A photo essay by Kim Bridges & Nancy Furumoto
Copyright © 2020 by K. W. Bridges and N. L. Furumoto
For more information, visit www.kimbridges.com
All photographs, except the maps of the East 90 area, were taken by the authors between November 18 and 23, 2022.
Location: The East 90 - Skagit Wildlife Area, Samish Unit, Mt. Vernon, State of Washington
This 100-acre patch of grassy rubble, with patches of standing-dead corn and a few shrubs, is the ideal home for a short-ear owl or a northern harrier. This place is called the “East 90.” A highway runs along two sides, a grass path on another side partitions the field from the neighboring farmland, and the Samish River edges the final side. Just beyond the river are a few houses and farm structures, creating the perfect habitat for these birds.
The East 90 area, shown inside the red circle. The highway is the Bayview Edison Road. The Skagit River is on the east side. Source: Google Earth image from 8/2020.
This area is teeming with birdlife, particularly bald eagles and a variety of waterfowl, which can be found in Padilla Bay. Today, however, the focus is on the owl, a winter migrant that has recently arrived in the area. This uncommon bird has attracted a lot of photographers, which is why we are also here. The harriers are also interesting, but they are more common.
Owls, as a group of similar birds, present a great challenge for photographers due to their nocturnal nature. However, the short-ear owl is a bit of an anomaly; it primarily flies in the daytime, during the early morning and late afternoon, providing photographers with a unique opportunity to capture the majestic beauty of an owl in flight - an image far more satisfying than a static pose.
It's mid-November and the winter sun is low on the horizon by 3 PM, setting at around 4 PM - the perfect time for owl photography. Here, a large group of serious photographers have gathered, each with a DSLR camera and a large lens mounted on a heavy tripod with a Wimberleytype gimbal head. This is professional camera gear, but we're traveling light, using a handheld camera and a more affordable lens.
On our arrival, we don't yet have the search image for the short-ear owl. We must stay vigilant while watching the other photographers. There is a hushed silence as we wait, all of us focused on the field. Suddenly, a small spot appears, darting low across the field just above the plants. It quickly disappears and then reappears, its flightpath erratic and unpredictable. We watch as the owl glides for a moment before cartwheeling around and heading in the opposite direction.
This short view demonstrates the difficult challenge. The owl is quite far away (200-300 feet). Despite being a relatively large species, with a length of around 1.4 ft and wingspan of 3 ft, it appears to be quite small from this distance. The flight path of the owl is generally perpendicular to our line of sight, meaning we are mostly seeing the bird in its side profile. There are lengthy periods of time when the owl is out of sight, broken only by brief glimpses as it flies by.
Photographic concerns can be daunting. To capture a fast-flying bird, a long lens of at least 800 mm is required. However, this focal length has a narrow viewing angle, making it difficult to locate a fast-moving bird. To freeze the bird in motion, a very fast shutter speed is necessary. As the light level slowly decreases, the combination of low light and fast shutter speed means the ISO will be very high, leading to an image with a lot of noise. Despite these challenges, we’re in the right place at the right time with the right gear. Can we capture good photos? Let's see what we can do!
It was evident from the start that this was an extraordinary opportunity. Consequently, we returned to this spot over the course of five days, sometimes twice a day. Each photographic session lasted approximately one hour. Not all visits were productive as there were times when the owls were inactive or flying in a nearby field, making it difficult to capture any shots. Fortunately, there were also moments when a bird would come close and remain for a few minutes; these were the episodes that made the whole endeavor worth the effort.
A sitting owl was a very rare sight.
Internet photos of Short-eared Owls are predominantly views of sitting owls. Seeing a siting owl during our photography sessions was rare. There was only once that it was possible to take a photograph of an owl on the ground. None were seen on posts or fences.
Note how the owl colors blend in with the vegetation.
