Change of Diet (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Now that the bugs are all gone the northern pygmy owl has changed over to his winter diet of birds and small rodents. In this image he has caught an unsuspecting chickadee as it fed with the rest of the flock in a near by fir tree.
Pygmy Closeup (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Pretty harsh light at the venue the other day. Had to wait until the owl flew into the shadows.
Fall Colour Pygmy Owl #2
Found another one I like with a less cluttered background. Hope you like it!
Fall Colour Pygmy Owl (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Took this photo today. Wouldn't you know? I was just talking about this guy yesterday and here he is. Flickr folks please left click for more detail.
Keeping His Distance (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Went to visit the northern pygmy owl the other day because the light was so much better with no shadow. Unfortunately he wasn't in a cooperative mood and stayed far away. I was hoping for a flight shot so I kept the shutter speed high, In the end he flew away from me to go down into the valley.
Hey! You're Not a Warbler! (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Went on a quest for more warbler images today and found a pygmy owl instead. Who knew? Don't try this at home friends. Hung over a 100 foot cliff 20 feet away for this shot.
Sunny Morning Pygmy Owl (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Taken earlier in the season when they came in a bit closer.
Backlight But All Right (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Not sure why but they always tend to come closer on harsh sunny days. When the light is good they play keep away and either hide or roost out of photography range. This one taken a few days ago. Flickr folks please left click for a closer view.
Keeping a Vigil (Northern Pygmy Owl)
A northern pygmy owl keeps an eye on some ravens as they pass close by his perch.
Hiding in The Spanish Moss (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Saw my first pygmy owl in 6 months today. Not the greatest of perches but a pretty close location.
Pygmy Environmental (Northern Pygmy Owl) #112
This one taken from another angle and a bit farther back to show some environment.
Return of The Puff Ball (Northern Pygmy Owl) #113
Got a visit from my favourite little buddy today. Great to see him after photographing ducks all winter.
A Slightly Different Perspective (Northern Pygmy Owl) #114
Here is the same owl but I have changed my position slightly to make for a better background. Hmm.... not so sure I succeeded.
Another Back Shot (Norhern Pygmy Owl)
Unfortunately I couldn't get a good frontal view of the bird without going over the cliff so had to settle with this back shot. Turned out pretty good though.
Pygmy Portrait 2021 (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Tried to get close but the pygmy owl was a bit elusive today. Should have used a higher F/stop. Forgot how super telephotos tend to compress at close distances. Thanks for your faves and comments everyone! I am shooting a bit less lately but seem to be getting more explores too.
Better Eye Contact (Northern Pygmy Owl)
This image is what the group was seeing from their side.
Cliff Side Pygmy Shoot (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Took two photos merged to get everyone in. Our photography group from today. Doug Fisk and Dave Pley don't show in the picture as they were photographing on the same side of the cliff that I was. That wood is some sort of left over structure from a wedding. Think I will go up there tomorrow and try to remove it before someone trips and falls to their doom.
More Even Light (Northern Pygmy Owl) #108
It was an uncommon day today where we got nice even light and the pygmy owl on an open perch with a good background. I had a high shutter speed as I was trying to catch the bird in flight. Unfortunately he turned at the last moment to fly away from me.
Arbutus Backshot (Northern Pygmy Owl) #107
Here is a different angle on our northern pygmy owl. The out of focus arbutus leaves in the background make him look like he is in the jungle.
Something He Ate? (Northern Pygmy Owl) #106
A northern pygmy owl ejects a pellet after feasting on insects during his morning hunt.
Hunting From The Shade (Northern Pygmy Owl) #105
Had some fun up on the mountain today with some photography friends and the northern pygmy owl.
Environmental (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Can't put my finger on it just something that I really like about this one. Taken hand-held pretty close to full frame. If you are on Flickr left click twice for highest detail.
Hiding in The Pinecones (Northern Pygmy Owl)
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Lost Pygmy Owl Image (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Here is one from last month that never got posted. Didn't want to be too repetitious at the time so saved it for later. Enjoy!
Portrait Version (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Kind of like this crop too. You be the judge.
First Pygmy Owl of 2021 (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Sorry about this one. I will try to get closer next time 🙂
Back at You (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Slept in this morning so I didn't make it into the high country until around 10:15. Found three pygmies in the usual spot but only one was cooperative and let me get this close up image. Had to get a foot from the edge of the cliff and sit down to get at the same level as the bird.
Fall Pymy Owl in Arbutus (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Think I am getting a bit better at hand-holding.
