The 'Great Horned Owl Chick for Breakfast?' Tale

The “Great Horned Owl Chick for Breakfast?” Tale

In my 42-year plus career, I have had very few opportunities to photograph Great Horned Owl. A month ago, Clint, a local fisherman, alerted me to an owl nest on an Osprey platform just minutes from my home. The pole the nest is on is quite tall so the shooting angle (the angle of inclination) is very steep. There are phone wires just above the platform. On sunny days, there simply is no shot. On cloudy days or in the shade, photography is very challenging. We visited the owls on Wednesday morning and Bob Eastman took a few snaps. Thus inspired on Thursday morning I created Image #1 below. Bob spotted one of the adult perched in a pine tree and created a few images before the owl flew west away from the nest. As we walked back to the car we both looked up to see an adult Bald Eagle swooping down on the nest, its eyes on breakfast. We both gasped.

In an instant, both adult owls streaked toward the eagle their talons outstretched. The eagle turned tail and flew east with both adult great horneds in hot pursuit. The owls landed in the pine tree across the street from the nest. One of the adults was perched cleanly. As I struggled to get in position for a shot on the tripod working at 1200mm, Bob created Image #2. That why I call him “Ever-Ready.” One of the great advantages of handholding is that you can get into position and get the shot while the dude with a bigger lens on a tripod (i.e., me) is trying to set up.

That evening — glad that both chicks had survived, Bob told me that he was going to check on the owls. I am glad that I decided to go with him as in short order, I created Image #3. We had more light than we had had that morning and the three birds were arranged perfectly when we arrived.

What’s Up?

Thursday morning was quite amazing. In addition to the owls, we photographed the days old Sandhill Crane chick that we had discovered the previous morning. Then we had a red-shouldered on Bob’s Skinny Perch and a Turkey Vulture on Bob’s Pine Perch. Working from my vehicle, we photographed two different Ospreys with fish and a juvie Little Blue Heron. Next, we shot a Lesser Yellowlegs and a Common Snipe (both in the open!) from my SUV on the shoreline just south of the pier. The water level in Lake Walk-In-Water is extremely low. Lesser Yellowlegs is seen only rarely at ILE and though snipe are common, they are rarely seen in the open. Last on the menu was a male Snail Kite that flew right at us. In 25 years, I had only seen a single female of this species at the lake.

Today is Friday 27 February 2026. We were both up early and it was totally foggy. We headed down to the lake at about 8:15am. There was nothing going on with the owls and the same was true of the one-chick crane family. We had a nice take-off change with a Great Blue Heron and then took a walk on the pier to try for the Bonaparte’s Gulls. Working with the 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and the 1.4X TC yielded a few nice flight shots of adult Little Blue Heron and Cattle Egret. I pretty much struck out with Bonaparte’s in flight despite the pretty good conditions — foggy with a south wind. Anyhoo, I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful and productive day and that you have fun. Please remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com (and as discussed in the previous blog posts).

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

BIRDS AS ART Used Sony Gear

Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 GM Ultra-Wide Angle Zoom Lens

Your truly is offering a (barely) used Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM Lens in near mint to like-new condition for the silly low price of $1,998.00. The sale includes the original box, the lens shade, the front cover, and insured ground shipping via Fed-Ex to lower 48 addresses. (Others please inquire.)

Please contact artie via e-mail or on his cell at 863-221-2372.

Ultra-Wide, Ultra Versatile

Comprising a range of ultra-wide fields of view, the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM is an E-mount zoom characterized by an impressively bright and versatile design. Ideal for landscape, nature, architecture, and interior applications, the lens’s constant f/2.8 maximum aperture and advanced optical design make it a perfect choice for working in difficult shooting conditions while still offering well-corrected imagery. As part of Sony’s esteemed G Master series, this lens is designed to achieve notably high resolution and sharpness through the correction of a wide variety of spherical and chromatic aberrations. Bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture benefits working in difficult lighting conditions and also affords increased control over depth of field.
Nano AR Coating II has been applied to reduce surface reflections, flare, and ghosting for increased contrast and color rendering in strong lighting conditions. This updated coating is better suited for larger, curved elements and is especially adept at minimizing internal reflections.
Rounded nine-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality when employing shallow depth of field techniques. Sony & B&H

I am selling this lens because I rarely use it; I am a telephoto kind of guy. It is selling new for $3,248.00. There are used copies in lesser condition (9 – Minor surface marks) like this one for $2,585.95 and one in the same condition (10 — Good as new) here for $2,824.95. Get in touch with me today and save a handsome $1250.00 for my pretty much new lens. artie

Sony a-1 Professional Mirrorless Camera Body

Yours truly is offering a Sony a-1 (ILCE-1) mirrorless camera body (Firmware ver. 4.00) in like-new condition for a ridiculously low $2,698.00. The sale includes the original product box, the front body cap, the camera strap, one battery and the charger, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. (Others please inquire). The camera has all my latest settings and I will send you the INFO sheet and the Buttons and Dials Guide for free. I am keeping one a-1 body as a backup to my two a-1 ii-s.

Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact artie via e-mail or on his cell at 863-221-2372.

I used Sony a-1 bodies as my workhorse cameras for more than three years. They produce stunning 51MP files with vivid natural colors. The AF system is science-fiction-like. They are rugged and dependable and 30 frames per second is nothing to sneeze at. Right now, B&H is offering a used a-1 in similar condition for $$6,297.95. Honest! See that body here. This one is an absolute steal at only $2,698.00! artie

Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens

BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price

Yours truly is offering a Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in excellent plus to near-mint condition for the BAA record low price of $7797.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens strap, the lens trunk, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your new gear will not be shipped until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact artie via e-mail or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

I purchased my Sony 400mm f/2.8 three years ago to complement my 600mm f/4. As it is no longer easy for me to handhold this lens, I am opting to sell it at a bargain price. The 400mm f/2.8 is superb for large mammals and for birds in flight with or without the 1.4X teleconverter. Being able to handhold it is a huge plus. That said, I used it a lot on the monopod for low light flight photography. And no matter the situation or the conditions, you can’t beat the f/2.8 bokeh!

The Sony 400mm f/2.8 lens sells new right now for $13,399.00 at B&H and there are used copies in similar condition there going for as much as $11,177.95! See that lens here. Save a ton of money by grabbing my lens right now. artie

This image was created on 26 February 2026 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing on a lawn, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500. 1/125 second at f/8 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:11:16am before sunrise on a then cloudy morning. Manual Focus with focus peaking and 5-second timer performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Great Horned Owl chick in platform nest Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Why Manual Focus

With the baby owl on the edge of the nest AF was having a bit of a problem as the bird bobbed up and down so I switched to manual focus and relied on Focus Peaking to create a sharp image. I used the same technique on Thursday evening at sunset on a pair of Mottled Ducks sleeping in the grasses.

Why the 5-second-timer?

I used the timer to ensure creating a sharp image while working with a relatively slow shutter speed (1/125 second) at 1200mm. With ultra-long focal lengths I prefer the 5-second timer to the 2- second timer as the latter does not give the rig enough time to settle down after you press the shutter button. You can avoid that problem by using the Vello remote, the Vello RS-S2II Wired Remote Switch for Select Cameras with Sony Multi-Terminal Connector.

This image was created on 26 February 2026 at Indian Lake Estates, FL by my good friend Bob Eastman. Standing at full height, he used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering +3.0 stops! AUTO ISO set ISO 2500: 1/1000 second at f/6.3 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. AWB at 7:16:46pm in the shade on a then cloudy morning. Tracking: Spot AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Great Horned Owl adult perched in pine tree Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Bob Eastman Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Beaten to the Punch!

As noted above, Bob is and was quick and efficient with his trusty handheld Sony 200-600 and his trusty Sony a1. While I was trying to get into position with 1200mm on the tripod, Bob got the shot. There is nothing new there.

This image was also created on 26 February 2026 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/125 second at f/11 (stopped down one stop) in Manual Mode. AWB at 6:03:39pm in the shade 20 minutes before sunset. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #3: Great Horned Owl family at platform nest Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

1/125 Second at f/11 on the BLUBB!

After making a series of images at 1/250 second at f/8, I decided to take a chance at 1/125 second at f/11 for a bit of extra depth of field. That turned out to be a good move as the chick on our right was slightly behind the plane of the adult and its sibling. The a href=”https://birdsasart-shop.com/blubb-big-lens-ultimate-bean-bag/” target=”_blank”>BLUBB provides a remarkably steady platform when working from your vehicle with long glass.

Dealing with the Nest Platform

The nest is made up of sticks and twigs and moss and debris. Not wanting to crop too tightly along the bottom frame edge, I used the Clone Stamp Tool, the Remove Tool, and Content Aware Fill to eliminate our view of one of the four boards that frame the nest. All as detailed in the offerings here.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.