Surprises Even in Dolph

(May 14th) It had rained the last two mornings so I didn't think it was worth it to drive down to Ohio. But after that time off, when the sun peaked through in the afternoon, I had to shoot something. Usually the afternoon isn't as good as the morning and I needed to stay local, so off to dependable Dolph Park. I was expecting the usual jays, cardinals, and possibly a few of the common warblers. I was in for a surprise when I saw the first water. A lone Solitary Sandpiper (apt name, huh?) was taking a break to forage on its way up to Canada. At first glance I mistook it for a Spotted Sandpiper, not having seen a Solitary before. Had to shoot through a thick cover of leaves, but in return it popped into a few nice rays of light.

Then we walked to the main trail and off in one of the largest trees was the second big surprise. A Great Horned Owl was perched in the late afternoon. He was somewhat visible too, although very far away. This is one huge bird. He would be able to snack on the small Burrowing Owls I had posted from Florida. He's larger than most hawks. We took a few shots from a distance and tried to move in closer to get some better shots. Not with his eyes and ears! He immediately flew off when we started to move.