Short-eared Owl

I stopped by Mount Comfort this evening.  Two (or possibly three) owls were out cruising around.

Shelbyville Snowy Owl

We got word on New Year's Eve that a Snowy Owl had been found at the Shelbyville Airport. We bundled up and headed out in the morning to see if we could find it. Luckily, it was sitting conspicuously on a roof.

Soon, the rest of the paparazzi showed up. The airport manager let us walk a little closer. The windchill kept us from watching too long. It was fun to see one relatively close to home.

Gahanna Barred Owl

I know I just posted a Barred Owl picture, but this seems to be time for them. I have been hearing and seeing the Barred Owl in our neighborhood somewhat frequently. Today, Joy, Laney, and I went for a walk along the Big Walnut in Gahanna to enjoy the warm spell. I was watching every hollow as we walked. I spotted this Barred Owl hanging out in a big old Sycamore. I liked the snow stuck to his face in the third picture.

Barred Owl

I took Laney for an evening walk around the neighborhood to enjoy the snow and the daylight. I had all ready passed by this silver maple once when I look up and noticed this Barred Owl. I kept on walking and Laney never noticed. I ran home, put Laney inside, got my camera, and hurried back. I think this is the same guy that some crows were mobbing last Sunday. There are plentiful spruce and pines in the neighborhood to serve as roosts.

Wrap-up of Kansas Birds

While birding the dusty backroads of Gray County, I was pleasantly surprised that there were actually birds in the open fields. One of the most common birds was the Western Meadowlark. If not the most common (probably Horned Larks), then they were the most vocal.


Vespers were up there in abundance. These 'little brown birds' are actually fairly good sized for sparrows. They would virtually disappear when they landed on the bare ground.


Trees were so scarce that there was pretty stiff competition for nest space. Here a Great Horned Owl and nestling keep a careful eye on me.


A Western Meadowlark got caught almost facing the camera. They seem to have a sixth sense about which way to face if I have a camera out.


A Vesper Sparrow sits on a barbed wire.


Wind turbines along the horizon, making use of the constant wind. A brochure I saw claimed that Dodge City is the windiest city in the United States.

Northern Hawk Owl

Northern Hawk Owl, Duluth, MN

According to reports, this Hawk Owl was the most reliable of the owls to find. He had been seen along Martin Road at a place called 'the dirt factory'. We had no idea what that meant, if that was a Minnesotan slang for something or something else. It turns out that the Dirt Factory was the name of this gravel/topsoil provider. We cruised the road and found him sitting atop a power pole near the road. He flushed from that roost and flew off about 100 yards to the top of a spruce. He is sitting just right of center at the top of the spruce in the photo above.

A snow mobile trail went right by his tree. Snow mobiles were clearly not concerning to this Hawk Owl, since he didn't flinch when crowds of noisy, blue-smoke emitting snow mobiles went by. We walked up the trail to get a closer look. We couldn't get that close due to the surrounding trees, but it was still nice to see him closer.

In this profile shot, you can see his long tail and the dark spot on the back of his head. He stayed put and we left him there as we headed back to the car.

Great Gray Owl

Great Gray Owl at dusk, Sac Zim Bog, MN.

After seeing the Boreal Owl and grabbing lunch, we headed to Sac Zim Bog to look for Great Gray Owls. There was a lot to see at the bog, but these owls had been reported mostly after four pm, so we concentrated our attention. Sac Zim Bog is a mix of wetland, upland, and farm land. The diversity of habitat types is matched with avian diversity.

We parked at along a road that was a Great Gray Owl hotspot and walked a trail looking for the owl. The sun was setting and it was clear and cool. We watched for a while with no luck. We decided to head back to the car and slowly cruise the roads.