Closeup Portrait (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Here is a closer image when the owl came in and landed on a dead arbutus branch. It will depend on your screen but you may have to click twice to get to full magnification.
Orange Light Owl (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Lots of smoke around because of the wildfires raging in California and Oregon right now. The light from the sun was softer today but left the owl with an orange glow. Kind of like the effect but you be the judge.
Pygmy Owl in Arbutus (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Taken hand-held at full frame.
On Another Favorite Perch (Northern Pygmy Owl)
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Patience Pays Off (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Stayed behind after all the other photographers had left today and had a great shoot with the pygmy owl at around 11:00am.
Not The Usual Perch (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Steve Rose from Toronto found our friend today quite a ways from his usual roost.
More Environmental (Northern Pygmy Owl)
After not seeing this guy for about six weeks I am startled once again by how tiny they are. The stick on the left is probably a bit over 4 inches in length to give you an idea of how small the owl is. Pygmy owls are very easy to miss or be confused with a sparrow or a junco if you see them in a tree from a distance.
I Got a Dirty Beak (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Our local pygmy owl must have been busy this morning as when I took this image he was sporting some bloody debris on his beak from a recent kill along with a tiny bird feather of some kind.
Another Visit (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Went up the hill looking for warblers and got another visit from the local pygmy owl. Who knew?
Tooter in The Trees (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Had another nice meeting with the local pygmy owl today. Had two of them tooting back and forth for a while.
Interesting Perch (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Sorry about this one. Couldn't get the owl to come in very close yesterday so had to settle for a rather large crop. OK for display on Facebook and Flickr though.
Better Focus? (Northern Pygmy Owl)
They must have given my camera a real tune up at Canon when I sent it in. Could swear that it is even better focus than before.
Big Foot (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Could be how the Sasquatch legend began.
Small But Mighty (Northern Pygmy Owl)
This image gives you an idea of how small they are. Think junko or sparrow size. I know what you are thinking. Why the high shutter speed at 1/2000sec? Well, I am always hoping to catch one in flight but they are really hard to predict. There is little or no motion before they react. Not bad for the high ISO(8000) though and shot at 1200mm. Just to give a better perspective, the branch is about six inches thick and sticks out about two and a half feet in the photo.
Favorite Perch (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Our little buddy came by for another visit yesterday. Sorry, I will try to get closer next time 🙂
Can You Hear Me? (Northern Pygmy Owl)
In an attempt to communicate with its adult parents a juvenile northern pygmy owl trills from a near by branch.
Today's Close Up (Northern Pygmy Owl)
The juvi pygmy owl came in close again today on his late morning hunt for fresh grasshoppers.
Out on a Limb... Again (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Did a bit of shooting today at 1200mm with the 2X extender. Didn't come out too bad. This bird is at least 150 feet away.
Bird of a Different Color (Northern Pygmy Owl)
The light was better today but unfortunately the owls weren't cooperating like usual. Had to settle for this image with a blue background of distant trees instead of the preferable green background when trees are closer behind the subject. Found this owl rather interesting as it was a lot more chocolate in color than all of the other pygmies which are more of a reddish brown.
Poofy Pygmy (Northern Pygmy Owl)
In this image the pygmy owl fluffs himself up as part of his preening ritual. Looks quite comical as if he had a rough night 🙂
Owl In The Headlights (Northern Pygmy Owl)
This one brought a smile to my face 🙂
Hop Scotch (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Not sure if this qualifies as a flight shot or not. I managed to get a frame when the owl jumped from the smaller stub to the main branch. Got the face in focus at least 🙂
Did You Whistle? (Northern Pygmy Owl)
I was pretty mad at myself today because I forgot all of my electronic noise making gizmos at home. Was still able to call in this juvenile pygmy owl using my own whistle imitation of their call - who knew?
Hey! You're Not My Mother (Northern Pygmy Owl)
In this image the juvi pygmy owl narrows his eyes to get a better look at me. He may have come to that particular perch because he thought I was one of his parents when he heard me whistle.
Top Of The World (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Best viewed at full size. Caught in mid toot! Left click twice for actual pygmy size.
Keeping an Eye On Me (Northern Pygmy Owl)
This is a bit of a crop taken when he was farther away in a fir tree. For those of you that may like a more environmental image.
Perched On The Pinnacle (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Went into the hills looking for some leftover tanagers and ended up with a pygmy owl. Who knew? Nice light anyway. No shadows.
