From Brisbane Young
A sampling of Shorty pics!
Thank you!
anon6789
joined 2 years ago
Lol, can't tell if this is a reference safe for me to investigate while at work or not based off search results! ๐
I know which one has the hotter legs, but which has the warmer legs is a much tougher question...
It'd be a really good community icon if Shorty had won!
I just submitted some Owl of the Year winner banners and icons to the mod, so hopefully we'll see them soon if my images were sized right. Hard finding specs from Lemmy, so I just drew over someone else's banner that scaled nice! ๐
I was trying to do something more like a Simpson-ized pic
But to end up with the Shorty still making the face but looking more like The Owl House's Hooty.
Lack of rictal bristlage hurts the last one. Can't tell if Screech or WFS, but either way it needs that stache!
It is a cool word, but I could imagine it not working well with some accents as it is so close to rectal. ๐
No lie, I'm a bit jealous of those!
They look both extremely fun and warm.
Aww, these are all mule-style shoes and don't look as handmade. Not bad attempts though!
It's true, my problem with it was it was too full of good stuff it got to be overwhelming!
Hehe, premium comment!
Huh, either nobody seems to have a free emoji maker or they're all just blocked by my company's AI blocklist. ๐
From Mike Lentz
When the light starts to fade, these little Eastern Screech Owls start popping up!
These guys move around from cavity to cavity in these old growth woods, so you just need to either keep looking or get good intel from buddies. :)
From Mike Lentz
Always rewarding when I can get a Long-Eared Owl out in an open field perched nicely as these guys are extremely flighty! Generally they are in the thickest woods making it a challenge for a clean photo op, but not always. :)
I like it when the snow fall stays and we get that bounce light from the white instead of the dark shadows on the subject or in the grassy shadows as it makes for a more visually appealing photo IMH0.
From Katey Buster
PEEK-A- BOO !! After many hours standing in a stiff breeze of 10ยฐ wind chill, this lovely female Snowy Owl popped out of her little roosting spot and up onto the top of the jetty in fast fading light.... my digits were so frozen from Raynaud's Syndrome that had to try different fingers to depress the shutter. finally did get a shot of her and also a photo of her in the distance on the jetty as well as her playing hide and seek for most of the day! My first look at such an iconic creature in all her feathered glory! (West Central Ohio)
From Mayo Clinic
Raynaud's Syndrome causes some areas of the body โ such as fingers and toes โ to feel numb and cold in response to cold temperatures or stress. In Raynaud's disease, smaller blood vessels that supply blood to the skin narrow. This limits blood flow to affected areas, which is called vasospasm.
Caught a picture of one of my mini woodpecker friends today.
I like how his butt feathers blowing around resemble the arms of a snowflake.
(Pennsylvania, Pixel 7 through the patio door I need to clean when it isn't 8 degrees (-13.3 C))
From Animal Welfare League of Arlington
๐Twas the week before Christmas, and perched on the tree was an unexpected visitor as majestic as can be! ๐
This beautiful Barred Owl decided to play Santa and drop in-literally-through the chimney of a local home, and declared himself the newest star on top of their Christmas tree (look closely - you'll see he knocked the old star over to make room for himself). Sgt Murray answered the call, gently capturing our feathered friend and safely releasing it back into the wild.
P.S. This is a great reminder to keep your chimneys capped this season to prevent curious critters from coming to visit!
There were lots of great comments, with many people posting their own accidental indie owl stories or owl ornamentation. Very fun post!
From Bryce Gaudian
From posts I've read on a number of Facebook Owl and Birding groups, there are A LOT of people who have yet to see or have had an opportunity to photograph a Northern Saw-whet Owl.
I was in communication this morning with perhaps the most legendary steward and finder of Northern Saw-whet Owls on the planet - Don Poggensee of lda Grove, lowa.
Don is happy to help anyone who reaches out to him to see and photograph these amazingly special owls if they are willing to drive down to lda Grove, lowa to a park where, for this his 40th year, he literally goes out every morning from November to March to find them and then calls whoever is on his list for that day if he is successful in finding one or more, to call them to drive on down.
