Pic(k) of the Week: Afternoon of an owl

Click on the image for a larger, hi-res version (on Flickr).

"Chiefly nocturnal, a barred owl does not generally tolerate close approach." Yet there he was, in late afternoon, perched only a few meters in front of us.

Seminary Wood in Decatur Legacy Park: City of Decatur, Georgia, USA, 24 September 2025.

The barred owl (Strix varia) is a chunky owl with dark eyes, dark barring on its upper breast, and dark streaking below. It is a common resident in dense coniferous or mixed woods of river bottoms or swamps, and upland woods. Its distinctive call is a rhythmic series of loud hoots: 'who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all.'

— National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America.

***************

Gonzalo Rubalcaba: A Quiet Place
Album: Skyline (Label: 5 Passion, 2021)

-----more-----

• Musicians:
  • Gonzalo Rubalcaba – piano, leader
  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Jack DeJohnette (August 9, 1942 – October 26, 2025) – drums

  "Jack DeJohnette, one of the most daring and dynamic jazz drummers of the last 60 years, with a loose-limbed yet exacting beat that propelled a limitless range of adventurous music, died on Sunday [ 26 October 2025]. He was 83. DeJohnette had a singular voice at the drums: earthy and elastic, instantly recognizable. Rather than focus the articulation of tempo on his ride cymbal, he devised aflowing approach, distributing his emphasis around the drum set, what he called a multidirectional style. In 2022, he won a Grammy for best jazz instrumental album for Skyline, an elegant trio effort with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and bassist Ron Carter." More at NPR.

  
  
• Pic(k) of the Week: one in a weekly series of images posted on Saturdays.
• Photo 44 of 52, for year 2025. See a larger, hi-res version on Flickr: here.


• Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 II.
• Lens: Olympus M.40-150mm F4.0-5.6 R
• Settings: 135 mm; 1/100 sec; ISO 400; ƒ/5.6


• For more from YFGF:
  • Follow on Flickr: Cizauskas.
  • Follow on Instagram: @tcizauskas.
  • Follow on Threads: @tcizauskas.
  • Follow on Bluesky: @tcizauskas.bsky.social.
  
  ***************
• Image licensed via Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0:
  Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
  It may be copied and/or distributed in any medium or format, but:
  • only for noncommercial purposes
  • only in unadapted form
  • and only so long as attribution is given (via link and name).
  • All commercial use is forbidden except with explicit permission.