We were out before the sun every day of both Eagles Galore workshops and saw some incredible pastel hues in the sky - smile.
Bald Eagle FOCUS
A Bald Eagle with fresh catch from my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. Adrenaline flows when the water is flat, and the Eagles are plentiful. Flat water makes for better backgrounds, but it usually means there is little to no wind since birds take off and land into the wind; this means that you have to be ready because you never know which Eagle will fish toward you :)
Short-eared Owl
There are currently only two openings for my winter owl workshops due to last-minute cancellations:
January 9 to 13, 2023 SOLD OUT!
January 16 to 20, 2023 SOLD OUT!
January 23 to 27, 2023 ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT!
January 30 to February 3, 2023 SOLD OUT!
February 6 to 10, 2023 SOLD OUT!
February 13 to 17, 2023 SOLD OUT!
Short-eared Owl Stare
Here is another Short-eared Owl from my scouting trip for my Owls Galore workshops. There was a burst of flight activity when we got there and we had overcast conditions with a window of blue sky. These owls forage mainly on the wing: flying low over the ground, sometimes hovering briefly at heights of 6–100 feet. They are incredibly maneuverable in the air, dropping suddenly to capture prey or climbing to avoid pursuers. They also soar hawklike on their long, broad wings, a flight mode they probably use for migratory travel.
There are currently only two openings due to last-minute cancellations:
January 9 to 13, 2023 SOLD OUT!
January 16 to 20, 2023 SOLD OUT!
January 23 to 27, 2023 ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT!
January 30 to February 3, 2023 SOLD OUT!
February 6 to 10, 2023 SOLD OUT!
Short-eared Owl in flight
I had a great afternoon in great company yesterday while scouting for my Winter Owls Galore workshops. While the sky was dramatic and spectacular with storm clouds and golden light at times, my favourite poses and closest encounters happened against a bright white part of the sky with the slightest hint of pink - happens :)
American Kestrel dorsal view in flight
This is another frame from my heart-stopping, off-the-charts, epic session with this American Kestrel. Admittedly, the frame before this one was an ounce better, but I clipped the tail off :)
See my favourite image from the session in my blog post from last Friday: American Kestrel in flight.
Sandhill Crane FLYING OUT OF THE STORM
I mentioned the record-breaking rain that we had during my Best of Bosque workshop in an earlier post. This is the kind of dramatic image that can be made if the sky clears in the Southwest as the sun sets. The sky in the Northeast East was still full of clouds over the Sandia Mountains.
Snow Goose
A Snow Goose gently lands against the distant out-of-focus Cottonwood trees at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge on the second day of my Best of Bosque workshop last December.
Bald Eagle Landing in snow
A Bald Eagle landing in the snow during my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. We had fresh snow reflecting the soft overcast light against the underside of the Eagles which resulted in some incredible details in the dark feathers.
Razorbill in flight with Capelin fish
Unlike the Puffins that usually circle a few times before landing and scurrying into their burrows, the Razorbills usually just fly straight in on the first attempt. This Razorbill made a few attempts before it landed, and banked right in front of us a few times before finally landing.
Northern Gannet Over-the-Top
A Northern Gannet cartwheels while calling at the top of its dive in the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence, Quebec, Canada. We have had some epic time photographing from the early morning Zodiac excursions during my Gannets Galore Workshops in Percé, Quebec, Canada.
Horned Puffin in flight
“My truest feelings for my Saint Paul Island experiences were self-expressed spontaneously and subconsciously when, as our plane taxied down the runway on our return home, I choked up at the thought that our unique week together was over. Special thanks go to you, Chris, for your special help: giving me physical support to deal with the slipperies in the early days before I developed my sea-legs, directing me to good spots for close-up photos, helping me get into and out of them as needed, and especially for your converting me to use the Manual setting for my exposures. The true value of the latter became evident as I scanned my photo results on the computer. I confess I was plenty tired physically at the end of our week, but it was a week that in retrospect I would not have missed.”
— Charles Wyttenback Cape Cod | Massachusetts | USA
August 4th is International Owl Awareness Day
Here’s a Great Grey Owl to celebrate International Owl Awareness Day!