I was in search of Red or White-winged Crossbills this morning and it was a nice surprise to come across a pair of Long-eared Owls. This location is not where other Long-eared Owls have been photographed, reported, or roosting recently in the state. One of the owls was more in the open for photos so a took a couple. The other owl was in some thick pine branches not up for a photo. With the bright sunny day in the dark pines, it was not easy to capture the amazing moment with the Long-eared Owls. These owls were watching me as I quietly left the area. It was a bright sunny day and finally a little warmer temps, high near 32 degrees with light winds. Images were taken on January 31, 2022.
The Long-eared Owl…
Taking a closer look at a distance after finding the owl…
White wash from an owl…
When my eyes first spotted this bird in the tree at about 30 feet…too small for a Great Horned Owl, too big for a Saw-whet Owl…has to be a Long-eared Owl…
This owl totally ignored my presence, and I just ignored it too after a few of shots and left the area…
Great find Jim. What a nice background for the pictures.
You sure have amazing eyes to spot them , thanks so very much for the beautiful pictures!!
very nice
Out of the park once again.
You are really good at finding these. Beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing them.