Great setting — no owls (pics included)

[Steve Foss]

Hey all:

Mcary and I met in Cotton this morning for a day at the Sax-Zim Bog. And, of course, it was dark and cloudy and snowing. Things a photographer can overcome if only the subjects show up. But, alas, there were no owls in evidence. Not surprising, since because of the massive explosion in the rodent population and almost total lack of snow cover, most great gray owls in the area are easily able to fulfill their hunting needs at night and are spending the days roosting in cover. And the northern hawk owls, a diurnal (day-active) species, aren't down here in any numbers.

Would have been great, some portraits of northern owls through big flakes of falling snow.

But a guy's gotta settle for what he can get, so after eight hours of prowling, Mike and I found a few subjects after all. Here are some.

By the way, Mike, great shooting with you. Too bad we were totally taken by surprise by that ermine by the side of the road. White weasel on snow. THAT would have been a fine image. Let's keep trying.

All with the Canon 20D and Canon 100-400L IS at iso400, handheld . . .

370mm, 1/640 @ f8

210mm, 1/60 @f5

400mm, 1/250 @f8

[mcary]

Here are a few more from the same shoot.

The image of the pileated woodpecker could have been much better had I not been fumbling behind the camera. You win some, you lose some.

Steve, I guess the weasel proved the importance of having the camera with at all times. I'm up for giving the owls another go later this winter (only hopefully we'll actually see a few).

[Steve Foss]

Mike, good job, dude. You got a much better angle on the squirrel.

[buzzsaw]

Looks like you guys had fun! All we have down here is fog and drizzle and it's almost New years eve!!

[Steve Foss]

Here's one more chickadee from today. Mcary, did you order that triple secret bird caller online yet?

[jonny_redhorse]

nice images Steve and Mike!...that second pic of the eagle in the "bog" looks so familiar!...mile after mile of spruce and tamarac bog...I may very well be down in that country this weekend(still looking for a moose )..the roads I frequent in the sax bog are the "south admiralty","macdivit", "stickney," the"owl,""cranberry,"and a few others...wild country for sure...lots of creatures live in that bog

[Dbl]

Really great images guys, looks like you had some fun in spite of the weather.