Burrowing Owls (from the Salton Sea area)

[kdog]

So I met up with those crazy LA dudes, Dallas, Riddim_Maker, and Jwear at the Salton Sea again this year. It's so much fun shooting with these guys, and I always learn a lot from them. I had to get home on Sunday, but as far as I know, they're still out there shooting.

We're getting better at spotting those adorable but elusive burrowing owls.

#1
http://www.jacara.com/cpg144/albums/SaltonSea/IMG_7574.jpg

#2 Oops, I think he sees us
http://www.jacara.com/cpg144/albums/SaltonSea/IMG_7578.jpg

#3 Ready to make a move
http://www.jacara.com/cpg144/albums/SaltonSea/IMG_7601.jpg

#4 "What was that noise?"
http://www.jacara.com/cpg144/albums/SaltonSea/IMG_7611.jpg

#5 Had about enough
http://www.jacara.com/cpg144/albums/SaltonSea/IMG_7709.jpg

Thanks for looking,
-joel

[Harryb]

Terrific series Joel. :clap

[Awais Yaqub]

Beautiful shots beautiful Animal :clap

[raptorcaptor]

Excellent shots Joel! :clap I think they're on to you though! :rofl
#4 looks like a muppet peering over the wall!

[Maestro]

Awesome images. I love these guys! Good job!

[Ric Grupe]

Nice images, Joel.:thumb

Those last two really cracked me up.:D

[kdog]

Terrific series Joel. :clap
Thanks a bunch, Harry. When I get a "clappy" from you, I know I done good. :D

-joel

[kdog]

Beautiful shots beautiful Animal :clap

Thanks, Awais! Glad you liked 'em!

Cheers,
-joel

[kdog]

Excellent shots Joel! :clap I think they're on to you though! :rofl
#4 looks like a muppet peering over the wall!
Thanks Glenn! Wow, "clappies" from both you and Harry. Now my head is getting big. :encore

Maybe you'll join us sometime.

Cheers,
-joel

[schmoo]

:lol

Those have got to be the funniest little birds I've ever seen. Thanks for the great captions, too!

[dbaker1221]

OMG, Joel...great shots!!:ivar funny as hell:rofl

[BigAl]

Super shots Joel :thumb

That last one is seriously funny :rofl

[Bud1880]

Those would have to brighten even the most somber person's day. Sheesh! :D Thanks for sharing those Joel. Great stuff!

Bud

[Giphsub]

I'm making this the last post I look at before hitting the hay! Wanna go to sleep with a grin on my face :D Great set :thumb

[anwmn1]

Great work Joel and never get tired of your captions. :clap

I really like the one of two owls but only 1 eye of each. :thumb

[kdog]

Awesome images. I love these guys! Good job!

Thanks, Stephen!! :thumb

[kdog]

Nice images, Joel.:thumb

Those last two really cracked me up.:D

Hey Ric, thanks a bunch. Glad you got a kick out of them. :D

-joel

[kdog]

:lol

Those have got to be the funniest little birds I've ever seen. Thanks for the great captions, too!

Thanks Schmoo, and I agree. They're great fun to photograph. Just as funny in person as they are in the pictures.

Cheers,
-joel

[kdog]

Thanks David, Big Al, Bud, Mike and Aaron. I really appreciate the comments. :thumb

Cheers,
-joel

[JohnDC]

Joel,
Nice shots! But I don't see any of the owls laughing. This must not be the place where you tried to get the owl pic and slid off the road in the slick Salton Sea mud....
John

[raptorcaptor]

Maybe you'll join us sometime.

Cheers,
-joel

One of these days! This time around it would have been difficult!

[kdog]

Joel,
Nice shots! But I don't see any of the owls laughing. This must not be the place where you tried to get the owl pic and slid off the road in the slick Salton Sea mud....
John

:uhoh






Somebody broke the VOW OF SECRECY and is gonna pay. :fish

(besides, it was a falcon)

[dallas]

:uhoh






Somebody broke the VOW OF SECRECY and is gonna pay. :fish

(besides, it was a falcon)

You can be sure it wasn't me.......I couldn't survive your wrath. :bow :bow :bow Great shooting Joel. :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap

[JohnDC]

:uhoh






Somebody broke the VOW OF SECRECY and is gonna pay. :fish

(besides, it was a falcon)

Hey, it's a good warning for all the folks here who might go to the Salton Sea. And don't feel bad, I got in trouble there, too. I came within a foot of sliding down a 6 foot embankment into one of the big canals. Very touch and go. The wet mud there is like black ice. 4wd or AWD doesn't make it go away. And the gluey Salton Sea mud wouldn't shake off my rims afterwards. It made my wheels out of balance. I had to blast it off at a self-serve car wash before I cound drive over 50 mph, which is pretty slow for a long trip on California freeways. Everyone else going there: be warned when its wet.

