It has been a while since I photographed this Short-eared Owl in Tooele County at the James W. Fitzgerald WMA yet I still think about seeing it and several other owls at the WMA perched, in flight and hunting. It was last May when I saw them.

Short-eared Owl in Tooele County, Utah. Perched on a fence post visible from the road.A Short-eared Owl in Tooele County – Nikon D810, f8, 1/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

I’m a bit of an owl freak, I guess you could even say I have a delightful case of strigiformesphilia, an obsession with owls. It is not nearly as severe as my addiction to bird photography but it is pretty close!

For a few years I was able to photograph Short-eared Owls often but for the past couple of years my encounters with them have been very limited to brief but exhilarating sightings and fewer opportunities to photograph them. Maybe that will change this year.

Normally I would prefer to have this owl fill the frame more than it does but I am also quite fond of showing my subjects small in the frame so that more of its habitat is shown like it is in this owl photo. For me it feels as if I have been invited into the owl’s world for a short but wonderful visit and I hope that people viewing this image feel much the same.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Short-eared Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.