I've had countless encounters with great horned owls over the past decade, and it never gets old. I so admire these wise, stealthy raptors, and was once a guest on the local NPR program "Hometown Alaska" where I discussed my interactions with owls and how I've captured some of my best images of them.
Taken yesterday in Eagle River Valley, AK.
Colin
The Trees Have Eyes
The trees have eyes...
I had countless encounters with great horned owls while residing at the Eagle River Nature Center. Several images from those encounters are in my book (and 2025 calendar), and I was once a guest on the local NPR radio program "Hometown Alaska" where I recounted capturing some of those photos and how I developed an eye for spotting owls despite their capability to camouflage themselves quite well.
A few nights ago I was playing my guitar when I noticed something in a birch tree behind my place that had a distinct and familiar shape. I continued to strum until I saw it move and knew immediately what it was. I grabbed my camera and got quite a few frames as this owl scanned the area and watched me with fixated curiosity.
Colin
Great Horned Owl in Autumn Foliage
A master of camouflage, the great horned owl is easy to miss without closely analyzing the environment for patterns and shapes that begin to stand out. This recent sighting was the first I've had in a while, but something tells me they've been observing me...
I depart on Sunday to begin the long journey to southern Africa, where we will be leading our second tour of Namibia with Nat Expo Tours: https://natexpotours.com. I will fulfill any incoming book, calendar, and print orders when I return in mid-November. Note: I only have 4 calendars left out of 500!
"Seasons of the Nature Center" books & calendars are available here: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store
Thank you for following along and I look forward to sharing new images and experiences from Namibia!
Colin
AlaskaWild 2021
Hello Everyone,
I am honored to announce that three of my images have been selected to the annual AlaskaWild exhibition sponsored by the Alaska Society of Outdoor and Nature Photographers. I joined the organization last year and have enjoyed meeting other photographers and utilizing the great resources that ASONP offers. If you are in Anchorage, the show will be at Side Street Espresso beginning this Friday, April 2. From there, the photos will be displayed at various locations throughout the state over the next year. If you have a chance, I encourage you to see all the stunning images that have been chosen for this year's show. If you are interested in joining ASONP, you can find more information here: https://asonp.org/
Have a great weekend and thank you for following along...
Colin
Brown bear in autumn, Eagle River Nature Center
Juvenile great horned owl, Eagle River Nature Center
December Sunrise, Eagle River Nature Center
Owls of ERNC on Alaska Public Media, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021
Since taking up residence at the Eagle River Nature Center, owls have become one of my favorite subjects. Biology was my best subject in school and even though I am not a biologist by degree, I have accumulated a lot of knowledge regarding owl habits and behavior through observing them and researching online, all while developing a discerning eye for spotting them.
I've had countless encounters with both great horned and saw-whet owls here and on Monday morning, Feb. 1, at 10 am AKST, I will be a guest on Alaska Public Media’s "Hometown Alaska" where I will have the honor of sharing my experiences photographing owls in the ERNC vicinity. You can tune into 91.1 FM if you are in the Anchorage area or stream the program here: https://www.alaskapublic.org/cat.../programs/hometownalaska/. It will be available for streaming after the live program as well.
I hope you are able to listen, I always look forward to sharing my experiences in the field!
Colin
September Wildlife Photography Class
Hello everyone! Looks like we've got a few more soggy days ahead of us, as it goes with this time of year. Hey I am offering an intermediate wildlife photography course later this month at the Eagle River Nature Center (Alaska). There will be a Zoom class on Friday evening, Sept. 18, followed by 3-hour individual sessions with me throughout the weekend. Space is limited due to the individual lessons and two of the five spaces are already filled, leaving room for 3 more (however I could take 2 or 3 family members in one session). Cost is $85 and attendees must have either taken one of my beginning courses or have a firm grasp of shooting in manual exposure mode. Follow the link below to register.
Thank you and stay dry out there!
Colin
https://www.ernc.org/courses/intermediate-wildlife-photography
Yawning Owlet
Rise & shine! Good morning out there. It looks to be a lovely start to the day with a forecast of clouds & rain in the days ahead so enjoy the sunshine if you can.
Also, here's a yawning great horned owlet...
Cheers,
Colin
The Owls Return
It's always nice to start my day with owls. Shortly after this juvenile great horned owl began flying it left the area for a couple weeks. I was happy to see it return with its mother to their former hunting grounds.
Have a great weekend and thank you for following along!
