Well, lookie there! The first little fluff head of the season that I have seen. This is a new nest this year, not too far from my home.

I stopped by yesterday, mainly just expecting to see Mom laying down, and was pleasantly surprised to see a bobblehead in there with her. I thought I saw a second owlet briefly but never got a pic of it and it might have just been the butt of the first one. 😉

The nest is WAY up high and in a thick stand of trees so visibility is really limited. Hopefully I will be able to get a better look when they get bigger.

I don’t expect this owl and its mate get many visitors. I was driving a rural back-country road and passing by a thick stand of trees with the rising sun directly behind it. Something caught my eye, something looking out of place among the silhouetted, tangled branches.

I hopped out and worked my way to the other side, putting the sun at my back and was pleasantly surprised to find the owl pair hiding out. Given how rural the area is, I don’t expect they really expected or appreciated the impromptu photo session. I grabbed a couple quick captures and left them to their solitude.

I had taken the day off and headed northeast of Denver for a wildlife drive. Arriving at Jackson Lake State Park, I get out of my truck and hear the distinctive call of a Great Horned Owl. Pure luck in timing that this one was calling to its mate that happened to be in a nearby tree. Somehow I don’t think the lovebirds appreciated being interrupted though. 😉

One of the mated pair of these cool hooters not far from where I live. It had chosen a perch well within some thick tree cover in an attempt to hide from some crows that were hassling its mate. It worked and I was able to get in some quality time photographing it. I just love their eyes!

Great Horned Owls are common across all of North America and are the type of owl often depicted in storybooks. During the day they are usually sleeping but at night they come alive and hunt with amazing accuracy in the dark.

Boy, it has been far too long since I have had a decent chance to photograph one of these. My last couple visits to this pretty lady’s area have been unfruitful. I’m not worried though as these guys are masters of camouflage and I could have walked right under her and not seen her. I’ll have to give it another try here soon as I am missing seeing them. Taken in Adams County, Colorado.

If you love raptors like this owl, check out my 2018 Raptor calendar here.

A bit of an eerie scene for Halloween as a Great Horned Owl stands watch. This image was purely a case of photographer error but when I snapped it back in April, I knew it would make a good one for today.

The cool dude was hanging out in a thick stand of trees but I was forced to shoot directly into the rising sun. I failed to adjust my settings for the dark foreground / bright background and ended up with this silhouette instead of a properly exposed image. Turns out sometimes mistakes can be good things. 😉

I wish you all a very happy All Hallows’ Eve and hope you manage to avoid any scary creatures.

Going back to April for this capture of the female at my local nest. Her owlets were growing and so she had some freedom to leave the nest and move around. On this particular day, she was feeling brave and hanging out in the open which gave me a pretty nice photo opportunity – even if the skies were kind of drab.

Great Horned Owls are common across all of North America and are the type of owl often depicted in storybooks. During the day they are usually sleeping but at night they come alive and hunt with amazing accuracy in the dark.

I had seen pictures in years’ past of this Great Horned Owl nesting spot but never could figure out where it was. By chance, social media gave me a clue and on my way through the area I had to check them out.

The sun had barely come up and the spot was heavily shaded meaning high ISOs and not great quality pics but it was fun to find and see them, particularly given the unique spot.

The two owlets were quite active and keeping close watch on everything around them, including me. They apparently have fledged in the past day or two so my one photo opportunity with them was my last.

They aren’t ready for flight yet but that doesn’t mean they are sticking to the nest. Well, at least one of the two at this site has decided to move around a bit.

This was my first visit to this nest, a tip provided to me by my friend, Patrick, led me here. The nest is well concealed, especially now that the trees are leafing out, so it was tough to get a clear angle on them last weekend.

One owlet was a few feet away from the nest, watching folks walk by on the nearby trail. The other stayed in the home but was definitely keeping watch as well.

It will be a couple of weeks before they are ready for flight but between now and then, they will continue to get braver and climb around the nest tree.