A lone hiker stands atop a rocky outcrop overlooking the rugged landscape of Antelope Island and the hazy waters of the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

Gary Donaldson

Barred Owl

Barred Owl

Words and Photography by Gary Donaldson

Field Notes:

She* never took her eyes off me. Waiting patiently while I fumbled with camera gear. I stole quick glances over my shoulder while wrestling the long lens onto the Nikon body. Finally, I stepped away from the truck and raised the camera towards the Barred Owl.

She was perched on an oak limb just a few dozen feet beyond my campsite, untroubled by my presence. She never broke her pose as the shutter clicked away.

– Governor Dodge State Park in the Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin.

* Presumed female as she was the larger of a pair of owls observed perched on a nearby limb the following day.

Comments

One response to “Barred Owl”

  1. The Merlins of Breezy Point: A Morning Encounter – Gary Donaldson Photography +

    […] * Not the first time I wrestled with the long lens for a bird photograph. See the post about the Barred Owl by clicking HERE. […]

    Reply

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Gary Donaldson

“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.”

— Anthony Bourdain

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