Thursday 25th April 2024

[Dave]

Good day to all.

I found an old unlabelled CD on which I saved a good number of bird photos taken as long ago as 20 years.

Here is a Great Horned Owl (southwest variation) in a tree at a small local park (which is also a documented gathering site for Monarch Butterflies at the end of their long, multi-generation migration).

I processed a couple of the many photos I took that day of the owl; here is one...

   

[Rich]

Good one Dave! The eyes of an owl are very piercing!

Driving by the Palace yesterday and noticed a new addition. Looks like someone planted snowball bushes. Maybe Natalie can confirm that.

[Dave]

Thank you Rich.

Nice photo. Once again I am struck with how clean your city is. Obviously both city officials and residents have a lot of civic pride and work hard to maintain such an immaculate city.

I was elated to discover the CDs with this and other photos that I thought were long gone.

There is a slightly larger version of the same photo on Flickr: Great Horned Owl.

Based on what my Sibley Guide reports about the North American ranges, the Great Horned Owl ranks at #1 because it can be found year round all across the North American continent. (The Red Tailed Hawk would be number 2, ranging year round across most of the US and over the entire continent in the summer. Coming in at #3 is the Canada Goose, which ranges across most of the US year round, and over almost all of the continent in other seasons.)

[Man From Ironbark]

Very interesting, Dave. Thanks for all that info. Great owl shots too.
As for the snowball bush;
Viburnum opulus is grown as an ornamental plant for its flowers and berries, growing best on moist, moderately alkaline soils, though tolerating most soil types well. Several cultivars have been selected, including 'Roseum', in which all the flowers are only of the larger sterile type, with globular flower heads.
Hence it is often called Viburnum opulus sterile.

[Dave]

Thank you, sir.

[Dreamin]

Dave, that owl has it's eyes on you! Great shot!
Rich, from that distance, I can't tell what the white blossoms are! But it's a nice addition to a wonderful landmark!!
Peter, I've never seen berries on my snowball bush.
Thanks, all, for all the info posted. One can learn a lot here.

[Dave]

Thank you Natalie.

It was another instance of being in the right place at the right time, camera in hand.

[Man From Ironbark]

Dave, that owl has it's eyes on you!  Great shot!
Rich, from that distance, I can't tell what the white blossoms are!  But it's a nice addition to a wonderful landmark!!
Peter, I've never seen berries on my snowball bush.
Thanks, all, for all the info posted. One can learn a lot here.

No berries is because the flowers are sterile.