So, during the 2017 burrowing owl season of raising the young owlets, I knew that we were moving to Colorado before I could get another years worth of the “owl fun”. I was determined to get my fill, if you will, of these incredibly personable cuties. These images in this, as well as the others posted in the last year, have been from the 2017 season. With that, I invite you to sit back and check out this next installment of images … and laugh if you will, but appreciate how amazing these little owls are.
Adult burrowing owls, especially the dads, play a huge role in keeping the intruders at bay or at least keeping their family safe from them. Often that means issuing the call for them to rapidly retreat into the burrow for safety. To help them identify any threats in their environment, they often perch on the stakes in their area to get a better vantage point.
Early in the season, both parents are often found at and above the burrow. Sometimes they’re coughing up pellets …..
….. sometimes they’re simply spending some much needed time preening themselves …..
….. sometimes they’re staring upward towards the sky looking at predators, other flying birds, planes, insects, or the errant helium balloon.
After a call is issued to dive into the burrow, they eventually emerge … cautiously I might add. The owl on the left is one of the parents, while the other is a young owlet which is obviously a bit more timid and cautious.
You may have noticed a slight difference in the color of the eyes in the adult and young in the above image. See, while burrowing owls usually have the traditional lemon yellow eyes, they don’t always. As you can see below, sometimes the adults or the owlets have very dark (almost alien looking) eyes. It’s not that the younger owl dark eyes will change, it’s just how they’re born. I find both to be so fascinating … as well as the variety of variations in between. 🙂
The young owlets are quite the inquisitive bunch … and you can almost see their minds working as they try to figure out the significance of everything that they see.
This trio is all from the same burrow and much like our own children can have different eye colors, so can these owls … all from the same set of parents. I just love how they tend to follow each others focal point.
Burrowing owls, as their name implies, make their homes in burrows on the ground. Now that I live in Colorado, which also has burrowing owls (more on that later), an obvious difference between them is that in Florida, these owls dig their own burrows in the grasses. In Colorado, they make residence in abandoned prairie dog burrows. They are also residential in Florida, while transient in Colorado, though they raise their young in both.
The stare of any owl is quite intense and powerful and these little guys are no different.
What seems like silly antics in these owls are actually how they see and interpret their world. They perform these extreme head twists in an effort to triangulate coordinates, distances, etc.
One of the most endearing moments is that when the young owlets are interacting with the adults, such as this moment of the mom feeding a worm to its young. Such patient parents.
It’s usually not long before the young owls are out and about and testing their own skills for securing their own food. Soon they will be on their own and obviously that’s a very important life skill.
Looks like this one was pretty successful in tearing into its meal and devouring it.
Each owl has its own personality and believe it or not, the observer can tell them all apart for the individuals that they are. I mean, how could anyone not love these cuties?
While mom plays more of a role feeding the young the food that the dad hunts down, the dad sometimes needs a break and retreats into a nice shady tree for some rest, relaxation, and mainly quiet time. LOL
Yes the life of a burrowing owl is quite an interesting one … and whether they’re warm and dry … or wet and soggy as this one is … their expressions are endless and personalities varied, but they all are pretty social and definitely ADORABLE!
I hope that everyone enjoyed the burrowing owl images … I do have one more installment coming up in the near future.
Next Up: As long as we’re talking about owls … how about some personal time with some screech owls?
© 2018 TNWA Photography / Debbie Tubridy
http://www.tnwaphotography.com www.tnwaphotography.wordpress.com
Of course, they don’t always look like that. When they first emerge from the safety of the burrow at around 2 weeks old, they appear more like this guy on the right. I affectionately call this their “hair plug stage”, with those adorable downy looking feathers emerging on the tops of their heads. The one on the left has already lost most of theirs, indicating that they’re a bit older. Why would it be you might ask? Well, the owlets within a brood hatch at different times.
As they grow up, they become quite affectionate, not only to their parents who provide excellent care of them, but also to their siblings. Often they huddle up for comfort and safety.
In Florida, there’s always plenty of bugs around the burrow to entertain them. It’s so much fun to watch them as they get focused on crawling ants, buzzing bees, flying butterflies, or even an errant balloon or plane in the sky.
There’s something so special about any head tilt from a young owl.
And it seems that the more it tilts it, the more excited we onlookers get. LOL
Of course, so owls get so bored with it all. 🙂 Either that or sometimes they yawn like this when they’re preparing to expel a pellet, which is actually undigested bones, feathers, etc. 
