While I oftentimes visit places knowing owls are in the area, finding them can definitely be hit or miss. They have a knack for concealing themselves and their brown plumage certainly helps them blend in.
This past weekend I visited a spot that a mated pair calls home as I wanted to see if she was sitting in the nest yet. I spotted the male almost immediately as he was sitting quite proudly, relatively out in the open. The female eluded me though as I walked back and forth and around the stand of trees I figured she would be in.
Finally, in the crooked bend of a very thick tree branch I spot her, lying down and looking right at me, not 20 feet away. Well done, owl!
One pic shows a wider view of how well she was concealed (and you can see the male to the top right). The other pic is a zoomed in image of her nestled in there. I snapped my pics and moved on but will certainly be visiting this spot in the coming months. This pair’s nest is in a broken off tree’s open cavity which, while hard to photograph due to obstructions, is a fun one to monitor.
