Northern saw-whet owl, Alaska.
I've been catching up on editing & organizing my image library since the end of aurora tour season. It's amazing what gems you find when you have a couple years' worth of photos to look through…
Colin
Great Horned Owl in Autumn Foliage
A master of camouflage, the great horned owl is easy to miss without closely analyzing the environment for patterns and shapes that begin to stand out. This recent sighting was the first I've had in a while, but something tells me they've been observing me...
I depart on Sunday to begin the long journey to southern Africa, where we will be leading our second tour of Namibia with Nat Expo Tours: https://natexpotours.com. I will fulfill any incoming book, calendar, and print orders when I return in mid-November. Note: I only have 4 calendars left out of 500!
"Seasons of the Nature Center" books & calendars are available here: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store
Thank you for following along and I look forward to sharing new images and experiences from Namibia!
Colin
Redwing in Lupine, Iceland
Redwing near Skogafoss, Iceland.
The blooming lupine is abundant in Iceland in early summer. When I saw a redwing land on this fencepost, I decided to go back later to try capture the image I had visualized. I was zoomed out to 400 mm and stopped down to f/16 to get ample detail in the lupine.
We will be back in Iceland next June to lead a tour with Nat Expo Tours. In addition to the wildflowers, the birdlife is prolific this time of year...
Happy Independence Day!
Colin
Atlantic Puffins, Iceland
The Westman Islands in southern Iceland are home to the world's largest Atlantic puffin colony. We always ferry out to Vestmannæyjar for a night and visit the cliffs where they burrow and raise their young. This year we moved the tour to June - a great time for wildflowers, which add a splash of color to the landscape...
I just got back from Iceland last week and am finally getting around to posting some images to my news page. I have a lot more to share in the coming days/weeks. We'll be leading another Iceland tour next June, please message me if you are interested.
Cheers!
Colin
Saw-whet Owl Banding & Measuring
As promised, here are more photos of the saw-whet owl banding process. I've been able to join a few of these outings to observe and photograph, with both saw-whet and boreal owls. I am always grateful to be a part of the operation and expand my knowledge of these little forest dwelling raptors.
Colin
First time seeing the outside world...
Waiting to be weighed & measured
Juvenile saw-whet owl, close to fledging
Measuring the wings
Taking measurements while the owlet took the opportunity to void its bowels
It's always a good idea to bring a spare sheet for recording measurements
Juvenile Northern Saw-whet Owl
Last summer I had the opportunity to once again observe and assist in the banding of baby saw-whet owls. I've been able to take part in this process a few times now; it's always a joy and an honor to photograph these tiny owls and document the process of helping them to proliferate in Southcentral Alaska.
I'll have more images to share this week, so please stay tuned...
Cheers!
Colin
Atlantic Puffins, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
The Westman Islands in Iceland are home to the world's largest Atlantic puffin colony. We were lucky to have great weather on the islands as we observed & photographed the puffins collecting food for their young, which will soon emerge from their burrows and plunge into the ocean below. Take a look at the third image and you'll see what I mean when I say these little sh*ts are challenging to capture in flight...
We have already scheduled next year's Iceland tour with Nat Expo Tours. Dates are June 19-28, 2023. Cost is $4,695. More details on our website: www.natexpotours.com
Please message me if you have any questions. Thank you and feel free to share!
Colin
Boreal Owlets
Hello Everyone,
Here is a bit of extreme cuteness for your day...
These are boreal owlets, a species slightly larger and somewhat similar in appearance to the northern saw-whet owl. Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to join two biologists and photograph the process of banding the little owls before they fledged from the nest. I am always honored and grateful for these opportunities to expand my knowledge of local wildlife and witness first-hand the process of assisting a species to proliferate. Between both biologists, they monitor approximately 100 nesting boxes throughout Alaska, and this was the only box inhabited by boreal owls…
Thank you, as always, for following along, and have a great weekend!
Colin
Northern Saw-whet Owl
This is probably my best image of an adult saw-whet owl to date. They are very small creatures and mostly nocturnal, which makes sightings & photo ops extremely rare. Stay tuned for more owl photos in the coming days, including boreal owlets...
Have a great Monday out there and thank you for following along!
Colin
Minnesota Swan Gallery
I recently created a gallery on my website for the trumpeter swan images I took in Minnesota last month if you'd like to have a look: https://www.colintyler.com/wildlife#/trumpeter-swans-of-lake-george-mn/
I've also been adding the photos to my online store (just in time for Father's Day) and from now through the end of June, I am offering 20% off canvas prints and 15% off metal prints by using the codes: FATHERSDAYCANVAS21 of FATHERSDAYMETAL21 at checkout: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store
Have a great weekend out there and feel free to share!
Thank you for following along,
Colin
Trumpeter swans landing on Lake George near my hometown of Outing, MN on a foggy morning in May, 2021.
More Minnesota Swans
I've been editing through trumpeter swan photos from a few days ago. Here are a few more of my faves. I'm glad I was able to be here in my hometown to witness and capture the swan migration on such a beautiful misty morning. My circadian rhythm seems to have aligned with the light cycle and wakes me every morning before sunrise to check the light...
