Owls 3

There are 43 images in my Burrowing Owl album - this photo shows one of the first and only Burrowing Owls that I have ever been fortunate enough to see in the wild. To say that it was a thrill is an understatement! These endangered owls are tiny and so difficult to see, especially when they are down in the grasses. They are a true delight when or if they are seen on a fence post, so that the whole of the bird can be seen, not just a bright yellow eye peering out between the blades of grass. We saw two different individuals, possibly three, and for a brief moment both were perched on distant fence posts at the same time. Most of the time, though, they were mainly hidden in the grass, so my photos tend to be of "eyes". Such a great pity that this is an endangered species! Without the help of two friends (Ron and Joyce) who helped us know where we might find these birds, and friends Cathy and Terry who invited me to go with them on a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park, I would never have had this amazing sighting. For years, I had longed to see a wild Burrowing Owl, but never thought it would actually happen! Same for Cathy and Terry, so all three of us are SO grateful for the help we received! During our three days away, we saw so many things, I hardly know where to start. Perhaps I will simply mention some of the things and then add more detail to each photo as I add them to my photostream. Of course, we couldn't have had a more beautiful area to explore! Waterton Lakes National Park has amazing scenery and wildlife. The weather forecast that I saw before we left Calgary said that we were in for three beautiful days of sunshine - too often, it can be rainy weather. So, luck was on our side, giving us warm, sunny days - until the BIG STORM hit, lol! We drove eastwards from the park, hoping to see Yellow-bellied Marmots and, if we were really lucky, a Burrowing Owl. Then an enormous storm cloud moved in. It was like nothing I had ever seen before - a menacing shelf (?) cloud that was travelling fast and furious. Despite trying our best to get away from it, it eventually engulfed our car, surrounding us with more or less zero visibility, pounding hail, thunder and lightning. There was nothing to do but stop the car and sit tight, hoping that the hail would not break the car windows and that this severe thunderstorm would not develop into a tornado! This storm was very scary, but at the same time, exciting (only because all turned out OK in the end!). Our road trip sure went out with a bang! Someone from the Alberta Tornado Watch told me that this particular storm was a Mesocyclone. So, a few of the things we saw - fantastic scenery, 4 Black Bears (including one that was swimming in the lake), Bison, Deer, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, various bird species including the Burrowing Owls, a few wildflowers, several Yellow-bellied Marmots (a first for me!), a few different insect species, and a family of Dusky Grouse (uncommon in Waterton Lakes National Park). I even got the chance to see three or four new-to-me old, wooden grain elevators. "As a result of the Burrowing Owl's ENDANGERED Species status in 1995, it has the focus of a variety of conservation efforts. Operation Burrowing Owl and other projects involving habitat preservation with landowners have been created. Populations are monitored by Fish and Wildlife departments. They have been reintroduced into the British Columbia interior, where it was extirpated. Outlook would improve if larger areas of habitat were preserved and harmful pesticides were banned in all areas of their range. Numbers could increase if an increased tolerance to burrowing mammals develops (i.e. badgers) – provides homes for the Burrowing Owl. Outlook: perilous." From burrowingowl.com. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_Owl

On 29 January 2017, I left home hoping to see one species of owl and came home having seen a different species instead! There was no sign of the first kind of owl, despite quite a few other pairs of eyes that had been searching. I don't normally drive from one location to another one that is a long way away, but I did this day, and I am so glad I did. I am not disclosing the area, especially after what some photographers have been doing recently to get close photos of a Barred Owl. While most photographers are respectful of wildlife, there are always those who will do anything to get a closer shot or an in-flight capture. The EXIF data for this photo is Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm. When I reached my second destination, I slowed down, starting to check the trees and fence line. Then I spotted a car parked further up the road and found that there were a couple of photographers who had already found the owl. In the short time I was there, this beautiful Northern Hawk Owl was busy hunting, flying from tree to tree and along the fence line. I saw the owl dive into the snow twice - not sure if it caught a Meadow Vole the first time or not, as I wasn't quick enough to get a photo, but I did see it with a Meadow Vole dangling from its beak the second time. Sorry for the little rodent, but glad that the owl had a tasty snack. The last time I was lucky enough to see one of these gorgeous birds of prey was on 8 February 2016, NW of the city, one year ago. It was just the same thrill seeing the one in this photo! "The type of prey the Hawk-Owl catches will determine its eating strategy. For mammalian prey the ritual is generally the same: the Northern Hawk-Owl will eviscerate its prey, eats the head first (especially for prey like the red squirrel, whose head is fairly large), and then—when tackling larger prey—it will eat the organs and cache the remains; with smaller prey, the owl will simply swallow the body whole." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl "The Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight at a distance of up to 800 meters (half a mile). Though it is thought to detect prey primarily by sight, the Northern Hawk Owl can find and seize prey under 30 cm (1 foot) of snow." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org

