In choosing a cover for my latest calendar, I had a lot of cool shots to choose from.  So why did I choose a sleepy barn owl for the cover? There were lots of reasons, composition, feeling, emotions relating to the subject.  It was taken on a sleepy street in Sebastapol California and it was the first wild barn owl I had ever had the priviledge of photographing. But one of my primary reasons for choosing this bird over others in the calendar was related to what I have learned by attending Evening with Owls a fund raiser of the Hungry Owl Project.

They have quite a website and their Mission Statement is pretty amazing. I’m including it is its entirety along with the photos on their page because it is important.  I think the work they are doing is important and ground breaking and I hope to pass this information along to anyone interested in helping to make this a better world.  Check it out.

Our mission is to reduce the need for harmful pesticides & rodenticides by encouraging natural predators, through conservation of habitat, erecting nest boxes when appropriate, through research & education, and by providing a resource of help and information on alternative methods of sustainable pest management.

Started in 2002, The Hungry Owl Project (HOP) operates under the non-profit natured education and wildlife rehabilitation center WildCare. HOP promotes the use of Barn Owls and other predators in natural pest control, eliminating the need for dangerous poisons and pesticides. Alternative methods are available that are successful in the long run, and promote the natural harmony essential for our continued survival on this planet. We are based in Marin County, California.

Our interest in Barn Owls grew with the realization of their major decline, especially in the Midwest, where due to mass cultivation; nesting sites (old barns, silos and cavities in trees) are all but non-existent. The massive use of pesticides contributes to their decline. In California, they continue to thrive in relatively high numbers, but their survival depends on two important factors: preservation of their nest sites and habitat, and safe methods of pest and disease control.

Billions of tons of chemicals are sprayed each year on our lands. Our concern is the impact of these chemicals on human health, as well as the harm to wildlife. A number of human diseases have been linked with widespread pesticide use. Due to indiscriminate spraying, both the pest and the natural predator are killed. Rat poisons (rodenticides) also can kill household pets if a poisoned rodent is consumed. Many extermination companies do not properly inform consumers of the dangers of the chemicals being placed in their home. It is important for consumers to know and research the ingredients in any poisons used to control pests before using them around animals and children. See: Raptors & Rodenticides—A deadly combination.

With these issues in mind, we began the Hungry Owl Project to manufacture and erect owl boxes. Vineyards are a good place to start—by encouraging owls, vineyard owners can enjoy these beautiful birds, and also appreciate their hunting abilities. Owls can consume a third of their body weight per night, and a family of five can consume 3000 rodents in a breeding season. Not only is this a safer method of pest control, but far more appealing.

We install boxes in urban areas, parks and farms, where gophers and other rodents are a problem. Before a box is erected it is important that rodenticides (marketed as d-Con, Talon and other names) and pesticides are no longer used, otherwise the boxes will remain empty. Part of our goal is to educate and provide alternative methods when possible and help create a “win, win” situation for all.

We are studying and analyzing the pellets of wild Barn Owls. We wanted to determine whether gophers in particular (being a common pest) were part of their natural prey base here in Sonoma & Marin counties. Although the study is not complete, the results conclude that gophers are definitely on the menu, as well as mice, rats and various other rodents. We would like to continue and expand this study to include vineyards.

Many interesting and valuable studies are possible. A few years ago we installed two video cameras in an active nest box. We have taped the whole mating, egg incubation and chick rearing process. We created a short documentary that will aid biologists, wildlife centers and schools in learning more about these mysterious birds.

We include school children in ongoing projects by making presentations and soliciting their help in building owl boxes. Students at the Hall Middle School in Larkspur recently constructed 20 Screech owl boxes for us. An Eagle Scout troop in Mill Valley built 30 barn owl boxes for our project. So far over 100 boxes have been installed at ranches, farms, vineyard, and private homes.

The Hungry Owl Project works with the public to find solutions in situations where owls may nest in inappropriate places. In 2002 a pair of barn owls was discovered raising a family inside the tower of the Marin Civic Center during a construction and restoration project. By working with the Civic Center management and the construction company, the owls were able to raise their family and five owls safely fledged from the tower. We will continue to learn more about these silent hunters of the night, in order create a rich and safe habitat for both the owl and humans alike.

