After taking some pictures of hooded mergansers at Black Dog Lake on the last day of January I headed down Cedar Ave to Lakeville to try and get some more shots of the great horned owls nest there. When I arrived the female was still in the nest. She was hunkered down pretty well so I could not really get any pictures of her except for her tufts. Since she was not visible for photos I decide to take a look around to see if I could locate the male. It did not take me long to find him.
He was perched in a tree on the opposite side of the woods from where I was standing. I did manage to find an opening through most of the branches that allowed me to get a couple of pics but I was not happy with all the clutter in the pictures so I skirted around the south side of the woods, making a wide arch so that I would not spook him, in order to see if I would have a better view on the other side.
I did finally find a spot where I had a good view of the owl with very little clutter in front of it. It was getting late in the day and he was beginning to scan the area searching for possible prey so I decided it was time for me to leave. I decided to take the back way home instead of the freeway. It takes a bit longer but there is also more opportunity to find something interesting to shoot on back roads. I did find a couple of things on my way back that night. First I found an open field that was full of wild turkeys searching the ground for left over seed.
Further down the road I found a pair of female ring-necked pheasant. (Thanks Mike)
This was the best look that I got as I pulled off the road and jumped out of the truck to take this shot in the waning light.
Unfortunately the bird flushed so I could not get any better shots.
He was perched in a tree on the opposite side of the woods from where I was standing. I did manage to find an opening through most of the branches that allowed me to get a couple of pics but I was not happy with all the clutter in the pictures so I skirted around the south side of the woods, making a wide arch so that I would not spook him, in order to see if I would have a better view on the other side.
I did finally find a spot where I had a good view of the owl with very little clutter in front of it. It was getting late in the day and he was beginning to scan the area searching for possible prey so I decided it was time for me to leave. I decided to take the back way home instead of the freeway. It takes a bit longer but there is also more opportunity to find something interesting to shoot on back roads. I did find a couple of things on my way back that night. First I found an open field that was full of wild turkeys searching the ground for left over seed.
Further down the road I found a pair of female ring-necked pheasant. (Thanks Mike) 
This was the best look that I got as I pulled off the road and jumped out of the truck to take this shot in the waning light.
Unfortunately the bird flushed so I could not get any better shots.
2 comments:
female Ring-necked Pheasant. A female Gray Patridge has a buff brown face and a very short square off tail with ruddy color on the edges of the tail.
Nice pics!
Mike
When I grow up I want to be like Mike, or at least have your ID skills. When I got to go out and bird with you during the CBCs I found out first hand how well you know your birds. It reminded me of how new I am to birding. I think that it will take me 30 years to get to get to your level and then I will be too old to go out birding. I should have started earlier.
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