Burrowing Owl adult at burrow on a cloudy dayBurrowing Owl adult at burrow on a cloudy day – Nikon D500, f5.6, 1/1600, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Burrowing Owls are appearing in the desert landscape of northern Utah at the moment. Some of these desert owls tough out the harsh winters here but most migrate in the fall to return in the spring to find their mates and have young.

I am seeing more and more older burrows with mated pairs peeking out of the burrows or perching on nearby posts, rocks or shrubs and I am also seeing new burrows that didn’t exist last year with single owls or mated pairs. Some burrows are used for years and have been the home of many young owls before they grow up and leave to find their own territories. I often wonder if the Burrowing Owls I see and photograph are owls I photographed while they were young. I’ll never know of course but given their high mortality rates prior to their first migration I find myself cheering them on.

I photographed this Burrowing Owl adult at its burrow earlier this week not too long after a huge bank of clouds moved over Antelope Island State Park. The light certainly wasn’t the best but it wasn’t horrible either. I cranked up my ISO to have faster shutter speed all the while hoping the owl would move up above the burrow so I could get full body photos but this owl decided to head into its burrow after I had only taken five images of it. Still, I am happy with the few images I took of this owl.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to view more of my Burrowing Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.