For information about alternative methods of pest control please visit our Rodenticides page.

For information about The Hungry Owl Project please contact:
Alex Godbe
Program Director
415-454-4587

So if you’ve read all this I hope it has inspired you to go to their website and see what they are trying to achieve.  And I wish all of you reading this a Merry Christmas and a hope for a better world living in balance with the animals we share it with.

Regards,

Glenn Nevill

I’ve spent the last few weeks of my spare time creating new bird calendars.  The great thing about this, they really look good.  The frustrating thing about this, it is so hard to choose what goes in and what gets cut.  I always want to include more birds and more shots of the same birds.  The images below are linked directly to the two calendars. So here are the details and rather than retype everything all over again, I’ll quote from my newsletter…

It has been an interesting year. To celebrate, I’ve created two new calendars for 2010. The first one covers some of our local diurnal raptors. (San Francisco Bay Area) The second is a general birding calendar to celebrate some of my other favorite bird species also found in the San Francisco Bay Area. The older calendars are available for sale too, and all show the upcoming days for 2010.

2009 saw the return of a nesting pair of peregrines to downtown San Francisco. This brought more opportunity for photography and some dramatic images. I’ve included three images of the peregrines along with shots of Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, Northern Harriers, and a White-tailed Kite.

Birds of the San Francisco Bay Area Calendar

From the January page:

San Francisco Bay Area birding is some of the richest in the country with more than 120 species found in and around San Francisco. While this calendar shows only thirteen of them, they are some of my favorites. I hope you will enjoy them and that they will inspire you to go out and observe birds where you live.

Birds are facing increasing challenges because of habitat loss, pollution, pesticides, and collisions with wind turbines and building windows. There are many organizations, both national and local, working to address these issues, and they could use your help. Check with your local Audubon chapter to see what you can do to make this a better world for birds and in turn for all of us.

My goal in photographing these magnificent creatures is to bring the joy of flight to others and to showcase the incredible speed and grace that birds exhibit. I hope these images will awaken a greater appreciation of nature and the need for conservation of all that we hold dear on this planet.

If you would like to preview the images at a larger size than those shown at the CafePress website, please visit my home page raptor-gallery.com and follow the links.

This is a Burrowing Owl that lives in a park in Berekeley, CA.  These little guys have about a 21″ wingspan but only weigh about 5 oz. According to the National Geographic Birds of North America, “the population is greatly reduced in much of the northern Great Plains by extermination of prairie dogs, conversion of prairies to cultivation, pesticide use, and habitat destruction. Declines continue. Many states list it as endangered or of “special concern”; endangered in Canada, with fewer than 1,000 pairs thought to remain.”

A sobering statement.

I also photographed this White-tailed Kite that same day.  As you can see here, it is landing with a field mouse.  Imagine what would happen to this raptor if the mouse had been poisoned. Birds can be 100 times more sensitive to pesticides than mammals.

Burrowing Owls used to be more common here as well, but owls along with raptors have to deal with threats like those listed above as well as deaths by feral and domestic cats, wind farms, impacts with cars, glass windows and lighted buildings and collisions with communication towers.

So what can you do to help?

Here are some suggestions I lifted from the latest Autumn issue of Wildcare published by the society of the same name.

• Support the removal of toxic pesticides from our food chain.
• Participate in coastal clean-up and other environmental improvement projects.
• Shop wisely for seafood and organic local produce.
• Keep your cat indoors, and support organizations that are working to humanely reduce feral cat colonies.
• Reduce your energy consumption.
• Support legislation that regulates such things as placement and operation of wind farms, and sets guidelines for monitoring industrial hazards.
• Support conservation programs that work to minimize bird deaths at electrical towers and in cities.
• Keep your bird feeders and baths clean to prevent the spread of disease.  Keep pet cats indoors.
• Support organizations like Wildcare that work to educate people and care for injured birds.

I’ll be attending one of their upcoming fund raisers, “An Evening with Owls“  on November 20th from 6:00 to 9:30.  There will be live owls and lectures.  Food and Wine, an auction, and I will be selling prints there. Come if you can, and please support your local wild animal rescue center.  The 0wls, hawks and others will appreciate it.

