Dinner for One

Caught!  In the act of devouring fresh greens al fresco! 

Is it me or does this cute bunny rabbit appear to look a bit guilty of....something?
Taken this week at Conservatory Park in Sarasota.

Dinner Time!

RAT!  It's what's for dinner!

This photo was taken just moments after this barred owl pounced on a rat climbing on that very tree branch.  I couldn't believe it!  I always imagined owls swooping down and snatching a rodent or rabbit from the ground and carrying it away in its talons.  But, this guy landed on this branch...sat there for a minute...swiveled his head once...and then...WHAM!  Dinner's ready!  Very exciting for this wildlife photographer! I wonder if the owl heard the rat scurrying on the bark from a short distance away and then landed here in preparation for the hunt. Sure makes me glad I'm not a rat.  Or an owl having to hunt my dinner.  

Tucked Away

With it being overcast last night for the first time in awhile, I thought maybe the barred owls would be out early at the neighborhood park. Bingo! This handsome fellow was contentedly tucked in a tree roosting, with a human family running around nearby making a lot of noise. (Being camouflaged so well, the family never saw him.) I ended up having quite an incredible encounter with this guy, his mate and two little ones. Nothing like observing a family of four owls at dinner time! (That's definitely foreshadowing a SDP post!) Although I saw and heard the two juveniles, they were very good at hiding. I'll post more as time permits. Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Splash of Color

How about a splash of color via Mother Nature on this Sunday? I was at a neighborhood park in Sarasota earlier this week poised with my camera patiently waiting for an owl to return when this handsome fellow showed up. He certainly seemed ready for his close up. Who was I to turn him down?!