08 Jan Top 10 of 2016: #5 – Pygmy on Point
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My Top 10 of 2016 continues with number 5 “Pygmy on Point” which shows a Northern Pygmy Owl perched at the very top of a tree in Yellowstone National Park. In 2016 I had several photography “firsts” a few of which you will see in this series of blog posts. Getting a good shot of a Pygmy Owl is one of those firsts. I have only even seen one of these little guys once, but wasn’t able to get a useable shot of it.
Top 10 of 2016: #5 – Pygmy on Point
It’s really no wonder that I haven’t seen many Norther Pygmy Owls in my travels, because they are tiny, measuring less than 18 cm tall, making it one of the tiniest owls in North America, and weighing less 2.5 oz. Several times I have heard them referred to as being the size of a pop can, now imaging trying to find it in amongst dense trees.
Despite being so small, their main foods consist of small to medium sized birds (such as waxwings and chickadees) and small mammals and rodents. For reference a Black-capped Chickadee measures up to 15cm in height and weighs up to 0.5 oz, so they are 20% the weight of the Northern Pygmy Owl. It’s funny that the diets of the smallest owls in North America is consistent with the diets of the largest owl in North America, the Great Gray Owl. However, unlike the Great Gray Owl, it will often hunt during the day.
This is the second image in my top 10 images that is taken with the Canon 500mm lens with a 2x III extended, making the focal length at 1000mm (required because this little guy was so high in the tree and so small). If you are interested in reading more about my experiences using the Canon extenders, read my blog post.
I try to visit Yellowstone National Park every winter because of its abundance and variety of wildlife that is present during the winter months, and this year I was fortunate to not just see some of the staples, such as the Bison and Elk, but also see a few rarer species like these Northern Pygmy Owls, and River Otters.
I’m still processing the images from my trip to Yellowstone National Park, so stay tuned to my Recent Photos gallery to keep up-to-date on my latest images.
My Top 10 of 2016 continues with number 5 “Pygmy on Point” which shows a Northern Pygmy Owl perched at the very top of a tree in Yellowstone National Park. In 2016 I had several photography “firsts” a few of which you will see in this series of blog posts. Getting a good shot of a Pygmy Owl is one of those firsts. I have only even seen one of these little guys once, but wasn’t able to get a useable shot of it.
Top 10 of 2016: #5 – Pygmy on Point
It’s really no wonder that I haven’t seen many Norther Pygmy Owls in my travels, because they are tiny, measuring less than 18 cm tall, making it one of the tiniest owls in North America, and weighing less 2.5 oz. Several times I have heard them referred to as being the size of a pop can, now imaging trying to find it in amongst dense trees.
Despite being so small, their main foods consist of small to medium sized birds (such as waxwings and chickadees) and small mammals and rodents. For reference a Black-capped Chickadee measures up to 15cm in height and weighs up to 0.5 oz, so they are 20% the weight of the Northern Pygmy Owl. It’s funny that the diets of the smallest owls in North America is consistent with the diets of the largest owl in North America, the Great Gray Owl. However, unlike the Great Gray Owl, it will often hunt during the day.
This is the second image in my top 10 images that is taken with the Canon 500mm lens with a 2x III extended, making the focal length at 1000mm (required because this little guy was so high in the tree and so small). If you are interested in reading more about my experiences using the Canon extenders, read my blog post.
I try to visit Yellowstone National Park every winter because of its abundance and variety of wildlife that is present during the winter months, and this year I was fortunate to not just see some of the staples, such as the Bison and Elk, but also see a few rarer species like these Northern Pygmy Owls, and River Otters.
I’m still processing the images from my trip to Yellowstone National Park, so stay tuned to my Recent Photos gallery to keep up-to-date on my latest images.