One of my goals this winter was to get some shots of an owl in the wild. Every time that I have visited my local marsh early in the day or near dusk, I have looked and listened for an owl, but have come up empty-handed, except for one owl that I saw flying away from me.
Yesterday morning I finally spotted one when it flew from one tree to another as I approached. I initially assumed that it was a hawk, given that it was 11:00 in the morning. I thought it was unusual that the bird had not simply flown into the air, as hawks seem to do when I get too close.
Once I managed to spot the bird amid all of the branches, I was shocked to see that it was an owl. I was able to take a few photos of the Barred Owl (Strix varia) in its initial perch before it flew away deeper into the woods and even got a slightly blurry shot of it on a more distant perch.
Whenever I get a shot of a new species, I am so excited about it that I want to share my photos immediately. Now that I have met one of my goals for the winter, I’ll be looking to see if I capture some better images of this owl and maybe even find Great Horned Owls, which are reportedly present in my local marshland park.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Great catch. Just a wonderful bird.
He is so beautiful! What amazing markings. 🙂
That is so cool mike, great shot!
Too cool, Mike. It’s always fun when you spot one of those guys hiding in plain sight, and if you can see through the trees fun to photograph in those stately poses. Great Horned Owls are starting to nest now, so keep checking old hawk nestsin the area.
So happy for you…wonderful and I know all about wanting to share a great find…makes it even more fun. Well done.
It’s great that you were able to get a shot of him right out in the open like that. I wonder if owls are as timid as we think. I’ll never forget that one I saw sitting on the trail last summer. He let me get within 5 feet without moving and didn’t seem frightened at all.
Wow, Allen. That’s pretty amazing to hear that you were able to get that close. This one was not quite so cooperative, but I am not complaining, because I was able to get some shots.
Barred Owls are active during the day when there are young mouths to feed. Yep, it’s that time of year. Like Calvin Coolidge said, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
Persistence is good, but I’ve finding that a healthy dose of good luck really helps that persistence pay off.
Cool catch, Mike! Owls are so difficult to find, they’re so well camouflaged.. Great pictures.
Thanks, Camilla If this one had not flown, I doubt that I would have been able to pick it out in the trees. Earlier this winter there was one withing range that others pointed out to me that I just could not see–that was frustrating to say the least.
Owls are pretty special in my books. What a great find!
Yes, simple luck often does play a real role, but the more we persist in our quests, the more chances luck has to step in and be on our side!
Wonderful shots of this Barred Owl through the branches AND out in the open! How accommodating of him to stay long enough for you to make these great captures.
I can definitely relate to your excitement, great shots!
Wonderful photos. He’s so well camouflaged I’m amazed you saw him at all.
If I hadn’t seen the owl fly to that spot I doubt I would have spotted him. They are so well hidden and so quiet.
I spent years hoping to see an owl in Seneca Creek State Park. We hear them hooting to each other back and forth across Clopper Lake at times, but I have never seen one. I have spotted owls a couple of times between my neighborhood and the park, though. It’s always a really special sight. Congratulations on 2 great photos!