I think I know which tree hole the baby was in. I just was never there to see it stick its head out. So the first time I saw the owlet, it was after it had fledged.
Straight Out of the Tree Hole- The mother barred owl
The dad is traveling the woods hunting for dinner. The mom perches on a branch of a tree within eyesight watching her youngster. She is trying to encourage it and keep it safe.
Straight Out of the Tree Hole- Barred Owlet – This was high up in a tree.
It has rained a lot this spring and it has been very windy at times. It has reduced the number of times I have been out looking for owls. I see a lot of new downed trees in local woods. The night I took these it was cloudy and near sunset, so the conditions were very dark. Here’s hoping if you are experiencing a drought you get some rain, and if you are getting too much you get a reprieve. Happy Friday!
These are not the best images, but at least I got to see this. If I remember right I was standing in front of the viewing platform when this shorty caught a vole then was immediately chased by a harrier hawk. The short-eared owl flew circles around the platform with the vole then flew off as another harrier hawk joined the pursuit.
Short-Eared Owl With a Vole Feb. 2025
As the owl flew off it flew in circles higher and higher until you could not see it anymore. I think the harriers gave up, but I could be wrong.
Short-Eared Owl With Vole Feb. 2025
It all happened so fast it was hard to get focused pictures when you were trying to keep the owl in frame so close and work around the other people standing close to you in the area. As I said, I am just happy to have seen this. There have been no sightings in over a week. We are hoping they left early this year and it is not due to the avian flu. One young eagle south of here along the river recently had it. Have a great week!
I love it when the owls fly right towards you, especially in good lighting conditions. Most of the time they come up a little before before sunset, but sometimes they come up earlier.
Short-Eared Owl Head On
A quote from Helen Keller:
Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.
Short-Eared Owl Head On
In the case of the owls, occasionally they look people straight in the eye. On this large piece of land where people can only stand on a very small section of it, it is great to see the owls come up close to people and look them in the eye. Enjoy your week.
This screech owl was in a tree close to a little traveled road. Cars stopping in front of the tree did not wake it. Construction vehicles, and aircraft flying around did not awaken it. Other wildlife could not rouse it. It is one heavy sleeper.
Wakey-Wakey Screech Owl
I was rooting for this bird, I think a nuthatch, to wake it up. It flew from another nearby tree and proceeded to walk down the owl’s tree towards the hole. I think it thought it was not such a good idea to go further. According to All About Birds:
The Eastern Screech-Owl is known to eat a variety of songbirds, including the European Starling.
Wakey-Wakey Screech OwlWakey-Wakey Screech Owl – Eyes slightly open
This was the closest it got to opening its eyes. This bird must have been tired out from hunting during the night. It could also be a good sleeper. Can you sleep through a variety of noises?
Usually you do not see short-eared owls on very windy days. Sometimes you are lucky. Since there is ice covering the ground I think that caused some of the shorties to come up well before sunset.
A Windy Day – Short-Eared Owl
Some used that to their advantage to ride the wind and seemingly hover when they were hunting.
A Windy Day – Short-Eared Owl
This one landed on a post in front of where we were allowed to stand. Lucky us! It seemed to battle the wind to stay on the post.
A Windy Day – Short-Eared Owl
Sometimes windy days can be good days. Have a great rest of your weekend.
It has been said that the layer of ice on top of the ground might make it harder for the owls and hawks to hunt. The past few days I understand the owls have been more active earlier in the day a few hours before sunset. The short-eared owls have been flying all over the place and making soft landings on various trees, bushes, rocks, etc.
Soft Landings – Short-Eared Owls
All this activity makes a photographer or bird watcher happy. Usually sometime in March they leave for the Arctic. However, last year they stayed slightly longer than usual.
Soft Landings – Short-Eared Owls
It is cold out, but if you are in a northern state and you want to view these winter visitors, you have to brave it for at least a short time. Bring a good pair of binoculars or a camera with a good zoom lens. I think you will find watching them makes winter more enjoyable.
