Burrowing Owl Juvenile (Athene cunicularia)
*** REASONS FOR MY ABSENCE ***
On me belly for this shot....
“No composite overlay added here!”
A lot of my contacts (YOU) have been wondering what the heck happened to me... I'm alive and well..
I am just busy with stuff that is also a passion of mine.
Well, the long and short of it is: Each year at this time I volunteer my time to help organize the "Make A Wish" tuna challenge. It is the largest tuna fishing tournament in the US and the largest philanthropic organization on the west coast providing needed monies for the "MAW" foundation. We help grant wishes (unfortunately for some their last wish) for children with life threatening illnesses. Plus, the birds have disappeared here and I have had nothing to share.
: ^ (
Then my dear friend Dave Zimmerman www.flickr.com/photos/111053253@N04/ from flickr contacted me and said he would be in my neck of the woods on Friday the 13th. Not being superstitious I begun looking for a venue that might be lucrative for him justifying his jaunt all the way from Winnipeg Canada. So ( and forewarned) I told him to meet me in the Imperial Valley where the temperatures are currently reaching 115 degrees Fahrenheit to shoot the Burrowing Owls. He is a tough brave soul to agree to this. And, I might add one great dude!!!! We had a blast shooting together. I have had the pleasure of having face time with several folks on flickr. I cannot tell you what an honor it is putting a face with a name and very truthfully has always been such a memorable occasion with each and every new friend I make, aside from just offering kudos on pics we choose to share.
Oddly enough this is where I left off in my posting awaiting brand new hatching peering out from their dens. I returned back there three times to no avail..no new chicks making themselves visually available, and then got discouraged as it is a (250 mile round trip ticket to this venue...) This image is in first light of this new fledgling Burrowing Owl chick.
***One more thing that has kept me pretty busy with everything else is a lack of responsibility for the Burrowing Owls from two separate entities that acquired federal grant monies to insure the procreation and health of this "bird of interest" as a result of the declining numbers in SoCal. My first set of images I took of a female was covered so badly with Ticks, Mites, and Lice she was on the verge of death. I chose not to share that image on flickr. I contacted state and federal agencies and essentially blew the whistle on the agencies taking grant monies and shirking responsibilities via poor management and lack of interest relative to the very reason they were granted these monies in the first place. Now both entities are making themselves very visible dusting the burrows as should have been done all along and the birds are looking much better and healthier.***
Thanks for your continued support and interest in my work.
Make it a great day my friends....as it is always a choice!
Burrowing Owl Juvenile (Athene cunicularia)
*** REASONS FOR MY ABSENCE ***
On me belly for this shot....
“No composite overlay added here!”
A lot of my contacts (YOU) have been wondering what the heck happened to me... I'm alive and well..
I am just busy with stuff that is also a passion of mine.
Well, the long and short of it is: Each year at this time I volunteer my time to help organize the "Make A Wish" tuna challenge. It is the largest tuna fishing tournament in the US and the largest philanthropic organization on the west coast providing needed monies for the "MAW" foundation. We help grant wishes (unfortunately for some their last wish) for children with life threatening illnesses. Plus, the birds have disappeared here and I have had nothing to share.
: ^ (
Then my dear friend Dave Zimmerman www.flickr.com/photos/111053253@N04/ from flickr contacted me and said he would be in my neck of the woods on Friday the 13th. Not being superstitious I begun looking for a venue that might be lucrative for him justifying his jaunt all the way from Winnipeg Canada. So ( and forewarned) I told him to meet me in the Imperial Valley where the temperatures are currently reaching 115 degrees Fahrenheit to shoot the Burrowing Owls. He is a tough brave soul to agree to this. And, I might add one great dude!!!! We had a blast shooting together. I have had the pleasure of having face time with several folks on flickr. I cannot tell you what an honor it is putting a face with a name and very truthfully has always been such a memorable occasion with each and every new friend I make, aside from just offering kudos on pics we choose to share.
Oddly enough this is where I left off in my posting awaiting brand new hatching peering out from their dens. I returned back there three times to no avail..no new chicks making themselves visually available, and then got discouraged as it is a (250 mile round trip ticket to this venue...) This image is in first light of this new fledgling Burrowing Owl chick.
***One more thing that has kept me pretty busy with everything else is a lack of responsibility for the Burrowing Owls from two separate entities that acquired federal grant monies to insure the procreation and health of this "bird of interest" as a result of the declining numbers in SoCal. My first set of images I took of a female was covered so badly with Ticks, Mites, and Lice she was on the verge of death. I chose not to share that image on flickr. I contacted state and federal agencies and essentially blew the whistle on the agencies taking grant monies and shirking responsibilities via poor management and lack of interest relative to the very reason they were granted these monies in the first place. Now both entities are making themselves very visible dusting the burrows as should have been done all along and the birds are looking much better and healthier.***
Thanks for your continued support and interest in my work.
Make it a great day my friends....as it is always a choice!