Posted in biology, birdwatching, eco-tourism, ecology, inspiration, nature, photography, Raptors ]]> http://raptorgallery.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/burrowing-owls-and-other-raptors-need-your-help/feed/ 3 gnevill Burrowing Owl White-tailed Kite with mouse http://raptorgallery.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/falcons-on-camera-still-here-after-all-this-time/ http://raptorgallery.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/falcons-on-camera-still-here-after-all-this-time/#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:03:30 +0000 gnevill http://raptorgallery.wordpress.com/?p=183 ]]>

I help manage the web camera for the San Francisco peregrine site. And at least once every day, the falcon and the tiercel show up.  Sometimes she sits on the ledge for hours.

Here you can see a screen shot that I just took as I was writing this post.

So if you need a falcon fix, check out the site. You’ll be glad and so will I.

This webcamera is brought to you by the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group and kind hosting and financial support of PG&E and the additional support of people like you.

When my wife Charlene decided to create a blog of her own, she needed a custom image that spoke to her and illustrated something of what she was trying to achieve.  Rather than cruising the web for an image that might or might not work, she asked me to help out and I was glad to oblige.  Setting up my gear that I normally use for bird photography, I turned it skyward on the nights leading up to and of the full moon.  I was rewarded with terrific wispy clouds as well as fairly clear views of the full moon.  Several hundred shots later, I combined a properly exposed image of the full moon and one exposed for the clouds.  The resulting composite image along with the title text and tag line came out as seen below.

Here is her first blog entry…

I’ve felt a blog coming on for a very long time. I’ve managed to avoid it until now, but at last I feel I have something I want to share.

Let me start by telling you about the Blessing Moon. In Scott Blum’s book, Waiting for Autumn, a homeless man named Richard introduces him to a ritual that involves breathing in the energy of the moon. Our agrarian ancestors called the full moon in July the Blessing Moon because it’s the time of year when the earth begins to yield her bounty. According to Blum’s homeless friend, the Blessing Moon is the perfect time to begin a spiritual journey.

And so it was that I found this story on the very day of the full moon in July. I was entranced with the idea of breathing in the moon and I wanted to experience this ritual myself, perhaps because my own ancestors farmed land in Minnesota and in Norway. That night when the moon began to show itself, I positioned myself on my back porch and watched as it rose slowly over the treetops. When it was in full view, I raised both hands up on either side of my head, palms open, facing the moon just as Richard described to Scott. Then I lifted my head back and squinting at the moon, I breathed in the cold, crisp air.

I wish I could tell you that I experienced instant enlightenment, but of course, it doesn’t happen that way for most of us. I did feel slightly invigorated, though, and I vowed to revisit this practice each month. Since then, I’ve begun a meditation practice, I started a course in hands-on healing, I’ve begun working with my animal spirit guides, I’ve started writing down my soul, and I’ve booked a pilgrimage to Delphi. I have much to tell you about all of these things and more. And I have to tell you that at times I’m terrified! But that’s a good thing, right? As Duane Garrison Elliott, my former boss at Tiffany & Co. used to say,  ”Do what terrifies you most––everything else is boring.”

So please join me on my journey. And as we go along, I hope you’ll share your stories with me.

Indeed, please check out her blog Breathinginthemoon and follow along on her journey.

We had friends visiting from Boston back in August who had planned a trip to the Farallon Islands on August 22nd. I’ve lived in the city since 1980 and have never been, so having procrastinated long enough, I signed Charlene and myself up to go along.

The trip is run out of the marina just beside Ft. Mason. There is a website to check out for details and schedules. SFBAYWHALEWATCHING.COM

The boat runs clean without diesel fumes, it is the catamaran shown here;

We left at 8AM on a gray overcast morning. There were swells that day on the ocean that made me glad that I had taken my motion sickness pill. BTW Bonine is the recommended medicine these days. Dramamine makes you very sleepy. I recommend it if you want to insure a fun trip.

This particular trip we shared the boat with six sea lions that were being released by the Marine Mammal Center in Marin.

As we passed the gate, we hugged the coast to catch this view of some California Sea Lions the way they were meant to be seen.

