Nubbins II | Juvenile Great Horned Owl The juveniles sure look different than the adults. Note: I post an image everyday at hankconrad.com.
| 4/30/2013 | Juvenile Great Horned Owl |
| Gear | Nikon 1 V1 with a FT-1 Adapter and an AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR lens |
| Exposure | 300mm (810mm) f/5.6 1/640s 0.7ev 250iso |
Nikon D200 Soup | Great Horned Owl Great Horned Owls are large owls with two distinctive feathered tufts, not horns, on their head. They are nocturnal, but occasionally you may see them during the daytime. They seldom build their own nests. Instead, they take over nests built by other large birds like hawks.
The Back Story This owl sat on that branch for something like 40 minutes while cars stopped along the roadside in Yellowstone to take a look and capture a few images. The road followed the river far below along a ridge line in the mountains. Although the owl and I were about level height, I was standing by the road using a stone fence as a tripod and the owl was high in the tree about 50 yards away next to the river. Note: I post an image everyday at hankconrad.com.
Details…
| Event | Day in Yellowstone |
| Location | Yellowstone NP |
| Date/Time | 9/24/2008 12:51pm Local Time |
| Weather | Fair Skies | 61°F | Light Winds |
| Method | Used stone fence as a tripod in a not so simple click. |
| Gear | Nikon D200 with an AF 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR lens |
| Exposure | 400mm (600mm) f/8 1/40s 1ev 100iso |
| Post | Sharpened eye. |
Spring Potpourri | Great Horned Owl Nesting On tonight’s walkabout this Great Horned Owl appeared to be nesting high in a tree along the trail. Thing is; this nest has been used for several years by Red-tailed Hawks. Apparently, Great Horned Owls seldom build their own nests. Instead, they take over nests built by other birds.
Spring Potpourri | Great Horned Owl Great Horned Owls are large owls with two distinctive feathered tufts, not horns, on their head. They are nocturnal, but occasionally you may see them during the daytime.
Unlike most owls, the Great Horned Owl does come out during daylight hours. This guy sat on that branch for something like 40 minutes while cars stopped along the roadside in Yellowstone to take a look and capture a few images. The road followed the river far below along a ridge line in the mountains. Although the owl and I were about level height, I was standing by the road and the owl was high in the tree about 50 yards away next to the river.
Juvenile Great Horned Owl Most years, along the Fox River, between Batavia and Geneva, a pair of Great Horned Owls come to have their young. The juveniles certainly look nothing like their parents. At first glance, it seems hard to believe how different they are. But, it isn’t long before the juveniles grow to become large like their parents. This guy has not yet lost his youthful feathers.
Young Great Horned Owl Yeah, just had to go back for another image. He was moving around more today. Still have not had any in-flight opportunities. I’ll go back next week. Hope the owls are still there.
Juvenile Great Horned Owl Today was the first day this year above 80 degrees in the Fox River Valley. So, a walkabout by the Fox River seemed like a good idea. The Villa preserve lies between Geneva and Batavia along the river. Along with a Japanese garden and a walkway to a river island, at the moment, it features Great Horned Owls; mom, dad, and baby. Well, the baby is growing quickly so now it’s a juvenile. Even on a weekday, it attracts attention so it’s perched high in the trees with mom nearby and a 30mph wind to manage.
This image was captured handheld. With a 810mm effective focal length, it held its own shooting along side heavy duty 400mm and 600mm f2.8 lenses on tripods used by other photogs. Was this image better than theirs? No, of course not; their images are probably technically better. Still, it’s not a bad image.
