Up Close & Personal with 4 Short-eared Owls

I got another hot tip! Short-eared Owls that day roost in an agricultural ditch and are highly tolerant of cars stopping. So I get my directions and journey 130 miles to the location. Finding the owls along the tall grasses with their amazing camouflaged feathers was pretty frustrating at first, but once you spot the first one, you know exactly how to find more. Yep, there they were, just sitting & waiting for me to show up. The morning was extremely windy and these little fellas knew exactly how to pick excellent cover to break the blow. There were plenty of grassy "caves" to hide out in. Thanks guys! You made my day!

Timberdoodle Doodling in Snow

This strange creature with an extremely long bill is an American Woodcock. I found him this morning after last nights fresh snow. He migrated from a warmer climate recently, so I'm sure he's not too happy with this snow. His bill is used to sift through soil for bugs and worms.

Northern Hawk Owl- Lifer!

Another tip and another journey to Wisconsin for an owl rarely seen even there. Like the Great Grey Owl (previous post) this little owl stays in the colder states like Minnesota and other northernmost areas. This migrant found its way south probably by accident as with the Great Grey. Bird Nerds like me will travel 100's of miles just to get a good look at one in the wild. He was well worth the trip from Illinois, even though the tolls on I294 are frickin ridiculous! $2.80. CrAzY!I stayed long enough for him to fly to a few posts, but no natural settings. Oh well, I got my owl!

Great Grey Owl - A Lifer!

One of the best wildlife moments of my life, this Great Grey Owl put on quite a show for me. It was obvious this wild owl was used to people as it approached quite close many times. The rumor mill was buzzing with sightings of this owl and the unethical behavior displayed by certain photographers baiting. This owl was looking for an easy meal while I was there, although no one baited him on this day. Right or wrong, perfect weather conditions and a big help from this lifer owl made this a spectacular day! Enjoy!

Raccoon Youngsters Foraging

A couple of young raccoons took advantage of the milder temps to look for food. Raccoons normally hibernate during freezing temps but leave the den to eat when the temps are not so frigid. 

 

 

My Trip to Costa Rica 2013

Scartlet Macaw - A breeding pair

 My 3rd trip to Costa Rica was amazing! Reasons to keep going back is endless. The culture there is simply beautiful. The mantra for Costa Rica is: "Pura Vita", meaning "the pure life" or simply put: "the simple life". Costa Rica has the respect of the world for their respect of nature. Did you know that the residents who own property have to get permission to cut down a tree? The government then comes out and decides if the tree qualifies for killing it. Most of the time, they deny it unless it is completely dead already. Many species of trees are only found native in this country so wasting something so precious must require proper paperwork and removal.

Pygmy Owl

 There is very little crime in C.R. I found that fascinating. Talking with a local guide on 1 of our adventures told us that money isn't all that important. If you can pay your bills and feed your children, most people dont have a desire for luxuries. They have vast gardens for self-sustaining themselves so the rest just complicates their "pure life". What a way to live!

Chestnut-mandibled Toucan

All of these photos came from the same resort we had stayed in for the past 3 trips. The resort was cut out of a rainforest reserve. We stayed in bungalows that was surrounded in jungle. The resort removed very little trees, unlike alot of resorts who wipe out acres and acres to build huge highrises next to the beach. Not this place! That is why we go back to this particular place.

Fiery-billed Aracari

It doesn't feel like you are in a resort. When you take a trail to go birdwatching, you are enveloped in rainforest and you can only hear nature.

Three-toed Sloth

We took an early morning birdwalk tour to see where the birds were. From there, we revisited those places to find even more birds.

Capuchin Monkey Silhouette

Finding the sloth was a highlight I had not gotten in my previous 2 visits.

Capuchin Monkey

Stay tuned for all of the waterbirds we found during our Croc Tour!