An Owl’s Story

Photograph of a Spotted Owl perched on the branch of a Coastal Redwood Tree in Northern California. The owl has very light gray breast. The remainder is gray with white spots on its back and some white spots on its head.
Spotted Owl on Coastal Redwood
Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County, California, USA; SEP 2013

I’m sharing these pictures because of an interesting relationship.  

I took the image of the Spotted Owl about 9 years ago. I believe it is especially poignant because the owl is on a Coastal Redwood.

This Owl was placed on the endangered species act in 1990 because of habitat loss. It lives in old growth forests like the coastal redwoods of California and Oregon. It sparked a battle between conservationists and the US Government against Loggers who wanted the right to log old growth forests. The Spotted Owl and its habitat won the battle. However, the Spotted Owl may be losing the battle; its numbers have not grown since it was placed on the endangered species list. One possible culprit is the Barred Owl; is encroaching on the Spotted Owl’s habitat and driving it out.

Notice how similarly they look.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.

Photograph of a Barred Owl perched on a tree branch with green and gold leaves in the background. The owl has a very light gray breast with some darker gray feathers intermixed. It has a band of feathers between its head and branch that give the appearance of wearing a dark gray and light gray stipes.
Barred Owl
Big Creek Greenway, Alpharetta, Georgia, USA; OCT 2022

Canada Geese on the Chattahoochee River

Canada Geese on the Chattahoochee River
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; NOV 2022

Meandering up the river at sunrise.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Simple American Robin

Image of a bird, an American Robin sitting on a bush with blue berries and green leaves. The Robin has a berry in its beak.
American Robin Feasting on Berries
Big Creek Greenway, Alpharetta, Georgia, USA; NOV 2022

PLease click on caption to see image at higher resolution.

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Assorted Birds

Photographic image of a predominantly gray and brown Barred Owl perched on a tree branch with green leaves in the background. The owl has a gray breast with heavy brown vertical stripes. It has heavy gray rings around its dark eyes, a yellow beak and what appears to be a white moustache.
Barred Owl
Big Creek Greenway, Alpharetta, Georgia, USA; OCT 2022

These birds are primarily from 2 locations: Beave Lake Bird Sanctuary in Asheville, North Carolina and Big Creek Greenway in Alpharetta, Georgia.

We stopped in Asheville to visit a friend but made our first, early morning stop, at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. It’s a neat little wetland with a boardwalk meandering through it. We enjoyed it a lot.

The Big Creek Greenway is a 10 mile paved trail along Big Creek. Great place to walk; plenty of birds and deer.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.

Vertical photographic image of a Female Downy Woodpecker perched on a gray tree trunk. The bird is black and white.
Female Downy Woodpecker
Roswell, Georgia, USA; OCT 2022
Photographic image of a predominantly brown and gray White-throated Sparrow perched on an angled, gray tree trunk with green and yellow background. The bird has 2 black stripes on its crown with a white stripe in between, white throat, white orbital feathers between its crown and black eye stripe. It has a yellow lore above his beak.
White-throated Sparrow
Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. Asheville. North Carolina, USA; OCT 2022

Photographic image of a predominantly brown and gray Song Sparrow perched on an angled, gray tree trunk with green and yellow background.
Song Sparrow
Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. Asheville. North Carolina, USA; OCT 2022

Photographic image of predominantly brown and white Female Eastern Towhee perched on a horizontal fallen tree branch with green leaves in the background. It has reddish brown feathers between its wing and breast.
Female Eastern Towhee
Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. Asheville. North Carolina, USA; OCT 2022

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

 

 

 

 

Great Blue Heron Hunting

A couple of weeks ago, we visited the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary in Asheville, North Carolina. It was a lovely place with a board walk that meandered through a wetland. While there, a Great Blue Heron gave us the opportunity to watch it hunt and capture breakfast. I created a time lapse so I could share it with you.

Please click here to see video: Great Blue Heron Hunting.

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Some Tiny Birds

White-breasted nuthatch perched on a tree branch with green leaves in the background.
White-breasted Nuthatch
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JAN 2022

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.