The photos are not presented in chronological order. Instead, the images are arranged to provide a visual reference to the birds and their habitat, as well as a few of their behaviors. This is primarily a photo essay, and while we made some observations, we did not add any new natural history information to the existing repository found in places like eBird. The quality of the photos varies. All of the pictures were subjected to post-processing steps involving exposure adjustments, tone balancing, noise removal (AI) and sharpening (AI). While the results are not perfect, they still provide some useful visual references.
Overall, this was a highly satisfying experience. Not only did we get to enjoy being outside in a new, exciting environment, but we also had the daily challenge of capturing the beauty of our surroundings and the satisfaction of seeing the results. Looking through the photographs, we can now observe details in the birds and their behavior that were impossible to notice while we were in the field. Events with these birds occurred too far away and too quickly to appreciate in “real time.” However, the photos have frozen the action, allowing us to appreciate what was not seen before. Even "imperfect" images can still be quite revealing.
The photos also let us share our discoveries with others.
The attractive pattern on the top of the owl is seen when the bird makes a turn.
The white on the underside of the wing will blend in with the sky when viewed from below.
Imagine how the owl appears if you are a prey below the owl or a predator flying above. In both cases, the coloration blends with the landscape.
Another example of blending in well with the environment.
Large wings relative to the size of the body allow an owl to fly slowly.
Owls have both power and flexibility in their flight dynamics. They also fly nearly silently.
The shape of an owl’s feathers, along with their texture, help streamline the airflow and absorb the sound of flight.
Sometimes, the owls glide high above their territory as they search for prey.
An owl’s eyes are fixed in position so it turns its head to look to the side.
The yellow eyes and intense stare are key features of a Short-eared Owl’s appearance.
Seeing a high soaring owl was a rare and breathtaking event.
Sometimes, you see a pair of owls high in the sky, far away. It’s hard to decipher the purpose of this brief, high-speed, acrobatic drama.
Owl talons briefly lock together.
A close encounter, high in the air.
Two owl are joined by a Northern Harrier. Both species hunt for the same prey in the same area. This is not likely a friendly event.
A Northern Harrier is likely an unwelcome visitor at any time.
People hunt for ducks and geese in this area. This limited where we could go to take photographs.
The most common, fast-action drama was an individual bird hunting for prey.
The following information was provided using OpenAI’s GPT-3 AI engine with the following query.
“Provide detailed information about short-eared owls.”
Short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are medium-sized owls that are found in a variety of habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They are distinguished by their small size and relatively short ear tufts. They typically have a body length of between 10-15 inches (25-38 cm), a wingspan of between 24-30 inches (61-76 cm), and a weight of between 8.5-16.5 ounces (240-470 g). They have a mottled brown plumage with darker streaks, white patches, and a light-colored belly. Males and females look similar, but males are slightly larger than females.
Short-eared owls are active during the day and hunt primarily at dawn and dusk. They feed mainly on small mammals such as voles, mice, and shrews, as well as some insects and birds. They use a combination of still-hunting and short, low-level flights to capture their prey. They nest on the ground or in low vegetation, usually in small colonies.
Short-eared owls are not considered threatened or endangered, but their numbers have declined due to habitat loss and other human-induced pressures.
We went to Mt. Vernon to photograph eagles. This is where there is an annual gathering of hundreds of Bald Eagles. The birds are reported to line the banks of the Skagit River. The salmon run attracts the huge flock of avian predators.
The timing of our trip made this a risky venture. The eagle migration to this northern part of Washington state happens in December. Our schedule limits us to the week before Thanksgiving, perhaps two to three weeks too early. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do to change when we visited the Skagit area.
The day we arrived in Mt. Vernon, we drove up the Skagit River looking for eagles. It is about an hour drive to the Eagle Interpretive Center. The road winds, for the most part, along the south side of the river. We are on the lookout for birds as we drive up the valley. We saw just one eagle, very briefly, as it flew up the river. We’re here too early.
Back in Mt. Vernon, we decided to visit the local Information Center to find out more about bird spotting. We were welcomed by a friendly gentleman, who brought out a map and pointed to an area where there was a coastal marshland. He went on to tell us about various other coastal areas, and then gave us an unexpected piece of advice; he said, “Go there at 3 o’clock” as he pointed at a map. We were a little confused at the time — what does “3 o’clock” have to do with bird spotting? — but it became clear later that his suggestion was a great one.
