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Pepe Nelson

@pepenelsonn

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a cachete taken in Costa Rica by @pepenelsonn

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10 days ago

Lil roadtrip taken in British Columbia by @pepenelsonn

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3 months ago

Start of summer by @pepenelsonn

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4 months ago

Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa)
My absolute favorite bird. Nicknamed the phantom of the north due to its elusive nature and ghostly silent flight. Great gray owls are the tallest owls in the world, often reaching lengths of nearly 3 feet tall. Though they may appear bulky and heavy, on average they only weigh about 2.5 pounds. These birds inhabit old growth meadows, relying on old growth conifers for nesting (typically in snags or unoccupied raptor nests). Great gray owls are primarily crepuscular but will also hunt during the day and at night. Primary prey is typically pocket gophers and voles but they will prey on just about any small mammal they can catch. Great gray owls are palearctic and have a range that covers the boreal forests of North America, Russia, Sweden, Finland and even Mongolia. A great gray owls elusiveness is unmatched by most. While they are vocal in the spring, they are somewhat ventriloquial. A sound that is hard to pinpoint mixed with incredible camouflage makes them hard to get eyes on, even when they’re just above you. Though they are secretive, they have nearly no fear of people. by @pepenelsonn

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4 months ago

Black Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte atrata)
Black Rosy-Finch nest exclusively at extreme elevations in the highest mountain ranges of the western United States. Endemic to the United States and only breeding in 6 states they have a fairly small range. Black Rosy-Finch are endangered due to climate change and the loss of alpine tundra. They are elevational migrants and can occasionally be seen at bird feeders in the winter. In the summer, they are highly reliant on the snowpack for feeding. The snow acts as a natural trap for wind blown insects, and as the snow melts they will feed on newly uncovered food. With their reliance on snowpack, climate change presents a great threat. They remain at extreme elevations to have snowpack year round, but what happens when there’s nowhere higher to go? With a population estimate of only 10,000-20,000, who knows how much longer they have. by @pepenelsonn

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4 months ago

A spring for the books by @pepenelsonn

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5 months ago

Sora (Porzana carolina) Sora’s belong to the rail family, a family of secretive marsh dwelling birds. Sora and many other rails are unique in that they can change shape when moving through rushes, sedges and grasses. This way they can keep from moving these stems and move through the marsh nearly undetected. This is where they get their name, rail-thin as a rail. Due to their secretive nature, Sora are very difficult to spot in the wild, often only heard. Sora are small among rails being around only 8 inches long. Sora are also long distance migrants, migrating as far south as Peru and returning as far north as the Yukon. by @pepenelsonn

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6 months ago

Happy earth day. Some good memories on it the past couple years
#earthday by @pepenelsonn

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6 months ago

Spring break taken in Okanagan Valley - Beautiful British Columbia by @pepenelsonn

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7 months ago

Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma)
The Northern Pygmy-Owl is a small montane forest owl that’s only about the size of a sparrow. Though only weighing around 2 ounces, Pygmy owls are fierce and aggressive predators. While typically preying on mice and small songbirds, they are known to take down prey 3 times their size! They’ve been recorded preying on Large woodpeckers, northern bobwhites, and in rare instances even chickens. While most owls have asymmetrically placed ears that provide more precise hearing, Pygmy owls lack this feature. Being primarily diurnal, Pygmy owls rely heavily on their vision. Their hunting strategy is perching and waiting. They will stay on perches and scan quietly waiting for an opportunity to arise, this and their small stature makes them quite hard to find. Due to their small size and aggressive nature, they are heavily preyed on by larger raptors and frequently mobbed by other small birds. Because of this Pygmy owls evolved to have false eyes on the back of their head so it appears they’re always watching. by @pepenelsonn

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7 months ago

Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
The golden eagle is one of the most impressive out of all eagles. Soaring for hours over mountain ridges until it rises in spirals and becomes a black speck in the sky. Golden eagles are among the largest, fastest and most agile birds in the world. With a wingspan of up to 8 feet and an ability to dive at speeds up to 200 mph, making them the second fastest animal in the world. Golden eagles are palearctic and have a vast range across the northern hemisphere, being found in over 70 countries and 4 continents. Golden eagles feed primarily on small mammals with a large majority of their food being rabbits, marmots, and prairie dogs. Golden eagles are strong enough to attack other prey though, in rare instances preying on deer, antelope and even young sheep and goats. What golden eagles crave most is solitude. they thrive where the terrain is rugged and the people are few. When the land becomes populated and tainted these birds disappear. As the wilderness goes, so does the golden eagle. by @pepenelsonn

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9 months ago

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
The Great Horned Owl is the most widespread owl in the Americas, with an incredibly vast range stretching from the arctic circle all the way down to the southern tip of South America. Though some think their tufts/horns are their ears, they are actually at the sides of their head. Their facial disk is used to funnel sound into their ears. Great horned owls are nearly completely silent in flight, having a comb like edge at the front of their wing that breaks air into smaller and quieter streams, this is paired with soft feathers that dampens the remaining sound, and a soft frayed edge that disperses any last bits of turbulence. Their nocturnal habits, silent flight, superior hearing, and ability to see well in the dark allows them to sneak up on prey undetected. Great horned owls are very opportunistic hunters, preying on mammals larger than themselves, reptiles, amphibians, scorpions, fish songbirds, ospreys, peregrine falcons, and even other owls! They are apex predators who have mastered the hunt with their stealth and their power, as great horned owls have some of the strongest talons out of all North American birds.
This great horned owl was brought into the Montana raptor conservation center severely underweight and favoring the left wing in flight. After a few weeks of rehab we were able to successfully release him near my house. by @pepenelsonn

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10 months ago