This morning I read on a local eBird alert that someone had found Blue-winged Warbler. That didn't surprise me too much since I had one on my bird bath in August a couple of years ago, but there is nothing quite like a surprise visit from a a migrant at the bath to re-energize the excitement of bird photography. So I resolved before going down to breakfast that I would set up a camera overlooking the bath for the coming season.
As I went into the kitchen, which looks out on said water feature, wow! There stood a beautiful Barred Owl readying for a bath. Remarkably this top-of-the-food-chain predator (except of the Great Horned Owl) hesitated and looked around as if to judge if it was safe to bathe, just as a song bird would. While all this preparation was taking place I sneaked off to the living room where I had a camera bag, assembled my gear, and then crept up behind a chair. Nevertheless the owl riveted its coal black eyes on my slinking and furtive movements while it was in the bath.
I had to shoot through glass into early morning shade, and then increase exposure two stops, but here are the results.
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| Note the owl garden statuary behind and in the lower right |
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| Still looking around |
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| Never taking its eyes off me |
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| Done; time to go. |
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