Adult Western Burrowing Owl On An Old Fence Post

Adult male Western Burrowing Owl on an old fence post – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 320, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

I love all birds, even birds that some people tend to ignore when it comes to bird photography but I have to admit that I am particularly fond of photographing owls, especially Burrowing Owls.

Burrowing Owls are diurnal which means they are active during the day time hours and because they prefer wide open spaces such as grasslands, rolling hills and deserts I am able to spot them even from a long distance as they stand outside their burrows, perch on nearby bushes or stand on top of fence posts.

Western Burrowing Owl standing on one foot – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 320, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Burrowing Owls have expressive faces with their bright yellow, forward facing eyes and that alone endears them to me but their behaviors are also another reason why I adore them. While the adult Burrowing Owls are wonderful to photograph it is the young owls that I find the most enchanting because they are so animated while they learn to fly, hunt and relate to the world outside of their burrows. They can appear to be comical, serious and playful all within a short period of time which allows me many opportunities to photograph them in different poses and exhibiting visually interesting behaviors too.

It won’t be long before the young Burrowing Owls in northern Utah start to show up outside of their burrows and I am very much looking forward to photographing them again.

Life is good.

Mia