I arrive at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge before sunrise. I was parked near the office, enjoying a quick breakfast and coffee before heading to photograph on the auto tour road. I noticed an Owl flying across the road in front of me. I thought it was a Barred Owl, but when it landed in a nearby tree, I saw that it was a Great Horned Owl. It had a Crow harassing it. I didn’t have enough light to photograph this encounter. After watching the Owl for a few minutes, I saw that it flew back across the road and landed in a tree closer to the road. I moved my pickup to get in a better location to photograph this Owl. When I moved, the Owl once again flew across the road and landed in a nearby tree. I decided to wait and see if it would come back. After a few minutes, it did. I was able to get the below photo.

Gear Used:

• Camera: Canon EOS R5
• Lens: RF100-500 mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

Technical:

• Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
• Date and Time Taken: April 8, 2022 (06:08 A. M.)
• Exposure Mode: Manual
• Aperture: f7.1
• Shutter speed: 1/800
• ISO: 6400 (Auto)
• White Balance: Auto
• Metering Mode: Evaluative
• Back-button Focus
• Animal [Read More…]

Capturing the image of the Great Horned Owl in a willow tree was an incredible experience. As a wildlife photographer, I always try to capture the beauty and majesty of these creatures. The Great Horned Owl is one such bird that commands attention and admiration.

The Great Horned Owl is a large bird with distinctive ear tufts on its head. These tufts are not actually ears but are feathers that provide camouflage and help the owl to blend into its surroundings. This bird is found throughout North and South America and is one of the most widespread owl species in the world.

Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma is an ideal location for bird photography, and the Great Horned Owl was no exception. This particular owl was perched in a willow tree near the road that leads to the Moody Boat Ramp and Trotter’s Pond. The Great Horned Owl is known to perch on high branches, and this made it difficult for me to capture a good photograph.

To get the shot, I had to be patient and wait for the right moment. I had my camera set up on a bean bag, which I placed over the open window of my pickup. This gave me a steady base to shoot from and allowed me to [Read More…]

I have been seeing a Great Horned Owl near the same location while driving the auto tour road at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. It would be close to the road just before sunrise, but it would move away from the road when I drove into the area.

On this day I had my window down and when I got into the area, I could hear several Horned Owls communicating with each other. They were next to the road. I observed one Owl giving another Owl the head of a Pied-billed Grebe. I didn’t have enough light to photograph this exchange. After the exchange I started photographing the Owl with the head, anyway. My ISO was high and my shutter speed was low, so I didn’t expect the photos to turn out.

A baby Horned Owl was in another tree across the road from the adult Owl. This Owl was in a terrible area for a photo. They flew to an area away from the road and too far for me to photograph.

I was hand-holding my camera and lens outside my pickup. I braced the camera on the frame of my pickup to keep it steady to get the photo. It pleasantly surprised me to have a photo turn out with the [Read More…]

I photographed this Great Horned Owl back in September 2011 at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. I saw a pair last year but didn’t get a good photo of them. I have not seen one this year but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I do.

I photographed this Owl while standing outside my pickup. I was using the door as a brace to keep my camera steady.

Gear Used:

• Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III
• Lens: Canon EF 500 mm f/4L IS

Technical:

• Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
• Date & Time Taken: September 19, 2011 (08:04:18 A.M.)
• Aperture Priority
• Aperture: f6.3
• Shutter speed: 1/640 sec. (as determined by the camera)
• ISO: 800
• White Balance: Auto
• Metering Mode: Evaluative
• Exposure Bias: 0 EV
• Back-button Focus
• Single Point Continuous Auto Focus
• Focal Length: 500 mm
• Processed With Luminar 4

Related Posts:

1. Adult Barred Owl
2. Young Barred Owl With Crayfish
3. Another Photo Opportunity With A Barred Owl