To date, Don has shown OVER 8,000 people -- yes, 8,000+ people have seen and photographed Northern Saw whet Owls that Don has found.
Myself and a friend drove down there several weeks ago when Don had found two for us to photograph. He told me this morning he has been finding two almost every morning consistently.
Don said he would love to hear from anyone desiring to see and photograph a Northern Saw- whet Owl. He told me to share his Cell number for you to call him directly and get on his list for whatever day works for you if he finds one that morning. You can feel free to Message me for his number and I will give it to you.
You can look on a map and see if you are willing to drive to lda Grove, Iowa to finally fulfill your dream of seeing a Northern Saw-whet Owl if that dream is yet unfulfilled.
I commend Don on the gift he has given so many and continues to do so at age 80!! You can know that Don has the deepest respect, stewardship, and dedication to Northern Saw-whet Owls. His observations of Northern Saw-whet Owls for over forty years could fill a book. (By the way he does not charge anything. He does this out of sheer kindness.)
From World Bird Sanctuary
It is officially hooting season!
Hooting season is the time of year when owls hoot more frequently to establish territory, find mates, and get ready for breeding. Owls will begin defending their territory and courting their mates in late fall, and the breeding season wil go throughout winter and early spring. Depending on the species, eggs may even begin hatching in early January.
Some of our owls may court their roommates, but some of them court the staff. Cecil, the great horned owl, is a human imprint. Someone illegally raised him from a chick, and he does not see himself as an owl. He sees other great horned owls as a threat. So according to Cecil, humans are the proper mate instead! He has been hooting frequently to get the attention of his favorite people, and even tries to bring them gifts such as this leaf!
While we must admit it is a very impressive leaf, we must turn down his advances. Don't feel too bad for Cecil's unrequited love though, as he gets to spend his days hanging out with the people he prefers.
This year's race was a bit closer than last year's. With much back and forth during the bulk of voting, the community eventually determined our new champion and the owl that will lead us into the new year!
This owl spends much of its life mostly alone in the far away taiga. It is not as blessed as other owls when it comes to size and strength. It needs to make a long and arduous journey each year to avoid the worst conditions of the place it calls home. Though it fits in the palm of your hand, it needs the heart and determination to keep itself and its family safe every day from much larger predators. It lets none of this stop it from being a true champion amongst owls. This is our Owl of the Year: the Saw Whet Owl!
Thank you everyone that voted and participated in any of the events. I think the event organization went a little nicer with some experience from last year. Matchmaking felt better, we had some close races and just about all felt competitive. I liked giving you some choice in the owl participants.
Last year we were at 2100 subs at the time of the games, and now it's almost 3400. It's a lot of work keeping this community going and looking at last year's winner post, there are more names in there that I recognize that I had expected.
I'm glad you all have been a big part of making our group what it is today. This wouldn't be the same place without you and your consistent participation. We've lost a few regulars this year, but we've gained a bunch as well that keep this place lively with good questions, comments, and jokes.
I hope everyone continues to have a good time here into the new year. And for now, enjoy your new Owl of the Year!
From Lori Schwaller Masad
Great Horned Owl, December 6 in Dickinson County. (Iowa)
From Kerry Platzgraff
Superb Owls! Took these in Costa Rica. Zoos are illegal in Costa Rica but they have rehab/sanctuaries. All animals are rehabbed and released. The few that cannot be released obviously stay. Really enjoyed seeing these beautiful Owls. First one is a Crested Owl and second is a Spectacled Owl. Had to take the picture through a screen but considering still got some good pictures. I almost forgot the Black-and-white Owl. Added to the post.
From Marie Read
I've picked this Snowy Owl surrounded by blowing snow for my holiday card 2024. Photographed ten years ago, February 2014, in Ontario, Canada.
I was excited to see these guys at the National Aviary, but looking through my photostack, I see I didn't even bother to take a picture. Up in the tree, it just looked like a black pigeon. ๐
The colors are an effect of refraction, so seeing them in a canopy takes that away. If you go scrolling pics of them, you'll see they're almost all really sunny photos.
This photo represents what I remember seeing:
They're still cool though!