For anyone who is a member of the ipernity website, this link provides the latest news of what is happening with the Ipernity Members Association. So far, things sound quite promising - really keeping my fingers crossed that the website will be able to keep going and not have to close down. I have all the same photos there as on Flickr.. www.ipernity.com/doc/autofantasia/44343534 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So much for snow 'flurries' that were mentioned in the forecast! We are back to a winter wonderland this morning, 23 February 2017, after much more than flurries fell overnight ... ugh! At least the sun is shining so far today. Temperature is -4C (windchill -8C) shortly before noon. A short while after taking photos of this owl on 8 June 2016, I learned that a dead Great Gray Owl had been found in this general area. I really hope it was not the magnificent bird in this photo or the other Great Gray Owl I saw and photographed not too far away. I don't know if the owl had been hit by a car, or not. Always sad to hear this kind of news. Whenever I post a photo taken of this owl, I have to smile, thinking of what happened while I was taking photos of a Wilson's Snipe on this day. Occasionally, when I'm along one of the roads SW of the city, friend Pam also happens to come along. So, on 8 June 2016, I had pulled over to take a few photos of a beautiful Snipe that was perched on a fence post, when I was suddenly aware of a car pulling up alongside of me - and Pam was who I thought of straight away. However, when I turned to look, I found myself looking into the face of a Police Officer sitting in his Police car!!! Almost always, when I pull over, I turn on my hazard blinkers, or at the very least, the indicator. Didn't that time, so I was feeling very guilty. However, the Police Officer hadn't stopped for that reason. He just wanted to check that all was OK. He asked what I was photographing and I pointed out the bird. He said he had wondered if maybe I had seen a bear on the distant hillside (I wish!). Then he apologized for making the bird fly just before he drove off, with a friendly "Take Care" : ) I almost decided to leave for home, but then changed my mind and went in search of (hopefully) an owl. Not a good feeling, though, each time I pulled over, lol! The feel of goose bumps and half-numbed skin from my car's air-conditioning was the most wonderful feeling that day, when I couldn't bear being inside my place one more day. It feels like an oven each summer, but this year, with the crazy weather we have been having, the heat had already been too much. I had already stayed home for three days in a row, as the two day trips at the weekend had totally knocked me out. This day, though, I couldn't take the indoor heat any longer, and so I took a drive SW of the city. By the time I got back home, I felt cold, which was so good. Travelled all my usual roads and back roads, seeing all the usual things, including Wilson's Snipe, Red-winged Blackbirds and Mountain Bluebirds. When I felt it was time to start on my homeward journey, I reckoned I might as well check one more time for a Great Gray Owl. I almost drove past the one in this photo, as it was on the far side of the road when I first spotted it and, from a distance, just blended in with the light and shadows of the forest. I took a few quick shots, then drove down the road and turned around, hoping that the owl would still be in the same place, which thankfully it was. It eventually flew across the road and landed in a tree or two and then made its way to an open area where it continued to hunt. After a few minutes, it dove into the long grass and completely disappeared from sight. I thought I must have missed seeing it fly away, but it eventually did reappear and immediately flew across the road again, with a small rodent in its beak. A quick stop on a fence post (with its back to me, sigh) and then it flew off into the trees. No matter how many times I see one of these owls and no matter how many hundreds/thousands of photos I've taken of them, each owl is just as exciting as the very first. Having been so very fortunate to see this owl, I thought I would check one more time to see if the second owl that I saw a few days ago was anywhere in sight. Nothing - but I did watch and photograph a sweet pair of Mountain Bluebirds. Not my 'usual' pair, though I did see them briefly, earlier on my drive. "Although the Great Gray Owl is the tallest American owl with the largest wingspan, it is just a ball of feathers. It preys on small mammals and has relatively small feet. Both the Great Horned and Snowy owls weigh half again as much, and have larger feet and talons. The oldest recorded Great Gray Owl was at least 18 years, 9 months old and lived in Alberta." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Grey_Owl

