When I visited Sequoyah NWR for the last time before heading back to Utah I became excited when I spotted a Barred Owl perched in lush reeds. I asked my great friend Steve to turn around so we could both get a clear view of the owl and he graciously accommodated my wishes.
Adult Barred Owl from a distance – Canon R7, handheld, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 2500, Canon RF 100-500mm at 500m, natural light
We were both able to photograph the adult Barred Owl from a distance: Steve from inside his pickup and me from outside the pickup. I was still using his pickup as a mobile blind by standing behind the bed of it.
Steve was using his 800mm lens on his Canon R5 while I used his Canon R7 with his 100-500mm lens.
Reads Steve’s eloquent article about this Barred Owl on his his website here.
Barred Owl adult – small in frame – Canon R7, handheld, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 3200, Canon RF 100-500mm at 500m, natural light
I was so thrilled to see Barred Owls again that I took hundreds of photos of them every time we found them at the refuge.
Every night while I was clearing my mom’s apartment in Virginia I heard Barred Owls but had no cameras with me to photograph them. My mom loved hearing them too and when I told her I had photographed them in Oklahoma she too was thrilled that I had seen, heard and taken images of them there. Some birds, more than others, delighted her.
So these Barred Owl photos weren’t just for me, they were for her too even though she never got to see them.
I could wish that this owl had been closer to me than it was but I won’t because I like the habitat in my images. It is exactly where I would expect to find this species.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Barred Owl photos.
I’m glad that you were able to share this favorite owl with your mom. 💜
Beautiful. I am so glad that you could share hearing them with your mama.
Very neat experience. They are gorgeous. I have only seen one in captivity.