Male Short-eared Owl Showing His Ear Tufts
Most often I see the ear tufts of Short-eared Owls when they are on alert, when there is a wind blowing the tufts from behind the owl or when they appear curious about something they can see or hear.
Most often I see the ear tufts of Short-eared Owls when they are on alert, when there is a wind blowing the tufts from behind the owl or when they appear curious about something they can see or hear.
I've said before that owls fascinate me; probably more times than I can count, and Short-eared Owls are always a delight.
Great Horned Owls and Horned Larks are species of birds that have tufts that I photograph regularly here in Utah.
Isn't this Short-eared Owl lovely with her big yellow eyes? It had been a while since I had seen a Short-eared Owl and I was quite surprised when I spotted her on top of some snow-covered Rabbitbrush late last month along the causeway to Antelope Island State Park.
Due to a crash in the vole population at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge last summer there weren't many Short-eared Owls around the refuge but the few that were there were real beauties.
I don't always get what I want though; for example, I wanted this male Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) I photographed at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana in good light.
This Short-eared Owl image was taken just a little over a year ago in Glacier County, Montana. I still remember how cooperative this male was, the gorgeous golden light of the setting sun and the great location.
This male Short-eared Owl in evening light was photographed last year in Glacier County, Montana not too long before the sun set.
Life is an adventure. I can't deny that, ever. There are times when there are bumps in the road, smooth sailing, or a multitude of mishaps that occur in a single journey.
I am always looking for the unexpected birds to show up in locations where I might not expect them them to be and this Short-eared Owl was a bit of a nice surprise.
Soon after that I saw the shape of a larger bird near where the Coyote had gone into the sagebrush which turned out to be an adult Short-eared Owl.
The grasses are beginning to turn golden with the summer heat, the Moth Mulleins are starting to bloom and the Great Salt Lake level is still rising from spring run off.
Male Ring-necked Pheasants are very colorful and sport red face wattles, iridescent ear tufts, the white neck ring and bronze colored chest and back with barring. I remember my grandfather using the pheasant feathers for the flies that he tied.