Most burrowing owls regularly will take a few moment to stretch their wings … usually a leg goes with it. Sometimes it’s one side, then the other, and then they end up in almost a bow stretch.
Often people wonder how you tell the difference between the adults and the young owlets. Many times people say size, which works well when they’re younger, but a month or two down the road and size is difficult to use. Here is a good example of an adult on the left, with the jevenile on the right. The juveniles possess that creamy looking belly, while the adults will be more barred feather pattern. 
In 2017, I witnessed something that I had never witnessed in the years earlier. This behavior where the adult lays down low and spreads its wings out laterally. It often also puffs up its wings almost creating a dust cloud in the earth below. It’s thought that perhaps it’s how and trying to cool off.
I even saw little ones seemingly laying on the earth as well.
When it comes to eating, in the beginning the parents bring food to their young. Here a lizard, from a cached stash, was retrieved and offered to the young owl. It’s so fascinating to watch as they grab the prey with their feet and maneuver it skillfully, eventually able to consume the entire lizard.
Self grooming, as well as mutual grooming, are practiced regularly by the burrowing owls. Sometimes it’s the parents doing the work, other times it’s the siblings.
There’s nothing like the shade provided by a tree when the temperatures start to rise. Doesn’t this one look so content? I mean, it almost appears to be smiling. LOL
This pair of young owls, gathered at the bottom of a marker post, almost trying to figure out how to reach the perch. All in good time, my little owls.
Yep, before long they navigating the ropes and exercising those wings. You can almost see how proud they are too when they succeed.
Of course, the ultimate goal is that of the nearby trees. On the hanging branches, it becomes a bit dicey when your fellow mate jumps on in your spot as well. LOL
But they quickly settle down and establish solidity in their standing.
In South FL, we often get lots of rain, and people wonder how they fare in it. I must first say that it’s one of my favorite times to photograph them. Not only does it cool down for the onlooker, but also their feathers get all wet and therefore textured more. 
They fluff up often and try to shake the water droplet off of their feathers. One more observation is that they tend to get a bit grumpy looking too. 
Yes, there are few things more enjoyable that spending hours observing and photographing these adorable young owls.
They are so full of personalities, silly antics, and tons of expressions … all which leave me laughing out loud … even when I’m there alone.
One more image to share before I close this blog post. As I said before, I have lots more to share so stay tuned. One day too I hope to share some from my new area as well. Until that happens, enjoy this ….
Next Up: An unforgettable experience and sighting from the winter
Young burrowing owls are some of the most entertaining subjects to ever photograph. In years past, I would spend hours, many days a week, watching and shooting them (digitally of course). Most have some the most beautiful big yellow eyes, which are incredibly captivating.
But not all … as you can see this parent owl on the left has light brown eyes. Both of its offspring though did have the more common tradition yellow eyes.
The young owlets really have a sibling love for one another, though that doesn’t mean that they always play nice. LOL
Mom and dad always stand by, supervising when necessary, but primarily watching over the burrow for signs of trouble overhead. With several rapid succession “barks”, they get their mate and their young into the burrow in record speed.
The adults generally are quite tolerant of onlookers … I mean, why else would they intentionally build their burrows in highly public, quite busy places. Over time, I’ve become quite understanding of their behaviors, sensing when my presence is not welcomed or when “close” is “close enough”, regardless of my actual distance. To me, that’s the most important thing. As a wildlife photographer, I want my subject to be acting totally natural and feeling quite at ease.
In this particular burrow, the young siblings had all sorts of colors for eyes, as you can see. It’s increasingly more common now than before to see owlets with varying degrees of dark eyes. Believe it or not, they have their own intrigue to them. Curious expressions are endless.
Adult owls are not only taller and bigger than their young, but they also have more speckled feathers throughout. You’ll notice that the owlets have that creamy colored chest and belly when they’re young.
Most burrows have anywhere from 3-5 young ones, though they can range from 1 to 7!! Imagine having to take care of 7 young mouths!
You can almost always tell the younger of the bunch from the others … sometimes it’s their size or sometimes it’s their higher needs that they demand action from the parents. LOL
The parents go out and hunt for food in the evening or early morning hours, often caching it nearby for later retrieval and consumption. You can always tell when the food is brought back to the burrow … as the young ones will frantically emerge and begin a tug-of-war over it. 
