ACC WEBSITE HEADLINES September 2009, Vol. 2, Article 1
“Stillman Raptor Outing” by Kent Wilson On July 25, 17 ACC members along with 3 members of Lake County Camera Club, visited Stillman Nature Center to photograph owls and hawks. Mark Spreyer and his knowledgeable crew of volunteers presented their beautiful charges.
Mark's favorite, a great horned owl (not a "sissy bird," as he called the other raptors), is a tough customer. Great horned owls (the horns are prominent feather tufts on its head) are fairly common as owls go and will eat anything from reptiles and amphibians to birds (including other owls and hawks) and mammals ranging in size from mice to rabbits, skunks, and even porcupines. As Mark repeatedly reminded us, owls are not pets. If we were just a little smaller smaller, this pretty lady would look at us as lunch. And speaking of lunch, Carol will be serving a sumptuous lunch when this session is over. And Paul has promised to perform his patented disappearing act when the photographers invade his home.
Also representing the owl family were two Eastern Screech owls, a grey morph and a red morph. These little guys also have ear tufts, but the tufts aren't called horns, I guess because they don't have the satanic reputation that the great horned owls bear. They eat mostly insects, lizards, mice, rats, bats (I can hear Carol say "Ewwwww!"), chipmunks and birds as large as doves. They were pretty nervous when the Great Horned owl was near, since they know she regards them as lunch. (There’s that word again! Never had photography make me so hungry.)
The volunteers also displayed a broad-winged hawk and a peregrine falcon. The broad-winged hawks feed on small mammals, insects, snakes and frogs, whereas the peregrines like live birds. Following our outing at Stillman, we finally got to Carol's and Paul's for a delicious lunch. Paul's disappearing act was the best I’ve ever witnessed. I would have asked him the secret, but of course I couldn't find him. It was that good. I should mention that Carol's food was equal to Paul's magic. Harsh light, ugly shadows, and is Ken wearing a wooden bib? (Probably anticipating lunch.) How could a photographer go so wrong? Why the beauty of the subjects must have blinded him to all those defects! And no doubt the thought of lunch.
I know it’s in there somewhere. |
Arlington Camera Club