Saturday, November 13, 2010

(Day 317) Whooooo are you ?

If there's anything I've learned by doing a 365 photo project it is the ABC rule - Always Bring Camera (you might think that ironic coming from someone who flouts rules, but I try not to flout rules that have a basis in common sense). I tend to drag my whole camera bag along with its assortment of lenses because I'm never sure which lens would be optimal till I come across the opportunity. The times I 'score' far outweigh the times I get skunked.

And today was another day that I'm glad I followed this rule. We were walking towards a farmers' market in town to buy fresh fruit and vegetables when we saw a roped-off area on an open lot, marked by a small wooden cross. Looking closer I noticed a hole in the ground - I thought it might have been home to a gopher tortoise. But no, the little fellow below came up for a look, and he was more interested in Sasha - who took no notice - than us.

(70-200mm  f5.6  1/800 sec  ISO200)

burrowing owl
(70-200mm  f14  1/60 sec  ISO200)

27 comments:

My name is Riet said...

Wat geweldig dat je je camera bij je had Rick.Geweldige foto's.
Fijn weekend!

Leslie said...

These are so AMAZING!!! I wonder if that owl was sharing a gopher tortoise's burrow?

marty said...

tu as réussi à faire une photo superbe !
ses yeux sont magnifiques ! incroyable !
c'est beau !
bon dimanche à toi et bisous de moi

Dawn said...

Absolutely incredible Rick!
()I like that rule...ABC.
Can you imagine if you would have missed this?
His eyes are amazing!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Unknown said...

Love the sharpness of the second photo . . .

Greetz,

Joseph

Katherine said...

Luck be your Lady this day Rick!!!! What wonderful captures. He is surely a most beautiful bird... I never knew that owls would be out & about like this during the day. They are normally nocturnal! Just wonderful!

S. Etole said...

Oh, WOW!!!! I didn't know owls went "underground."

darlin said...

Stunning shots Rick! I like how the owl is camouflaged in the first photo, good eyes you have! That second photo is stunning, 70-200mm, wow, how close were you?

Scott Law said...

They say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Well lucky you! Great shots!!

Anonymous said...

All I can say is...I'm SO jealous!!

Awesome Rick.

Dagmar said...

YO...glad you carried all your stuff around...now we've got a treat like you.

Beautiful fellow.

Oh and boy yeaaaaa I'm singing....can't wait for may to come.
fijne zondag ook voor jullie daarzo.
;-))
ps jammer dat jij aan de andere kant van het plateau woont....of kom je ook naar het westen voor een korte holiday???? THAT WOULD BE FUN.
Hugs Dag

Teté M. Jorge said...

Ah... You're awesome! Glad your machine is always with you! What spectacular photos! The first is very, very gentle, very charming, very beautiful!

You are outstanding! ^,^

Many, many beijos for you, my lovely friend.

Lisa said...

Wow.. Rick Georgeous shots. How awesome to see this guy and get a photo.
Have a blessed day

Julia said...

Very very nice.
de trés beau yeux. et regard pas trés rassurant.
Un saludo.

Lisa Gordon said...

This is just gorgeous Rick! It took me a long time to "get with the program" where the ABC rule is concerned. After enough missed shots, I decided to never leave home without it!!
Hope your weekend was a good one!

Alexander DeLarge said...

Great shots! Y'know, when I was a little boy I fantasized about having an owl (just like Harry Potter, haha!) this one makes me remember the time when I made one out of paper and some paint, and put it inside a cage that I built with the wooden sticks of ice creams. Yeah, I had way too much free time, and a big, big imagination. Incredible times, those.

Alex.

Chad said...

Looks like you and the owl had a great one on one. Very cool picture.

Anonymous said...

What beautiful shots, gorgeous owl!!!

Rick said...

@Riet - dank je wel Riet! Ik neem mijn camera altijd mee - weet nooit wat er kan gebeuren.

@Leslie - thank you Leslie; not sure about the owl sharing a burrow - it seemed rather small and round - maybe a small tortoise (?)

@marty - merci beaucoup Marty ! The kind of little fellow you'd be happy to have in the neighbourhood. Bisous aux yeux écarquillés de votre ami (I had to have that translated ;-)

Rick said...

@Dawn - thank you; ABC is something I'm doing much better at - fewer regrets that way !

@CarreraCaballo - thank you Joseph (love that 70-200mm !)

@Katherine - thanks Katherine. Apparently this area is home to the largest group of burrowing owls in Florida - and they've only been here since the 1960's ! We were told by local residents that the owls in that area are out regularly (must be social) - I'll have to check further into their habits.

becky said...

AWESOME! I sorta follow that rule. I try to keep my point & shoot in the car, "just in case." But your photo would argue carrying the SLR.

Rick said...

@S. Etole - a complete surprise for us too Susan !

@darlin - thank you; I was able to get within 4' of the little guy by moving very slowly. Did I tell you I love my 70-200mm lens ? ;-)

@Scott - a hard lesson learned from doing this project; thanks Scott !

Rick said...

@Photog Ave - thank you Avery (see the Ansel Adams quote in my profile ;-)

@Barefoot from Heaven - thanks Dag ! Gelukkig, hé ! Ja, jammer dat ik zo ver weg woon; 't zou toch leuk zijn ! Fijne week Dag !

@teca - thank you teca *blush*. Many beijos in return and have a fabulous week !

Rick said...

@Lisa RedWillow - thank you Lisa; what a pleasant surprise to see that morning.

@julia - merci Julia !

@lisa - thank you Lisa; I feel naked without my gear now *gets puzzled look from wife* ;-)

Rick said...

@Alexander DeLarge - thank you Alex; great story about your childhood owl - great imagination - don't lose it !

@Chad - thanks Chad; yep, we were face to face and neither of us blinked ;-)

@Tricia - thank you Tricia; this little guy was so cool - you can tell by his expression !

@becky - thanks; I gave my P&S to one of my daughters but will likely get it back since it's not being used - may be a little lighter and less conspicuous to carry in some situations

Unknown said...

Oh, WOW! You did a great job here! I especially love that second shot, it gave me goosebumps! :o)

Rick said...

Thanks Krista - you'll be happy to know he only stands about 9" tall ! ;-)