Mink Encounter

 I was doing my walkabout at Cedar Bog today. The spring blooms are fabulous, but they weren't my favorite views today.
While traipsing along the creek, I caught some movement in the foliage along the bank, and saw a mink carrying what I initially thought was a rodent. I stood still and watched as she delivered it to a burrow in the bank. 
She left immediately and returned with a second identical package.....and then repeated the trip with a third. 
I was thinking that she was bringing prey to a litter, perhaps Muskrat kits....but upon closer inspection once I arrived home, it became apparent that she was actually moving her cubs to a new den!

Kingfisher Heaven!

 Anyone who attempts to photograph Belted Kingfishers knows how skittish they are and how tough it is to get close up images of them. 
My first experiences with Kingfishers was shortly after I began photographing birds....in about 2002. 
I had begun using a Canon 30D (the first digital SLR) and the Canon 100-400 lens that winter, and I  noticed that a Kingfisher was often sunning on a Sycamore branch over Buck Creek. The location was adjacent to a bridge, and I figured that I could sit under the bridge abutments and catch some images. 
Soooooo....I spent hours in January of that year sitting under the bridge in camo and covered with a camo cloth....and I got NOTHING! No matter how stealthy I was, the Kingfisher immediately noticed me and quickly departed. That earned them the name "Little Bastards" from me....and that name has stuck for over 20 years. 
In all fairness, I've developed some techniques to improve my Kingfisher skills over the years. First off....whenever possible STAY IN THE CAR! Kingfishers will not tolerate a person approaching on foot, but will (to a degree) tolerate a vehicle passing by. If I notice a Kingfisher perched, I usually drive by and take a look, then turn around and make another pass....this time slowing down well before reaching it to shoot a few images. Then, if the bird tolerates, I'll slowly approach and if in a safe location, I'll turn the engine off and continue shooting. Why engine off? Because the engine does frighten the bird, but also even the slightest vibration from the engine will cause some loss of sharpness to the image.
Yesterday, I was driving down a narrow country road, where I often see a pair of Kingfishers along a creek. I saw them both perched on a utility line initially, and slowed down to photograph. After a few shots, the female flew down to a fencepost and watched as I slowly approached. When I was almost even with her, it became apparent that she was being quite tolerant. Fortunately, the road has very little traffic, and I was able to shut off my vehicle and photograph her for a long while (in bird photography minutes). In fact, she was so cooperative that I finally drove on while she was still perched on the post (after over 1000 images). 

Superb Owl Sunday

 It's Super Bowl Sunday!
For some of us, though, it's also Superb Owl Sunday!
Here's a Short-eared Owl and a Northern Harrier standoff from Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area.
Yes...that's Bird Poop font...LOL. 

Neighborhood Cooper's Hawk

 David called to "come take a look" at our kitchen window.....our neighborhood Cooper's Hawk was perched on the deck railing next door.
I was able to get out our back door and grab a few snaps before it headed out.
What a gorgeous bird!!

Short-Eared Owl Clips

 The OM-1 camera bodies that we shoot with have performed beautifully for us while tracking and shooting the Short-Eared Owls. Capable of shooting up to 120 frames per second, both cameras are setup to use AI Bird Tracking at 50 frames per second. At this rate, a series of shots can be rendered into a video. Here's a few clips of some of our tracked flight shots....

You can also see them full sized in our Owls Gallery

The Short-Eared Owls of Pickaway County

 The Short-Eared Owls that visit Pickaway County during the winter put on quite a show yesterday! They can be seen on River Drive just south of Circleville. 
We arrived yesterday at 3pm after learning that the owls started hunting at about 2:30 the previous day. 
While waiting for them to show, we chatted with other owl watchers and owl photographers. 
At about 4:30, the first couple of owls popped up and began coursing the prairie in search of mice and voles (their preferred food). 
By 5pm, there were several owls out and they were putting on quite a show. 
I'll post some still shots here, but am also posting some "videos" made by combining still shots in a separate post. Because of the ability of the OM System OM-1 to track and shoot at 50 frames per second, the still shots can create a nice video clip. Each frame of the clips is an individual still shot. 
Our Owls Gallery

Missing the Snowy Owls this winter!

 I sure am missing seeing the Snowy Owls this year!

Snowy Owls are rare visitors from the far north. Their normal habitat is the arctic tundra, but some years, they venture south into the northern US is search of food sources.

This happened in 2017 and again in 2021-2022 when many Snowy Owls were seen in Ohio. I think only one was seen briefly around Cleveland this year.

In 2017, one stayed at the CJ Brown Beach for a week. Last year, another was also seen at the CJ Brown beach....but only for a day.

Here's some of our images of those two Snowy Owls.