Our temperature today, 24 February 2017, is -7C (windchill -14C) and it's snowing again. Much as I would like to stay home all day, I have no choice but to go and get some urgent things done. On 29 January 2017, I left home hoping to see one species of owl and came home having seen a different species instead! There was no sign of the first kind of owl, despite quite a few other pairs of eyes that had been searching. I don't normally drive from one location to another one that is a long way away, but I did this day, and I am so glad I did. I am not disclosing the area, especially after what some photographers have been doing recently to get close photos of a Barred Owl. While most photographers are respectful of wildlife, there are always those who will do anything to get a closer shot or an in-flight capture. When I reached my second destination, I slowed down, starting to check the trees and fence line. Then I spotted a car parked further up the road and found that there were a couple of photographers who had already found the owl. In the short time I was there, this beautiful Northern Hawk Owl was busy hunting, flying from tree to tree and along the fence line. I saw the owl dive into the snow twice - not sure if it caught a Meadow Vole the first time or not, as I wasn't quick enough to get a photo, but I did see it with a Meadow Vole dangling from its beak the second time. Sorry for the little rodent, but glad that the owl had a tasty snack. The last time I had been lucky enough to see one of these gorgeous birds of prey was just over a year ago, on 8 February 2016, NW of the city. It was just the same thrill seeing the one in this photo! "The type of prey the Hawk-Owl catches will determine its eating strategy. For mammalian prey the ritual is generally the same: the Northern Hawk-Owl will eviscerate its prey, eats the head first (especially for prey like the red squirrel, whose head is fairly large), and then—when tackling larger prey—it will eat the organs and cache the remains; with smaller prey, the owl will simply swallow the body whole." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl "The Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight at a distance of up to 800 meters (half a mile). Though it is thought to detect prey primarily by sight, the Northern Hawk Owl can find and seize prey under 30 cm (1 foot) of snow." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org

This photo was taken on 30 January 2017, when this Northern Hawk Owl flew down to the field across the road from where we were standing, caught a little Meadow Vole, and then flew up into the nearest tree. You can tell by the colour of the sky that the weather was not good for taking photos. The first time I saw the owl in this photo was on 29 January 2017. In the few days after that, I did call in very briefly maybe three other times, once just for 10 minutes. The first day was by far the best day, as the owl perched on a few fence posts, nicely out in the open. The other times, it has been high up in one tree or another, or perched high up on top of a utility pole next to an insulator. Haven't been back in about three weeks, I think. The road is dangerous for stopping and apparently there have been too many people gathering on some days. "The type of prey the Hawk-Owl catches will determine its eating strategy. For mammalian prey the ritual is generally the same: the Northern Hawk-Owl will eviscerate its prey, eats the head first (especially for prey like the red squirrel, whose head is fairly large), and then—when tackling larger prey—it will eat the organs and cache the remains; with smaller prey, the owl will simply swallow the body whole." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl "The Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight at a distance of up to 800 meters (half a mile). Though it is thought to detect prey primarily by sight, the Northern Hawk Owl can find and seize prey under 30 cm (1 foot) of snow." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org

This is a poor quality photo I managed to take out of the car window, trying to capture the owl that was way down the road. Better than nothing, though, especially as I just haven't been able to get out more than a few times to look for anything this winter. So often when I've seen a Snowy Owl, it is a small, white speck either perched on a distant fence post or sitting on the ground in a snow-covered field. Power poles and insulators are definitely not the desired setting, but I'll take whatever I can get : ) The last two years, especially, I've probably only seen a couple of close owls. On 25 January 2017, I had such a great day, spent with friend, Phil. We drove the main roads and zig-zagged along the back roads SE of the city, hoping to find owls and any other birds that we might be lucky enough to see. Phil has an unusual ability to see things that are almost invisible to the naked eye; things that I know I would never spot if I was driving on my own. Amazing how some people can do this - and, of course, the rest of us always benefit from their ability. I was confident that we would see a Snowy Owl, but had no idea that we would see 11 of them by the end of the day! In the morning, there were few birds of any kind to be found, but thankfully, more gradually appeared as the day wore on. Birds for the day included the 11 Snowy Owls, 3 Rough-legged Hawks (one a very dark individual), 2 Prairie Falcons, quite a few Grey Partridge, and a beautiful, distant Bald Eagle down on the ground the far side of a field. It was bathed in beautiful sunset light, which showed the detail of each and every feather. Mammals for the day included a number of Mule Deer and White-tailed Deer, some of them surrounded by hoar-frosted stubble. We also saw a very distant Red Fox hunting, 3 Elk (which surprised both of us), and several Coyotes. Everywhere was covered in hoar frost, which lasted well into the day. The sky was amazing for a while, with just a narrow band of light between the earth and the thick cloud pattern above. I don't remember ever seeing greenish sky before, but part of the narrow band was green. No idea why. Thanks so much, Phil, for such a great day! A day of hoar frost and glorious cloud formation, beautiful landscape, and more than enough Snowy Owls to keep anyone happy. Perfect company, too, of course. Greatly appreciated!

