The best colour to see in winter
Hiding
Vibrant
Shepard Energy Centre, east of Calgary, Alberta
Emerald Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Common Redpoll / Acanthis flammea
Common Redpolls
The old and the new
Rough-legged Hawk
On a distant fence post
Winter on the prairies
Vole brains for her afternoon snack
Common Redpoll
The beauty of Lake Louise
Primula denticulata / Drumstick Primula
A friendly face in Weaselhead
Common Redpoll in the forest
Sweet little poser
Downy Woodpecker
One day closer to spring
Matching colours
A fence without an owl
European Pasque Flower / Pulsatilla vulgaris
Busy little bee
Common Loon
Emerald Lake
Chateau Lake Louise and ice castle
Summer greens
Home of the Snowshoe Hare
A winter walk
Winter beauty
Snow, snow and more snow
Just in time
Persian Cornflower / Centaurea dealbata?
One of yesterday's treats
Pine Grosbeak / Pinicola enucleator
Modern charm
Clark's Nutcracker
"Canoe with three warriors", by Team Sakha from Ru…
Winter walk at Beaverdam Flats
Painted Tongue / Salpiglosis
Sheltering in the trees
Pine Grosbeak / Pinicola enucleator
Now THIS is winter!
Clark's Nutcracker / Nucifraga columbiana
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Winter wonderland with a bonus


Five days ago, on 25 January 2016, after staying away from the Short-eared Owls for a week, I decided I would go back and see if one of them might just happen to land on something a little bit closer. Also, the weather forecast for the day was for sunshine and cloud, but the forecast for later in the week was for more snow.
I had somewhat better luck this day, but the owls were still some distance away, so I had to fully zoom (48x), which resulted in photos that could have done with being sharper. Needless to say, though, I was thrilled to get a few better looks at these beautiful owls. When this owl landed on this fence post way down the road, there was already one car that happened to be parked right there. I was able to inch my way closer, holding my breath, but needed to be so careful not to flush the owl. The photographer in front knew he had the best possible spot and he wasn't going anywhere : ) This was such a beautiful sight with the snowy, frosty setting. This does seem to be a good winter for this species, as they are being seen at all sorts of locations, which is exciting. Even so, a tremendous amount of patience is needed : )
"A bird of open grasslands, the Short-eared Owl is one of the most widely distributed owls in the world. It is found across North America, South America, and Eurasia, and on many oceanic islands." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Short-eared_Owl/id
"The short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) is a species of typical owl (family Strigidae). Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may not be visible. Asio flammeus will display its tufts when in a defensive pose. However, its very short tufts are usually not visible. The short-eared owl is found in open country and grasslands.
The short-eared owl is a medium-sized owl measuring 34–43 cm (13–17 in) in length and weighing 206–475 g (7.3–16.8 oz). It has large eyes, a big head, a short neck, and broad wings. Its bill is short, strong, hooked and black. Its plumage is mottled tawny to brown with a barred tail and wings. The upper breast is significantly streaked. Its flight is characteristically floppy due to its irregular wingbeats. The short-eared owl may also be described as "moth or bat-like" in flight. Wingspans range from 85 to 110 cm (33 to 43 in). Females are slightly larger than males. The yellow-orange eyes of A. flammeus are exaggerated by black rings encircling each eye, giving the appearance of them wearing mascara, and large, whitish disks of plumage surrounding the eyes like a mask." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-eared_owl
"Short-eared Owls are one of few North American owl species that can be sexed easily by plumage colouration. Females have pale brown undersides with heavy dark vertical barring. Their facial discs are also washed with the same pale brown. Males have nearly white undersides and paler facial discs. The barring is usually lighter and less dense." From the Owl Foundation.
www.theowlfoundation.ca/SpeciesInfo/speciesseow.htm
I had somewhat better luck this day, but the owls were still some distance away, so I had to fully zoom (48x), which resulted in photos that could have done with being sharper. Needless to say, though, I was thrilled to get a few better looks at these beautiful owls. When this owl landed on this fence post way down the road, there was already one car that happened to be parked right there. I was able to inch my way closer, holding my breath, but needed to be so careful not to flush the owl. The photographer in front knew he had the best possible spot and he wasn't going anywhere : ) This was such a beautiful sight with the snowy, frosty setting. This does seem to be a good winter for this species, as they are being seen at all sorts of locations, which is exciting. Even so, a tremendous amount of patience is needed : )
"A bird of open grasslands, the Short-eared Owl is one of the most widely distributed owls in the world. It is found across North America, South America, and Eurasia, and on many oceanic islands." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Short-eared_Owl/id
"The short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) is a species of typical owl (family Strigidae). Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may not be visible. Asio flammeus will display its tufts when in a defensive pose. However, its very short tufts are usually not visible. The short-eared owl is found in open country and grasslands.
The short-eared owl is a medium-sized owl measuring 34–43 cm (13–17 in) in length and weighing 206–475 g (7.3–16.8 oz). It has large eyes, a big head, a short neck, and broad wings. Its bill is short, strong, hooked and black. Its plumage is mottled tawny to brown with a barred tail and wings. The upper breast is significantly streaked. Its flight is characteristically floppy due to its irregular wingbeats. The short-eared owl may also be described as "moth or bat-like" in flight. Wingspans range from 85 to 110 cm (33 to 43 in). Females are slightly larger than males. The yellow-orange eyes of A. flammeus are exaggerated by black rings encircling each eye, giving the appearance of them wearing mascara, and large, whitish disks of plumage surrounding the eyes like a mask." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-eared_owl
"Short-eared Owls are one of few North American owl species that can be sexed easily by plumage colouration. Females have pale brown undersides with heavy dark vertical barring. Their facial discs are also washed with the same pale brown. Males have nearly white undersides and paler facial discs. The barring is usually lighter and less dense." From the Owl Foundation.
www.theowlfoundation.ca/SpeciesInfo/speciesseow.htm
Jan Klimczak has particularly liked this photo
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