They also assist in the grooming of the young ones, offering up “canoodling” sessions. So sweet. 🙂
When the young ones lock eyes with you, it’s so hard to look away … and why would you. You can literally see their little minds at work. See, for the first approximately 2 weeks of life, they remain in the safety of the burrow. When they emerge, they are amazed at just about everything in their world. When I see these images, I just about cry at how much I miss these sweetest of faces.
They do everything they can to learn about everything.
Often that includes looking up in the air too. They detect small insects flying about, balloons in the air, planes in the sky … you name it. They also watch other birds in the sky and quickly learn for themselves who friend and foe is.
Yep, silly expressions are many and have made me burst into laughter on site! LOL
I love it when they enter the flowers … OK, so they might be weeds, but the yellow in them is still pretty with their yellow eyes.
Like our own young, the discovery of their feet and how they can control its movement is always a fun adventure for them.
One last shot of this particularly sweet burrowing owl … really looks like it was a GQ model or something. Oh yeah, I can’t wait to be united with these little ones…. so many new next generation owls to meet.
I find it fascinating that when they yawn or prepare to cough up a pellet, you get this face. Can’t help but notice how their open mouth and their beak form a heart shape … can’t think of anything more appropriate. ❤
Hope that everyone enjoyed my “friends”. Be on the lookout for more images to come.
At these burrows, there were some still in the burrows, not quite ready for “prime time”, but there were plenty of babies to keep me happy as well. You can tell the babies by their feathers on their belly … so downy looking and creamy, they remind me of a nice drink of Kahlua! LOL. They are also very downy towards their legs, which remind me of petticoats or bloomers.
They might be a bit more jumpier too and seemingly always on alert. They scurry from burrow entrances, of which there can commonly be 2 or 3 … though sometimes simply one.
They seem to be quite intrigued by each other and often seem to challenge each other … in a playful way, of course.
Curiosity is never more evident than when they are quite young. Always poking around at things they, like our own young, seem to get into everything! I feel sometimes like I can sense their mind wheels turning as they process this world outside of the burrow, where they usually spend their first few weeks.
Quite demanding for the attention of their mom and dad, I know that they’re looked upon as “annoying” from time to time. Running over to an adult is common. Squeaking and pecking at the adult is I’m sure their way of trying to communicate their needs…. Food … Comfort … Attention!
Early on the parents will catch food for the young owls and assist in feeding them. After some time, they still hunt for them, but they encourage independence by allowing the siblings to tear up and consume their food on their own.
Nothing gets by these little buggers wither! They kept constant vigil to everything going on around them. Of course, that will serve them well as they grow up and ready for their life on their own
But until then, they seek more attention, food, grooming, play, etc. from their parents.
Then there’s more staring down something … a sibling, an ant, a bee, an airplane, a piece of trash … doesn’t matter, they’re all of interest to this little owl.
Of all of the entertaining things that these little ones do, NOTHING is more entertaining that the “head tilt” maneuver that they perform. Sometimes it’s just a little one … sometimes it’s the full tilt …sometimes the body bends with it as well. LOL. 
Life at the burrow can be a bit boring I presume …. 😉
Testing of the wings is another fun time while observing them. Of course, it’s all about baby steps, but they all learn to take flight at their own pace … and in their own way. 
Looks like this guy is ready to go … just like me. Hope that you enjoyed the burrowing owls of Florida. While we do have them out in Colorado, they’re not full time residents and therefore, they’re a bit more shy and secretive. Hope to find them out there one day.
2017 was a year that just flew by in my opinion. It was a year of life-changing events, full of excitement and uncertainty … but being the adventurous souls that we are, both Tom & I were up for the challenge. Allow me to take a few moments to look back at some of our memories of 2017.
The birds in Florida start the new year off already “in the mood” … with lots of nest building, courtship, and mating going on early on. There’s something so very beautiful and endearing about the great blue herons at this time.
Before long, no matter the species, the new years hatchlings begin to emerge. Nothing to me is cuter that the sandhill crane colts when only days old, especially when they climb aboard the backs of their parents for the ultimate featherbed slumber. 🙂
Black-necked stilt babies are amost equally adorable and ready to forage on their own within hours of hatching. That doesn’t mean that the parents can rest … far from it … their job is endless in keeping predators away from these little cuties as the begin to roam within the sandy shores and reeds of the wetlands.
However, for me, the real stars for months of entertainment pleasure are the burrowing owls, especially when they first emerge from their burrows … all bright eyed, innocent, and exceptionally curious … they just don’t come any cuter.
