The tree canopy is pretty dense in the area where the Barred Owls I’ve been watching hang out. There are a few perching spots that are nicely lit in the late afternoon.
This Owl chose such a branch, showing off his powerful feet.
Barred Owl
Category Archives: Raptor
Barred Owl, Black and White
He didn’t move much between my taking this image and the one in my April 6th Barred Owl post, with just his facial disc angled slightly more. They were both so nice I developed a B&W version of this one.
Stop The Car, I See A Hawk
I see it!
What Ellen sees at first:
What Ted sees at first and I saw after circling to get a better view:
The big picture, taken when I first got out of the car, liking the tree but still not noticing the Hawk on the left:
I expected the Hawk would be long gone before I got any closer.
Good bye!
Barred Owl, Waiting
He waited, I waited.
A Barred Owl passed over me and I just saw his wing. A few moments later another one zipped through the tree canopy. After walking along slowly and listening as the two owls “talked” to each other and several Crows made a ruckus overhead I spotted one high in a tree.
He then flew towards a pond where I have seen an Owl before. I slowly walked in that direction, standing and waiting and I finally spotted him. This tree stands in the middle of that small pond. He was a little closer to the ground, maybe twenty feet (six meters) up.
I inched around the side of the pond and got a side view.
And a few more feet along and more waiting, the sun popped out for a minute.
These were taken with my Sony Alpha 6500 with Sony 55-210 MM lens, which I rarely use for wildlife. However, my Canon is off having the media slot fixed and I was pleased how these came out.
Barred Owl
I heard two Barred Owls talking to each other with that low cooing sound they use when they are on the hunt. After perching in a few spots in the tree canopy one of them settled for a bit above a small pond.
I check this spot regularly, knowing that at least a pair of Barred Owls hunt here. Looking through past posts, June of 2018 was the last time my passing here was rewarded.
Sony Alpha 6500, Sony 55-210 mm
Just Make Out Bald Eagle
At the far end of the pond where I photographed Spoonbills in the fog a Bald Eagle was watching me.
March 3, 2019, Bear Island Wildlife Management Area.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Perched over a boggy area at the edge of the swamp this Red-shouldered Hawk had just swooped in and seemed on high alert, probably looking for a meal.
He spent a few minutes here studying the area then moved on without even trying to catch lunch.
Check out his talons, curved around that branch. This is how they squeeze their meals. (Turtle, It’s What’s For Lunch)
Red-shouldered Hawk
With no leaves on the trees the Red-shouldered Hawks are easy to spot when they are around the edges of the swamp. Their red-orange color palette and size stand out even when they aren’t moving.
After first seeing this one I was able to get an unobstructed view from a little further along the trail.
He appeared to be looking for a snack as he studied the ground.
After about 20 minutes he flexed his wings and I expected him to fly, hoping it would be left to right in front of me.
Not to be, he settled in facing the other way.
Turtle, It’s What’s For Lunch
I saw this Red-shouldered Hawk standing on the ground at the side of a pond and approached slowly. Other times I’ve seen them do this the bird was squeezing his next meal, but I didn’t see any food here.
Afterwards, when I zoomed in on what I thought was a tree root or Cypress knee, it turned out to be a turtle standing on its end.
Who knew a Red-shouldered Hawk could lift so much?He didn’t struggle at all and disappeared into the woods with his catch
I don’t know what made the hawk take off; I was standing still and the only human in view.
These were taken with the Sony Alpha 6500 which uses an electronic viewfinder, not the best arrangement for images of birds in flight due to the lag time.
Sony Alpha 6500, Sony 55-210 mm, at 210 mm.
Red-shouldered Hawk – Grey Day
I was taking a short-cut from the rice field back to the swamp and almost walked by him, perched on a branch just off the path. Throughout December I have been hearing the Red-shouldered Hawks calling around the swamp but this is the first one of seen in awhile.
Taken 1/2/2019.
