Category: Great Horned owls

My New Lens Is A Phone

Timothy Price62 Comments
Click on the galleries to see the photos enlarged in slide shows.

I was going to buy a ultra-wide-angle lens for my Fuji XE-1 that I used to use as a carry camera. But the 10-24mm zoom lens is quite large, which makes it not as desirable to carry when I’m also carrying the Bazooka on a 7D Mark II body, and the 70-200mm zoom lens a 5Ds body. I have been using my iPhone XE for all street photography and wide-angle photos, stitching together panoramas for ultra-wide-angle shots. I finally decided that since an iPhone 12 Mini was the same price as a Fuji 10-24mm lens, I might as well upgrade my iPhone to the iPhone 12 Mini. The 12 Mini is the same form factor as the old iPhone 5, which is my favorite style of iPhone case, and the camera has wide-angle and super-wide-angle. The iPhone 12 Pro has telephoto, also, but I have the Bazooka and the iPhone 12 is bigger than I like.

What’s really nice with the iPhone 12 Mini is the “Portrait” setting works for any abject or critter as you can see in the photos of the kitties and the America Rose above. The “Portrait” setting on my iPhone SE only worked on human faces. When I tried using it on the cats, or anything else, it said “No faces recognized” and would not take a photo. I’m really happy with the camera on the iPhone 12 Mini.

Not a cloud in the sky at sunset. The ultra-wide-angle setting is 120º field of view.

Tangle Heart Tree under a clear blue sky in the early morning light. Sandias and Rio Grande in the early morning light (iPhone SE). The moon at sunset shot with the Bazooka 400mm lens.

All photos below were shot with the Bazooka 400mm lens on a Canon 7D Mark II body.

For the birds.

Snowy Egret in the clear water ditch.

Cormorant flyby

Tiny butterfly.
Mama Owl, Sleepy, Mona Lisa and Major Tom Peepers. Mama, Mona Lisa and Major Tom were in a tree between the irrigation ditch and the clear water ditch. Sleepy was still in the tree with the nest. I think he will probably fly over to the tree with the other owls tonight.

Spunk & Moon

Timothy Price30 Comments

Spunk is really getting into orchiding.

Crows hanging on in the wind.

Sleepy, with Mona Lisa behind him, trying to duck out of the wind. Major Tom Peepers has flown to another tree.

A fly on Taboo.

The Skies Must Be Crazy

Timothy Price37 Comments

Swallows from below and above.

Rose in the late afternoon light.

Bird on a line, owlets in the cottonwood. Sleepy is wide awake.

Moon through clouds.

They sky was crazy tonight. It had me running from one end of the property to the other the get all the angles.

Intermission: I walked up to the fence along the north side of the property to do another panoramic photo, and got a horse kiss.

The end of the crazy skies.

Find The Owls Again

Timothy Price43 Comments

Can you find the Owlets in this photo? The above photo is a full-sized so when you click on it, you should be a able to see a little better.

Hint: Major Tom Peepers was in a pretty distinctive spot in the tree tonight.

I wonder which Owlet is Sleepy? This photo might give you a clue about where Sleepy and Mona Lisa were.

Western Tanager? Blue Grosbeak and Mystery yellow-bellied bird across the river at Beaver Point.

More Iris blooming.

Down by the river

How many faces can you find?

Lots of clouds. Lots of brush strokes. Not as much reds and oranges as I was hoping for.

Where The Owls Be

Timothy Price54 Comments

Can you find the owls in the above photo?

There were 10 birds in the tree above Mama Owl.

I don’t know what they are.

They were backlit, so zooming in on them looses most of the detail.

Key to where to Owls be in the tree.

Major Tom Tests His Wings

Timothy Price46 Comments

As you can see, Major Tom Peepers flew up into the crotch of the tree above the nest, leaving Sleepy and Mona Lisa below.

Mona Lisa: “Sleepy? What are we gonna do about Major Tom Peepers flying the coup?”

“Losers!”

Mona Lisa: “That was mean Major Tom!” Sleepy: “I’m going to try my wings!”

“That didn’t do anything! There’s Major Tom Peepers all proud of himself!”

Mama Owl up above.

“You two are pathetic!”

Daddy Owl in the next tree to the south.

Sleepy: “Who are you calling pathetic? You hurt Mona Lisa’s feelings.”

“Who me? I hurt Mona Lisa’s feelings. She’s too sensitive!”

“Sorry Mona!”

“Look here. I’m biting myself on the leg to make up for it!”

Major Tom Peepers finally flew back down and all three were watching for dinner at sunset.

Another photo of pre-sunset clouds I got on my first visit to the owlets this afternoon.

Water & Roses

Timothy Price42 Comments

Finally got some more water to irrigate. Many of our roses and iris will be very happy.

Tuscan Sun

Canada Rose for Resa, Dale, Rebecca and Gigi

Major Tom Peepers, Sleepy and Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa, inspired by Tabatha Towhee’s performance the other day, tries doing a little Owlet Opera singing.

Mona Lisa hitting the high notes. She was a real hoot.

Mona Lisa bowed and thanked everyone.

Falstaff

Double Delight doubly delighted by back lighting from the sun.

Betty Boop

Cherry Parfait

Sliver Moon

Pre-sunset