Tag: #ShortEaredOwls

Short-Eared Owl With a Vole Feb. 2025

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!

Short-Eared Owl Hi!

I understand they have not been seen for a week. It has been very windy. Hopefully, they are still around, otherwise they may have already headed north.

Avian flu is in the area, so hopefully it is not that. Have a great week!

Short-Eared Owl Head On

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.

A Windy Day

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.

Soft Landings

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.

Short-Eared Flight

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!

Short-Eared Owl in a Tree Jan. 2025

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!

Short-Eared Owl on Christmas

I went down for a short time to see if I could catch any short-eared owls this afternoon. There were a lot more people there late afternoon on Christmas Day than I expected. It was a sunny day, which we do not get too many of. Luckily a red-tailed hawk decided to hang out in some prime places. That usually draws the owls closer to harass it.

While the owls flew around one tree the hawk was perched in, I was able to get off some fly by shots.

The owl made my day. I felt like the hawk gave all the visitors a present by perching where she did, and the owls gave us a present by doing close fly-bys. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

You Are in My Spot 2

This was shot from today. A lot of action with the owls repeatedly trying to knock the hawks off the posts. I had just arrived and the spots close to the action were crowded. I took these standing in between people from behind. This very large area of acreage shuts down access to most of the land after the short eared owls arrive to protect them. People are allowed to stand in certain areas very small areas on the land. The owls will fly close to where the people are allowed to stand.

You are in My Spot 2

The light was not ideal as it was cloudy and on the dark side before sunset. We are expecting rain the next few days which is greatly needed. Have a great week!

Short-Eared Owl Hugging the Grass

I was not sure I was going to go to see the owls today, but I am glad I did. Usually there are too many people there on Sundays and too much noise. However, despite the large number of people everyone was quiet, and we got a treat.

Short-Eared Owl Hugging the Grass

At least 4-5 owls were up around 3:30 and the light started coming out from behind the clouds in spurts.

Short-Eared Owl Hugging the Grass

Many times the owls were flying just above the grass. We did see one successfully catch a vole. I have a few shots of it flying low with it, but I was facing the sun and the images were not that sharp. You can’t have everything, however it was a very satisfying viewing day. I hope you had a great weekend.