Pygmy Suprise! (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Went looking for Townsend's warblers and ended up finding a northern pygmy owl. Who knew?
Forest Guardian ( Northern Pygmy Owl)
Remember when you go into the forest, they will be watching you.
Unexpected Visitor (Northern Pygmy Owl)
My hip has been bothering me lately so I went low calibre today with only the 100-400mm around my neck. Should have opted for the 600mm and 1.4x. Not normal to see these guys this early. Figured that this must be the female as the other bird was tooting close by.
Grasshopper Hunter (Northern Pygmy Owl)
This guy came by for a visit a few times yesterday. At one point he dropped to the ground about six feet away and snatched up a grasshopper. Not the greatest of lighting situations but I did my best. Please left click for best detail.
Get A Grip (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Sorry I haven't bee posting much lately. I have been in a bit of a holding pattern waiting for winter raptor season to start. Here is one from a few weeks ago that never got posted.
Money Tree Serenade (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Another northern pygmy owl toots on "The Money Tree". Somewhere near Parksville B.C. By the way, if you are viewing this on my website, you are only seeing a low resolution thumbnail. It is actually a video on Flickr.
Better Eye Contact And Focus (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Went and posted too soon again and just found this one among all of my images from yesterday. I hand held at 840mm with the 600 and the 1DX 2 so I had to take quite a few shots. They are all pretty similar but you know what it is like. Sometimes there is that perfect one buried in there that you just miss. You be the judge.
Pygmy Launch (Northern Pygmy Owl)
This one taken from a distance in low light. Not quite fast enough to freeze the wings but as in some of my other images with owls the head and the tail are in focus.
Late Entry (Northern Pygmy Owl)
We thought we were going to get skunked again today but our little buddy showed up around 11:00am and gave us a good show for about a half an hour or so.
Watching From The Shadows ( Northern Pygmy Owl)
Here is one that I missed posting from last week. Although the light was not ideal, I got pretty close to this guy.
Late Morning Arrival (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Just when everyone thought that there would be no owl activity again today this guy showed up around 10:30. He stuck with us on different perches eating grasshoppers for about an hour.
Grasshoppers For Lunch (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Pretty tough light today. Tried to get images in the shadows where ever possible. In this photo the pygmy owl enjoys a freshly caught grasshopper from the edge of the cliff while perched on a mossy branch.
Distant Crop (Northern Pygmy Owls)
Sorry about this one. Ended up coming a bit too late for the close up action today and had to settle for this far away image. Distance to these birds was approximately 130 feet. I couldn't get any closer without falling over the cliff. Update: Glad to have gotten this photo when I did. The top of this snag no longer exists and has been broken off due to severe winter wind storms on Vancouver Island in the past few weeks.
Over The Shoulder (Northern Pygmy Owlet)
What shoot would be complete without one of my signature over the shoulder back shots.
Environmental Image (Northern Pygmy Owlet)
Here is one of the owlet in an arbutus tree. He spent a bit of time there and then he would occasionally drop to the ground to scoop up grasshoppers.
Better Light? (Northern Pygmy Owlet)
Here is the same owlet taken from a slightly different position. I used the natural green background from some of the arbutus leaves. You can also notice that the color is a bit more vibrant as the harsh light came down temporarily when a cloud covered the sun. Not sure which one of the last two photos I like best. You be the judge.
My, What Big Feet You Have! (Northern Pygmy Owlet)
This guy appeared suddenly right in front of myself and two other photographers. Their talons and feet seem almost out of proportion with the rest of their body. He is an owlet and probably from this year's brood.
King of The Mountain (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Another one of my signature back shots. Taken in nice even light on an overcast day with out of focus fir trees in the valley for the background. Kind of minimalistic but still nice. This perch just slightly above eye level 50 feet from the edge of the cliff. The bird is probably 150 feet above the ground.
Nice Open Perch (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Will be keeping our eyes open for this little guy in the next couple of months.
Real Puff Ball (Northern Pygm Owl)
This one taken a few days ago. Interrupted me at close range with loud toots while I was having a conversation with someone about mountain flowers and plants. Guess he didn't like not being the center of attention.
Better Than Last Year ( Northern Pygmy Owl)
This image captured at a different location today. OK, when I bought the new camera I expected a slight increase in quality but nothing like this. No sharpening used and just a slight bit of noise removal on the background.
Out on a Limb (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Here is a nice environmental image with a bit better background.
