An Eastern Screech Owl of the rufous (red) color phase, catches some pre-sunset illumination. Wood duck nesting boxes have been a wonderful assist in the recovery of a beautiful species humans nearly eradicated.
These boxes are also perfectly-sized for screech owls, who will readily accept such warm, sturdy homes to start a family.
Photographed near Turbotville, PA.
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The barred owls in Okefenokee Swamp often perched in small trees (sometimes only a few feet above the swamp). This vantage point allowed the owls to maintain a constant vigil for potential food, day or night. This includes lizards, snakes, eels, frogs, and small rodents. Being a species that I consider very secretive, it was unusual to see barred owls exposed in broad daylight. Georgia, US.
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Pictured are two short-eared owls. The individual in flight decided to dive-bomb the perched owl in what struck me as a territorial stunt. Short-eared owls migrate to a handful of northern states in order to escape the even-more-brutal winters of the arctic.
They hunt by soaring low over large meadows, grabbing prey "on the wing."
Photographed near Washingtonville, PA, USA.
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When the light had all but disappeared, this father great-horned owl's eyes continue to glow as he watches over his nearby children. Great horned owls are often referred to as "tigers of the sky" for their ferocious inclination to attack nearly any bird that encroaches in their space. They have been documented attacking eagles and even larger owls.
Tucson, AZ. Prints of this image are not currently available for sale. Please check back for future availability!
On this windy day, the colorful cottonwood leaves kept blowing in front of the owl's face. This fearsome great-horned owl sat only 10 or so feet above the ground at a city park. Incredibly adaptable, great horned owls can be found almost entirely throughout the Western Hemisphere.
They seem to thrive in nearly any habitat aside from the dense jungles of Central / South America. This fellow resides in Tucson, AZ.
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In an apartment complex in the middle of the city, there sits a great pine tree. This tree offered the perfect urban nesting site for a a pair of great-horned owls and their family. It's amazing how many species thrive in cities, cleaning up the rodents that would otherwise be spreading disease.
Please abandon the use of rodent poison.
An owl who catches just one mouse that has indulged in such toxins is likely to die a nasty death, thus giving the mice or rats a green light for population explosion!
Protect these beautiful birds! Tucson, AZ.
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The look adorned upon this fledgling northern pygmy owl's face is beyond adorable! He/she was watching mom in the hopes that the recent lizard catch would be passed along. Mother, instead, used the meal to entice her baby into his / her very first flight!
Madera Canyon, AZ, USA.
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A female northern pygmy owl shows off the remaining half of her lizard lunch. Pygmy owls tend to be far more diurnal (daytime active) than many other owl species. Madera Canyon, AZ.
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Like many birds, northern pygmy owl parents use food to incentivize their young into flight. The parents spent quite some time trying to lure this hungry little fellow off the branch.
In the process, he/she became so hungry that gnawing on a leaf was perhaps a not-so-subtle message to the parents that food was desired! Madera Canyon, AZ.
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There are moments in life which transcend the physical experience, moments you are sure to carry through this journey of life to one day revisit on your death bed. Meeting this great grey owl was such an experience.
My dear friend, Matt and I were watching this ghost of the north from a great distance away in the bitter cold of early morning at the peak of Minnesota winter. The previous day had wrought an intense snow storm which had effectively suppressed nearly all wildlife activity within the bog. Being a mostly auditory hunter who relies on sound to catch voles deep beneath the snow, this great grey had likely not eaten in a good while.
The owl was mostly stationary but would periodically swap perches among the distant trees. After some time and heavily-motivated by fingers and toes that had lost all sensation, Matt and I decided to move along. We explored a small portion of the bogs' 300 square miles, returning after an hour or two. The great grey was still out and about, this time much closer to the road!
Several photographers and birders had gathered to watch this regal predator. The temperatures had now climbed to a delightful -20 F. Before long, our small band had mostly departed. A Lakota American Indian fellow with whom Matt and I had been chatting, however, suggested what we wait just a few more minutes. This fellow had a beautiful, calm presence that made one feel immediately at ease.
Despite rapidly-renumbing digits, the three of us sat in the snow and watched. Only a few minutes passed before this beautiful creature, seemingly out of nowhere, flew toward us and landed atop a small tree perhaps 40 feet away. When he / she looked straight into my eyes, it felt as I was looking into the face of God. The gaze of this sentient creature penetrated my soul. For a few minutes every construct of humanity was forgotten and I found myself truly alive in a state of pure presence.
