2015-2016 Eagle Trip

Since moving to Texas I didn’t expect to be able to photograph my beloved Eagles during the winter of the 2015 / 2016 season.  Worked wanted me to travel back to central Illinois, so I went the weekend before to squeeze three days in the field chasing owls and Eagles.

Friday 2/12/16 Day 1 Owls and Eagles

Saturday 2/13/16 Great Horned & Barred Owls

Sunday 2/14/16 was a snow out, guess that is what I deserved for leaving Miss Sharon home only on Valentines Day.  I was scheduled to go after Snowy owls in the morning and Eagles in the afternoon.

Best of the Eagles from Friday and Saturday afternoon sessions. Lot if changing light conditions.  Overall I’m happy with this batch.

PBKJ5088-FrameShop

This juvenile was very active both days and had two longer flight feathers so I could always recognize this one.PBKJ4591-FrameShopPBKJ5170-FrameShop

Canon 5DMK3 + 100-400 MK2 and  they still get so close.  This was shot at 100mm.KJ5D3191-FrameShopKJ5D3188-FrameShopKJ5D3218-FrameShop KJ5D3223-FrameShop

One of my new favorites from this trip.PBKJ4688-FrameShop PBKJ4704-FrameShopPBKJ5672-FrameShop PBKJ5704-FrameShop PBKJ5705-FrameShop PBKJ5720-FrameShop PBKJ5739-FrameShop PBKJ5741-FrameShop PBKJ5746-FrameShop PBKJ5748-FrameShop

I still don’t have a Talon to Talon upside down shot 🙁  A third eagle ended up with this fish as it was dropped.PBKJ5826-FrameShop PBKJ5943-FrameShopTheir Talons are so sharp, this guy ended up cutting the head off this fish.  The body ended up falling back into the water and the eagle ended up with only the head.PBKJ5958-FrameShopEnjoy the photos and what you read? Subscribe to be notified of future posts via email by either clicking the Follow button at the bottom or the Subscribe section on the right.

Life is good and I am blessed!

Kent

Great Horned Owls

The rest of the cast to the morning of “Brown Owls. After we located and photographed several pairs of Barred Owls, we switched to try and find Great Horned Owls.  We found two different pairs.  The first pair we believe the female was on the nest of getting ready to nest, so we photographed the Male. We did not want to pull her off the eggs if she already had laid them so we left after one launch series.

PBKJ5434-FrameShop The LaunchPBKJ5436-FrameShop PBKJ5437-FrameShop PBKJ5438-FrameShop Batman!  I usually don’t post wildlife photos where you can’t see the eyes, but I liked this wing position.PBKJ5439-FrameShop PBKJ5440-FrameShop PBKJ5447-FrameShop PBKJ5476-FrameShop PBKJ5508-FrameShop FlyoverPBKJ5532-FrameShop

The second pair that found and answered the female was on eggs so no photos and we left.

Next up to edit is my beloved American Bald Eagles.

Enjoy the photos and what you read? Subscribe to be notified of future posts via email by either clicking the Follow button at the bottom or the Subscribe section on the right.

Life is good and I am blessed!

Kent

Barred Owls

During my recent trip to the quad cities to photograph eagles I was invited out to photograph “Brown Owls”  I introduced the cast yesterday.  Thought today’s post I would start with the Barred Owls, since we found them first.

Here are the stars. PBKJ5256-FrameShop PBKJ5279-FrameShopPBKJ5236_2-FrameShopPBKJ5313-FrameShop PBKJ5319-FrameShop PBKJ5323-FrameShop  The Launch Series!PBKJ5347-FrameShop PBKJ5348-FrameShop PBKJ5349-FrameShop PBKJ5350-FrameShop PBKJ5351-FrameShop

Next to get edited the Great Horned Owls!

Enjoy the photos and what you read? Subscribe to be notified of future posts via email by either clicking the Follow button at the bottom or the Subscribe section on the right.

Life is good and I am blessed!

Kent

Chasing Brown Owls with Mike F

A true friend and great photographer agreed to take me out to some of the local owls to his area.  It was really special for him to trust me with his secret locations, let alone share a ton of his “Owl Whispering” Knowledge.  There are guides that get $400 a day for this kind of in field session.  I am guessing I am way less of a threat now that I am 1000 miles away.  This morning of Brown Owls will be forever in my memories as one of my top 10 days photographing wildlife.

This time of year both Barred Owls and Great Horned Owls are paired up and ready to nest and lay eggs.  Owls mate for life and once you find their den tree or nest you should be able to find them year after year.

I went out on Day 1 with another photographer Robert, but it was so windy we couldn’t get any owls to answer or show themselves.

Saturday morning was way different.  We found and photographed 3 pairs of Barred Owls and 2 pairs of Great Horned Owls.

Lets meet the cast for the next 2 or 3 post, as I have some many full-frame keepers I don’t want to rush the editing.

Barred OwlPBKJ5256-FrameShop

Great Horned OwlPBKJ5476-FrameShopEven though Mike and Robert know areas where the owls hang out there is never a guarantee that you will be able to find them.

Here is a full-frame of a barred owl, can you find him?PBKJ5248-FrameShopHow about the first Great Horned Owl?KJ5D3150-FrameShopHope to have some launch series and flight shots edited in the next day or two.  After I get caught up on Owl edits, I’ll switch over and work on some Eagles, but I have 1400 plus eagles shots to process.  I might have been a little trigger happy knowing this was my one and only eagle trip of winter 2015/2016 Eagles.

Enjoy the photos and what you read? Subscribe to be notified of future posts via email by either clicking the Follow button at the bottom or the Subscribe section on the right.

Life is good and I am blessed!

Kent

2016 Owl and Eagle Trip Day 1

The starting temperature was 14, but the wind was howling at 20 MPH plus.  Robert did a great job of showing me all his owl hot spots but with the winds our calls didn’t carry and they were not going to fly.  We called 3 sets of Barred Owls, and had one high fly over late in the morning but no photos were taken.

I did setup on these cardinals and actually called them in.  First this little guy came in and I have no clue what he is.  I think he might be a Downy Woodpecker or a Hairy Woodpecker.  Remember folks I am a photographer not a birder.PBKJ4512-FrameShop I can’t remember who but somebody asked if I had any cardinals, so I called this guy in for his closeup!PBKJ4523-FrameShop The wind was SO strong it messed with the eagles ability to fish.  This one fished with the wind instead of against the wind like normal.

Left to Right EaglePBKJ4812 Classic Right to Left Talon posePBKJ4836 I feel the straight on shots are the hardest to keep in focus.  Straight On!PBKJ5172Day 2 was brown owls in the morning and eagles in the afternoon.  Three to Six inches of snow coming in tomorrow so might have to cut this outing a day early, but going to try to find some Snowy Owls in the morning. Might use Sunday evening for more editing.

Enjoy the photos and what you read? Subscribe to be notified of future posts via email by either clicking the Follow button at the bottom or the Subscribe section on the right.

Life is good and I am blessed!

Kent