What is Superb Owl Sunday? It is a day to celebrate owls while others are immersed in football. Some go on hikes, trips to the zoo, or a wildlife refuge where owls have been known to be. Here is one kind of owl I saw recently: the barred owl.
Superb Owl Sunday
We have experienced a few minor snow storms to date that have only left a few inches of the the fluffy white stuff. This was after one of these storms. This owl did not look too happy about it.
Superb Owl Sunday
It was a dark and dreary day after the snow fall. When I took the above picture it was from an angle with less light. This the the first time I have seen a barred owl sitting parked in a tree hole. I have seen the owlets do this, but not an adult. The parent will stay inside the hole in side the tree when there are eggs and when there are owlets not ready to fledge. I have only seen the owlets at the hole just prior to fledging.
If you were not into the Super Bowl I hope you were able to get out an enjoy something else like the Superb Owl Sunday.
The sun was mostly behind the clouds, but we had a few short periods where the sun peaked out for a few minutes and gave us good light. Unfortunately the owls were only up during the last period of a few minutes of good light.
These pictures are from the last period of light, and it flew right in front of the viewing area then past us. I just love it when they are accommodating.
Short-Eared Flight
We have parks in NY that are closed due to finding dead geese and they suspect avian flu. I was told a farm locally had to kill all their chickens due to avian flu. Hopefully the owls, eagles, and hawks do not get infected. I wish there was some way we could tell them not to eat birds. Have a great Friday!
I usually only see owls deep in the woods and not in open areas. This is a barred owl. I was lucky enough to take a lot of pictures of it in a short time period from the road.
Barred Owl January 2025– Short rest on the power lines
It was on private property. One of the local home owners said they see the owl on their property daily. It rested its eyes on the power lines for a short time. Sometimes they do that to fool the animals in the woods.
Barred Owl January 2025- unsuccessful hunt in the grass
It moved to different perches and was actively hunting while I was there. Two or three different times I saw it move from a perch to swoop down in the grass. It was unsuccessful each time. It was great seeing an owl out in the open, despite it being a dark and dreary day.
Barred Owl January 2025 – hunting from a perch
Off to another perch. I was very happy to come across this owl. A local had mentioned she had seen one here a few times when she passed by, so I checked it out. It is farther away than the two families I followed this summer, so I am sure they are not related.
Stay safe! Stay warm! Have a great rest of your week!
I have been catching every illness it seems coming into work since December. Therefore, I have not made any trips and have stayed close to home. If I can see an owl near a road I drive on, all the better. Luckily I have seen, two since December from a road. This short-eared owl was close to a road.
Short-Eared Owl in a Tree January 2025- sun was behind the clouds
It was near a bird feeder that was active and a lot of small birds were raising cain in the woods around the owl. I was wondering if it would go after birds visiting the bird feeder. Someone has told me they don’t, however by logic it would be a possibility as barred, great horned, and snowies will get a bird. According the the NYSDEC website:
Short-Eared Owl in a Tree January 2025- Looking towards the bird feeder ‘s direction.
Short-eared owls are the most diurnal (active during the day) of all the northeastern owls. They are most often observed in the late afternoon and at dawn or dusk. These birds eat primarily small mammals, but they occasionally take smallbirds, and the young sometimes eat insects.
If it chooses to land on a tree in good sight of a bird feeder, it is watching the bird feeder, it is probably contemplating a bird for dinner.
You usually do not see the ear tufts on the short-eared owl. I thought it could have been because of the wind, however, according to National Park Service website:
“The ear tufts of the short-eared owl (Asio flammeus, family Strigidae) are inconspicuous until the owl becomes defensive or curious, at which point the whole facial expression changes: feathers around the nose may flatten and eyes narrow slightly.”
Short-Eared Owl in a Tree January 2025- Sun behind the clouds
It seemed to be both curious about the bird feeder and defensive as many little birds nearby were expressing their displeasure at its presence. Have a great week!
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