Amazing Short-eared Owls experience

Easily a Top 5 birding experience this past week near Albion.  The day prior, 11/27, Short-eared Owls were reported by Dr. Dale Kennedy, and photographed close to the road.  It was too late for me to head out, and I was not having a good day with this fallout from some food poisoning.  I just had to hope that they held till the next day.  I ended up with a Dr. appt. that day and decided to just burn a 1/2 day.  Part of that 1/2 day was to be able to head over to Albion.  We got there a little after 4:30 and it was a smorgasbord!!!!!  Owls flying all over the place.  I eventually ended up with 10 in one scan!!!  This location has been amazing for Snow Bunting and Lapland Longspur, and is now set to be turned into another damn solar farm!!!  At least it gave up this amazing experience.  But wait, there's more!!!  

One owl, for some reason, focused right on me and flew my way from about 100 yards out.  It stared straight at me the whole time as I snapped away in awe.  It eventually flew directly over me, at about 20 feet and then cruised back over the road.  I still am just amazed at this experience, and the photos I was able to get.  The animated gif below are all uncropped images strung together.  I've had maybe 3 seconds of total time seeing this species prior.  

I also went back the following day, and while not as close or with such an amazing experience I still managed some decent shots.  Unfortunately I've not been back nor have the reports since been as good, nor has the weather.  This sequence was the best I had with the bird still 50 feet out into the field, cropped photos put together.  It did eventually come up with some prey.  

R Green managed a couple of shots of the bird flying over me.  

Due to this amazing experience I almost forget that the past 2 weeks were pretty good for some other birds.  On the 23rd I managed a Red-necked Grebe out on Duck Lake.  I almost thought I had a Western Grebe for a bit.  The bird looked really big, with a really long neck and the light made it look lighter than it was.  Once it got near some gulls I was able to see it was closer to Ring-billed size than Herring Gull sized.  A couple days later I pulled a Cackling Goose out of a group of Canadas.  There were a few others in there that were very much "tweener" geese.  

Some reports of Red Crossbill at Kellogg Forest in Kalamazoo got us out of the house on Thanksgiving to hit up Grever's.  No luck there, but did have a high count for the county of 14 Fox Sparrows.  Late record for me of 11 Rusty Blackbirds also on that day at Baker Sanctuary.  This day also brought the Red-necked Grebe, and a long continuing Long-tailed Duck on Duck Lake.  Along with the Cackling Goose on the 25th, the Black-crowned Night Heron continued near Albion College.  

We tried again for the Red Crossbills yesterday, but dipped on them.  They were seen prior and after we were there.  Both visits there I thought maybe I heard them, but either cars, wind or just my inability to focus never allowed me to say "Count it!!".  

I have an overabundance of Owl photos below.  Just really an experience I will never forget.  I was happy with my first shots of them in the distance, just to finally get them on "film". 

​Some of my favorites from the Short-eared Owls

Some other random shots from the past 2 weeks.