Great Horned Owls

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Kent Jarrett

This evening I thought I would give the white owls a break and went to check on my Whitetail bucks to see if they have started to drop their antlers.

On the way to my spot, a Great Horned Owl (GHO) flew across the road and into a large tree out front of a farm house. Of course I turned around drove up the lane and rang the door bell with my card. They older home owner was super nice and gave me permission to walk around and look for their nest. As soon as I came around the side of the house 1 Owl flew west. I started looking around and there are pellets everywhere! Anyway, saw the other owl farther back and took the second photo (I believe this to the be female as it was larger). She called and the male flew back closer and presented me with a clear photo.

As soon as I took it, I headed back to the truck to give them room and leave them alone. I’ll be checking in on them once a week to see if I can find their nest and hopefully owlets in a couple month.

Since I found those two, I turned the truck and around and headed to a local city park that has had GHO’s the last 5 or 6 years. I was losing usable light fast so I was high-tailing it back to the corner where they normally hang out. I was only halfway back and could hear a pair calling back and forth. I got a decent photo of one of them with limited branches in the way.

Anyway it is breeding season for Brown Owls (Great Horned Owls (GHO) Barred Owls (BAOW) and Screech Owls (EASO)). If you have any breeding pairs, an active nest, or box PLEASE let me know. I’d love to come photograph them and give you a free print for the access! As long as I am begging for wildlife subjects, be on the lookout for Fox, Bobcats, and raccoon babies in a couple months!

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Life is good and I am blessed!

Kent

First Snowy Owl of 2026

Posted on January 2, 2026 by Kent Jarrett

My first two raptors of the 2026 year.

Got 2 tips this morning on a snowy owl back in my home county. As soon as I was done with my noon haircut, I headed to go see if I could find her. Sure enough within 1/4 mile of where I was told she was last seen. Not a great photo, but more of a documentation type shot. The close up photo was shot at 1200mm f8 out the car window. The full frame shot was at 500mm to show just how hard it can be to spot this beautiful creatures. I actually really started liking this shot as I was processing it. We are doing our best to keep this female snowy owl’s location off all the birding site. Who knows, but my story is this is one of the Montrose Owls that was pushed further South. I sat and watched her for 87 minutes until she decided to fly deeper into the field.

On the drive home I spotted what I thought was a Juvenile American Bald Eagle, so I spun the truck around and went back. To my surprise, it was the largest red tail hawk I have ever seen. Maybe fresh blood on it’s beak.

All in all, a good day out glassing the back roads.

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Life is good and I am blessed!

Kent

GHO in Tree Cavity

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Kent Jarrett

Got a tip from a fellow “Owl’er”. I took the chance with the weather and took off 80 miles to find the nest, still in Central Illinois. Had a pin where to park, and a rough map of where the cavity tree was, but still took me a while to located it. Especially since I had map upside down and started off walking away from the nest. Went back to the truck and regrouped and started over in the right direction. When I finally found the hole, only 1 fuzzy white head was visible. I got 3 shots off hand held before it went back down inside the tree. Moved the truck into location where I could observe the tree for over an hour with NO activity. Decided I go to the nearest town, grabbed lunch and a bio break.

Went back to observation spot, still nothing. I reclined the trucks seat and started streaming Shelby’s college softball game. I would check the cavity every time they changed the field. Finally in the bottom of the 4th, mom was spotted in the nest cavity. I don’t know if she flew in, or if she climbed up from deeper in the cavity.

You can barely see the top of one of the two owlets trying to push it’s way up.

These were shot with the new RF600mm F4 IS with a 1.4 TC so effectively a 840mm f5.6

Loving the new lens, and I’ll be back to check on this family again. Judging by the size of the one Owlet I saw, they will start to fletching soon.

At least I finally found a brown owl (with help), just wish is was closer to home. I’ll be back in the woods looking for more local owls closer to home next week.

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Life is good and I am blessed!

GGO Fly By

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Kent Jarrett

Are you sick of Owls yet? Edited some more Great Gray Owl photos from this year’s trip up to Sax Zim Bog.

Right to left fly by this time.

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Life is good and I am blessed.

Kent

Stare, Launch, Flight, Kill, Reward

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Kent Jarrett

The stare, launch, flight, kill, and the reward!The Stare. It is like they look right into your soul or through you. Their eyesight is so good I wonder if they are looking at their reflection in the lens.