Protecting the Kill - a photo on Flickriver

            We were recently in Badlands National Park, driving through on dirt roads when my wife says she thought she saw an owl.  That's odd, its the middle of the day. Soon it was another, then another, then loads of owls.  They were burrowing owls, using prairie dog holes.  As son as the car stopped, thump...I was on the ground.  These little guys are the same color as the ground, if you are going to stand any chance of isolating them, you have to get down to their level and use the zoom your momma gave you...wait, that does not work.  Use the one you brought.  As wide as it will go and far as the zoom will go.  

Come on, I say, everyone.  Get on the ground, you will get better images.  Chirping crickets.  I am alone, on the ground.  Something is poking me.  Its a stick.  Again.  Oh well.  

In this specific instance I was on the ground when this fella, I call him Stan, saw a grasshopper somewhat close to me.  See, I was on the darn ground so long that all manner of living creatures were accustomed to my presence.  Dad, get off the ground, I'm hungry.  No.  They must get acclimated to my presence.  Stan flew over to me and punched a big, juicy grasshopper.  His timing was good, I had been there so long I was about to eat the grasshopper myself.  I schuffed a little in excitement because he was about 20 feet from me now.  He heard me.  There goes the acclimation.  He swung his wing around the grasshopper so I could not see it, and then he looked my way.  Too proud to look right at me, he glanced just to the side of me.  You don't fool me Stan, I know you are looking at me.  I shot about 200 frames.  Not too much on the processing side here, the lens did most of the work.  

Let me know what you think.

Taken in: United States / South Dakota / Unorganized Territory of West Oglala Lakota / Rockyford (show map)

Taken on: July 5, 2020

Tags:

owl

bird

badlands

national

park

National Park

animal

nature

wild

wildlife

beak

acclimated « less

Sets appears in: • Animals • National Parks and Monuments

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