[kdog]

You can be sure it wasn't me.......I couldn't survive your wrath. :bow :bow :bow Great shooting Joel. :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap

Thank you, sir! It was a supreme pleasure hanging with you guys once again.

Now let's see what you got from the weekend. :bow:bow:bow

-joel

[kdog]

Hey, it's a good warning for all the folks here who might go to the Salton Sea. And don't feel bad, I got in trouble there, too. I came within a foot of sliding down a 6 foot embankment into one of the big canals. Very touch and go. The wet mud there is like black ice. 4wd or AWD doesn't make it go away. And the gluey Salton Sea mud wouldn't shake off my rims afterwards. It made my wheels out of balance. I had to blast it off at a self-serve car wash before I cound drive over 50 mph, which is pretty slow for a long trip on California freeways. Everyone else going there: be warned when its wet.
Seriously, John, you're absolutely right, and there is a valuable lesson here to anybody who visits the Salton Sea area after a recent rain.

All we did was pull over onto the shoulder on the side of a main road which had only a very mild slope to it. The shoulder was paved with a layer of dry pea gravel. We were shocked to discover that the gravel was essentially floating on a one-foot-deep layer of the most slick and gooey substance you've ever seen. It's a total set up. The more we tried to drive out of it, the more the car would slide sideways down the slope. And yes, putting the Surburban into 4 wheel drive did nothing to help. We were trapped and had to get towed out.

The guy who towed us out had a special rig for this. He carried a tractor with steel tracks (instead of tires) on the bed of a car-carrier truck. He unloads the tractor, and drives it down to your car, and hauls you out of there with a steel cable. The price? $150. That turned out to be a very expensive lesson that we will never forget. A huge THANK-YOU goes to Russ and William who were in the car with me and offered to split the cost. :thumb

After that we headed down to a self-serve carwash and spent a lot of time removing the heavy muck which dries like cement. Honestly, you cannot believe this mud. When you step into it, your shoes become encased and instantly transform your feet into these huge and heavy clown shoes of sticky mud. One local told us it takes two years to get the stuff off. :huh

Ok, folks have been duly warned. :deal

Cheers,
-joel

[riddim_maker]

:lol4 Very funny captions Joel
And excellent captures
:clap :clap :clap
It was great hanging out with you also.
BTW, I'll be posting some of my images
once I'm done getting all that mud off of my shoes :rofl

[MikeMcA²]

Beauty shots! :clap

And that last guy reminds me of the "Kilroy was here" dude we used to draw in the Army :rofl

[jwear]

Joel good seeing you again --and thanks for the drive about :thumb very nice :clap it was a fun trip and looks like you did really well :thumb good shooting

[bfjr]

You and the Guys had an Adventure for sure :wow :D

Cool shots as well :thumb

[Cracker]

Fantastic images, and the way you captured the sharpness and clarity of the owl's eyes is truly amazing. WOW!!!

Graham

[kdog]

:lol4 Very funny captions Joel
And excellent captures
:clap :clap :clap
It was great hanging out with you also.
BTW, I'll be posting some of my images
once I'm done getting all that mud off of my shoes :rofl
Thanks, Russ! :D

[kdog]

Beauty shots! :clap

And that last guy reminds me of the "Kilroy was here" dude we used to draw in the Army :rofl

Thanks, Mike!! Yeah, that little guy has Kilroy written all over him. :rofl

Cheers,
-joel

[kdog]

Joel good seeing you again --and thanks for the drive about :thumb very nice :clap it was a fun trip and looks like you did really well :thumb good shooting

Thank you, sir!! Great shooting with you as well, and looking forward to next time. :thumb

-joel

[kdog]

You and the Guys had an Adventure for sure :wow :D

Cool shots as well :thumb

Thanks a lot, Ben! Like always say, "the adventure begins when the unexpected happens".

Cheers,
-joel

[kdog]

Fantastic images, and the way you captured the sharpness and clarity of the owl's eyes is truly amazing. WOW!!!

Graham

Thanks, Graham!

Cheers,
-joel