Two weeks ago I posted some dramatic photos of a Northern Hawk Owl in an ice encrusted tree with a perfect blue sky in the background. I included a long description about what goes into the “perfect photograph). Today I have decided to post the “Failed Photograph” with a discussion about the experience! My subject is once again a Northern Hawk Owl.

Yesterday I became excited when I heard a new Northern Hawk Owl had been reported not too far from my home. Although the forecast for this morning included clouds, high winds and snow, a bit before sunrise the clouds blew out and gave us perfectly blue skies. The decision was quickly made … time to go “owling”. At 8 am I located the Hawk Owl. Better yet, it was perched at the top of a pine tree right next to the road with the morning sun providing perfect light. For the next 30 minutes I stood outside in the cold, waiting for the hunt to be successful (fyi … northern hawk owls unlike other owls hunt in the daytime). Although the sun felt good on my back through my heavy winter parka, the cold was beginning to freeze my fingers … mittens not withstanding. Finally … the takeoff! and the failure!

• View this project’s Flickr photo stream. (click upon images to view at full size)

The Failed Northern Hawk Owl Flight Photo!

———-

A photo from while I was waiting!

Northern Minnesota can be a photographic challenge. Take today for instance, while the sky is a deep, deep blue … the rest of the weather is as follows: -20F + 20mph wind = -48F windchill. Thus, neither the pheasant nor me were very interested in being out in the open. It was cold enough behind this thicket of trees. One aspect of this photo is one may see the pheasant’s foot about to emerge from its puffed up body to take another step.

• View this project’s Flickr photo stream. (click upon image to view at full size)

Today is the start of my 365 Days of Birds photography project. Please read the background information. I am quite lucky to lead off with a Snowy Owl. Here in Duluth, Minnesota, we are enjoying an small invasion of Snowy Owls. I am fortunate enough to live less than a ten minute drive from this owl’s Winter territory, and have been watching him for over one month now. Thus, he gets to be my first bird.

A few other comments that related to this project. My camera is a modest Canon Sx40. While it would be nice to have an expensive DSLR with a huge telephoto zoom lens, this camera is amazing with what it allows me to accomplish in terms of a limited equipment budget.

The other surprise from photographing birds during our recent cold snap (i.e. it’s been -15F to -20F many, many mornings this January) has been that the lenses on my binoculars fog up from the warmth of my eyes while sitting in the car and investigating habitat for birds.

• View this project’s Flickr photo stream. (click upon image to view at full size)