Though I tend to photograph them almost daily, they still grow up quite quickly and begin to fly about to nearby trees.
Of course, no burrowing owl season is complete without captures of the “head tilt” that they are famous for. LOL.
During our time in Florida, we were fortunate to have our daughter and son-in-law, as well as our two granddoggies come visit us. 
During 2016 and early 2017, Tom and I traveled out west to Colorado often looking for a home … perhaps a second home or not … where we could relocate to. While south Florida is a fabulous place to be and affords much like the beaches and warm weather, Tom and I have always enjoyed the mountains, colder weather, and we were looking for less crowds and a sense of community.
So, at the end of July, Tom and several of his friends (thanks guys) loaded up the truck and off they went … go west, young man, as they say … all of the way to Colorado.
On July 31st, my mom, her husband, my cat Buffy, and I all boarded our flight to Grand Junction airport and let’s just say that I was a ton nervous. Safely arriving in GJT, we were picked up by Tom and driven to our new home in Fruita, CO. 
In between unpacking what seemed like endless boxes (and truth be told they’re not all unloaded yet – yikes), I found the time to photograph different bird species in my own backyard.
My mom was totally infatuated with the hummingbirds … OK, so was I … as they provided endless hours of entertainment as they flew in, and fought occasionally, at our feeders.
Tom and I would also spend hours up on the Colorado National Monument looking for birds and wildlife, but also enjoying the spectacular views. Being that the Monument is only 4 miles from our home, we still venture over there regularly.
Now, I had always wanted to visit Mt. Evans for the mountain goats and in 2017, I finally got to realize my dream to visit there, actually get up to the top, and see them frolicking around. See, on two previous trips, I was unable to even try due to road closures. They are simply amazing to photograph there … in that thin, cold air too I might add.
In late September/early October, we met up with some friends and visited Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. This year, the leaves didn’t follow the calendar precisely, but when the views are this spectacular … who cares! The Tetons are one of those places that you could just sit and get lost in your senses, sights, thoughts, you name it. 
Of course, the Tetons are also synonymous with wildlife sightings … sometimes your sightings capture the essence of the environment and habitat as well.
The fall colors did finally arrive in mid-October, so off we went to one of my favorite places so far, the San Juan Mountains. The colors and views, as seen from Owl Creek Ridge, were simply breathtaking. 
Nearby to Fruita is Highline Lake State Park, which also cooperated nicely with the fall transitional colors.
Highline Lake SP also offers mountain biking trails, so when my daughter and her hubby came out to see us, they were shown the ropes on the trails by Tom, who totally enjoys the cycling (mountain and road) out here.
Kelli has quite the adventurous spirit, so she took off on random dirt trails and enjoyed the view with her dog, Ridley, looking down upon the Colorado River.
They came back and spent Thanksgiving holidays with us and knew exactly where they wanted to visit. Yep, you guessed it, the San Juan Mountains and the town of Ouray. We took the 4-wheel drive trails and found vast wilderness areas where the dogs could run free and play in snow patches.
It really is so beautiful out in these mountains.
During late November through February or so, the nearby town of Delta hosts thousands of sandhill cranes. It reminded me our days in Fairbanks watching them in huge flocks by Creamers Field. When they fly in, overhead, or when they take off, there’s no mistaking the calls of the sandhill cranes. It’s an instantaneous smile generator for me. 🙂
Of course, that’s not all that congregates in the masses near Delta. Snow geese also arrive, as well as more Canadian geese than you can imagine!
Driving around in the backcountry, you can also find many species of wildlife, such as the mule deer, elk, moose, desert bighorn sheep, black bear, coyote, bobcat, and if you’re really lucky, the elusive mountain lion. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for us in 2018.
In December, we met up with our good friend and headed to Moab, UT, which is just less than 90 minutes away. He showed us phenomenal landscapes, accessed by high clearance 4WD vehicles. The beauty of this area just simply can’t be ignored … and the view go on and on. I know that we will be seeing a lot of Moab, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, and the La Sal Mountains. 🙂
Go about 75 miles in the other direction and you land in Rifle, CO, which is where this triple waterfall can be found.
Then one day, it finally happened, we got SNOW. OK, so it wasn’t the 3-6 inches that we were expecting, but it was SNOW. Later we found out that just a mile or so to the west of us, they got much more than we did. Hopefully, we’ll get it next time. Remember, I’m a Florida girl that loves the snow and cold. I know, let’s see what I think next year. LOL
The winter views at Highline Lake SP were simply breathtaking to me.
