A favorite of just about anyone – and me – owls are elusive and extraordinarily fun to photograph. From the tiny burrowing owl to the larger long eared owls and great horned owls, I was able to photograph the three species multiple times over my past photo year. Here is a look at my personal favorite top 25 captures.
Burrowing owl owlet stands at attention, eyes wide open
It would appear I got this little one’s attention, eh? Taken back in July as the owlets were just starting to test their wings, this one’s siblings opted to retreat for cover but it remained brave checking out the intruder with the camera.
Burrowing owls are certainly one of my favorite summertime photo subjects and this year I did get some fun pics of them. Their time in Colorado has come to an end and most have now started their migration south for the winter. When the snow begins to melt next spring, you can bet I will be watching for their return.
“I’m not falling for that ‘something is behind you’ trick!”
A very fun shot from the beginning of April when the owls first returned for the season. I previously shared an image from later in this encounter when the owl realized the rabbit was there and the two were face-to-face. This was taken a minute or so before that when the owl was so focused on me, it didn’t realize a curious cottontail had come to see what the ruckus was all about. It won’t be long and the burrowing owls will head south to their winter homes and I will definitely miss all the entertainment they provide.
Burrowing owl mates enjoy some summertime “recreation”
Don’t tell these two that mating season is over as they definitely were still making like springtime lovebirds. 😉 Taken a couple of weeks ago, the parents were hanging out at the family home. Their little ones had started to fledge and were scattered around, exploring their new world. Now empty nesters, the parents took advantage of their restored freedom, enjoying each other’s company.
“Hello, honey! I’m home!”
A male burrowing own returns to the nest and is greeted by his beautiful bride. The time these two have with their little ones is fleeting. All are now flying, exploring their new world in the immediate area around the family home. The parents undoubtedly welcome this as it gives them a break from the constant hunting and feeding that they have been doing up until now. For me, it is a bit sad as it won’t be long and they will all scatter and then, not long after, head south for the winter.
Burrowing owl keeps watch from a fence post
With four little ones now regularly coming out of the nest, the parents are busier than ever. Certainly a lot of time is spent hunting and bringing food back to the little ones but they also must stand watch and keep the family safe. Here, dad takes a turn keeping an eye on the area for threats. With a quick call from him, the owlets would return to the burrow and hunker down until the danger passes.
Big eyes, little owls
Yesterday was my first chance of the season to get some quality pics of the burrowing owl owlets. This trio wasn’t particularly active but they were, as always, so stinking cute and fun to watch. The looks they give just crack me up. Have a great Sunday!
Focused burrowing owl circles around and heads for home
These little guys are so much fun to photograph but getting flight shots of them is quite difficult. They fly surprisingly fast and usually stick low to the ground making it hard to focus on them. Certainly I have many great pics of grass in focus and some blurry, brown thing in the air. Haha.
On this occasion a couple weeks ago, this handsome male decided to do a quick tour of the area around his home and, thankfully, I was able to stay locked on to him getting some decent captures.
Western kingbird takes on a burrowing owl
A sneak attack that I was not ready for but was fun to see and capture.
I was photographing this female burrowing owl as she perched on a fence and relaxed. Not expecting any action, my shutter speed was set kind of slow. Suddenly, this western kingbird appears out of nowhere and dives at the little owl, clearly not happy with its presence.
It only did it a couple of times and my camera settings weren’t right to freeze the action but the interaction is worth sharing. Western kingbirds are the bullies of the plains, entirely fearless, and willing to take on any threat. I have seen them pester hawks and even bald eagles.
A very, wary burrowing owl
Yeah, clearly this little one was well-aware of my presence. While it was tolerant of the intrusion, its body language showed that it was ready to go if need be. I maintained my distance, just happy to get some nice poses from it as it hung out near its summer home on the Colorado plains.