This morning I got up early and headed down to Presqu’ile Park for a hike out to Gull Island.

Right now, Gull Island looks like this.  Required footwear for the hike varies, but today it consisted of tall rubber boots with ice cleats strapped on to them.    A very fashionable ensemble.

Hiking out the the island I am never alone, as the lake is teeming with waterfowl such as these little Long Tailed Ducks.

And mallards….woah, look out behind you!!!!

Each year, a female Snowy makes Gull Island her home.   I don’t really know if it is always the same one.    But I do know that many Snowy Owls enjoy winter territories around the Great Lakes each year.    It’s the easy access to waterfowl that keeps them coming back.

Today I initially found the Queen sitting on a duck blind.   Isn’t it nice of the park staff to set these up for her?    She checked me out, then fell back to sleep.

Snowy Owls are wild, and do not tolerate people if we get too close.   I have learned to stay far back, stay still, and then the owl will just go about its business instead of flying away.    My long lens helps, as does heavily cropping photos when I get home.

I always take a plastic garbage bag in my backpack so I can sit down on it and wait, and watch, without soaking my pants.   Eventually the owl took off right over me to go hunt over the lake.

She flew back to the island and landed on the “Access Prohibited” sign, then gave me a little wink.   OK, I am anthropomorphizing here.   Again.

After swooping down over the island looking for rodents she landed back up on a post.  I love how her feathers were blowing in the wind, and how I can see the fuzz on her face when she turns sideways.  Once again, I waited to see what would happen.

Off she flew, right over me! What a beauty! New Year’s Eve is always kind of like Thanksgiving for me.   I look back on the year, and think about all the things I am thankful for.

I am so fortunate that I live in such a beautiful part of the world, where I can visit wild creatures like the Snowy Owl who fill me with such awe.   I can’t think of a better way to spend the last day of 2015.

Thank you for sharing my journey with me, and Happy New Year!

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The post Queen of the Island: My Favourite Snowy Owl appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Good Morning Presqu’ile!   Oh how I love you!

There are so many reasons to love Presqu’ile Park, no matter when you visit.You can show up early on a hazy fall morning, and observe as Presqu’ile’s beaches and offshore islands start to come alive with sound and activity.

Migrating shorebirds start to wake up, and begin their daily search for food.

If you sit or lie down very still, the shorebirds will walk right past you as they are feeding.   It is endlessly entertaining to watch them.

A fall drive around the park may reveal a Ruffed Grouse, foraging at the side of the road for breakfast.  Look at those gorgeous feather patterns!

As seasons change and the weather turns colder, the park becomes very quiet.    I think winter is when Presqu’ile really shows its magic.

Little by little the lake freezes over.   Depending on the wind and the waves, the lakeshore looks different every time I visit in the winter, and each time is spectacular.Presqu’ile is famous for its ice volcanoes.   When the wind is just right, water from the waves will spray up through these holes in the ice.  I like them best at sunset, when they are lit up like some alien landscape.   Snowy owls love to use the offshore islands to hunt. Even in the dead of winter there is so much beauty to be found at Presqu’ile.Spring comes to Presqu’ile, and with it, the busiest time of year.A walk along the boardwalk in Jobes Woods reveals little sprouts of green, and some unexpected company.Look who’s watching you now!Early spring also brings the arrival of waterfowl, who are great show-offs for their potential mates.   What characters. As the ice moves out of Presqu’ile Bay, huge “rafts” of waterfowl can be seen feeding along the ice edge.Spring also brings bugs- lots of them!   But isn’t that perfect timing? The migratory birds are on their way back north.

Lots and lots and lots of them!.   How exciting to be at the park when the trees and bushes are just full of colourful birds singing and eating and flying about.  I am very grateful to have met some very experienced and knowledgeable birders at the park, who can help me learn about all these birds, their names, and their habits.     The diversity of species at Presqu’ile is amazing!

One day I got stuck out in a thunderstorm down by the lighthouse so went into the duck viewing shelter to get out of the rain.   In the tree next to me were so many different kinds of little birds I could barely keep track of them.   Above is a little Yellow Warbler shaking off the rain.Oh, and “fallouts!”   A fallout is when weather or wind conditions cause many thousands of birds to come to the same area all at once.   I will never forget being at Owen Point early on a May morning this year, and experiencing a fallout of shorebirds.   They were everywhere the eye could see, in flocks in the hundreds, soaring around, and feeding on the beaches.