Colin
Juvenile Great Horned Owl, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
Mealtime
A female great horned owl shares a snowshoe hare with her offspring. This was taken shortly before the juvenile began flying. I observed them sharing a red squirrel high in a cottonwood tree a few days later but since junior is airborne they seem to have moved to new hunting grounds.
Have a great Monday out there and thank you for following along!
Colin
Great Horned Owls, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
Owlet Siesta
Please enjoy this juvenile great horned owl having a little siesta while taking a moment to allow yourself to slow down and breathe. Have a great weekend out there, everyone, and thank you for following along!
Colin
Masters of Disguise
The great horned owl is a master of disguise. I wonder how many times I've walked right past one of these large birds, completely unaware that I was being watched. I believe I've developed a discerning eye for particular shapes and textures that has led to more owl sightings. It's like the four-leafed clover in that once you believe they are omnipresent they begin to reveal themselves, but believing is half of the battle.
Have a great Wednesday - keep your eyes and your mind open to what might be lurking nearby!
Colin
Great Horned Owl, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
Great Horned Owl, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
Great Horned Owl, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
Rainy Friday
It's a soggy start to the weekend here and not everyone looks happy about it. Stay dry, stay well, stay inspired!
Great horned owlet, June 2020.
Colin
Get horned owlet, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
Nature Photography Day 2020
Happy Nature Photography Day 2020! In addition to recognizing the art of nature and wildlife photography today, I am also happy to announce that my Facebook page surpassed 5,000 followers this past weekend! I could not have reached this milestone without all of your likes, comments, shares, and of course, sales & tour bookings. Facebook has been integral to growing my business and your steadfast support has allowed me to continue to do what I do best. Here is a great horned owl image that I captured recently, the first of several that I will be sharing in the coming days.
Thanks again and have a great week!
Colin
Great Horned Owl, Chugach State Park, Alaska
Juvenile Owl
When you get to know your subjects as well as the light patterns in a particular area you can be in place for opportunities like this, which is certainly my best juvenile great horned owl image to date!
Have a great weekend out there. Be safe, be well, and thanks for following along!
Colin
The Day the Branches Won
May 28, 2020, the day the branches won. As Homer Simpson would say: “D’oh!” There’s nothing like having a great photo line up for you, only to have a stray piece of vegetation get in your way at the perfect moment. These photos were taken within minutes of each other – a great horned owl perched almost eye-level with a branch directly across its face and a black bear cub riding on mom’s back just as they stepped behind a wild rose plant. It wasn’t the first time, nor will it be the last, and it makes those long-sought “perfect moments” that much more rewarding.
Have a great day out there thank you for following along!
Colin
Great Horned Owl, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
Black Bear Sow and Cubs, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
Morning Owl
Cloudy, windy days can be discouraging when your goal is photographing wildlife but they can also be rewarding, especially when you find a great horned owl almost eye-level under nice, even, diffused light. I chose to include the mossy branch as a strong element in the composition here.
Have a great holiday weekend out there! Be safe, be well, be wise.
🦉 Colin
Great horned owl, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween! Since owls seem to today's theme, I decided to jump on board and share a few of my nighttime images of great horned owls. I spent several hours trying to capture the third image of the owl taking flight, going out each evening and setting up, hoping that I'd be ready if & when the opportunity presented itself. My patience & persistence finally paid off after a couple weeks!
Have a safe & fun holiday and weekend!
Colin
Empty Nesting
Look 'hoo' is out of the nest! When I visited this great horned owl family previously, this juvenile was still in the nest while its sibling had ventured out to a nearby branch. Now they are both out of the nest and will not return. Young may leave the nest as early as 5 weeks old by hopping onto branches and begin flying at 9-10 weeks of age.
Seeing as how this is graduation season, are there any human parents out there experiencing empty nest feelings??
Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and thank you for following along!
✌️🦉 Colin
Somebody's Watching Me
"I always feel like somebody's watching me..." 🦉
I often wonder how many times I've walk past an owl, a lynx, or any stealthy creature that is observing me intently while I am completely and blissfully unaware.
Happy Monday out there! Here's to a great start to the week.
Colin
New Life in the Valley
Spring is in full swing here in Eagle River Valley and new life it popping up all around! I passed by this nesting great horned owlet this morning. One of the adults was perched nearby and I could hear its mate in the vicinity as well.
Have a great weekend and thank you for following along!
Colin
Image taken with the Nikon D850.
