heard) in a specific area.  Pouring over recent ebird reports from the Badlands, I discovered a few people had observed Burrowing owls along a specific road in Badlands National Park.  After consulting the weather, I picked a favorable day to drive out there.

Another!

Since early morning was a good time to see Burrowing owls, as well as many other animals, I left my parent's house well before sunrise.  Although I missed photographing an amazing sunrise because I was driving, my early wake up call got me to the Badlands at dawn.  Perfect!  Enroute to where the owls had been spotted, I stopped to photograph some Pronghorn antelope, several bison and a meadowlark - all right out my car window!  The day was already looking promising.

These two were obviously a couple

Five miles down the specific road was a prairie dog town.  I suspected that's where the owls had been spotted.  Approaching the parking area, it was occupied by several large bison.  I surely wasn't going to pull over there!  So I kept driving slowly along the gravel road, scanning the landscape.  

I loved how they posed

Not far from the parking area, I spotted a small brown blob out my driver's side window.  Unsure if it was an owl or just another prairie dog (they both look alike from a distance) I grabbed my camera and zoom lens to have a better look.  As the lens focused, an owl's face came into view.  Oh my gosh, I'd finally found one!

One was nuzzling the other

Ecstatic, I quickly fired off multiple shots from my camera.  The owl sat for several minutes before tiring of this paparazzi woman, and flew away.  But then I noticed another brown blob nearby - it was a second Burrowing owl!

 

On guard in the wildflowers

This time I exited my car in hopes of getting closer to the little bird.  For a short while, the owl tolerated my advances, until I got too close for its comfort.  The owl then flew across the road.  Darn - I'd just found Burrowing owls and they were already gone!

The owl couple at a prairie dog burrow

But at least I'd finally spotted some these adorable little owls.  Happy with my discovery, I decided to drive a bit further down this gravel road.  At an overlook I saw a flock of wild turkeys with two large toms.  Then I heard a coyote howl, and spotted this magnificent animal nearby.  Deciding the overlook was my turn-around point, I headed back down the road.  Maybe I could find the owls again?

"If I close my eyes, maybe the photographer will go away"

I piloted my car back to where I'd seen the owls and there they were, right where I'd first spotted them.  This time both owls were sitting together in the grass.  Remembering my previous mistake, this time I stayed in my car and photographed out the window.  The two owls were so cute - one began nuzzling the other's face with its beak.  A type of owl kiss?  I kind of assumed they must be a couple.

I caught one in flight

After several minutes of owl watching through the window, I couldn't stand it any longer and exited my car with hopes of getting a bit closer.  Again, for awhile the owls tolerated my advances, but finally both of them flew across the road.  This time I watched where they landed and was able to pinpoint their location.

Owl giving me the side-eye

I walked across a prairie dog town, to where both owls were sitting.  They appeared to be at an old burrow, possibly their own?  One owl was partially sunk down into a hole, while the other was standing on one leg.  They both glared at me suspiciously with their vivid yellow eyes.  What great photos this made!  But I couldn't get very close or they'd fly again.  I had to really zoom to get the owls - my lens maxed out at 500 mm and even with a 1.6x crop factor in my camera, it wasn't as close as I would've liked.  Right now I was wishing I'd brought my 800 mm lens for more reach.  

Baby prairie dogs

Eventually both owls grew tired of me and once again flew to the other side of the road.  By now I'd recognized a pattern.  The owls went to the same locations on each side of the road, so they were fairly easy to find.  So I followed the owls to one side and back again for a couple of rounds, before I decided I'd probably disturbed the little birds long enough.  I had plenty of great photos, so it was time to move on.

Green grasses surrounding the colorful landscape

So I drove back to the main park road and got some shots of the amazing scenery that Badlands National Park is known for.  The new grass was a brilliant shade of green and it really made the red and tan rock formations stand out.  Yellow wildflowers brightened the landscape.

I spotted two wild turkeys

It still being early in the day, I saw many more animals along the park road.  Two female bighorn sheep were grazing nearby.  Another sheep was perched on a overlook right off the road and I got some great photos of her lounging, contemplating the morning.  The only bummer is that the National Park tags and collars many of their Bighorn sheep, so they don't look very wild.

Coyote howling

I saw oodles of prairie dogs, but I've taken so many pictures of the little critters I don't usually photograph them any more.  However, it being spring, there were plenty of prairie dog babies clustered atop the burrows, and one group was so cute I couldn't resist snapping a few images.  I saw more bighorn sheep, another coyote, more bison, and several unique birds.  It was a very successful morning of wildlife photography!

Bighorn sheep, #28 to be exact

Finally, about mid-morning the park began to fill with visitors, so I took this as my cue to leave.  But I was ecstatic - I'd finally found Burrowing owls in the Badlands!  Before heading back to my parent's home, I texted my sister with the good news.  (My sis had to work so she wasn't able to accompany me this time.)  She couldn't believe it!  Later when I was able to download and edit a few photos, I sent them to her as proof.

Now that I know what to look for, you can bet I'll be roaming the Badlands with my camera next time I visit.  Hopefully I'll see the Burrowing owls again.