Colin
Happy Mother's Day
Hello and Happy Mother's Day from Minnesota! I am grateful to be visiting my mom this year and enjoying the wildlife & scenery in my hometown of Outing. Yesterday I woke to a beautiful foggy morning that is so quintessential to the northern lakes area. Add to that roughly 70 trumpeter swans and it was a serene experience. Here are a few of the images I created.
Have a great day out there and be sure to honor all the moms out there, human and nonhuman, as well as our sacred Mother Earth.
Colin
Black & White Bald Eagle
I ski past this pair of nesting bald eagles frequently but getting a good perspective & lighting without a distracting background has been challenging. Yesterday, those components came together when one of the eagles was perched in the dead branches of a cottonwood tree. When I saw the symmetry of the stark branches coupled with the direction of the eagle's gaze against an open sky, I knew this would end up being a monochrome image.
Hope you enjoy,
Colin
Owls of ERNC on Alaska Public Media, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021
Since taking up residence at the Eagle River Nature Center, owls have become one of my favorite subjects. Biology was my best subject in school and even though I am not a biologist by degree, I have accumulated a lot of knowledge regarding owl habits and behavior through observing them and researching online, all while developing a discerning eye for spotting them.
I've had countless encounters with both great horned and saw-whet owls here and on Monday morning, Feb. 1, at 10 am AKST, I will be a guest on Alaska Public Media’s "Hometown Alaska" where I will have the honor of sharing my experiences photographing owls in the ERNC vicinity. You can tune into 91.1 FM if you are in the Anchorage area or stream the program here: https://www.alaskapublic.org/cat.../programs/hometownalaska/. It will be available for streaming after the live program as well.
I hope you are able to listen, I always look forward to sharing my experiences in the field!
Colin
2020 Themes
If 2020 had any overriding themes for my photography I'd say it was owls, rainbows, and lynx, in that order. While it's been a challenging year in many ways, I am grateful for the opportunities I found in my backyard and look forward to what 2021 will bring.
I am hopeful that travel will resume before too long and while it's not likely that I will be leading another tour in Cuba this winter, I am looking to return in February of 2022. Michael L Haring and I have two tours scheduled for Iceland this coming August, both of which are already half full. For more information on the tours and to sign up for our e-newsletter, please visit our new website: https://naturalexposurestours.com/. We will also be launching a Facebook page for Natural Exposures Photography Tours, LLC, which I will announce in the near future.
Have a great weekend out there and, as always, thank you for following my adventures!
Colin
Juvenile great horned owl
July double rainbow
Female lynx
Saw-whet Owl Box Presentation
Hey Everyone! You may recall that last summer I was able to join local owl enthusiast, Andrew Fisher, while he checked the activity in nesting boxes he had built & placed around the Anchorage area. Later in the season, I went out with him again along with a biologist from the State of Alaska and documented the banding of saw-whet fledglings. I am excited to say that Andrew will be giving a presentation on his owl boxes for the Eagle River Nature Center via Zoom this Sunday at 2pm (AKST). I will be attending virtually and you can too! Follow this link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrcOmvrjojHNDq1dYitqrPYzjmANokF3Hc?fbclid=IwAR3TTTGsXnx4F1vFSdAduHIA6-L5tWLDNlpsVsLfPGjfn7wIPmPRaMvp7RY
Thank you and I hope you can join us!
Colin
Sw-whet owl fledglings
Northern Hawk Owl
After my day in Denali National Park last week, I spent a few days in Fairbanks waiting for the skies to clear in hopes of auroras. On Saturday I drove around the Delta Junction area until I found a great place to set up for the lights. It turned out that I was a day early for the auroras, but I did see and photograph my first northern hawk owl!
Enjoy, and thank you for following along.
Colin
Saw-whet Owlet Banding
Saw-whet owlet banding - this is the followup to yesterday's post. Last month I was able to join local owl enthusiast Andrew Fisher along with a biologist from the State of Alaska to observe and photograph the banding of saw-whet fledglings. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the seasonal behaviors of northern saw-whets, so banding these fledglings will help provide useful clues to their travel & migration habits if they are discovered in a future survey.
It was a privilege to accompany these experts into the field and take part in owl research. I hope you enjoy the images and the cuteness overload!
Colin
Saw-whet Owl Box Monitoring
Happy Wednesday out there, everyone! This is the first of two posts from a pair of unique experiences I had earlier this season. First, I joined local owl enthusiast Andrew Fisher as he checked nesting boxes in the Anchorage area. Using an endoscope that broadcasts a live image onto his phone, he was able to peer into the boxes to see whether they were occupied and had clutches of eggs. Andrew builds and maintains these boxes on a volunteer basis to support the growing population of northern saw-whet owls in Southcentral Alaska. After determining which boxes were occupied, I later joined Andrew and a biologist with the State of Alaska to observe and photograph the banding of several fledglings. I will share those photos in the coming days, so please stay tuned.
Have a great day and thank you for following along!
Colin
Adult northern saw-whet owl.
Yawning Owlet
Rise & shine! Good morning out there. It looks to be a lovely start to the day with a forecast of clouds & rain in the days ahead so enjoy the sunshine if you can.
Also, here's a yawning great horned owlet...
Cheers,
Colin