Finally Christmas arrived … and I was a bit sad … for it was my first Christmas ever without spending it with my daughter. She was tied up being short staffed at work and couldn’t break away. That’s OK, we’re planning on a Tahoe break with her and her hubby in January.
On a side note, I was quite thrilled when one of my images won 2nd Place in the Defenders of Wildlife Photo Contest (Wild Lands Division) …
… and I found out that one of my other images was honored with being the cover image for the 2017-2018 16-month calendar for Defenders of Wildlife also. They do some amazing work, so I was quite pleased.
Well, that pretty much does it for 2017. That being said, I bid adieu to 2017. It was a rollercoaster year for sure, but one that blazes the trail for an exciting ride ahead. Remember, with each new year, is a new chapter to be written by you … make it a good one! From all of us to you, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Next Up: Close to home
After not immediately finding a barn owl, we decided to explore the nearby waters. Amost immediately a tern made a splashdown on the surface.
It then proceeded to fly away to the other side … guess it was something that we said, perhaps.
It was a community of stilts and they were in the water, on the shore, and in the air. Many of them were going about gathering up their young. 
I have always loved the black-necked stilts. I find them quite elegant in their stature and in their movements and as parents, they are top notch. Love the red eye on this female.
As I mentioned, they were quite active.
Their young were foraging about in the shallows of the water, quite independently I might add. Such little fluff balls for sure. 🙂 And check out those long feet!
Sometimes they were congregated together … all set up in a row.
We even found a few out in the grasses.
Along the gravel road, as we traveled about, we came across what turned out to be common nighthawks. From far away, we couldn’t tell what they were, but upon closer inspection, it was easily identifiable. Such a beautiful bird and one that I had never photographed before, I was quite thrilled with this encounter.
A few of them stayed on the roadside, but others flew erratically about, darting around us and eventually returning to the original spot. I’m not sure, but I think that they had a few young ones with them, which possibly weren’t as skilled in their flight.
Tom has always seen many of these on some of the “hills” of south Florida when he would fly his RC gliders, but not me. I read a bit about them and one of the things that I found most fascinating is that they have been known to consume as many as 500 mosquitoes in a single day! I say, let’s have lots of these birds around … not being a fan of mosquitoes myself.
So by now, many of you might be wondering … did you ever find the barn owls? Of course we did! And of course, this was mainly the view that I was afforded … LOL. I was amazed at their size when spotted so close up.
At one point, we spotted a hawk up in a tree (red-shouldered, I believe) as it scouted around for its next meal. I love the look of intensity in its eye … combined with that sharp beak … you know that it means business.
It eventually found its way to the top of the tree, and flew away after some prey.
Upon closer inspection … Look who else was in the tree …. another beautiful barn owl! I wonder if the hawk knew that the owl was there. I think that the owl knew because the owl kept its eye on the hawk until its departure. 
So in the end, yes, I did in fact get my barn owls, amongst other birds and even that bobcat sighting. As fascinating as all of that, it was really the presence of my dear friends that made the day most special. Thanks so much to Annette, Connie, Donnie, Ivan, and Rob for being part of Tom and I having such a wonderful day out in Belle Glade. Thanks to Rob for taking our commemorative shot … especially with the bonus barn owl in the shed window ;-). Great day, fun times, amazing friends. Until we all meet again.
Funny story too … and true one … is that when we gathered for the group shot, we wanted it to be in the shade since it was so hot and humid. There was this giant tree to our left side and we thought that it would be a perfect spot for an owl to hang out and so we inspected it for a few moments. No owl … or so we thought. In fact, a barn owl flew out of the tree as we were setting up for this shot! I think he wanted to say goodbye to me too. ❤
But before long, even this green heron couple sees the fruits of their efforts in courtship, nest building, mating, incubating and protecting … as finally their babies hatch successfully and emerge for all of us to see.
OK, so most birds are quite ugly (by normal standards) when they’re first emerged and yes, they go through that awkward stage as they grow up. However, these little ones are so absolutely adorable (at least to me).
All of those downy feathers, peach fuzz, and those faces … LOL
Before long however, they will become competitive for their parents attention and more importantly their food. Such cuteness though. 
This parent-to-be black-necked stilt sits down on 4 eggs which are just waiting their own special introduction to the world.
