When I photograph Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) I can’t resist smiling, especially when they are juveniles. Just seeing them makes me grin.

Burrowing Owl chicks on SagebrushBurrowing Owl chicks on Sagebrush – Nikon D200, f11, 1/250, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

These chicks were perched on a Sagebrush not long after the sun had risen. They are fairly young but able to fly. The creamy colored chest lacks the spots of darker brown that older juveniles have. Before I began to photograph these juveniles I changed my aperture to f11 to get the birds in the depth of field so that they would both be sharp, it worked out quite well.

The owlet on the left side of the frame didn’t stick around long but I was able to get several shots of the two of them that I liked.

Mia