Flammulated Owl in Death Valley
Flammulated Owl in Death Valley
Photo by Michael Siebold
This little one is a Flammulated Owl I saw on a hike in Death Valley last month. It's also a perfect example of why I love my new landscape lenses. I found the little one on the back end of a 2 mile hike in 100+ degree heat in Golden Canyon. I had decided to take the hike for some landscape photography and to walk through some of the filming spots from Star Wars: A New Hope. Loved the hike and I think I got some nice shots from it, but on the way back I saw what I knew had to be an owl I'd never seen before sitting in the shadows on the canyon wall. Normally I would have had a 70-200 as my long landscape lens and to bring a wildlife lens along I would have had to lug an 8 lb behemoth with me. Since I moved tot he R5, I picked up a 100-500 for landscapes and while I love it for those, it's also proved extremely useful as a hiking wildlife lens. There have been two or three once-in-a-long-time opportunities just like this one that I would have missed had I been limited to 200 mm. All that to say, it's been a lot of fun to be that much more ready for those unexpected gifts.
Well would you just look at this fella
Every day is better when a Flammy makes an appearance!
Still my fave! Those hints of red in the camo just give it that little extra.
I thought we were due for some more Flammy. I liked this picture because I didn't know it lived near Death Valley. I didn't think there'd be enough trees to live in, but I don't really know what it's like out there. It doesn't sound like a place with trees. I know the Pygmy Owls live in cactuses, so I more pictured those there.
I read this as "flammable owl", and my first thought was- aren't all owls flammable?
According to the mice, you've got to nuke them from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.
On a serious note, I have a report I did on that, but removed it because it was too depressing for here, but I haven't found a better place to post it yet.
As much as certain people try to make windmills appear to be the death trap for birds...uncontrolled methane flares are a very real danger. They're invisible, burn at thousands of degrees, and come out of what would be a great place for raptors to perch if it wouldn't roast them the second they get near it.
If anyone has a good spot to share depressing environmental news, let me know.
!biodiversity@mander.xyz may be a good place, especially if you have some information on its impact on biodiversity. It's not a community dedicated to depressing news, but anything that has to do with science goes on Mander.xyz, even when it's sad.
I myself would be interested in articles you have to share, I never heard of this before!
Those big eyes
Yeah, he looks a little flammulated.
It's what it was born to do! 🔥🔥🔥