It must not be far away either … judging with how many times the parents got up and turned those speckled eggs frantically. Such amazing parents, the black-necked stilts take turns tending to the nest, which is out in the open and made up of twigs, sticks, and small branches on the ground.
They are such protective parents when before and after their young are born … always patrolling the shoreline for potential threats like alligators.
Alas, the four little ones are introduced to the world, or more specifically the wetlands. From birth, the little ones are expected to forage for themselves, so off they go.
For protection, and I would expect for companionship, they tend to congregate together.
When threats enter the area, they get a quick escort out of harms way. I find it so funny how such a small, dainty-like bird can command so much respect to make a great blue heron fly away.
After a few days, they begin to venture further away in their search for food. They also have almost doubled their size. Their cuteness factor doubled too. 🙂
When they are ready for a rest, they run over to their mom and insert themselves into her underbelly feathers. It’s funny to look at because all that you can see is their little legs hanging down.
Looks like this “teenager” tri-colored heron just noticed its parent flying in nearby. That usually means food.
I give all of the credit in the world to these poor parents when it comes to feeding their offspring. They run over and literally grab the parents beak … and neck … and face … in their attempt to get food NOW! 
It’s not just the tri-colored herons, it’s almost all of the birds too, as evidenced by this great egret. If I was a bird parent and my “children” treated me like that, I’m not sure I could keep going back! LOL
Of course when they return without food, the young ones just become loud and very alert … like these young cattle egret.
Then there’s the sweet ducklings and this parent looks to have more than she can handle. They’re generally community nesters, so perhaps she’s taking others out for a swim as well. 
Such is the life in the wetlands during breeding season. Another year, another brood. Lots of memories and of course … lots of babies.
This little owlet was one of their babies (of 2) and as you can clearly see, it possessed those traditional yellow eyes, as did its sibling. These owls run a tidy ship and are frequently clearing out the opening to the burrow … sending lots of sand into the face and eyes of an onlooker.
Even with just 2 babies, one is almost always clearly braver, or more inquisitive, than the other. Before long, you know exactly which one you’re dealing with.
Owls are predators and possess sharp pointed beaks and claws, along with feet that are quite strong. Some are better hunters than others and it isn’t long before the little ones try to join in one the fun.
The first feathers of the young owlets begin to be overtaken by more mature ones.
While the feathers change, those big bright eyes never do. 🙂 Wonder what it’s so intent on spying in the air? Let’s see….
So it’s a hawk flying overhead and I as well get nervous. Though I’ve seen it (and hope that I never will), they have been known to swoop on it and grab young birds, including these owlets. Usually the parents are quite aware and send an instantaneous alert for everyone to go into the burrow.
Owls can be fascinating to observe and I’ve spent many mornings or afternoons (or both) with them. I just love it when the ruffle up their feathers … usually preceded or proceeded by a bow and a poop.
By far, a favorite time of mine is when the little ones first discover their feet and claws. You can literally see their wheels turning as they investigate them … they pick them up, open them, close them, sometimes even turn them upside down and eventually put them down again. Often, they do it repeatedly. Reminds me of our own young when they discover their toes. 🙂
Feeding ones mate and the hungry family is a never-ending task. Crickets or beetles are often consumed.
Sometimes frogs are on the daily assortment and this one was obviously caught earlier and cached for the right moment.
Lizards aren’t safe from them either. Often the male will taken them into the burrow for its mate, even if there are no babies apparent yet. Young ones don’t emerge from the burrow for at least 10 days, so it might be that she’s attending to them … or the eggs.
Super special is when they’re both up and they transfer the delicacy from one to the other. It reminds me of a Lady and the Tramp moment … only with a frog instead of a strand of spaghetti. 🙂
I think that owls get bored easily … for sometimes they just declare “war” on anything they can get their claws on.
At this particular site, there are others present, like these resident monk parakeets. They’re quite beautiful and noisy when they fly by. This one was busy grabbing twigs to reinforce or build its nest.
Sometimes people want to know which are the babies versus the adults. Of course, when they’re both out, it’s generally easy to ID them by size. However, there’s another dead giveaway … well except for those “hair plug” head feathers. If you notice the adult (in the back) had a pattern to its feathers throughout its belly, while the baby doesn’t have the striations yet. I call this the Kahlua look (OK, maybe that’s too much info … LOL).
These young owlets are nothing if not curious … and they display all sorts of head angles when they’re trying to figure something out.
