On Tuesday, 12-07-21, I went out looking for the owls. It took me about an hour and twenty minutes before I found my favorite Barred Owl. I haven’t seen the “little guy” for almost 10 months. I had already thought something must have happened to him, so I was very happy I found him today.
I almost walked right by him. I was no more than 5 yards from him when I saw him. I backed up another 5 yards and started to get set up. I knew I didn’t need my 1.4x teleconverter so I took that off. When I was set up I was still too close for video so I probably backed up another 5 yards.
This particular owl is very trusting and has never gotten alarmed with me being around. I took a few shots where I was set up with my tripod before I took my camera to get a couple more shots from a few different angles before going back to the tripod.
I spent one hour and forty-five minutes with it today. I took both photos and video. Once it woke up and did some stretches I could see he was activity hunting. He took off at 1625 hrs and flew to where he was hearing his next meal.
On my way out I walked over to him and said, good-bye and happy hunting!
On, Tuesday, 11-30-21, I found “Hoot” after about an hour in the woods. When I first saw her at a distance I wasn’t sure if it was her or “Give a Hoot” the male. Right after I saw her and before I could get in position another GHO flew near her, but it continued flying further back in the woods. When I heard “Hoot’ give several territorial calls a couple hours later I then knew it had to be “Give a Hoot” who flew by us.
I spent the next 2 1/2 hours with her. The first half hour the sun was out and casting some nasty shadows upon her body from the several branches in front of her. I moved four different times to avoid most of the branches in front of her head and body, except for one across the upper part of her body. This would be the best view I would get today.
When I first found her she was alert, but she didn’t seemed to be bothered by my presence since she avoided eye contact with me. :) It wasn’t long before she decided to take a nap only opening one or the other eye occasionally, until it was time to fully wake up and start his day.
While watching “Hoot’ I was distracted several times by several deer around me. There were at least eight with two of them being pretty good size bucks. While I was listening I heard some clicking/rattling noises and eventually saw the two bucks sparing with one another. If I had a better view I may have considered taking a video of them. It sounded more like they were only playing with one another. They were just “tickling” each others antlers. Shortly they ended up with a group of four other does that were about thirty yards from me. I took some cell phone video of both bucks walking to the does, but it was hard to see them walking through the trees.
The light was disappearing in the woods so I concentrated on just taking video of Hoot. I had the video going when “Hoot” woke up and did two squawk calls followed up with some territorial calls. The geese and swans were making a lot of noise, but when I reviewed the video “ Give a Hoot” called back to her. When the geese settled down I could hear “Give a Hoot” calling in the distance. They called back and forth a few times before “Hoot” flew off in his direction. I’ve got her doing some grooming and some stretches, also.
I walked over to Hoot after she flew closer to Give a Hoot, the male, but her back was facing to me so I packed up my gear and went home.
When I find either one of these owls I usually spend a few hours with them watching their behaviors. I’ve photographed these two many times over the past year well as their two owlets last winter.
****I've updated this narrative to show this is Hoot, the female Great Horned Owl. ***
Today, Sunday, 11-28-21, I went out looking for the owls. I spent about 1 1/2 hours walking around and didn’t find them, so I sat for another hour listening. Again, I didn’t hear any, but I got a couple shots of two different squirrels while seated. The one squirrel heard my shutter and I could see the look in his eye…”uh, oh”.
On my way out I came across a couple nice bucks. The bigger one is an eleven point buck. I’ll have to check my photos of deer from last year to see if Ive photographed this 11 point before. I thought last year I photographed a 12 point, but I could be wrong.
While walking around looking for the owls I found some fairly recent white wash, so I know they’re around.
On Sunday, 11-14-21, I went out to look for the owls. Either the Great
Horned Owls or the Barred Owl. I haven’t seen the Barred Owl yet this
fall.
It took me about a half hour before I got to the Great Horned Owl
territory. I could hear some blue jays making a lot of noise in the
distance, so I figured they saw something. They were probably 30 to 40
yards away from me.
I had just turned off my GoPro talking about the
blue jays when along comes one of the Great Horned Owls flying my
direction. It lands in a red cedar tree about 25 yards from me.
There was a large oak tree between the owl and me, so I was able to get
my camera and lens out of my backpack without my movements being to
noticeable to the owl. It certainly knows I’m there.
We were both
looking each other over. :)
I took a few handheld shots from where I was standing. I posted one of
the first shots I took of this owl and it had made itself look thinner
after landing in the cedar tree. It wouldn’t take long before he
relaxed. I recognized the owl as, Give a Hoot, the male.
Once he got relaxed I decided to get my tripod out and moved over
alittle to get a slightly better angle.
When I got set up and took some
video I noticed I couldn’t fit him completely in the screen. I waited a
little longer before I moved back a little further.
During the two hours I spent with him he mostly slept, although a few
times his head would quickly turn in the direction of something he
heard.
It was a little past 1600 hrs when he opened his eyes and
immediately flew from his perch. I watched him meander throughout the
woods and then out of sight. The area that I last saw him was the way I
walked into this part of the woods.
It was less than a minute that I grabbed my tripod and camera and took a
few steps toward my backpack laying in the snow when either this same
Great Horned Owl or another one landed in another tree 10 yards away. I
couldn’t immediately tell from my vantage point directly below it which
owl it was.
I took some shots while I walked underneath and then further away to a
better angle/location.
It wasn't until this owl gave some territorial
calls that I realized it was Hoot, the female. She was actively hunting
when she landed near me.
While photographing Hoot three little does came over and appeared
curious on what I was doing in their woods. They stuck around while I
got a couple shots.
It was close to 1630 hrs when I decided to walk back to my gear.
While I
walked back I heard the territorial call given by the last owl…it was
Hoot, the female. She hadn’t finished her call when the male GHO, Give a
Hoot, called back from the last location I saw him fly. They went back
and forth calling to each other. I got back to my tripod and put my
camera back on it and was able to record a few more calls that are
included at the end of the video. While listening to them while standing
at my tripod I saw Hoot fly further away into the woods.
It was another magical day in the woods with Give a Hoot and Hoot.
On Sunday, 10-31-21, I went out looking for some owls. It took me 1 1/2
hours to find this Great Horned Owl. I
watched it for the next two hours. Most of the time it slept. Once it
woke up it did a couple stretches and jumped up to another branch above
her to begin looking for a meal.
Since I photographed this GHO I now know its Hoot, the female Great Horned Owl. The day these photos were taken I thought this may have been the male.