Today, 3 March (2017), is WORLD WILDLIFE DAY. "On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March, the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. The UNGA resolution also designated the CITES Secretariat as the facilitator for the global observance of this special day for wildlife on the UN calendar. World Wildlife Day will be celebrated in 2017 under the theme “Listen to the Young Voices.” Given that almost one quarter of the world’s population is aged between 10 and 24, vigorous efforts need to be made to encourage young people, as the future leaders and decision makers of the world, to act at both local and global levels to protect endangered wildlife." www.wildlifeday.org/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On 27 December 2016, nine of us took part in the annual Audubon Sheep River/Priddis/Turner Valley Christmas Bird Count. This gorgeous little popcan-sized or fist-sized Northern Pygmy-owl was actually not seen on the Count, unfortunately, but afterwards, when three of us decided to keep driving a few extra roads on the way home. One other friend happened to drive along this particular road on her way home and so was lucky enough to share the enjoyment with us. Also, Joe Harley and his wife, Carolyn, happened to be driving along the same road. Joe, with his powerful camera, joined us to capture this beautiful bird that gave us a wonderful chance to take a few photos. We had also seen a second owl in the same area (presumably a pair), but one of them flew off into the trees and disappeared. "The Northern Pygmy-Owl may be tiny, but it’s a ferocious hunter with a taste for songbirds. These owls are mostly dark brown and white, with long tails, smoothly rounded heads, and piercing yellow eyes. They hunt during the day by sitting quietly and surprising their prey. As a defensive measure, songbirds often gather to mob sitting owls until they fly away. Mobbing songbirds can help you find these unobtrusive owls, as can listening for their call, a high-pitched series of toots." From AllAboutBirds. They also love Meadow Voles. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pygmy-Owl/id "Carolyn Harley loves to perform as a solo artist; as the husband/wife duo HARLEY & HARLEY with her husband Joe (who took up playing bass in self defense in his 50’s!!); as THE CAROLYN HARLEY TRIO with long time friend Robb Mann on guitar and mando; as COPPER JUNCTION, a four piece band that features country/bluegrass music with the addition of Craig West on fiddle; and as CAROLYN HARLEY & THE DAVIDSONS (a play on the motorcycle!!) which is the same four musicians playing a wide range of styles." www.carolynharley.com/home Our time all day was spent travelling by car, driving the backroads SW of the city and calling in at several acreages/farms. I took part in this Count last year but had missed it for a few years before that. I believe I had only ever done it twice before that, a few years ago (December 2007 and December 30, 2008). This time, like last year, our area was in the centre of the count circle and I'm so glad I decided to go again. A great stop was at Rod Handfield's place. Some of us go there very occasionally on botany trips and he always has the best mushrooms and other fungi growing in his forest. Rod and his wife have such a beautiful cabin there. A Gray Jay gave us a few photo opportunities, which was appreciated. Rod is always so delightfully hospitable!! Thanks so much, Donna, for driving half of us - so much appreciated! This also meant that we were lucky enough to see this owl after the Count, too. A beautiful sunny day really helped - not all that cold (for Alberta!). A lot of snow everywhere (almost 8"), but that was OK, as we did so little walking. A great day!