I think I took over 1000 photographs that day!    It was so great because the Ontario Field Ornithologists Young Birders were at Owen Point that morning too, and this enthusiastic group of young people got to experience this spectacle as well. I don’t think any of us will ever forget it.

Did I mention you could see a fox at Presqu’ile?   And if that’s not enough for you…How about watching a fox walk down the road and then having a deer cross right in front of it, say “Good Morning” and carry on.   Is this the Bambi movie? I don’t know.    Presqu’ile is so cool.On the first hot hazy days of the year, the momma snapping turtles will come out of the mud and start to lay their eggs at the side of the roads.     A couple of years I have been down there on just the right day and seen 4 or 5 of these beauties all in the same trip.  I love their long sharp claws!Of course, Presqu’ile is for recreation too!   Walter loves to swim and run on the rocky beach.    The sandy beach is for the shorebirds, and of course all the campers and day trippers that flock to Presqu’ile in the summer.No matter when I visit, Presqu’ile always has something beautiful to offer.    I’m never disappointed.

Presqu’ile Provincial Park is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, just south of Brighton.   Check it out!

The post Why I Love Presqu’ile! appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Red Eyed Vireo

Though we may think of migration in terms of the louder, bigger species like Canada Geese, what we may not notice is that there are a whole lot of little birds on their way by too.

Young Indigo Bunting will head far south for the winter

The numbers are astounding! In the spring, 3 billion birds migrate north to breed, and in the fall 5 billion birds pass by again, on their way to the southern US,  Mexico, and Central and South America.

Magnolia Warbler

Many of them are tiny little birds, like this Magnolia Warbler.

Common Yellowthroat

Or these Common Yellowthroats, who breed around here as well as further north.

Flycatcher (Eastern Wood Peewee?)

I think of the epic journeys these little birds have to make, and it astounds me.   One of the first big obstacles they face in this area is crossing Lake Ontario.    That’s why it is often fruitful to look for groups of these little birds in trees along the lakeshore.   They are feeding and getting ready for the next leg of their journey.

Chestnut Sided Warbler having a meal

And eat they do.   If you are lucky, you may come across a tree just full of little birds, chowing down on bugs.     Another good place to look is in trees along a stream, as migrating birds are attracted to the sound of running water, and will follow along the path of a stream as they travel.

Red Eyed Vireo eating a caterpillar by our stream

Yum yum!

Black and White Warbler

So, keep your eyes and ears open these days.    You might hear sounds you’re not accustomed to having around.   Or you might spot a whole lot of movement up in a tree.    If you’re lucky, you’ve found a little pocket of birds, just passing by on their way south.

American Redstart

When’s the best time to look?  Most importantly, when the wind is from the north.   Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Common Yellowthroat

Morning is the best time to look, but it doesn’t even have to be that early.   Birds need a bit of time to warm up and wake up and get going for the day, just like we do.

So, as our beautiful summer winds down, and you enjoy the great outdoors, keep a look out for some of these little, but mighty, migrants.      Good luck!

Don’t forget about me!!

Yes, shorebirds are migrating too- more on them in my next blog!

The post Mini Migrants You Might Miss appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

It’s always a good idea to get up early if you want to see wildlife.   That doesn’t mean I always do it.    But Monday, I took off for the Frink Centre.

Great Blue Heron greets me as I arrive at the boardwalk.

The HR Frink Centre is an outdoor education centre about 10 minutes north of Belleville, Ontario.   It boasts woodland trails, and an extensive boardwalk through a marsh absolutely brimming with life.

I have been to the Frink Centre countless times with classes of children, age 5-14.   It was always one of the highlights of the school year, and we were never disappointed. But going there early in the morning is a completely different experience.   Early in the morning, the Frink Centre reveals its secrets.

Marsh wren skulking around the cattails

All kinds of creatures are hiding in the cattails.

Who are you?

If you stop, and wait, life will eventually show itself.

The boardwalk

As my note read, my real target for the morning was Virginia Rails.   I had heard through Terry Sprague’s Quinte Area Bird Report that family groups of these elusive birds were frequently being spotted.   Baby Virginia Rails?   Oh my.

