Tag: Great Horned owls

Sasquatch Sees the Sorry State of the Scoop Shovel

Timothy Price30 Comments

Twilight

His shadow waned with the moon
As Sasquatch surveyed changes from yesterday’s yawn
He pitied the sorry state of the scoop shovel
Alone and cold on unscoopable sand, cursed by old Jack Frost
A portal opened, and he walked through to the other side
To his land unknown by humans stuck in 3D
Leaving the scoop shovel to its fate
Meanwhile, Osric courted Nora
Hooting sweet nothings in her feathery ear
Time to work on this year’s brood
Love at twilight. Dawn blushed!

Marble: “Can I lick sweet nothings in your ear, Spunk?”

Black laced trees under a wintery sky

Through the looking glass, Sasha dreams of going down a rabbit hole

Light snow falls on the Sandias at dusk

Critter Fest

Timothy Price51 Comments

Our morning walk started with a beautiful crescent moon peeking through the clouds.

Clouds capped the Sandias.

Lots of cranes huddled together at dawn

The beavers were up early and splashing a warning that there was a dangerous paparazzo with a big yellow dog standing near the edge of the water.

A Bosque Bunny was up early, also.

Sunrise

Kitties: “It’s too early and too cold for you to be pestering us, pesky Paparazzo!”

Don’t you think it’s a little early to be hitting the catnip, Silver?

Spunk: “What are you looking at me for? Jake did it!”

Jake: “I didn’t do it! I swear! I’m telling you the truth. You know Spunk is lying. He’s always trying to get me in trouble.”

It looks like you got caught in the mosquito net again, Jake.

Sunset

The morning clouds left a dusting of snow on the crest.

Daddy Owl @ dusk

La La Bazooka

Timothy Price45 Comments

Venus and Sliver Moon at Dawn

Owlet

I pulled out the Bazooka lens to get some close-up and clear shots of the owlets.

Nora Owl waiting for Osric Owl to bring dinner

Osric Owl

Owlet shivering with anticipation, waiting for dinner.

Sunset

Owl News

Timothy Price46 Comments

Dawn

Jake and I walked down to check on Nora and Oseric Owl.

The first thing I noticed is the tree had broken off at a foot above the nest.

All the sawed-up logs from the foreground to the background are from the parts of the tree that broke off.

I could not tell if Nora was sitting on her eggs with the naked eye; however, after processing the image, I can see her back feathers.

I looked around and found Oseric sitting in his favorite lookout spot, watching over Nora.

I used this photo last May to illustrate where the owlets were in the tree. Approximately 50 feet of the tree broke off just above the nest and crashed into the alpacas’ pen below. The owlets will have little shade and no branches to explore until they are old enough to fly to other trees this year.

I hope none of the alpacas were injured when the tree broke off and fell into their pen.

Teenagers

Timothy Price47 Comments

Thunderheads were building up in the distance.

While Nora Owl and Willa were having a beak-to-beak in a corral, Walter flew in.

“Banzai!”

Nora Owl: “We don’t want to see your willy Walter! Cut it out.” Walter: “But Mama!”

Willa: “Mama! He’s still doing it.” Nora Owl: “WALTER! How many times do I have to tell you?”

Walter sneaked up on Nora Owl and Willa.

“SURPRIZE! Ahahahaha!

Nora Owl: “WALTER! YOU JERK! You kids are impossible. I’m out of here!” Willa: “NO! Mama! Don’t leave me with Walter!” Walter: “Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Take a good look, Willa!”

A bovine Cowwow at sunset.

Walter And Willa Move South

Timothy Price59 Comments

Sandias at sunset

May’s Flower Moon in the clouds

Osric looking handsome

Willa looked like she had an itch to scratch

Will having a little trouble with her balance

Willa looking lovely

Nora Has dinner

Nora preparing dinner

Nora: “Oops! Looks like I dropped dinner. Sure Enough!” Walter: “I can’t believe you dropped dinner!”

Willa and Walter

Willa doing the Funky Chicken

Walter’s crash landing

Willa, being an Angel

Can you find Osric in the above photo?

Osric Owl

Can you find Willa and Walter in the above photo?

Sunset

Madge The Badge Is A Model

Timothy Price47 Comments

Sandias at sunset

We ran in David, one of our ditch bank buddies, on the way down to check on the owls. We saw him again on our way back, and he mentioned that he saw Madge the Badge and attempted to talk to her, but she slipped into her hole. When we got to Madge’s mound, we said, “Hey, Madge! It’s us. Are you coming out?” She popped her head up immediately, crawled out of her hole, and posed. Laurie asked her if she was a model, and she was like, “Duh! Isn’t it obvious?” She recognized our voices and came out to visit. She’s very intelligent. If you are wondering how I know Madge is a female. I don’t know what her sex is. I’m gendering her as a female because I like the name Madge the Badge.

“You called?”

I thought Madge was talking to us without making noise. But when I processed the photos, I could see she was chewing on something.

A Black Headed Grosbeak (top) and a female Western Tanager (bottom)

Black Headed Grosbeak

Female Western Tanager

Western Bluebird

I’m not sure what Osric Owl had in his talons, but it could be the tail feather of a Cooper’s Hawk.

Nora Owl was on her favorite perch.

Willa looked disgusted that Water was nowhere to be seen.

We hadn’t seen Wile E. in a while.