Owls!!

Burrowing Owl behind its burrow Sigma 150-500+ 2x tc

TerryWSmith wrote in post #19070635

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forum: Birds

Hosted photo: posted by TerryWSmith in
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forum: Birds

when i first saw this, it reminded me of an instagram post...definitely not yours though, so i assume, maybe a few other photographers were around

There were only 2 people there, myself and my good friend Shannon Phifer.


T.

Those shots are so cool!

TerryWSmith wrote in post #19070739
There were only 2 people there, myself and my good friend Shannon Phifer.


T.

Ha, funny. That’s exactly who I saw posted it. Makes sense now. I had never seen them side by side like that, it made such an impression. Also that size difference seemed crazy.

My local Powerful owls. The female entered the hollow on May 27. Incubation takes 38 days.
The male needs to provide food for the female during that time and for a few weeks after.
He's finishing off a Possum he gave to her here (she won't take any food into the hollow until there are chicks)
The end of the Possum tail is visible in both photos..

Powerful owls, a bit of bonding.

Choderboy wrote in post #19072184
Powerful owls, a bit of bonding.

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So loveing. Tears to my eyes.

Female Powerful owl was called out of the hollow by the male who provided her with the bottom half of a Ring-tailed possum.
It's an interesting dynamic. The food handover usually appears to be a quick tug of war but I think it's more he is just making sure she has a hold so it does not get dropped. He will then typically move to 5-10 metres away while she eats. Possibly reassurance that it's now hers and she can eat as much as she wants. 2nd photo is the male after she had finished with it and returned to the hollow. About 29 days until hatching.

Choderboy wrote in post #19074118
Female Powerful owl was called out of the hollow by the male who provided her with the bottom half of a Ring-tailed possum.
It's an interesting dynamic. The food handover usually appears to be a quick tug of war but I think it's more he is just making sure she has a hold so it does not get dropped. He will then typically move to 5-10 metres away while she eats. Possibly reassurance that it's now hers and she can eat as much as she wants. 2nd photo is the male after she had finished with it and returned to the hollow. About 29 days until hatching.

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forum: Birds

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forum: Birds

Great shots!!

How are you able to tell which is male or female?

Hello and thanks for allowing me to join. This is my first post and I'm very open to critique, I appreciate any feedback. The below images are of my first encounter with a Great Grey Owl. I'm not sure about the first image, he was rising out of the snow behind a small snowbank but I do enjoy the second one.

FrostyNomad wrote in post #19074396
Hello and thanks for allowing me to join. This is my first post and I'm very open to critique, I appreciate any feedback. The below images are of my first encounter with a Great Grey Owl. I'm not sure about the first image, he was rising out of the snow behind a small snowbank but I do enjoy the second one.

Welcome Frosty.
I can't critique other than to say how much I enjoy them.
I love it when we get shown shots like these of birds in their natural environs.
They're very nice IMO.

Inspeqtor wrote in post #19074146
Great shots!!

How are you able to tell which is male or female?

Thanks. I can usually tell by looking at them, a few subtle differences. He is a little bigger. Also, the male is more relaxed and at the same time is more ascertive. Their calls are different, their call is a Woohoo. The 2nd note is lower for the male while 2nd note is higher for the female.
Currently she is in the hollow incubating and only leaves for food, which he provides. So it's easy to follow who's who. As the weeks pass she will become dirty, no bathing and stained from the hollow. Her tail feathers also become ragged from living in the hollow so it becomes even easier. When they were mating, nightly for weeks, I had nightly confirmation that I was identifying correctly.

Thanks avondale