The other night, a bird flew in front of my car as I drove through the Boise State University Campus. I immediately pulled the car over, grabbed my camera, found the bird, and recorded. It was too dark, so I did what I could with the camera, cranked the ISO, dropped the aperture, and lowered the shutter speed. This video shows the abilities of the Canon 7D at its absolute limits, in the dark. Not the best, but I’ll take it.
We’ve entered a very active time for owls. These birds are in the midst of pair bonding, preparing for the breeding season. They are very active and vocal, so take the time just after sunset, and you’re sure to find an owl or two.
Yesterday, I travelled well out of my way with Caitlin Davis and Heidi Ware in search of a wayward Northern Hawk Owl. The journey to Moscow, Idaho from Boise is very long. Really, it’s too long if you don’t have a solid guarantee to see your target. We weren’t guaranteed, but it was a promising bet, enough to make us shoot for it.
Only minutes after arriving in town, we had located the owl. It was impossible for me to set the scene with my camera, given my 300mm lens and lack of any alternatives. I’ll have to attempt to paint the picture using words. It’s important, as the experience was quite peculiar.
For whatever reason, this hawk owl had decided to settle in the middle of town, to hunt an overgrown irrigation ditch next to a shopping center. The irrigation ditch is now unused. The area has succumbed to commercialization, with a shopping mall to the north, and what appeared to be a doctors office of some sort, and more store fronts to the south. Now the ditch serves as a remnant of a natural area, with a jogging path running alongside, so pedestrians can feel a bit of nature as they pass through the community. Here, the hawk owl felt enough nature to sit and hunt, for a few days at least. What a strange creature.
I’m captivated by bird behavior. Of all places, this bird felt comfortable enough to hunt along a busy roadside, in the middle of town. Optimal hunting habitat is not limited in the area surrounding Moscow. It’s quite rural there, with the surrounding farmlands likely boasting a host of mammalian prey.
I can come up many reasons why the bird felt comfortable here, related to presence of prey and a lack of predators, but I still think any explanation falls a bit short. It was simply one of those instances in life, a peculiarity. I’m thankful someone was aware enough to notice the strange looking bird, perched on a wire above the road.
The bird seemed to ignore we the birders, and kept about its business. It seemed focused. I was surprised by how active its hunting was. While we were watching the bird, about forty five minutes time, it switched perches over and over. It watched the ground, and would seem to come off perch in pursuit, only to fly to another perch. Sometimes, it would go to high light poles, or power lines, and then it would come low to a small tree top. There were even times it sat on the street signs.
I’ve always been intrigued with how animals interact with human society and infrastructure. This bird seemed to act as if it were a part of its daily life, to continue on its natural tasks, in the midst of a rather unnatural setting, as if it had always done so.
I still have a massive collection of experiences to share from the past year of my beatnik travels across the continent in search of birds. At the top of the list is seeing my first Great Grey Owl in the Yukon Terrritory.
Caitlin Davis and I stopped in a small town, a village really, called Haines Junction, to meet with our friend Bill Clark, who was in the Yukon chasing and banding Harlan’s Hawks. Bill and I share a passion for the Harlan’s, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend the day with him chasing the enigmatic hawk. In the morning we set out with Bill and a young graduate student, Megan Mayo, who is doing her thesis on the genetics of pigmentation (broad description) in the Red-tailed Hawk. It was a very damp day, raining regularly, but the Harlan’s were plentiful.
While Traveling down the highway, scanning for Harlan’s, Megan spotted a large dark creature perched on a snag. Indeed the large figure was the Great Grey Owl, watching the roadside in the rain, hoping for a meal.
This Great Grey was my first, and Caitlin’s first, and Megan’s first as well. The bird had six eyes entranced on its behaviors. While Megan and Caitlin approached the owl to experience it in more detail, I set up my video equipment and chatted with Bill. He had seen many in his day of course, but I could tell the bird still brought him some joy. I was rushing as the girls approached the bird. I felt some anxiety at the possibility of setting up and having the bird retreat before I could take a clip. Bill reassured me that the bird wouldn’t mind the intrusion, as in his experience, they are very tame in temperament. Of course he was correct. The bird tolerated our presence.
Both Caitlin and I took many photos. I’d love to share everything, but at the moment I’ve settle on the three. Notice the feather structure of the bird. It is fascinating, as the rain dampened the birds feathers, creating incredible textures. Caitlin’s photo shows the birds face at an angle that displays the deep inset eyes, showing the extent of which the birds mass is comprised of feathers. I really can’t describe what it was like to be so close to such a creature. There is a reason people talk about this bird as if it were the top of their list, the bird they seek most. I encourage bird lovers to make the Great Grey Owl a priority. It is one of the birds that lives up to the hype, one that will surely not let you down.
I’ve made a stop in the California Sonoran to conduct nesting bird surveys for a bit. This will be the end to the southwest tour of the beatnik birder. The roads I have travelled and the places I have seen… These times will be remembered.
My time here is brief, but long enough to once again experience the nesting season of the Sonoran. I’ve already had some amazing experiences with nesting birds, and found some of the most delicate lifeforms I’ll ever encounter.
The photo I share today is of a dedicated Burrowing Owl on the south end of the Salton Sea, standing watch over his tiny kingdom. He was so serious, I’ll have you understand. He took no notice of my vehicle as I encroached on his business. He was about a higher task, to ensure his legacy. He did not bother with me, for which I was fortunate. Soon I was too close for my lens to focus, so I stopped with my intrusion. It was a blessing to encounter such a stubborn owl, so I did not take anything for granted. After taking my fill of photographs, I simply watched.
I could have watched, and filmed, and taken notes, and drawn, and continued to pore into the world of this owl. But I left him to his task. There he remained, watching his land, diligent and dedicated. It is my hope that there he will forever be.
ornithologi.com 