Owls, Eagles, Dark Skies, Rattlers, Gila Monsters

I'm an avid nature photographer and am always on the lookout for
cool wildlife, it's like a sport to me.

I got a few bucket items I want to fill:
Gila Monsters and Barn Owls top the list.
Mountain King Snakes are cool too... and Coral Snakes as well.

If you have reliable go-to locations where I can find any of these things let me know.
I'll shoot the Milky Way in late August / September too.

Here's a few heavily reduced-sized images I've taken over the last 2-3 years.

Thanks

 

Very nice pictures.
I’d say my favorite is the one of the dark sky.

What camera did you use for these?

 

Looks like you are in Az or NV? Barn owls can be found in old buildings, in large trees, and on the hunt at night in open fields. I often see them perched on sign posts at night on the edges of fields and open spaces they hunt. I like your owl pics- the burrowing owl is cool. I’ve been wanting to get a face shot of a northern harrier like that, they’re so cool the way that they have a face that looks like owls, congratulations on that shot!

Mtn King snakes can be found pine forests, and in all the years I spent working in the mountains for the Forest Service I’ve only seen 2. Then I found a dying one in the street near my house in the city. Obviously some AH dumped it there or it escaped after he probably found it in our local Mtns .

Gila Monsters like washes with trees and brush in the Arizona desert. Never seen one. Your Chuchwalla shot is nice. I used to work as a wildlife biologist so had a lot of time getting a lot of pics of animals in the desert and mountains- here are my faves plus that poor mtn king I found in the street, it was a beautiful snake.

A great way to do wildlife photography is to volunteer with one of your local natural resource agencies like the forest service or fish & game department. If you can get in on helping out with working with biologists doing field work, you can get up close to the animals. Moose Peterson worked with us on a field project that I did out in a really great place called the Carrizo Plain west of Bakersfield. He was a great person to talk with about wildlife photography, and he’s really skilled at it. Google his name for ideas. Talk about a hotspot for photography, the Carrizo Plain has kit fox, kangaroo rats and all sorts of birds there. And if you get up to eastern Oregon, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a great place for birds, even barn owls. Also check out your local refuges- but it looks like you already have been shooting somewhere that might even be one!

 

I came across a gila monster out at Saquaro Lake last year. East of 3rd cove.

 

Always see gila monster pics in the AZTrail FB group. Most commonly passages 15-16 freeman road up to picket post mountain. The other perk once you are north of the gila river it's absolutely beautiful around there.

Another spot I've seen a bunch of signs posted about gila monsters but yet to see one but the terrain is prefect for them
Granite mountain trail
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8cAcpR6ASJSmGtvo7

 

Excellent thanks.

 

These guys frequent a tree in my back yard. They were there last night in fact! Shot on my iphone 14

 

I bet you do not have rodent problems.

 

Between them and our neighborhood cat we have literally zero rodents. Its amazing because I live in a flood irrigated yard area and everyone has fruit trees.

 

A few guests that have slid past my place...

 

The owls are in my neighbors tree this evening.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5ke125cCWpg

 

It is quite amazing what you can see in the sky at night when you get away from city lights.

 

Back in 2000 when I lived in Ohio I took a trip to Grand Canyon. I drove the roads at night with less traffic to get acquainted. Ended up in Yavapai Point parking lot. Hear voices but saw nothing until I walked to the other side of the trees in the parking lot. Dozens of telescopes with the experienced viewers and auto-star tracking ... they do that once a year for a few days with moon rising/setting in early evening and no moon for a few hours. Dead dark except for a few small red lights. Probably darker when those people are not gathered in numbers.