The trip out took about 2:45 and after we arrived at the islands, the sea lions were released…

Of course there were birds. We saw Brown Pelicans, Common Murres, Western Gulls, Brandt’s, Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants, Elegant Terns, Western Grebes, Red-necked Phalaropes, and my very first view of a Tufted Puffin…

There were many folks on the boat with me and for the most part we got along very well, but when the whales are spotted, there was a bit of crowding and it made it hard to get shots of the whales. In addition, carrying two cameras around my neck made it awkward to maneuver. At one point I was shooting a sequence of a grey whale’s flukes as it dove, thinking I had gotten some good shots, I looked down to review the images and found they were completely white. I had bumped the setting on the top of the camera from Aperture Priority to Manual and the shots were ten stops over exposed.

I also got to see a Humpback Whale breach completely out of the water, and missed the shot because I could not get the camera up in time. Clearly there is a learning curve when photographing on a pitching deck.

No matter, we had a great time anyway. I got to see two whales, the first ever for me, plus I added three species of birds to my life list. The Tufted Puffin shown above, and also the Pigeon Guillemot …

and the Pink-footed Shearwater shown below…

I shot some 600 images that day and it took me a week to edit it down to a reasonable number. You can see the entire edited page at my website at this link. It was an amazing day, and if you can spare the time and the cost, it is worth it. Really it is.

Posted in biology, birdwatching, eco-tourism, ecology, nature, photography, whale watching ]]> http://raptorgallery.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/the-farallon-islands-an-amazing-place-to-visit/feed/ 0 gnevill The Kitty Kat California Sea Lions shared the trip California Sea Lions One of the 6 being released Tufted Puffin Pigeon Guillemot Pink-footed Shearwater http://raptorgallery.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/new-images-up-on-raptor-gallery-com/ http://raptorgallery.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/new-images-up-on-raptor-gallery-com/#comments Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:58:32 +0000 gnevill http://raptorgallery.wordpress.com/?p=91 ]]>

I’ve taken about a month off from shooting to update the Select Photos section of my website Raptor-Gallery.com. Please check it out and let me know what you think. There are larger images of raptors in new categories. I’ve added an alphabetical listing of every species that I have good shots of. This section has the best shots taken from my diary pages and is broken down by species. There are a lot of shots of non-raptors up now and it is easy to find the best shots saving hours of searching.

Each page allows you to comment on a photo and send the comments to me in an email. So please if you see something that needs fixing, then drop me a note and let me know.

Regards and thanks for looking.

Glenn Nevill

And soon they will be hatching.  The peregrines nesting on 77 Beale have laid their eggs (4) and have been incubating them now for 34 days.  We expect that there will be some young hatchlings coming out at any moment.  You can watch the whole experience on the web here

Here is one of the shots of the male, Dapper Dan taken just a couple days ago, just outside of the nest ledge.

Falcon lands on 77 Beale, the PG&E building

It’s too early to say we have a nesting pair, but recent sightings on the web camera located at the top southwest corner of 77 Beale of two amorous peregrines and sightings of them staying on the side of the building and buildings close by have gotten our hopes up of seeing a return of nesting peregrines.

The last time we had a successful breeding on that building was in 2005.  In 2006 the pair moved across the street to 201 Mission where only one eyas survived to fledge.  In 2007 the pair moved to the Bay Bridge and the male disappeared that May, followed by the female a couple of weeks later.

The falcons from the east span of the Bay Bridge had driven the first pair away.  They laid eggs in the same location on the bridge, but the hatchlings were retrieved dead from the site and the female falcon has not been seen since.

We think the male, the tiercel has a new mate and it looks good for a nesting pair, with the first egg to be laid in anywhere from one to three weeks.

Falcon stretches its wings while perched on 77 Beale

I’ve been asked to contribute some photos to a silent auction to raise money for the Hungry Owl project. This will take place on Thursday evening on November 20, 2008 at the Marin Garden Center. Check out their website event page at hungryowl.org for details as to how to attend. Starting bids for my work will be half the price on my website. Plus you will get to meet some live owls. Worth the entrance price for that alone.

After two days I was able to get clear views of both legs on the peregrine at Capp Street.  Click here for the complete series.

Here is one shot from today.