Reflecting on the transcendent experience even now, the rawest feelings of joy surface in such a way that I feel nearly compelled to break down in tears. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Prints of this image are not currently available for sale. Please check back for future availability!
Great grey owls have phenomenal camouflage! Even when perched in the middle of an open meadow, this large, stunning owl blends perfectly with his / her environment! Sax Zim Bog, MN. This is an extremely limited edition picture. Only 25 prints will ever be produced. Please contact me directly for ordering info! Thank you.
There are moments in life which transcend the physical experience, moments you are sure to carry through this journey of life to one day revisit on your death bed. Meeting this great grey owl was such an experience.
My dear friend, Matt and I were watching this ghost of the north from a great distance away in the bitter cold of early morning at the peak of Minnesota winter. The previous day had wrought an intense snow storm which had effectively suppressed nearly all wildlife activity within the bog. Being a mostly auditory hunter who relies on sound to catch voles deep beneath the snow, this great grey had likely not eaten in a good while.
The owl was mostly stationary but would periodically swap perches among the distant trees. After some time and heavily-motivated by fingers and toes that had lost all sensation, Matt and I decided to move along. We explored a small portion of the bogs' 300 square miles, returning after an hour or two. The great grey was still out and about, this time much closer to the road!
Several photographers and birders had gathered to watch this regal predator. The temperatures had now climbed to a delightful -20 F. Before long, our small band had mostly departed. A Lakota American Indian fellow with whom Matt and I had been chatting, however, suggested what we wait just a few more minutes. This fellow had a beautiful, calm presence that made one feel immediately at ease.
Despite rapidly-renumbing digits, the three of us sat in the snow and watched. Only a few minutes passed before this beautiful creature, seemingly out of nowhere, flew toward us and landed atop a small tree perhaps 40 feet away. When he / she looked straight into my eyes, it felt as I was looking into the face of God. The gaze of this sentient creature penetrated my soul. For a few minutes every construct of humanity was forgotten and I found myself truly alive in a state of pure presence.
Reflecting on the transcendent experience even now, the rawest feelings of joy surface in such a way that I feel nearly compelled to break down in tears. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Prints of this image are not currently available for sale. Please check back for future availability!
Watching burrowing owls can be a very tiresome endeavor. Despite my strong adoration for owls these little cuties spend an inordinate amount of time simply standing in front of burrows. Even more so than many other creatures, burrowing owls have suffered extensively at the hands of humans. Our cars, pesticides, aggressive agricultural practices, and outdoor cats have all played a hand in their losses. Something as simple as keeping your sweet kitty indoors can save an entire population from eradication. Chandler, AZ.
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During a nighttime population survey for Tucson Audobon Society, a friend and I encountered this beautiful western screech owl. In an effort to minimize stress, we used a flashlight and slower exposure rather than a camera flash. Saguaro National Park East, AZ.
Often referred to as "tigers of the sky" for their ferocious nature, great horned owls are truly ferocious raptors. They will capture prey as imposing as hawks and skunks. Vail, AZ.
A Mexican Spotted Owl watched a small fence lizard scamper across a nearby branch. Beyond passive curiosity, the owl hardly seemed motivated to budge from his / her cozy perch for such a tiny lizard.
The Mexican spotted is considered one of the United State's rarest owls. With an estimated population of only 15,000 individuals spread across the US and Mexico, it's little wonder why. With this in mind, you can imagine my astonishment when one of these owls surprised my hiking companion and I. Bursting from cover some distance ahead, the spotted owl allowed Matt and I to approach just a short distance away. Read on in the next photo....
.....The owl briefly watched us before falling into a gentle slumber. I felt overwelmed by emotion as we sat on the ground, eye level with this stunning phantom. After hiking along, we returned to this spot several hours later to find this mystical creature had not moved. Galliuro Mountains, AZ.
There is nothing quite like watching a baby owl slowly develop over the coarse of two months. When Brittany and I first encountered this nest, only mom was visible from our eye-level vantage point. She was very calm and only casually regarded our visit. The next time around, several weeks later, a single, helpless chick was now visible. View photos to read on....
A busy month passed before we could yet again make the two-hour (one way) drive to this location. I had a hunch the youngster would be fledging or already fully fledged by now. To our delight, not just one, but three nearly-fledged youngsters now filled this large nest.
As we enjoyed the scene from two different angles, the babies watched with evident curiosity. We fully enjoyed this scene but left before too long, not wishing to overstay our welcome. The knowledge that we would be moving across the country in just a couple short weeks made this experience all the more special. Good luck out there, owlets! Cochise County, AZ.