The next day, we followed the advice from the Information Center and visited the marshland which is a US FWS reserve. We were stunned by the sheer number of birds that we saw there, and were even lucky enough to get some pictures of eagles! It was a great way to lift our spirits and we were delighted, even though it wasn't quite the abundance of eagles we had hoped for. However, there were plenty of other interesting birds to observe, such as ducks of all sorts and some other avian mudflat inhabitants.
We moved on, as suggested, around the coastline. The next major stop was at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. We didn’t get much bird spotting help but did see a lot of information about eelgrass. For historical reasons (read: Kim’s research) this was a very noteworthy addition to our trip. The imminent closing of the Center caused us to move on. We continued the drive north along the coastal edge.
The highway turned inland and, after a few miles of crossing farmlands, came to a T intersection. We could see several dozen cars parked along the highway to the right. Was this where the Information Center guy had indicated on the map? By now, it was a bit past 3 PM. We headed to the parked cars and pulled into an open spot.
There were lots of people standing alongside big tripods. Each had a camera with a big lens. All the glass was pointed toward a brown field of low vegetation. It was clear that these were birders. Really serious birders.
The highway curved inland and, after a few miles of traversing farmlands, came to a T-intersection. We could see several dozen cars parked along the road to the right and, as it was now a few minutes past 3 PM, we figured this must be the Information Center's spot on the map. We pulled into an open spot and got out of the car. There were lots of people standing around with huge tripods, each with a camera and a long lens pointed towards a field of brown low-lying vegetation. It was clear that these were avid birders, and they seemed to be very serious about it.
I asked a nearby photographer, “What’s going on?”
“Short-eared owls” was the answer. “They’ve just come back.”
So we joined the search, not knowing exactly what we were looking for. If so many people are looking, it must surely be worth the effort.
Finally, we saw a small blown spot, far in the distance, move across the field. It was at that moment that the focus of our expedition changed: we’re now owl photographers.
Relatively close, face-on views of a flying owl were not common.
The overall trip consisted of a roundtrip flight from Hawai`i to Southern California followed by a roundtrip drive from the Los Angeles area to upstate Washington. That’s about 5,000 air miles and a total drive (including day trips) of 4,000 miles.
This trip wasn’t just about eagles and owls. We made stops to photograph pelicans. Big-tree forests were also a focus and we visited some very interesting places in California, Oregon and Washington. Visits to friends and family were equally important.
The overall trip was 5 weeks with a total of two full weeks spent at two locations in the State of Washington: Port Angeles and Mount Vernon.
We keep a Smart car in Southern California to use on expeditions. Having our own car is very handy and it saves us a lot of money on these long trips.
Places we spent the night. Red dots are the trip north, green going south.
A guide to some of the places mentioned in the text.
All the bird photographs were taken handheld with the following gear:
• Sony A1 camera
• Sony 100-400 mm f/4-5.6 lens
• Sony 2X Extender
Image organization and post-processing was done with the following software on Windows computers:
• Camera Bits Photo Mechanic
• Adobe Photoshop 2023
• Topaz Labs Denoise AI
• Topaz Labs Sharpen AI
The results, shown in the photographs, indicate that this photographic setup works pretty well for this situation. Nonetheless, it is worth a more systematic examination as it might guide future expeditions.
It is possible to calculate the distance to a subject in a photograph. You need the following information:
• The size of the subject (e.g., the bird’s wingspan)
• A measurement of the size of the subject on the original photo (i.e., the height or width in pixels)
• The lens focal length (in mm)
• The height or width of the image sensor (in mm)
• The image sensor pixels for either the height or width
The bird size is an estimate. For example, Short-eared Owls have a wingspan of about 3 feet. Estimates vary, but this seems to be a reasonable value for the purposes here.
