リュウキュウオオコノハズク恋の季節
きょうは二十四節気の一つ立春を迎えました。リュウキュウオオコノハズクは、アオバズクやコノハズクより繁殖期が早く訪れるようで、数十メートルの至近距離でにオスとメスと思われる個体が仲良く餌取りをしていました。2ペア発見。
恋の季節が始まり、雨も降っていてオオコノハズクの活性も上がり、ポイントを3箇所ほど巡ると8個体に会えました。一晩に8個体は今までで最高記録。^^ 撮影も5個体できた。
帰り道、もう一箇所のポイントに立ち寄り2桁を狙ったのですが、見事に外し、追加はならずでした。仮眠してから寄ったので着いた時間が午前4時と遅すぎました…。^^;
I finally got a shot with the ear-tufts raised. This is a familiar individual, so it wasn't on edge, and yet it kept its ear-tufts up. I've seen and photographed this bird several times before, but this was a first.
Paired with the individual in the photo above. How do you tell male from female in Collared Scops Owl? This one is even more accustomed to people.
It perched on a nice branch, but the expression isn't great. It's not actually angry, though… ^^;
Yet another pair found. Unusually for Collared Scops Owls, they were perched a little higher up. The light didn't reach them, so I had to push the exposure up several stops, and the result is very noisy.
Paired with the individual above. It didn't seem used to people and would only let me get a shot like this. ^^;
The Collared Scops Owls are targeting frogs and the like that appear in the rain.