Immature Eagle Owl

[Ding Carpio]

Yet another Eagle Owl thread!

(But I thought this one desrves its own because it's the immature. Ely, Ralf, Mark, and Bert; post you photos here!)

Yesterday, we staked out the Eagle Owl starting at 5PM. I invited Ely because of a sinister motive: I wanted to borrow his 1dMk4+300mm2.8+2x! He obliged; I knew birders would lend their house for summer just to get access to this bird. Nya-a-ah.

As it got darker, the immature, started bobbing its head beyond the ledge of the planter box of the building.



After a few minutes, the Dad flew in and Mom flew out. Dad had a few words with his kid then left.



Sorry for the bad quality pf the photo. It was too dark for focusing.

Then, when it was almost really dark, the immature hopped on the ledge and used it as his stage to put on a show for us!












It was one heck of a show. The kid was doing can-can, broadway, and tap-dancing for us. Would've been perfect except for one thing: it was pitch black.

And, bow:

[Ely Teehankee]

It is now confirmed with the excellent pictures that you just posted that it is time for you to acquire a 1D Mark IV and the new 300mm f/2.8 Series II with a 2X TC series III. This is no sales pitch as they say the proof in the pudding is the eating. Well done Ding and Mabuhay. I was only able to get one picture because unlike you I cannot see in the dark. LOL.

[Neon Rosell II]

Wow, can I go again next month, Ding? Please!

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Wonderful story and photos, Ding. It is heartening to see a complete family of Philippine Eagle-Owls thriving in traffic-congested Quezon City - thanks to your and Manila Water's conservation efforts. Congrats and keep it up!

[Ding Carpio]

Thanks Ely & Ramon.

An upgrade on my gear is tempting but still competes with my new addiction: woodworking. I promise to bet on the lotto every week. Who knows...

To everyone else: My weekends are booked solid through early Feb (wedings, trips, eyeballs...). But I know how important this bird is to everyone. I will try to squeeze in some Saturday morning.

You may also try contacting Karen Ochavo, a WBCP member who is also from Manila Water (works in my group).

[Lydia Robledo]

Oh, what a show! I will call you now as an Owl Magnet. I guess soon I will have access to your compound without taking you away from your week-end woodwork. Ms. Annie of Cravings is asking assistance in setting up a butterfly sanctuary somewhere close to the hooters. She was thinking of a netted one but I will propose an open bird and butterfly garden. If there's more space, maybe Neon and I can set up a tree nursery for the watersheds??? We are looking for a home in the city for thousands of seeds and wildlings we have in our hands to care for until ready for planting. telyds

[Ding Carpio]

Sounds good, teLyd.

Let me set up a meeting with you, Neon, and my Environment manager when Neon gets back from jail. We are in the thick of reviewing, evaluating, and planning our watershed efforts. Would be great to have your inputs and, hopefully, active help.

Do remind this senile mind if I forget.

[Ariel Matias]

Interesting series! Must be fun to shooting these hooters :-)

[Ding Carpio]

Rather sad or happy news depending on which way you look at it.

I heard from our Maintenance people:

Last Saturday, around 9am, the juvenile owl flapped down into the maintenance shed right below the nest. Our maintenance people tried to shoo her away lest she be hit with welding and grinding sparks. She wouldn't. She''s apparently used to so many people every human is a friend. One of our people picked her up and put her on top of the aircon vents. It flapped up at which point Mommy Owl joined her. Mother and child flew towards the small Balara forest.

Today, I did not see any owl.

I think I will crawl to somewhere dark and weep now.

[Lydia Robledo]

Good for the owls. Hu, hu, hoot, hoot! That's good news for now. Sleep Noah. There's still a boat to build. By the way, are you following the specs in the Bible? It says somewhere that it took 120 years to build... now you can cry. ;(

[Mark Jason Argallon]

great photos, sir ding! =D

[William Lim]

Nice photos, Ding. Good news Ding, the owls are surviving and propagating. They will be back and there will be more of them.

[Mark Itol]

Nice set, Ding. Your persistence paid off.

Anyway here's one of my captures from the session. The lighting condition was awful. Hope to go back there in the morning when light is better.

Philippine Eagle-Owl (Bubo philippensis)
40D, 400 f/5.6 + 2x, 800mm, ISO 400, f/11, 0.8 sec, manual exposure, CDAF via live view, tripod/gimbal, cable release

[Ding Carpio]

That's an excellent photo, Mark. And you were even handicapped by having one of the shortest and slowest lens in the gang shooting extreme lighting conditions.

[mantarey]

Great documentation Ding, so you found it where we suspected it would be.?

Thanks for taking me the place Ding, hope to see these juveniles too one of these days.

Beautiful capture Mark.

[Tonji Ramos]

Nice photos with the 300 f2.8 rig Ding. Good capture Mark.

[steve pryor]

Great series of shots. I must say, however, that is very difficult for me to see much juvenile in this bird. It makes me wonder how long the young are cared for, and what plumage they normally have when the parents drive them out of territory? It should be noted that virtually nothing is known of the breeding cycle, and parental care in this species. Perhaps the only indication that I can see denoting immaturity might be the color of the bill - bluish, and should be tan with a lighter tip in the full adult.

[Ely Teehankee]

Hi Steve. The bird's behavior is definitely juvenile. He would be dancing on the ledge as if no one is looking. The adults would just stare but the one young is always in a jolly mood. Too bad no one took a video of the bird dancing, bobbing, and weaving this body and head.

Here is a picture I took of the jevenile and the mother. Nothing great about these two pictures but the thrill of being able to see one and to photograph it is very memorable.




0.3 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200



1/60 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600