Snowy Owl, and Pheasants

[bromm]

Well we did'nt get our action dream shots, but we did find a snowy and I did get two eyes showing this time even if they are squinted against the sun. My only regret is I left my 1.4X in the car.

#1 the regal look

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/bromm/album2/IMG_1513-01.jpg

#2 The "don't mess with me" look

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/bromm/album2/IMG_1529-01.jpg

#3 just posting this one to show the details in the feet and underwings

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/bromm/album2/IMG_1534-01.jpg

Pheasants were everywhere, we must have seen 60 or more. Here are a few shots.

#4 an in-flight

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/bromm/album2/IMG_1457-01.jpg

#5 Ma and Pa http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/bromm/album2/IMG_1467-01.jpg

#6 This yard feeder had no room for the usual songbirds

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/bromm/album2/IMG_1461-01.jpg

Thanks for looking.

[canonloader]

What a sight Trevor, and great shots too. Are the snowy's big enough to take a pheasant?

[bromm]

Thanks Mitch, I have read that they can take hares but seem to stick to a small rodent diet. They are large enough, maybe it is a conservation of energy instinct, energy lost vs energy gained. It doesnt take much energy to dispatch a mouse :D

[krocker]

Just curious Bromm did you scare the owl from it's perch?

[Cooper911]

I am envious of the snowy owl captures. I have not seen one in eastern ontario in 20 years...they used to be common on the Farm. These are nicely done. Nice BIF on the pheasant. Well done.

[DegasGoneDigital]

Nice.........were you using your 400 5.6?

[ajosteve]

Great shots Trevor, must be nice having pet owls and pheasants. I've never seen either myself. Those pheasants sure are pretty birds...steve

[Stephen Stephen]

Well done Trevor!! I haven't seen a snowy yet this winter.

[busbyea]

Nice details on the snowy's underside Trevor..

Nice to see those pheasants too; I have not seen any of these for years..

[bromm]

thanks for the replies everyone, appreciate your taking the time to look. :D

Degas..yse the 400/5.6 was used, just wished I had remembered the 1.4X

Krocker.. The Owl sat there and let us take his photo for quite a while, we were sitting still shooting away when he "lightened the load", then casually took off, he flew to the second pole from us. We promptly returned to our cars, as we were warming up in the car, the Owl returned to his post. Snowy Owls never (at least from the two I have photographed) seem to take off in panic or in a rush. They just decide to leave. The one I was shooting last year always returned to the same place if it got driven off by crows etc. In fact for two months I could show up early morning and find it either perched on a tree, or just flying in back to the area, and it picked a spot on the ground behind a hedgerow and it used that same spot almost religously for the two months.
Sorry for the long babble:D

[Broncobear]

Nice series Trevor, really like number3

[fishhawk]

Very nice shots, I live in wyoming and have never seen a snowy owl. How far south do they migrate?

[NBDigger]

Nice shots Trevor. Shirley is starting to rub off on you. lol

[bromm]

Nice series Trevor, really like number3
Thanks Frank!

[bromm]

Very nice shots, I live in wyoming and have never seen a snowy owl. How far south do they migrate?

Thanks Fish, I am not sure how far South they Migrate, I think it depends on how severe the winter is.

[bromm]

Nice shots Trevor. Shirley is starting to rub off on you. lol


Thanks Al, someone has to show me what to do.

[rstuntz]

Nice series. I really enjoyed the final pheasant shot. It struck me well. I am jealous of the owl shots. I saw one flying on the way to the river for some eagle shooting today but it was too far too fast to attempt much of a recon mission.

[Sindri Skulason]

Outstanding shots. Love the Owls and the in-flight shot of the Pheasant is simply perfect. Excellent work as always Trevor. :-)

[hTr]

That's Cheating Trevor, Those Are Awesome!!!!

I'm envious:p:p

[snowyowl13]

Great,Trevor. Beautiful shots.

[canonloader]

I am not sure how far South they Migrate, I think it depends on how severe the winter is.
They have been seen in Wisconsin for the last two winters. Not by me, but they have been reported around by the Wisconsin birders on their list. :)

[Phreddie]

Another good series Trevor, it does help with such photogenic birds, but you've shot them very well.

[Gary Fairhead]

Thanks Mitch, I have read that they can take hares but seem to stick to a small rodent diet. They are large enough, maybe it is a conservation of energy instinct, energy lost vs energy gained. It doesnt take much energy to dispatch a mouse :D


First of all excellent series...the second Snowy is a beauty for the exposure against a dark blue sky...has a polorized look:D The Pheasant image...especially the first in-flight and then the pair together are wonderful and i would be quite happy with those..Nice work!!


As far as diet is concerned...they are opportunists. A Snowy in the northern states last year ( might have been New York State) was photographed often on what appeared to be Ice and Ice flows. I asked one of the photographers what it was eating and was told it was taking Coots and other waterfowl:shock:

[jorj7]

Very nice photos Trevor.

[gymell]

The snowy owl looks great against that deep blue sky. We have a snowy here at the airport, I went looking for it yesterday but no luck.

[sugarzebra]

Fantastic series Trevor...the pheasant in flight is superb, but after looking at the snowy shots, it looks like his wings are too short :)

Snowys in the arctic usually eat lemmings & ptarmigans. When they head south they eat mostly voles (field mice) and apparently consume around 300/month!

[bromm]

Thanks for the info and kind words everyone, Ice storm here today and maybe tomorrow, hope all of the birds fair out okay.

[Miniflash]

Great shots here ~

[Reigh Higgins]

Beautiful shots Trevor. The snowy owl is my favorite. Thanks for sharing.

[Normcar21]

Super post. I've never before seen a pair of pheasants let alone two perched at a feeder like that. Fine flight shot of that bird, it isn't a slow flying bird by any stretch.

[bromm]

Thanks Deb, Reigh and Norm, appreciate your input:D

[joayne]

Trevor, what a wonderful series..Love them all!

[MDoc]

Trevor those shots are amazing. I would love to see a snowy let alone get a shot like that 3d one