Sunny Day Pygmy (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Not too sure what the weather was doing down island yesterday but it sure was nice up near Campbell River. Here one of the two pygmy owls poses for me on a sunny perch.
Not the Same Owl! (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Went to Strathcona Park near Campbell River today and managed to call in a pair of northern pygmy owls. My original intention was to get some Townsend's warblers but that didn't work out. Just on a whim I tried the pygmy call and got a response in about 60 seconds. Who knew? This image shot hand-held with the 100-400mm IS 2.
Spring SInger (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Tooting at the usual location. About a hundred feet from the parking lot.
Even in The Rain ( Northern Pygmy Owl)
No bugs yesterday morning but the birds were still there. Unusual. They must be getting hungry. They will probably switch to winter mode soon and start hunting for mice and birds instead of the insects that they have been feeding on for the past few weeks.
Another Great Shoot (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Really great light again this morning. Like this one so much I almost didn't want to put my watermark on it
Christmas Card Candidate (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Thought that this might make a good Christmas card this year. Just need a Santa hat for the owl.
Caught in Mid Toot (Northern Pygmy Owl)
If you look closely you can see a bit of pink on the owl's throat. I must have caught it at the exact moment when he tooted. He was a great subject and sang for several photographers for about 15 minutes before dropping into the valley.
Best Pygmy Shot This Year (Northern Pygmy Owl)
All of the elements came together today. We had great light and a very cooperative subject. I must admit that this is probably overall the best pygmy image this year for me. To see the detail best please view the largest image or left click this photo on Flickr. Hope you enjoy it!
Owlets Preening (Northern Pygmy Owls)
About a hundred feet up a pair of owlets preen each other on an old fir tree snag.
Eyes Open (Northern Pygmy Owls)
Here is an image with their eyes open. It is as close as I could get at the time to both of them looking at the camera. Apologies for the harsh light but just couldn't resist.
Pygmy Love (Northern Pygmy Owls)
Uh Oh! Looks like the pygmy owls have been taking lessons from the barred owls again :-).
Better Light But Chaotic Background (Northen Pygmy Owl)
Some nice chances at close range today. However, the background was not always ideal. We had a few clouds move across the sun to help with the light as well.
Flicker Versus Owl (Northern Flicker and Northern Pygmy Owl)
Not sure what the flicker was thinking. The owl hardly even moved when the flicker came by to try and scare him from his mossy perch.
Stacked Hooters (Northern Pygmy Owls)
Didn't have the luck that the guys did earlier in the morning today. This is kind of a large crop but at least it shows that there are indeed two birds. Not sure if it is two siblings or a parent and an owlet. Take note of the coloration of each bird. One has definitely got more red in it. Perhaps it is an owlet that will change as it gets older or maybe it is a mixture of two different varieties of pygmy owl.
Another Pygmy Stare Down (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Pretty harsh light again today. Great to get to meet some of my Flickr buddies from Vancouver who came over to do a bit of shooting. Hope to run into you guys again soon! If you are on Flickr, left click the photo for maximum detail.
Keeping a Low Profile (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Haven't seen this guy around for the last few days. Here is another image from Tuesday.
You're gonna hurt your neck! (Northern Pygmy Owl)
This one kind of made me smile.
Pygmy Portait at Minimum Focusing Distance (Northern Pygmy Owl)
The lighting was a bit harsh today. Maybe I will wait for a cloudy day before going back. You would never know that there was a solar eclipse going on at the time. This guy was more concerned with the mobbing hummingbirds than all of the photographers on the scene today.
Mossy Perch (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Taken hand held at 840mm hanging over a cliff in an arbutus bush. No wonder the owl is cocking his head 🙂
Pygmy Stare Down
Still have tons of these images from last year. No sign of my little pygmy buddies yet in the usual location.
Up Close And Personal (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Nothing much happening as regards spring birds yet so I thought that I would post another goodie from last fall. Came across this guy about 50 paces from the parking lot in an arbutus tree about 5 feet off of the ground. Everyone else seemed to be looking in a different location. He let me set up and then posed for several minutes before flying off. Please view the original for the best detail (View all sizes menu).
Juvi On A Stick (Northern Pygmy Owl)
This one taken in the fall. One of the juvenile fledglings staring back at me from a favorite perch. Left click to enjoy more detail.
Looking Forward To Spring (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Just sitting looking out my window watching the snow fall. Hard to believe that in about six weeks it will be time to visit my little owl buddies on Little Mountain again. Really looking forward to it. In this image a juvenile owl goes on high alert when a hawk enters its territory.
