Do you sometimes feel you're being watched?

[Paulus]

 

While fishing this past weekend, a movement in the trees caught my eye. I looked up just in time to see an enormous owl, taking flight.

 

I had inadvertently spooked him off his perch, and he settled down at a slightly safer distance from me. With zoom full on, and cropped, this is what I was able to capture.

 

The "spy" was a great horned owl, of course. Thank goodness I'm no mouse....

 

 

 

 

Speaking of mice, the best laid plans of mice and men... Although I managed a couple of steelies that day, both came in the early morning when daylight is too dim for good photography; then I got nothing else the rest of the day. No pics !!!

 

I hope that didn't just make the last part of this entry "useless"...

 

Onk!

 

p.-

[timmeh]

Nice photo.

 

I had a similar experience earlier this year when a curious deer was keeping an eye on me.

[Swan_Dive]

I know what your talking about when you talk about being watched! I was in the bush walking beside a river and had a creepy feeling I was being stalked by a cougar! Turned out nothing happened but you never know if something was out there watching!

[Paulus]

I know what your talking about when you talk about being watched! I was in the bush walking beside a river and had a creepy feeling I was being stalked by a cougar! Turned out nothing happened but you never know if something was out there watching!

 

I hear ya. Out here in the shwa there's a high cougar count. One mis-step, and you're a goner!

 

 

p.-

[Brettiop]

I was being watched by a wolf just last weekend...it was more scared of me and took off running tho...

[bigugli]

You are always being watched. We stand out like sore thumbs out there in the bush, crashing and bumbling along the trails.

[BillM]

That looks like a giant raccin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MJL]

Beautiful picture Paul. I've been seeing a good variety of birds of prey while I'm out steelheading but they always seem to fly off as I'm reaching for my camera.

 

2 weeks ago I was fishing alone in the bush off the beaten path at night...Turned around and a pretty big coyote was behind me sniffing my backpack on shore...Really amazing how much wildlife is around even near urban centers

[ChrisK]

They are beautiful birds for sure. Nice pic...

Couple of years ago I was up in one of my tree stands early before sun up. When the sun finally came up I felt this feeling that I was being watched . Sure enough in the tree beside me not more than ten feet away sat a huge barn owl glaring at me as if I was intruding on his space,,,and I was suppose....Never been that close to a owl of that size or any at that..We stared at eachother for about ten minutes before he decided he'd had enough. Wish I'd had my camera...

[laszlo]

Highdrifter and I were fishing together last Sunday.

 

There we are chatting away not even realizing there's a huge owl about 10 yards behind us perched on a tree.

Then there's this deep sound of flight as we look staight up to see this powerful looking creature flying directly above us and

away into the landscape.

[TJQ]

Thats a pretty cool photo, a few years ago, I had a great grey owl watching me.. those things are huge!!

[azebra]

8 years ago I went on a solo back backing trip in BC, the lake I hiked to was great, high in the mountains. went for a little swin walked along the mud shore, no sigh of anyone.anything. the next morning i woke from my shelter, went down to the lake to wash up, b4 I even made it to the lake I saw the huge cat/dog tracks all in the mud and around my camp.. holy smokes I said! looking around, I suddenly got this strange, alone, far away feeling, alone by myself, but there was defiantly something checking me out..still spooked to this day..

[Fish4Eyes]

judging by the topic title I thought you were referring to someone wanting to rape you . Nice shot of the owl

[aniceguy]

I hear ya. Out here in the shwa there's a high cougar count. One mis-step, and you're a goner!

 

 

p.-

 

lmao.......ya those shawa cougars are a mean sort.........

[highdrifter]

Nice.. Owls, albeit fleeting and silent, are a very good omen!!

 

cheers

HD

[Paulus]

Thanks for the replies, all. I'm glad to see that this is an experience that many of us share.

 

I guess that it's one of the perks of fishing, that we sometimes get treated to something you don't see every day. Deer, beaver, owls, herons, osprey, eagles, king fishers, coyotes, bears (and even cougars ) etc... all come down to the river at one time or another. They're all part of the show, supporting actors if not the front-liners. Paying attention to them always seems to give a broader view and deeper appreciation of nature, fishing, hunting.

 

p.-

[johnnyb]

Ooga...me like big bird...Onk..make hungry....

 

VERY cool...I would love to see that while I'm out!

[StoneFly]

thats pretty cool!!!

 

Although it wasnt a great horned, I watched this guy swoop down into the grass when I was fishing Xmas day a few years back, turned out he had a rat in his talons and was doing this dance with his wings to scare me away!!!

Sp I took a few pics and walked away, as soon as I was a safe distance he took air and sure enough his lunch was in his claws.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[4thgen]

^^That's a barred owl.

 

You were lucky to see it -- they are widespread but you don't see them too often. Awesome set of pictures!

[StoneFly]

Thought I would add these as well. Taking a canoe trip down the credit near the mouth, saw these Big Birds in the distance and snapped a few Pics. I posted them on some Birdie watching Site and was told they were "Great Egrets' as memory serves and also aparently the first time they were spotted this far north. I thought it was a whooping crane which is why I originally was looking to find out what it was.

 

When I look at the white one in the first pic,...I keep hearing, 'Everybody dance Now....' lol

 

 

 

 

[Paulus]

Sweet birds, stone dude!

 

You have to give me that bird site, for future reference. Hawks and other smaller bird of prey tend to be difficult to tell apart, and every now and again I manage to snap something off. It would be nice to know what species they are.

 

p.-

[timmeh]

Nice photos guys,

 

2 years ago while doing some work on the lower part of the Grand we came around a bend in the boat and upstream was a half submerged tree. Sitting on the highest point on the tree, maybe 30 feet from us was a bald eagle. Tried to get out the camera but the batteries were dead . He flew off and we kept moving and on the way back he was fishing and we saw him pull a couple fish out of the water.

 

Also eagrets are not that uncommon around here. I see several off them per year, mostly on the Grand.

[Jonny]

I was standing in a dry swamp at dusk one late October watching for moose. I would look one way for a minute, then turn my head to look the other way. One time when I turned my head an owl was about 10 - 15 feet away from me with claws extended, ready to land on my head as if I was just another dead tree trunk! Scared me and startled the owl. It flew up in a tree beside me but I could only see the silhouette and couldn't tell what kind it was. A gray owl was my guess.

[StoneFly]

Sweet birds, stone dude!

 

You have to give me that bird site, for future reference. Hawks and other smaller bird of prey tend to be difficult to tell apart, and every now and again I manage to snap something off. It would be nice to know what species they are.

 

p.-

 

Sorry Dude, it was a couple years ago and I never bookmarked it. Im sure if you google Bird Id,..you will find many sites to help you out.

 

Cheers,

[fishing n autograph]

I always have that feeling too.....maybe it's the wife.....or big brother that's always watching lol

 

 

Great shots!