Gordie

As I walked down the boardwalk I noticed my friend Kenzo and his little dog Gordie were already there.   Kenzo goes to the Frink Centre a lot, with Gordie by his side.   He knows where all the creatures hang out.    So we waited together.

Painted turtle

We watched a turtle.

Looking good

Lots of frogs around too.

Woah there

Even this black water snake.

Baby Virginia Rail

Finally, from the edge of the marsh, we spotted some movement.   A little black juvenile Virginia Rail!   We remained very still as it made its way among the weeds, having its breakfast. They eat insects, insect larvae, fish, frogs, and small snakes.

Growing up

You can see it is starting to grow in some of the rusty coloured feathers of an adult.

Adult Virginia Rail

Speaking of whom, look who ran out onto the boardwalk!   I was so thrilled to see her, as my only glimpse of Virginia Rails in the past have been them peeking out of dense reeds.   They are notoriously secretive.

Pretty lady

Virginia Rails have many adaptations that help them be so secretive.   First of all, their feather patterns help them camouflage brilliantly.   When nesting, they build “dummy nests” to throw off potential predators.

Roll call

They are perfectly suited to live in their marsh habitat, with long toes, strong leg muscles, a laterally compressed body (they are skinny when viewed head-on) and extra-durable feathers on their foreheads to protect their heads when pushing through dense vegetation.

What a beauty

It was a really treat seeing Virginia Rails out in the open for the first time.  Although Virginia Rails are fairly common, they are rarely seen.   Worth getting up early for.

If you want a great morning walk, with guaranteed wildlife sightings, the Frink Centre boardwalk is a marvellous outing.  Here’s a link to their site, with directions:

Directions to HR Frink Centre  

The post Early Morning at the Frink Centre appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

First,  perhaps the most surprising one: the Belted Kingfisher!

Last month my husband was talking to our neighbours who are in the process of building  their house.    As they all stood there chatting, they could not believe their eyes when a kingfisher flew in front of them, and right into a pile of topsoil they had in their backyard.

The Kingfisher had flown into its nest! Upon further investigation, we found out that Belted Kingfishers make their nests in tunnels between a foot and 8 feet long in the sides of vertical banks of soil.  The male and female work together to dig it out in the spring. Who knew?  Not I!

We had the unique opportunity to see the five little fledglings when they came out.   They could not fly, but were hopping around pumping their tails up and down, and rattling just like adult kingfishers do.

I didn’t stay long, as I knew the babies were waiting for food.  Adult Belted Kingfishers are quite wary of people (I have never actually gotten a good photo of one) so I fired off a few shots of these little ones and then carried on.

These little birds are fascinating! I found out that baby kingfishers have very acidic stomachs that break down the bones and exoskeletons of the fish and invertebrates they eat.   But as kingfishers get older, their stomachs become less acidic, and they actually regurgitate pellets to get rid of the hard parts of what they are eating, quite like an owl would.   I learned so much from this opportunity.   What a thrill.   They were adorable, in a kind of prehistoric way (pteranodons?).

Everyone knows that groundhogs live under the ground. No surprise there.  I have a special place in my heart for groundhogs, as they were the first animal I photographed when I got my telephoto lens.   I well remember lying on my stomach on the grass in Centennial Park in Trenton, and watching this little groundhog family go about its business. Luckily, they were the ones covered in flies, not me.  The telephoto lens allows me to get a great close up view ( count the flies!) of different types of wildlife and watch their behaviour, without being right up next to them.

After hibernating in their underground burrows all winter, groundhogs give birth to about half a dozen little ones in the spring, and the babies stay with their mothers for a couple of months. They gorge on food throughout the spring and summer, and return to their burrows to hibernate after the first frost in the autumn.

Although we most often see these charming members of the squirrel family on the ground, or peeking up from a hole, they are actually very good at climbing trees, and are also capable swimmers. The one in the photo above lives right beside a pond under a big pile of old logs.

Hey Big Mama! If you see a snapping turtle out at the side of the road in the summer, it is most likely a female.   Snapping Turtles much prefer to be in the water, and usually only come out to lay their eggs.  They like to lay their eggs in loose soil, such as at the side of a road, or in a garden.

