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Photographing a burrowing owl has been on my bucket list for almost a decade and, admittedly, I never put any time into it until now. It took a bit over 45 minutes to wind our way around Folsom Lake then north on the (new highway) 65 to Placer County, for us a trip of about 42 miles. A birder named Charley had posted a report on 12-06 telling of a burrowing owl he saw perched on a fence post off Old Hwy 65. We gambled, took the trip and hit the jackpot.

As reported, the burrowing owl was atop a fence post in almost the exact spot reported by Charley on the Central Valley bird listserv. It was very close to the road and extremely comfortable with me, camera, lens, and monopod. It took flight and moved a couple of fence posts north when I moved in too close. By that time I had over 200 photographs and we left the little guy alone.

Western meadowlarks were common on the barbed wire fences all along Nader, but were skittish and almost impossible to photograph. Other birds were in the area, and flocks of geese were seen overhead a lot. No mammals were observed.

You never know what Mother Nature has in store.

Bob Perry




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