Carolina Wren perched on a red brick.
Carolina Wren
Roswell, Georgia, USA; OCT 2022

Brown Headed Nuthatch perched on a tree trunk.
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JAN 2022

Anna’s Hummingbird perched on a tree branch.
Female Anna’s Hummingbird
Mississippi Bar, American River Parkway, Fair Oaks, California, USA; APR 2021

Female Pine Warbler perched on a tree branch with brown and green leaves in the background.
Female Pine Warbler
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JAN 2022

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Woodpeckers

A Red-headed Woodpecker perched on the right side of a tree trunk against a green background.
Red-headed Woodpecker
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JUL 2022

Since moving to Georgia, we’ve been visited by a variety of woodpeckers. We had a variety in California also but the only one in common is the Downy Woodpecker.

Though I’ve seen the Yellow-bellied Woodpecker here, I had to use an older picture from Florida because the one I got here wasn’t so good. Note the rings of holes on the tree trunk. Sapsuckers peck in rings around the tree trunk. If you see those rings, you know a Sapsucker has visited it.

The male and female Pileated Woodpecker looks almost identical but the male has a red patch above its beak.

The Downy and Hairy woodpeckers look nearly identical except that the Hairy is considerably larger and its beak is nearly as long as its head. The males of both species have a red patch on the back of their head.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.

A Male Pileated Woodpecker perched on the top of a tree branch.
Male Pileated Woodpecker
Roswell, Georgia, USA; DEC 2021

A Female Hairy Woodpecker pecking on the left side of a tree trunk that is covered by  green lichen and brown fungi.
Female Hairy Woodpecker
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JAN 2022

A Male Downy woodpecker pecking on the left branch of a tree trunk against a gray background.
Male Downy Woodpecker
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JAN 2022

A Female Red-bellied Woodpecker on perched on the left side of a tree trunk against a gray-blue background.
Female Red-bellied Woodpecker
Roswell, Georgia, USA; DEC 2021

A Male Yellow-bellied sapsucker perched on the left side of a tree trunk against a green background.
Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Six Mile Cypress Preserve, Fort Meyers, Florida, USA; FEB 2020

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Cardinals

Male Northern Cardinal perched on a tree branch.
Male Northern Cardinal
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JAN 2022

To me, few birds are as handsome as the bright red male Northern Cardinal. The female whose coloration is not so bright and bold, is quite beautiful also. Recently, I was able to watch and photograph a juvenile. I watched as the male fed the young one. I also found a Cardinal that was molting. My 9-year-old granddaughter said it looked like it was having a bad hair day. I told her that she was on the right track and explained what molting is all about.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.

Female Northern Cardinal perched on a tree branch.
Female Northern Cardinal
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JAN 2022

Juvenile Northern Cardinal perched on a tree branch.
Juvenile Northern Cardinal
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JUL 2022

Molting Northern Cardinal on the ground surrounded by a cluster of green leaves, some sticks and a pile of bird seed.
Molting Northern Cardinal
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JUL 2022

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Eastern Bluebirds

Juvenile Eastern Bluebird perched on a tree branch with green leaves in the background.
Juvenile Eastern Bluebird
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JUL 2022

The past couple of weeks are backyard feeder has been flooded with juvenile Eastern Bluebirds. I have counted as many as 6 at one time. So, I thought it might be a good time to post some “family” pictures. I don’t know which adults parented which juveniles, but you get the idea.

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.

Juvenile Eastern Bluebird perched on a tree trunk.
Juvenile Eastern Bluebird
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JUL 2022

Female Eastern Bluebird perched on a tree branch.
Female Eastern Bluebird
Roswell, Georgia, USA; DEC 2021

Male Eastern Bluebird perched on a tree branch. Bird is facing the rear.
Male Eastern Bluebird
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JAN 2022

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

A Few Birds

A Carolina Chickadee perched on a tree branch. Dark background.
Carolina Chickadee
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JAN 2022

Here are a few birds I photographed in the past few months.

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.

A Chipping Sparrow perched on and surrounded by tree branches.
Chipping Sparrow
Roswell, Georgia, USA; JAN 2022
A Spotted Sandpiper perched on one leg, on a rock, with blue water from the American RIver in the background.
Spotted Sandpiper; Breeding Plumage – note spots on the breast.
Sailor Bar, American River Parkway, Fair Oaks, California, USA; MAY 2021

An American Robin perched on a tree branch.
American Robin
Roswell, Georgia, USA; DEC 2021

A White-throated Sparrow on the ground amongst dried leaves and grasses.
White-throated Sparrow
Roswell, Georgia, USA, APR 2022

 

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.