Measuring objects in a photo can be done with the crop box in Photoshop. You just need to choose a photo with the subject oriented in the proper direction.
The focal length of the lens is found in the EXIF data.
The image sensor size and pixel dimensions are camera properties. A full-sized sensor, such as the one in the Sony A1, is 24 x 35.9 mm with pixel dimensions of 5760 x 8640.
Wayne Fulton’s website scantips.com/lights/subjectdistance.html provides both the math needed for the distance calculations and a handy on-line calculator.
A number of photographs were analyzed to determine the approximate distances to the flying owls. The closest birds were about 200 feet (61 m) away. More often, the subject was closer to 500 feet (152 m) from the camera. These values provide a range in which it is likely the owls are flying. Note that there were no close encounters; the owls kept their distance from the photographers.
There are limited places where photographers can observe the owls. In part, this is because the East 90 is an active hunting area with a season that overlaps the period Short-eared Owls are in this region. The other concern, of course, is that being too close to the owls will interrupt their behavior and they are likely to abandon this and the adjacent fields.
The map shows the East 90 area. Observations can be made from the roadside. There is also a grassy path, shown as an orange dashed line, that extends along the side of the East 90. This is, apparently, the only safe place for a photographer to walk. (Hunters have a slightly different path to the two blinds.) You can see into the East 90 and the adjacent farm field from the “photographers” path.
The West 90 area with the only safe walking path for photographers (orange dashed line) and areas suggested as reasonable for owl photography (yellow rectangles) for gear similar to that used in this expedition. The rectangles outside the West 90 indicate areas where owls were seen and photographed.
It is possible to outline the areas in which photography is practical by using the vantage points and the estimates of the distances to the owls. These areas are shown as yellow rectangles. Note that these areas are in the East 90, as well as across the highway and in an adjacent field. Short-eared Owls were photographed in all these areas although the one producing most (and best) images was in the East 90.
There is some active management done in the larger Skagit Wildlife Area. Specifically, corn, barley, fava beans, millet, and winter wheat is planted and not harvested. This is described as providing food for the game birds (i.e., ducks and geese). The East 90 is planted with five acres of barley or corn.
The same food is used by the prey of Short-eared Owls. Enhancing the prey food supply is likely to be reflected in larger prey populations. This, in turn, will better supply the owls with food.
The matrix of standing food plants (think: corn stalks) alongside areas of short rubble resulting from harvested plants makes for the sorts of habitat in which the owls appear to favor. You see the birds glide next to the standing corn stalks. The relatively open field over which they fly allows the predators to see and capture the small prey animals. The prey, on the other hand, can seek refuge and food in the adjacent corn stalks.
The plant patterning combined with the photographic (and access) limitations suggests that future crop plantings (and harvesting) would be optimal if the location of the mapped rectangles were taken into consideration. Crop lines running parallel to the highway and the grassy path, varying between 200 and 400 feet from the access areas, would provide photographers with ample room within their shooting range. It would also keep the owls at a comfortable distance from the people taking pictures. Within the East 90, these marked area cover about 20 acres.
It is obvious from the map that there is ample areas for other crop arrangements in the East 90 that would be more favorable to hunters. Planting patterns with equal considerations for both groups using this area will optimize the value of this conservation landscape.
Opportunities for relatively close viewing are important to photographers.
Many people helped us make this a productive and very enjoyable expedition.
Myra has graciously kept our Creamsicle (or Smart car) safe when we are not on the mainland and provided us with a wonderful place to stay, delicious meals and lots of family conversations. We wouldn’t have been able to make our expeditions without her. Will and Valerie are like family to us and on this trip we stayed with them, traveled with them and even celebrated Thanksgiving with their large family on the farm. Beth gave us a remarkable place to stay, for which we are extremely grateful. The 1901 Farmhouse, managed by Andi, was the ideal setting for our activities in Mt. Vernon. Lastly, the helpful employee at the Mount Vernon Information Center, whose name we unfortunately cannot recall, gave us essential information that enabled us to make our expedition successful.
We offer our deepest thanks to everyone.
