It’s not often that I see an owl during the day, but, thanks to a tip from a fellow visitor at Huntley Meadows Park, I managed to photograph this Barred Owl (Strix varia) on Saturday around noon.
Now, you might think that seeing an owl during daylight hours would make it simple to photograph, but, in fact, it was quite a challenge. The owl was perched high in a tree in a rather heavily wooded area. That meant that it was tough to get an unobstructed view of the owl. By moving a bit closer, I got a slightly better view, but was shooting almost straight up at an awkward angle. Then there was the problem of light, or more particularly the absence of light, especially on the face. I was patient and the owl appeared to be snoozing, so eventually I was able to get some decent shots.
I had never thought to look for an owl in that area of the park, but will now have to add it to my list of places to check out whenever I am visiting my favorite marshland park.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Impressed as always.
Thanks, Dan. It helps that I work only three days a week, so I have a lot more time to wander in the wild than most people. I don’t consider myself unusually skilled, but I am pretty patient and persistent.
What camera and lense do you use?
I use a Canon 50D, a pretty old DSLR that I hope to upgrade soon, and mostly shoot with a Tamron 150-600mm telephoto zoom lens.
Okay, thank you.
Honestly, though, the gear is only a small part of the equation. Spending lots of time in the wild and reacting quickly is just as important as the gear. A few years ago, I was shooting with a Canon Rebel XT and a Canon 55-250mm lens and got good results. Even now sometimes I shoot with a Canon SX50, a super zoom point-and-shoot camera.
It is rare, but I have seen a owl several times during the day here at Bond Park in Cary, NC. I think it was the same owl each time.
Usually I hear owls and get an occasional glimpse of them at twilight. Without their call, they are all usually but invisible to me.
All the Barred Owls I’ve seen have been during the day. I’ve seen three different ones and just love them.
I tend to hear owls a lot more often than I see them and usually I hear them at twilight. Generally the owls blend in so well with their surroundings that I have trouble spotting them.
Love these shots, Mike. The owl is well camouflaged!
Thanks,Chris. I’m pretty confident that I would never have found it on my own without the assist from someone else. Well, actually, someone gave me directions, but I did actually have to locate the specific perch. Normally I need movement or sound to help me spot a perched bird, even a pretty big one like this owl.
Nice shots!
Thanks, Allen.
These are fabulous shots, Mike, I love the way the owl’s colors complement the background. It’s such a rare treat to see an owl, and when I see one, it’s always too far away for either my little phone camera or my cheap binoculars to handle. Thank you for sharing your glimpse of this amazing bird!
Thanks, Nina. The muted colors of owls and and way they perch make them tough to spot. I was pretty lucky with this one and was even able to get my shots without disturbing the owl. When I departed,the owl was still perched in the tree,
That owl is perfectly camouflaged!! So amazing God’s creations!!
I am amazed at how well some birds are able to blend in. Most of the time I would be unable to spot them if they did not move.