Year Three of My 365 Photo Project

May has been a very busy month with lots of photography options.  My first opportunity came with a work adventure.

One of the Osprey parents circling overhead (photo:  Cathy Spahn)

 World Bird Sanctuary works with many organizations when it comes to bird issues.  In this case it came with an Osprey that had nested on a crane over 180 feet in the air.  The organization wanted to help the birds, yet the crane was needed.  So, several of us went on an adventure to rescue the eggs.  I stayed on the ground taking photos, since I have a very large fear of heights.

An unhappy Osprey parent (photo: Cathy Spahn)

Walter and Adam adventured up in a lift to the nest to rescue the eggs.  While taking photos of what was going on I took a few nice photos of the Osprey parents as they hovered overhead.   The eggs were taken to World Bird Sanctuary to be put in the incubator.  If the eggs hatch we will then raise the young for release back into the wild.

The next photo opportunity came at World Bird Sanctuary’s Annual Spring Camera Day.  I usually work the event, so I do not have a ton of time to take photos, but I can usually take a few.  There are two photos that came out of this day that I really like.  The first is Rustle, the Nine-banded Armadillo.

Rustle the Nine-banded Armadillo (photo: Cathy Spahn)

This year I decided to try something different and went for Rustle.  Rustle is a very challenging subject to photograph because he does not sit still.  We put Rustle on table with logs, leaves, flowers, and rocks.  He went to town plowing it all over and knocking about 80% on to the ground.  Then he discovered a small colony of ants that came out of the log and he got a nice big snack!  He had a good time and will be a guest again at camera day, but possibly in a different set up.

Oliver (above) & Timber (in box) demonstrating the two Screech Owl color phases (photo: Cathy Spahn)

The next Camera Day photo opportunity came at the end of the day.  I really wanted to try getting a few photos of our two Eastern Screech Owls Timber and Oliver in the same photo.  First the trick to this photo was to keep the birds separated so they could not get to each other.  The first set up involved a large log and one screech owl up high and one down low.  That was a good idea, but the photo was still very distant.  Then I remembered that we have a screech owl box set up.  We put Timber inside the box, since he does not mind the box.  Then we put Oliver on top, since he was not sure of the box earlier in the day.  They both sat perfectly!  This was my favorite of the two birds and a nice way to show the two different color phases.

Jim, the farmer, and me with two of the babies (photo: Jeff Meshach)

The last work adventure that resulted in many photos was a sudden trip.  One day I was leaving to head out bird watching when Jeff Meshach, WBS director, pulled up and asked if I would like to go with him to place Barn Owls for release.  Away we went heading south to a farm with 6 Barn Owls to be hacked into the wild. 

The Barn Owl fledglings adjusting to their new environment (photo: Cathy Spahn)

Hacking is the process of putting young birds into an artificial nest, or in this case a barn.  The nest is closed for a period of time (so the babies can’t leave) and humans provide food.  Then the doors are opened.  As the babies fly to and from the artificial nest, humans provide food for anywhere from a few days to a week.  This supplements food they may catch as they develop their flight skills.  The young are then off and on their own.  This method has been used for a long time and has helped to bring many endangered species back from the brink of extinction, such as the Peregrine Falcon.  This photo was taken by Jeff of Jim the farmer and me with two of the owls ready to go.

So these are just a few of my photos for the month.  Sometimes the photo opportunities are planned and other times they just happen.  I have had people say they want to come with me to take photos.  I can fully admit sometimes it really is just dumb luck on what comes about.  What makes the big difference is just getting out and taking photos--not just sitting at home waiting for something to happen.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Can You See Me?

Those who know me are well aware that I can’t go anywhere without my camera.  This is especially true when I’m on duty as a volunteer at the World Bird Sanctuary.

I’ve catalogued 100’s of photos of the animal residents, both those on public display and those behind the scenes.  I never tire of their personalities, antics, and posturing behaviors.

One of the most intriguing of these behaviors is that of “pancaking” or sunbathing.  The bird will flatten itself out on the ground with its wings spread out to collect some serious rays.   Even those that are nocturnal still love the sunshine.  I recently caught Xena, a female Eurasian Eagle Owl, pancaking in the weathering area behind the Environmental Education Center.

Can you see Xena in this photo?

Eurasian Eagle Owls, in their natural habitat, nest on rock ledges or in caves so they must be able to blend in with their surroundings.  The first time I showed this picture to a friend, they said, “what bird?”  At first glance, they didn’t even see her.  Her natural coloring and markings make her almost disappear from view.  If you’re not looking for her, you’d never see her.  This got me to thinking about camouflage.

Many animals have developed natural camouflage that helps hide them from predators, thus greatly increasing their chances for survival.  Have you seen a Walking Stick in the park or a Praying Mantis at the zoo that looks like a leaf?  Have you seen a frog that looks like mud and butterflies that look like flower petals?  Chances are your eyes have passed over these and other creatures without registering that you’ve seen anything other than a tree or a rock or the ground.  These are all examples of how that natural camouflage can hide an animal from not only a predator’s eyes but ours as well.

If Timber were sitting on a branch next to the tree trunk you probably would not see him.

Timber is an Eastern Screech Owl.  A fierce predator in their own right, Screech Owls often find themselves as prey for larger raptors.  Being camouflaged is really important for their safety and survival.  Cavity dwellers, these amazing little owls blend in with the rest of the tree. 

Here’s Jake, a most excellent Great Horned Owl, at a recent Camera Day event at World Bird Sanctuary.  We made a perch in a tree on our display line and stationed Jake there. 

Here's Jake--if you cover his eyes he would be almost impossible to see

His natural color and markings are so like the tree trunk that if he closed his eyes, and we didn’t know he was there, he would be virtually invisible.

The next time you go walking in the woods thinking you are going to find some owls or turtles or snakes, think again about where and how you look.  I guarantee that they are looking at you long before you see them – that is if you can see them at all.

Submitted by Sandra Lowe Murray, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer Naturalist

Timber is molting!

The last time you saw Timber, our screech owl, he had just had a nice bath. In this video Timber is molting, which means his old feathers are shed and replaced by new ones. The health of a bird's feathers is crucial to its survival and adult birds molt at least once a year. The process is gradual as the bird must keep some of its feathers in order to maintain body temperature.

As you can see, Timber still manages to hang on to his natural owl-dignity, even as the humans make fun of his hairdo.