Tag: Cochise County

Family life: The female G.H.O. is keeping maternal vigil at the opposite end of the work shed from the male owl’s favored perch. The nest is substantial and sturdy, but its only apparent concession to comfort is a tangle of frayed nylon rope. This late in February it’s possible her eggs have already hatched, and she’s keeping her brood of owlets warm.

Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) at Whitewater Draw near McNeal, Arizona.

1/250th sec.

I find this photo a little odd. In some ways it looks weirdly contrived, like a product of someone’s clumsy photoshopping. But that fast shutter click caught a tiny slice of time that the human eye can’t register. Maybe this is what birds in startled flight always look like, but we just can’t see. The only adjustments I made were a crop and a border and a small exposure correction. This is the camera’s photo, since I didn’t really know what I was seeing. All I did was point and shoot.

Please click through to see an enlarged view.