With a phone call at dawn, I was informed by a friend that an Eastern Screech Owl was making an early-morning appearance at the entrance to the place it calls home, on the property belonging to our friends. This location has all the right elements of an ideal habitat, and the owl seemed to be quite comfortable and happy in it's home! Here it is checking me out as intently as I was checking it out!
After a while it went deeper inside the hole, becoming invisible to me. Learning that it usually comes out again late afternoons, I planned on returning later in the day, under brighter natural light, and with the hopes of capturing a few more images--perhaps from a different perspective, perhaps other poses, and perhaps even establishing a trusting, non-threatening relationship with this bird as we become more familiar with each other.
When I returned this afternoon, a delightfully gentle and light snow was falling, but the wind was blowing really, really hard. The owl was indeed visible--in fact, this time it's body extended forward from the hole it inhabited, the wind ruffling the feathers on it's breast. It turned it's head as soon as I approached and with big, blinking eyes, the owl looked directly at me.
After a while, with an air of indifference, it nonchalantly turned it's body away from me, pushed itself in a little so it was flush with the wood, and it closed it's eyes, remaining that way for some time.
I'm looking forward to returning on a sunny day. The rusty colors of this Screech Owl's feathers become more brilliant and a deeper, brighter shade of red under direct sunlight, as my attested by my friend, and I'm eager to see it for myself.
And whooooo knows what other wonders I'll come across! This particular spot is abundant with wildlife!
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