My spirits were lifted on 24 January 2017, with this sighting of a beautiful Barred Owl. I've barely been out looking for Snowy Owls and Short-eared Owls (or anything!) this winter and have only seen a few, very distant birds - at least until the 25 January 2017, when I was lucky enough to see 11 Snowy Owls (all but one, distant) outside the city, with a friend who is brilliant at spotting things. I've also missed a recent Long-eared Owl, a Northern Saw-whet Owl and a Northern Pygmy-owl. The EXIF data for this photo, by the way, is Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm, so it just looks closer than it actually was. Always feels strange looking at an owl with dark eyes, not yellow, but they are so beautiful. This was only the second 100% wild Barred Owl I’d ever seen. I did see one in Fish Creek Park, and also I had seen a family of them near Edmonton, when we went to see ones that had been banded. They were wild birds, but I still hoped to one day see a completely wild one (no nesting box). The owl in this photo was beautiful – crummy light, but I was so happy to see this owl. We very rarely see this species within the city, so it was a real treat. Took a long walk before seeing it, and it took me a few days to recover from it - but it was so worth it. I haven't been back since, unlike a lot of people, who went back day after day and spent a lot of time with it. I guess the bird hasn't been totally stressed, or perhaps it would have moved on. "The Barred Owl’s hooting call, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?” is a classic sound of old forests and treed swamps. But this attractive owl, with soulful brown eyes and brown-and-white-striped plumage, can also pass completely unnoticed as it flies noiselessly through the dense canopy or snoozes on a tree limb. Originally a bird of the east, during the twentieth century it spread through the Pacific Northwest and southward into California." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barred_owl

We are back into serious winter weather again! This morning, 7 March 2017, the temperature is -14C (windchill -23C), with snow forecast for tonight and the next four days. Apparently, March is our snowiest month. On 27 December 2016, nine of us took part in the annual Audubon Sheep River/Priddis/Turner Valley Christmas Bird Count. This gorgeous little popcan-sized or fist-sized Northern Pygmy-owl was actually not seen on the Count, unfortunately, but afterwards, when three of us decided to keep driving a few extra roads on the way home. One other friend happened to drive along this particular road on her way home and so was lucky enough to share the enjoyment with us. Also, Joe Harley and his wife, Carolyn, happened to be driving along the same road. Joe, with his powerful camera, joined us to capture this beautiful bird that gave us a wonderful chance to take a few photos. We had also seen a second owl in the same area (presumably a pair), but one of them flew off into the trees and disappeared. This side pose shows one of the false eyes on the back of the owl's head. The two large, dark spots that look like eyes serve a purpose. "This Northern Pygmy-Owl appears to have eyes in the back of its head. But why? One theory is that large false eyes may create the illusion that the owl is much bigger than its 6 and 3/4-inch size. A more current theory is that the false eyes help protect the pygmy-owl's true eyes. Small birds will mob this diurnal owl, even striking it, directing some attacks at its eyes. If the large false eyes can take the brunt of these attacks, little harm will come to the Pygmy-Owl's vulnerable true eyes." From birdnote.org. birdnote.org/show/pygmy-owls-false-eyes "The Northern Pygmy-Owl may be tiny, but it’s a ferocious hunter with a taste for songbirds. These owls are mostly dark brown and white, with long tails, smoothly rounded heads, and piercing yellow eyes. They hunt during the day by sitting quietly and surprising their prey. As a defensive measure, songbirds often gather to mob sitting owls until they fly away. Mobbing songbirds can help you find these unobtrusive owls, as can listening for their call, a high-pitched series of toots." From AllAboutBirds. They also love Meadow Voles. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pygmy-Owl/id "Carolyn Harley loves to perform as a solo artist; as the husband/wife duo HARLEY & HARLEY with her husband Joe (who took up playing bass in self defense in his 50’s!!); as THE CAROLYN HARLEY TRIO with long time friend Robb Mann on guitar and mando; as COPPER JUNCTION, a four piece band that features country/bluegrass music with the addition of Craig West on fiddle; and as CAROLYN HARLEY & THE DAVIDSONS (a play on the motorcycle!!) which is the same four musicians playing a wide range of styles." www.carolynharley.com/home Our time all day was spent travelling by car, driving the backroads SW of the city and calling in at several acreages/farms. I took part in this Count last year but had missed it for a few years before that. I believe I had only ever done it twice before that, a few years ago (December 2007 and December 30, 2008). This time, like last year, our area was in the centre of the count circle and I'm so glad I decided to go again. A great stop was at Rod Handfield's place. Some of us go there very occasionally on botany trips and he always has the best mushrooms and other fungi growing in his forest. Rod and his wife have such a beautiful cabin there. A Gray Jay gave us a few photo opportunities, which was appreciated. Rod is always so delightfully hospitable!! Thanks so much, Donna, for driving half of us - so much appreciated! This also meant that we were lucky enough to see this owl after the Count, too. A beautiful sunny day really helped - not all that cold (for Alberta!). A lot of snow everywhere (almost 8"), but that was OK, as we did so little walking. A great day!