It was a day off from road treks. So I took my other half Pat to the Desert Museum near Tucson. The purpose of this visit was to check out the new Warden Aquarium.
Mountain Lion
I counted wild birds while working on my photography skills. And to be honest, I am getting to the point in birding where I just want to watch birds and not have to take pictures of them. My number one rule is "Get a good shot of the lifebird". Afterwards, just enjoy the observations.
Emperor Swallowtail on Hibiscus
And while I've seen all of these birds in the wild, it's not always easy to get up close and personal. So I figured, why not cheat and get some great stock photos from these birds? National Geographic does it as do many other wildlife photographers! And how do I know??? After staying at many birder bed and breakfast places, the owners tell us what some of these photography gurus do:) I still prefer the wildlife shots but it's still nice to see the details.
Western Screech Owl
And so I had a blast:)
In the wild, as most of us know, it's important to stay quiet and completely still.
Ocelot
Moving a camera up with its very audible "click" will scare away some of our elusive friends.
Today's challenge though was to capture the beauty and personality of the animal filmed. It was about NOT taking that "zoo pic" but capturing the essence and personality of the subject.
I have an affinity for owls. Owls trump most birds except maybe the Harpy Eagle. Or the Toucan. Maybe a parrot:) Well....you get the idea:)
As I'm understanding the wildlife better, my fears are also quieting down a bit. The Barn Owl flew near my ear and everyone went, "Oh my gosh guy!" One time a Bobcat came running towards me and then turned to the side. It didn't frighten me. I'm always super careful but I'm learning to read animal and bird behavior better. The Owl was just going after food. The Bobcat was only running down the path to capture a mouse.
Bobcats
Now I've heard stories. Canada and the northern parts of the United States have issues with Great-horned Owls going after "Soccer" Moms. I couldn't figure out why this was happening until it was mentioned that while running, their ponytails looked like moving mice. I laughed at first and then thought about it visually. A head injury from owl talons is not cool. So to those soccer moms out there, cover up! And hide that ponytail under a baseball cap! Public Radio is so informative:)
There is a story out there just waiting to be written and I hope to write it for you all one day. Arizona is/was home to several parrot species. I will be studying these birds over the next year here in Arizona. I hope to find some(beyond the lovebirds and monk parrots of Phoenix and Casa Grande). The Thick-billed Parrot is a rare treasure and if you ever come across one, consider yourself extremely lucky! It is endangered and while there is a successful captive program going on around the country, these birds have lost ground to habitat destruction, poaching, and high predation from hawks like the Northern Goshawk. The reintroduction to the Madrean islands looks to be highly unlikely. Currently these birds are found in the Mexican state of Chihuahua and I'm thinking a trip there would be fun.
However, Western Screech Owls are common in Tucson. Here's one below I recently took in the wild. Not the greatest of shots, but these tiny owls are still a wonderful find!
I've been thinking about adding an owl box to my garden here at El Presidio. The only issue? 3 feral cats that roam freely thanks to ghetto neighbors. I love cats. I love owls. But if I saw an owl killed by a feral cat, it would be the cats end. I'd capture it and have it taken to Pima Animal Control. And bye bye feral cat. They kill over 3 billion birds a year! We have 5 cats at our place and they are not allowed outside. But they do get an entertainment window to watch birds. It's a win win for birds and cats alike.
And so, the owl nesting box will have to wait until Greystoke, Tubby, and Bear no longer come around.
This spring I will be working on my butterfly garden again. This past summer, we saw so many of them around our property. It's all about using the right plants:)
I can now relax my camera when it comes to the Barn and Western Screech Owls.
The little guy below was very curious.
I think snakes are cool(when they are behind glass). This Mohave Rattlesnake gave me the shivers. There's nothing worse than coming across a snake in the wild while birding. I now have a first aid kit for that potential bite.
Mohave Rattlesnake
One trek I have yet to make is to the Aravapai reserve. It's home to many of our Bighorn Sheep.
Bighorn Sheep
Soon our hummingbirds will have babies.
And as for the aquarium??? It was divine! Check out the video below from my Iphone:) Until next time.....
I began this year. The beginning of my real wildlife photography would start. I would learn to track flight, manual focus on the spot, and train my eye and hand to be quick.
Harris Hawks
Looking back? My knowledge of birds is stronger. The wildlife photography has improved.
I have yet to spot so many more birds, but my investigations began with Birds of Prey.
They were larger and easier to spot in the wild.
Red Tail Hawk
Some were found right in my own backyard! Like these two hawks.
Cooper's Hawk
Some would be found accidentally like these owlets below.
Or this Turkey Vulture...
.......and in more exotic locations, birds like this Northern Harrier would fly over my head and catch my eye.
The assassin known as the Loggerhead Shrike would sit on a branch waiting for its prey.
My ears could not deny me my first discovery of this pair of Great Horned Owls.
...or the camouflage of this Western Screech Owl.
Slowly, I add to my birding lists and will continue to do so until I find them all:) And that may take me awhile.
The Gray Hawk is quite stunning around Riparian areas.
Or the mystical Ferruginous Hawk.....
More importantly. Everytime I investigate a new bird, I learn about the habitat, what they eat and how they sound......
.....and that continues to add to my knowledge base.
And that in itself is the living classroom....the one we find surrounding us.
And then there are the exotic places that I can only glimpse at faires. Birds that are found elsewhere around the world.....the Birds of Prey that exist in Europe or South America. And I yearn to find them in their natural habitat. I've been exposed to a broader picture of the bird world.
Eagle Owls with massive wingspans, deadly buzzards from Africa......
....or South America.....
.....make my mind wander. What more is out there? Where could I find them?
And thanks to these beautiful birds, my hunger only grows to find more at each Rare Bird Alert that pops up on my screen. Location. GPS tracking coordinates. It's all exciting stuff. More to come.....
Another mission that is ongoing is the hunt for the great Elf Owl. This year has been primarily a year of the Great Horned Owl. So while I search for this little bird in the wild, I thought I'd review what I've seen so far. Education is the best! The above pictures were taken in Wisconsin at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary. Granted I don't count these shots as part of my birding list, but I did do some research on them for future searches. The Snowy Owl isn't found in Arizona nor is the Barred Owl.
Snowy Owl
But out in the wild jungle of our deserts, I did get shots of the Great Horned Owl. This year was full of them!!! And I took the opportunity to film them.
It started with my first thrilling search at night inside a wash at Tanque Verde. Then it all went downhill from there. Owls nesting at my school, in trees, and the Great Horned Owl became an instant favorite:)
And while on my hunt for owls, I discovered the Western Screech Owl near Patagonia. I have to admit that these are a bit tricky for me to spot. Note how they blend in with their surroundings!:)
Western screech owl-sadly this owl was eaten by a hungry Cooper's Hawk in the winter of 2015
On a fun day trip to the Renaissance Festival in Florence, I was exposed to the Eagle Owl only found in Europe. The relative of our own Great Horned Owl was MASSIVE and I wouldn't want to be on its bad side:)
The grace, curiousity, and beauty of this Barn Owl flew into view at the Buenos Aires Wildlife Park. It was really a treat to see this gorgeous owl near....the barns:) It flew near me watching me hike.
And then there is this Short Eared owl from the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary. Apparently they are here in Arizona. So I'll be keeping my eyes open for not only the Elf, but for the Short Eared, Burrowing, and Flammulated Owls. If a troll shows up, I'm outta there.....:)
As of August, 2015, I have not seen this owl in the wild.
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