April 23, 2017

Burrowing Owl

Burrowing Owl
This adorable little guy is a burrowing owl. I've heard that Cape Coral (near Ft. Myers -- about 80 minutes south of Sarasota) is home to the largest burrowing owl population in the world.  The SDP team conducted some research, then the Junior Editor and I set out in search of these pint-sized birds of prey last weekend.  It was the middle of the afternoon (when most owls are hiding), so I didn't have high hopes. But, as soon as we arrived at the first location, I spotted one immediately. Very exciting! They actually live underground and like to roost on manmade posts nearby or stand outside their burrow, like this fellow.  Quite fascinating! We even spotted a fuzzy little baby poking its head out of a burrow.  (Could be a future SDP post...possibly.)  They're so small and low to the ground, they really blend in with their surroundings.  It was unusually windy the day the SDP team was out, and since I was shooting at a distance with a long lens, the conditions were quite challenging even with a tripod. Looking forward to returning and seeing them again soon!

9 comments:

Nancy J said...

Superb long distance photo, and he is so adorable.

Jack said...

This is exciting, SRQ. I am even closer and have been too lazy to go looking for them. Well done.

Kay said...

What a great field trip! How nice that your efforts were rewarded. I do hope you have a chance to return.

Lowell said...

Nice shot of this wee guy. We had a number of these in Pembroke Pines when we lived down there.

William Kendall said...

What a stare from this little guy!

PerthDailyPhoto said...

What a very sweet and startled face :) their expressions always make me smile SRQ 😊

Brian King said...

What a great photo! Love the yellow eyes!

Kate said...

You did a super job capturing this fella. Thanks for the info.!

Lorraine said...

Neat!