[Birdtalk] Close Encounter with a Short-eared Owl - Cache Valley

[Buck Russell]

I was standing in the middle of a marshy area in the Amalga Barrens in Cache Valley looking at a Savannah Sparrow.  The bird was being very cooperative, perched on a small post.  Normally I have trouble getting good looks at these sparrows.  In the past I’ve never been able to get a photo of Savannah Sparrow.  One of the drawbacks of digiscoping , at least with my set-up, is the amount time it takes to focus the scope, attach the camera, time spent to make sure the weight of the camera didn’t pull the scope off the bird, wait for the scope to steady itself, and the final fleeting hope that the bird didn’t get spooked by all of my movement.   As I said this bird was being very cooperative and I was able to get about a dozen photos of the bird.  As I took the photos I was standing very still and quiet.  Also, I was wearing a canvas hat, the type with the extra wide brim which completely hid my head and face as I leaned over the scope.  After I snapped the last photo I slowly looked up, only to be startled by seeing a Short-eared owl flying straight at my head with the apparent intention of landing.  To say that I was shocked would be an extreme understatement.  The bird also looked shocked as it realized that it’s would-be perch had moved and was now looking at it.  The owl swerved and missed me.  It was one of those moments when time slowed down and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.  Every time I look at my Savannah Sparrow photos I am thinking about an owl.   I am grateful for a birding hobby that gets me out of the house and reminds me that there is an amazing world out there.  Thanks.
Buck Russell
_________________________________________________________________
Discover the new Windows Vista
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=windows+vista&mkt=en-US&form=QBRE
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://secureserver.securesites.net/pipermail/birdtalk/attachments/20070503/8429bf79/attachment.htm