These beauties hibernate in the winter, under the mud or silt at the bottom of ponds or streams.  At our house each year, a snapping turtle emerges from the mud in our stream,  lays her eggs in our garden, then climbs the 5 foot high page wire fence to get to our pond, where I assume she spends much of her summer.   When she reaches the top of the fence, she teeters back and forth a bit flailing her legs around, and then falls onto the other side. The first time we saw this, we couldn’t believe it!    And of course when my kids went to school and told their friends that a snapping turtle could climb our fence, nobody believed them.

Years later we finally got a photo, but I couldn’t find it for the life of me when I was writing the first draft of this blog. Somehow my Mom and Dad still had it, so after my Mom saw the blog she sent the photo back my way.   Saved!   See- snapping turtles CAN climb fences.

Snapping turtle nests can contain up to 50 round, white eggs.   The incubation temperature determines whether the baby turtles will be male or female.    I am not sure which this baby is, but if she is a girl, she will not be ready to mate and lay eggs until she is at least 17 years old.   Both male and female snapping turtles can live into their 70’s. Snapping turtles look prehistoric because they are- the snapping turtle as we know it has been around for 40 million years, and its close relatives walked with the dinosaurs.

So there you have it- 3 very different creatures who spend part of their lives under the earth, along with countless other animals we have never even heard of.

For more on Belted Kingfishers see the Cornell Lab of Ornithology pages

Visit the National Wildlife Federation site for more on Groundhogs

For more on Snapping Turtles you can visit Ontario Nature

The post Under the Earth appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

I’m pretty fluffy and cute, but look at my talons!

Yes, it’s that time of year again- time for the Barred Owlets to leave the nest and venture out on their own.

I see you.

When owlets come down from their nest, and climb up into the nearby trees they are called “branchers.”   They just crawl around the branches with their talons and beaks, flapping their wings.   They will learn to fly little by little, first by flapping and hopping from one branch to another one nearby, and then flying and gliding short distances on their own.

Tired

Mama owl seems pretty glad to be off her nest, and spends a lot of time sleeping high up in the treetops. Papa owl does a lot of the hunting so he is out and about.   He often brings his prey to the female, and she goes and feeds the babies. The female calls to the male with high rising call, telling him where she is so he can bring her food.   To hear this call, click this link to Barred Owl calls, then choose “female solicitation call.”   The Adult Barred Owls make a wide variety of sounds, which can be listened to on this page from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.    It gives me a thrill every time I hear them vocalizing near me in the woods.

What a perch

The little owlets crawl surprisingly high up into the tops of the trees!  I can only find them by listening for their sound, a high pitched hoarse little screech, then pinpointing where it is coming from.  To hear what their screech sounds like, follow the link and choose “fledgling begging calls.”

Hot up here

The owlets tend to find an exposed branch from where they can screech for food and watch for their parents.    It gets pretty hot up there, so I often see them panting.   When their parents come, it is often accompanied by a great deal of hooting and screeching from all members of the family.

Chipmunk dinner

Here’s Papa Owl, high above in the treetops, coming with dinner for one of the owlets.      Even at this small size, the owlets can swallow a chipmunk whole.

After eating, time for a nap!

I can’t believe how funny this little owlet is with its leg dangling off the branch.   Talk about relaxed!

And then there were three.

One night I was out in the woods and found a third owlet, still sitting on top of the nest tree.   It flapped its wings and teetered a bit on the edge of the tree, then went back down into the nest.  Eventually this little owl found its way down and climbed up into the forest canopy.

Mama and Owlet

One of the last times I saw the little owls, the mother owl was sitting on a branch nearby.   She then flew over to one of the owlets.    I thought she was bringing food, but she actually went over and started preening the little one’s feathers.   It leaned into her, and preened her too. Oh my goodness.   I can’t believe I got to see that!

I’ll preen you too, Mama

The owlets can often be found close together, with the mother nearby.    As time goes on, it becomes harder and harder for me to find them, as they learn to fly and can cover larger distances every day.

Getting Bigger

Here is a photo from one of the last times I saw the owlets.   By now they should be doing some hunting on their own, and have moved further away from the vicinity on their nest tree.

