View On Black
This Great Horned Owl is sitting on her nest in a huge Eucalyptus tree. There is at least one downy, white owlet beneath her.
I borrowed a Canon 400mm 2.8 IS lens from Berkeley City College to shoot the owls. It's incredible having the opportunity to work with such a high end tool. Nerve wracking too, as I was perched precariously on a steep, muddy, slippery hillside and a fall would have cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $12,000!
I will be posting at least one owlet photo from this nest when time permits.
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Tags: Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus nest Eucalyptus Berrkeley California
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This Great Horned Owlet is sitting in its nest in a huge Eucalyptus tree. When I arrived, it's mom was sitting on top of it, but lucky flew off soon after, leaving me a clear view of the baby.
What an fantastic creature it is! It reminds me a bit of an Ewok.
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Tags: Great Horned Owl owlet Bubo virginianus nest Eucalyptus Berrkeley California
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The owlet has almost doubled in size since the last time I photographed it. It has become much more active, hopping around its nest, flexing its wings, and preening a lot.
It's a very expressive character.....at different times looking surprised, angry, bored, scared, sleepy, and hungry.
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Tags: Great Horned Owl owlet Bubo virginianus nest Eucalyptus Berrkeley California
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This is what the owlet looks like when it's trying to regurgitate a pellet full of fur and bones. I didn't see a pellet come out on this occasion, but I did see a full, adult-sized pellet come out earlier this same day.
The owlet has now disappeared from the nest. Hopefully it was strong enough to do some flying, and I hope, wherever it is, that the parents are keeping a good eye on it and protecting it from harm.
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Tags: Great Horned Owl owlet Bubo virginianus tongue nest Eucalyptus Berrkeley California
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This heron was floating slowly toward me on a piece of driftwood as I walked on the ruins at the old Sutro Baths site in San Francisco. I couldn't believe how close it got to me before it felt the need to fly a safe distance away. I was several feet above it, which may have given it a feeling of safety, and it might also have been distracted by the tasty morsels it was feeding on in the water.
A beam of sunlight hit the bird perfectly, while the water in the background remained in the shadow of the ruins.
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Tags: Great Blue Heron bird wading Sutro Baths San Francisco California
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