From Cape Wildlife Center

It's a bird! it's a plane! It's an extremely disgruntled screech owl who spent a few nights in a chimney.

Last evening critter control of Cape Cod brought us this screech owl after a customer complained of noises coming from their chimney. To their collective surprise they found an Eastern Screech Owl staring back at them!

After an exam and a thorough de-sooting we determined it was only his pride that was injured in the incident. Owls fly compliantly silently and even some errant soot is enough to disrupt the natural airflow. This extra in-flight noise can be the difference between eating dinner and going hungry! We will keep him for a few days while he gets his affairs (and feathers) in order and rehydrates a bit. After that he will be released back to the wild where he will discontinue his career as a chimney sweep.

All jokes aside, we see this multiple times each year! Cavity nesting owls like screeches and barred owls venture down chimneys in search of food or shelters and become stuck on top of the flu or in the fireplace.

Here's how you can help 1) check inside wood and pot- belly stoves for inhabitants prior to lighting them. 2) visually check the flu on fire places before lighting a fire. 3) most importantly, get a chimney cap! They are cheap, easy to install, and keep critters of all sizes from coming down your chimney. Just make sure to get the Santa friendly version.

From Shravan Sundaram

The Trees Have Eyes - Western Screech-Owl peers out of a Coast Live Oak cavity before beginning the evening hunt.

From John Abbott

Burram Heads, Queensland

This owl seems to have had a ton of names over the years. From. Wikipedia :

Australian boobook has been designated the official name by the International Ornithological Committee, changed from "southern boobook" in 2019 with the separation of some Indonesian subspecies. The common name comes from the two-tone call of the bird, and has also been transcribed as "mopoke". William Dawes recorded the name bōkbōk "an owl" in 1790 or 1791, in his transcription of the Dharug language, and English explorer George Caley had recorded the native name as buck-buck during the earliest days of the colony, reporting that early settlers had called it cuckoo owl as its call was reminiscent of the common cuckoo. He added, "The settlers in New South Wales are led away by the idea that everything is the reverse in that country to what it is in England; and the Cuckoo, as they call this bird, singing by night, is one of the instances they point out." Gould recorded local aboriginal names: Goor-goor-da (Western Australia), Mel-in-de-ye (Port Essington), and Koor-koo (South Australia). Alternative common names include spotted owl and brown owl. The Ngarluma people of the western Pilbara knew it as gurrgumarlu. In the Yuwaaliyaay dialect of the Gamilaraay language of southeastern Australia, the Australian boobook is guurrguurr.

Dutch naturalist Gerlof Mees and German evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr regarded the taxonomy of the boobook owl complex as extremely challenging,[18] the latter remarking in 1943 that it was "one of the most difficult problems I have ever encountered".

Came upon this video today that talks about various aspects of camouflage, how it has evolved for different species, how it teaches us about how predator minds work, and how it is still evolving today.

It's about 10 minutes long, and the first section discusses the Tawny Owl. The more northern ones are lighter,due to the climate, but as climates change, the Tawny must change with it.

I've linked the full video which goes into other species like snakes, deer, tigers, and insects, and a quick link to the owl if you're in a hurry.

Full Video

Straight to the Owls

From Kurt De Meulemeester

Captured this stunning shot of a short-eared owl on a cold January winter evening. The owl's graceful flight and piercing yellow eyes are mesmerizing against the soft, blurred background. Nature's beauty at its finest!

From Munaroh

One of the challenges in my bird photography is capturing birds in flight. What is the position of the sun, what is a good spot, where does the bird often pass by in flight, from what angle is best to take it. Once you have analyzed that, it is time to set your Z8 camera properly for the fast movements and light. This beautiful long-eared owl was not distracted by me and was focused on its daily prey. It flew beautifully into the first sunlight, so its bright eyes and plumage show how beautiful the owl is during its flight. It was a wonderful moment to capture this. And my Z8 did not let me down, a great wildlife camera that named Nikki. Nikki and l are inseparable when we go outdoors looking for beautiful photo locations.

From Lisa Lavargna

It was a Holy Moly... Moment!! don't know how my fellow photographers do it! I was trying to keep the camera steady but at the same time was shaking from excitement and deciding if should duck or not! His/her wingspan was astronomical!

A little dazed, a little confused, but in good hands in Provincetown, MA. (found injured)

Some will probably kill me for this, but it's from u/Firm_Love3598, and I thought it too good not to share!

Oh, and it really is a Short-eared owl (Asio flammeus). That expression really gets me. ❤️

From John Crooks

Barn Owl hunting yesterday afternoon. Norfolk, England Canon R7 with EF500F4L IS USM + 1.4 extender 1/1600 F5.6 ISO 6400

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/18818424

From Ericka Berja

Someone's being sad that autumn's almost over. Eastern Screech Owl.

From Kenzo Pan

Nice grip strength!

From Brynda Ivan

When stopped by this little Screech Owl's hole yesterday morning, it was clear he'd had a meal shortly prior to my arrival. I don't usually crop in this tightly, but there are 3 feathers (2 on his right, 1 on his left) and wanted them to be easier to see in this pic.

I wonder what breakfast was?

From Paulo Andrade

Striped Owl
'Asio clamator'
Nov/24
Brasil

From Karin Skl

Listed as a "Waldohreule," which translates from German to ~~"Wood Owl,"~~ "Wood(Forest) Ear Owl" but many of us would know it as a Long Eared Owl.

From Dirk Helmert

Hugo, the Eurasian Eagle Owl.

Falknerei Bad Marienberg, Germany

From Kevin Thurk

Saw whet owlets hanging out together.

Look at those toes! 😍

From Brian Barnes

Love the eyebrows on this tired looking Barred Owl!

From Phil Stone

First in 2 years for me!

From Mike Rodwell

A set of pics taken on a photoshoot several years ago with the incomparable Andy Rouse. Andy had access to a private estate where this Little Owl was rearing two young in a disused barn. The light was excellent, the dark background was due to framing the shots in front of the large entrance to the barn. No messing around has taken place with the photos other than cropping and a little sharpening in Topaz. Kit used was a Canon 1DX with 400 2.8 lens and either 1.4x or 2x convertor. Hope you like them as much as do...

From Simon Dentremont

The story goes like this...I was lying in the mud (don't all good bird photography stories start this way?) taking pics of this owl when l realized that there was an amazing pink sunset behind me. So I relocated to a different angle, so could lie in the mud again, and get that beautiful pink sky as the background of my owl pic. Maybe my favorite owl pic this year. And yes, laundry when I got home. I also keep a towel in my SUV for just such an event.

Short-Eared Owi (In French, Hibou des Marais), Feb 2021.

From MN Owl Tours

Great Gray Owl is a little large for its choice of perching locations.

From Charlotte Byers

Yesterday (with all the rain today, it seems a long time ago) it was so beautiful, especially in the afternoon. We decided to drive to Wylie Slough and the "East 90" in Skagit County. put the owls and other raptors at the East 90 in first. The afternoon sun there made photography a real pleasure. Earlier (about noon to 1:30) we had a few clouds and even sprinkles at Wylie Slough.

(Washington State)

From Ross Salawitch

Barred Owl descending into a local waterway. Somehow, due to the magic of the camera, the timing of my "pan" resulted in a sharp image of the Owl's face, a rendering of motion in the wings, as well as a blurred background of the Fall foliage. Owls fly silently in part because the trailing edge of the wings bend with the air, reducing turbulence.

12 Nov 2024; Prince George's County