This is the second year in a row I have been fortunate enough to observe a family of Barred Owls growing up.    Sometimes, when I was out in the woods covered up from head to toe, doused in insect repellant, and not seeing or hearing a thing,  something amazing would happen and my patience would be rewarded.   That’s what it was like when I found the third owlet, and also when I got to see the mother and baby owl preening each other.    Both times, I had been just about ready to go home because I had been sitting still for so long.

It’s worth it

Back in the woods, it’s like I am in a secret world, and if I sit long enough that world will just carry on despite my being there.

It’s worth the wait, for sure.

The post Barred Owlets 1,2,3! appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Seriously…

Having a Great Gray Owl around is like having a big secret that you want to tell everyone about but you can’t.   You see, Great Gray Owls are rare down here in Southern Ontario.   And they are exquisitely beautiful.  When they do show up the odd time from the north, they create quite a stir.   People drive from all over to see them.  This can be quite disruptive for the owl and for the neighbours.  So I kept it to myself, mostly.

Look at that Wingspan

The first time I saw the owl it just flew across the road above my car when I was driving home from work at dusk.   It’s wingspan was enormous!  Great Gray Owls are North America’s largest owl with a wingspan up to 60 inches (2 metres) , but they are mostly fluff, weighing only 2-3 pounds, about half the weight of a snowy owl.  I actually can’t believe they only weigh 2-3 pounds…they are huge!!!

Grey morning

They have soft, thick patterned grey and white feathers that allow them to blend right in with their surroundings.    In the photo above, the owl was sitting in a grove of trees on a grey, foggy morning last February.    I drove right past it without realizing it was there until the last second.

Hunting

Why do these beautiful owls leave their northern forest homes and come south?  Probably, food.  Last year we had a big three day ice storm here in Ontario, the ice then got covered in a thick layer of snow that stayed all winter.   Conditions were tough for many wild animals and birds.  Most likely this owl came south in search of better hunting grounds.    The fields on my road are full of rodents.

Dusk

Once I knew the owl was hanging around it was so exciting because each day had potential.    Every morning when I would drive to work, I would look for the owl.   In the evening when I walked my dog, I would look again.   Sure, most of the time it wasn’t there (or I missed it!)  but every once in a while I had a sighting.

Well, hello

I had some real treats, too.  One morning I was in my housecoat drinking coffee and I heard the crows going crazy outside in my driveway.   The crows hate owls and often mob them, so I knew I had to get out and see what was going on as fast as I could.   I threw on my winter coat and boots and went out the front door, just in time to see the Great Gray Owl swoop across my driveway, pursued by about 6 angry crows.   It landed on a nearby fencepost, so I sat myself down in a snowbank and hung out and watched it. It watched me a bit too!

Morning routine

But mostly it just preened its feathers and slept.  Great Gray Owls don’t view humans as a threat, and generally don’t fly away if they see you.   Most of my neighbours had stories about the owl sitting calmly watching them do some human activity, like unloading their pickup trucks or shovelling their driveways.

Roosting

Another treat came a couple of weeks later, when I went out into my back garden to fill the bird feeders, like I do every morning.   The owl was roosting in a pine tree at the back of my garden.   Unbelievable !  It stayed in my garden all day.

Look out squirrels!

Later in the afternoon it flew to a branch  on the fence at the side of my garden and did some squirrel watching !  I am glad I’m not a squirrel.

Evening walk

Walking my dog in the evening, there was always the chance that I would see the owl.   And I did- many times.

April sunset

Sunset was the best time.

Bye for now

This winter, the Great Gray Owl has not returned.   This most likely means it has been able to find food enough in its home territory to sustain it through the winter.   And that’s the way it should be.

The post Great Gray Owl Winter appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

ambush bug on yarrow

How about now?

upside down

I’m an ambush bug.

ambush bug in open

Ambush bugs are tiny insects with world-class camouflage.   They are out there right now- in fields, gardens, and on roadsides.  They hide on goldenrod, yarrow, daisies, and other common flowers.    But most people have never seen one.

lurking

They remain hidden, and motionless, in order to capture unsuspecting prey.

eating

You may come across a flower that looks like it is sprouting an insect corpse, such as a dead bee or fly.  Chances are, upon closer inspection, you may find there will be a superbly camouflaged ambush bug attached to the dead insect, eating it. Ambush bugs can capture insects up to 10 times their size, with their lightning speed, and teeth like structures on their front legs that grasp and hold their prey.

gotcha

The next step is kind of unpleasant . Holding its victim with its pincer like front legs, the ambush bug inserts its short beak, and inserts digestive juices that liquify its victim.