After cruising north for a mile or so, we turned and headed back south. The sun was below the horizon, but the sky was light. We saw some Ruffed Grouse along the road and watched them for a minute. Then we noticed a car stopped up ahead of us. Sure enough, the owl had perched on a limb above the road right where we were the first time. While the photo is not a close-up, through a scope the white 'bow-tie' was visible. The large half-domed head and great size were impressive.

The habitat and sky immediately after the owl flushed. (A car drove by and the owl flew off.) While I wish for a closer look some day, I was very happy to get my first look at this awesome owl.

Boreal Owl

Boreal Owl near Knife River, MN

An invasion of Boreal Owls had been reported this winter. Quite a few individuals had been seen along North Shore Drive between Duluth and Two Harbors. These owls come this far south every four years, according to prey population cycles. This guy is sitting in the close spruce tree in the photo. We were scanning the trees as we drove, but we wouldn't have seen this guy if it weren't for a car parked along side of the road.

Very shortly after we stopped, a crowd descended on the scene. There were a lot of folks from Minnesota and Wisconsin, but I heard that a guy had come all the way from Florida to see the Boreals.

Despite the crowd, this owl didn't seem too bothered and continued to hunt. The owl was still sitting there when we left. It was hard to imagine a better look at such a special bird.

This individual was quite well photographed. I heard reports that 14 different Boreal Owls had been spotted in the area.

Great Basin Wildlife

There seemed to be less Pronghorn in the valley this year, but that could be as much to do with it being a drier year than last as the activity. Occasionally, one or two would walk by quite close.

I hardly saw any shrikes in the area in March, but they were quite common in April. The contrasting black and white wing patches and fluttering flight are eye-catching.

Sage Thrashers are the other common large perching bird. Rarely do I get a nice clear and close look. This look didn't last until the next frame snapped on a continuous photo burst.

I turned in this photo on bugguide.net to find out what it was. These beetles were gigantic and fairly common in the valley. It turns out that they are a kind of Darkling Beetle called a Desert Stink Beetle in the genus Eleodes. Maybe even E. obscurus.

I stopped by the Great Horned Owl nest the morning before I left to see how the owlets were doing. Both fuzzy nestlings, plus both adults, peaked out from their nest.

Great Horned Owl Nest

A couple of days after first seeing the three adult Great Horned Owls at the Steptoe Valley Wildlife Management Area headquarters, I stopped by again as I was birding in the area. The manager and I started chatting in the drive, right about from where this picture was taken. Suddenly, the top image came into focus. Both parents were sitting there with their two fluffy nestlings. The nest is located right in the center of the photo, on that main trunk that goes straight up.

A little bit closer view of the nest. These western cottonwood trees all seem to have a funny habit of keeping dense clusters of dead twigs. I am sure that wildlife appreciates this characteristic.

Looking out across the Steptoe Valley Wildlife Management Area towards Ely from near the headquarters.

The Great Horned Owl family appears to only grudgingly welcome the morning sun. The nest is located right off the route to my work site, so it is convenient to check up on the progress of this great family.

Great Horned Owls

I spent some time at the Steptoe Valley Wildlife Management Area this afternoon. (Here is the NDOW brochure for the area) There was quite a nice collection of birds hanging out at the old ranch. I was chatting with one of the managers, and he causually asked if I had seen the Great Horned Owls that usually nest in the cottonwoods by the stream that flows by the ranch house. There were only about five cottonwoods, but they were fairly tall and dense trees. After some scanning, I found one. Then I found another. Then there were three. All were adults. I stayed to watch for several hours, the evening being very pleasant. (And I love these owls.)

Mt. Comfort Snowy Owl

A tip on facebook sent us out looking for a Snowy Owl at Mt. Comfort Airport. He wasn't hard to spot, with the other birders out with scopes. He was sitting on a hanger, and eventually flew to another hanger. We watched him for an hour. None of the photos capture how piercingly yellow his eyes were. He seemed to be going to sleep when we left. We also so American Kestrels, Tundra and Trumpeter Swans, a Northern Harrier, and Ring-billed Gulls.