It then sucks out the bodily fluids.

Even though the ambush bug is small (usually less than 12 millimetres, or 0.5 inch), its prey may be as large as a bumblebee, wasp, or butterfly.  Here it is in the middle of eating a shining plant beetle on some goldenrod.

feeding ambush bug

Very unpleasant indeed.   Here’s a pretty pink photo of an ambush bug on a coneflower to help us forget all that nastiness.

ambush bug on coneflower

Ambush bugs are amazing little creatures.  Awe inspiring, in fact.  Impressively, they have been the inspiration for a comic book character.   Apparently he is insane.

( I don’t get it…)

Ambush bugs have even been the muse for poetry!

A couple of years ago I happened upon a poem that was written about ambush bugs, by a physician named John Flannery   Here is an excerpt.    Brilliant.

Ode to an Ambush Bug    by John Flannery

Looks just like a flower,
Hasn’t any scent,
Still as terracotta,
Void of sentiment.

Patience is her virtue
Lurking is her game,
Stillness is her motto,
To eat you is her aim.

She wears an armored mantle,
Upon her dainty head,
With hands like lobster claws,
She holds you till you’re dead.

Hasn’t any smile,
Her only tooth’s a fang
She fills you with digestive juice,
And drinks you all the same.

predator

Well, on that note I will leave you to ponder.    Hope you don’t have any bad dreams.

Next blog will be about something cute and fluffy, I promise.

Reference: Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity, Stephen Marshall

The post The Secret Lives of Ambush Bugs appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

My first blog post is about something I have been fascinated with since I was a little kid: camouflage!  Animals have two reasons to try to avoid detection- either they want to avoid being eaten, or they want to sneak up on something and eat it. Or both!  They have developed feather and skin patterns, body shapes, and behaviours that allow them to hide so effectively, we most often pass them by.  That’s why it’s so fun to find them!

American bittern 

Heads up!   This American Bittern is hiding in the spring marsh at Presqu’ile Provincial Park.   He puts his head straight up when he senses danger (me).   Notice how the stripes on his neck match the vertical pattern of grasses and cattails where he’s hiding.   How did I know he was there?   Bitterns make an incredibly loud pumping sound in the spring to announce territory.

Ambush bug waiting for prey

Ah, the Ambush bug.   A couple of years ago I didn’t even know these creatures existed.   Looking like a mini-Triceratops, these tiny insects wait motionlessly on flowers for unsuspecting insects to land.  They are only the length of a grain of rice, but are incredibly strong.   I have seen them capture bumblebees. If you want to find one, look closely on wildflowers in July and August.    They especially like daisies and yarrow.

Snowy Owl resting on Lake Ontario Ice Volcanoes

These two photos are of snowy owls on the ice and snow out on Lake Ontario.   I walked right past this first owl without seeing it.    All tucked in sleeping, it looks just like a mirror image of the ice chunk next to it.

Little white bump in the distance, Presqui’le Provincial Park snowy owl

Grey Tree Frogs can change colours

I have heard grey tree frogs singing their mating calls lots of times,  but rarely see them, due to their nocturnal habits, changing skin colour, and the fact that they live high up in trees.   One day I was walking the dog and came home to find my husband on the roof in his housecoat.  Thinking I lived in the loony bin, I asked him what he was doing!   Turns out, he saw a grackle fly over our house with a tree frog in its mouth, then drop the frog on our roof.   It was a rescue mission.    Once he handed the frog down to me, I put it down on a log to get a couple of photos before it hopped away into the grass.

Barred Owl in fork of tree

I wonder how many times I have walked right past an owl without seeing it?   Look at how this barred owl’s feather patterns resemble the tree bark, and how the shape of its body just blends in with the crook of the tree.

Mama Owl on Nest

Look very closely and you can see a mother barred owl peeking out of her nest in a tree snag.   Her tail looks like a piece of shelf fungus.  The curve of her head and her eye look just like the bark of the tree.   I put this photo last, because it is the most exciting discovery of a hidden creature I have ever made.    Not only did I find the mom and her nest, I got to see two owlets being raised.   Incredible!

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