Of course, the family unit shot is highly desired, but just like our own group shots, it’s difficult to get them all cooperate at the same time … let alone smile. 🙂
When the kids are safe in the burrow, the parents take a few moments for themselves with some mutual grooming and “canoodling” (OK, so I guess that’s a made up word).
Not sure what was going on here, but this male must have been in trouble and offering some sort of peace offering to its mate. “OK, will you forgive me if I share this mouse with you?”
“If not, I’ll just eat it myself”.
From an early age the owlets learn to recognize threats from above.
This time, a red-tailed hawk. 
No worry though from this parent … no alarm call for cover … just a stare down. I wonder why?
Owls have much better eyesight than humans and upon careful inspection in the viewfinder, I see why. See, this red-tailed hawk already has snatched a poor unfortunate baby bird for its dinner. (OK, I secretly hate this side of nature, but hawks have to eat too.)
So the socializing above the burrow continues. Dad soon takes flight not far from where I was photographing and I wondered why.
I noticed that before long it flew, with great difficulty, back to the burrow. Then I saw it … it had a bird of its own. To this day, I’ve never seen one with a bird before. I guess owls have to eat too. (no, not again) 
So my next favorite time with these young owlets is when they learn to use their wings to make short flights around the burrow. This one was quite happy and worked hard to impress its sibling and dad.
“Look what I can do!”
Meanwhile at another burrow, the youngs ones were just beginning to emerge. This time, both parents were yellow-eyed and the babies ran the gambit of eye color. There was some discrepancy about this burrow too, as some say the pair might have changed after the new ones were hatched.
So, that’s this installment of the burrowing owls of south Florida for 2017. Lots more images to share, so stay tuned. I mean, how could you not with these eyes? 🙂
Next up: A return to the wetlands
Of course, I anxiously await the arrival of the the year’s newest batch of adorable owlets, but in the meanwhile there’s always lots of feeding going on, since the owl moms spend lots of time in the burrows at this time, taking care of the eggs or newly hatched babies. That means “special delivery” of food by the male parent. 
Dining options vary from mice, rats, frogs, lizards, caterpillars, beetles, worms, and even baby birds. 
These burrowing owls possess powerful feet, sharp claws, and piercing beaks that all prove useful in securing and devouring their prey.
After some time, the days of “on patrol” visiting prove worth it, as we get our first glimpse of one of the newborn owlets. Actually, at this point the owlets are about 10-14 days old when they first emerge out of the burrow. As much of a thrill it is for me to see them, can you imagine how amazed they are when they get their first glimpse of their new world outside the confines of the burrow? The word bewildered comes to mind when I observe their expressions.
Whenever one of the owlets are near the entrance to the burrow, the parents are on patrol and ready to send out an alarm when needed in order to insure their safety.
They remain on duty no matter the weather … sunshine or rain … and they stay vigilent.
As fascinating as the owls are in general, I find them most interesting when they’re wet … the textures of their feathers are so interesting to me. One of the most intriguing things I find with these owls, as with all species of owls, are their eyes. Whether yellow, brown, or believe it or not even a mix of the two (yes, I have seen that!), their eyes captivate me and I find it hard to disengage my stare.
Of course, there’s more feeding going on all of the time. This year, one particular burrow male was quite the productive hunter. During dusk and dawn, as well as the darkness of the night, this little guy was relentless in his stalking of its prey. Most times, he would cache his food for the next day and methodically retrieve it as needed.
Little bugs go down easy, but sometimes dinner is more of a challenge to get down the hatch. I suppose he knows nothing about the whereabouts of that frog. Nothing like a “frog leg mustache”. LOL
Once he would get his fill, he would then march on over to his mate, in the burrow. Sometimes, she would meet him at the entrance and grab the delicacy and return to the burrow … other times he would descend into the burrow with it … and even other times they would dine together above ground.
In the spring, rain showers are often present in the afternoons, and I would get lots of rained upon owls (to my delight … though I don’t think this owl was too pleased).
Often they would shake off the excess water from their feathers which was always fun to photograph them get all fluffed up.
They would then try to dry off their feathers as well by grooming … showing off their ability to twist their neck into many directions and angles.
The loving burrowing owls often exhibit their love via mutual grooming and what I can only describe as “canoodling”.
Eventually 2 very young owlets emerged … both in their “hair plug” stage … so very curious about EVERYTHING in their new world and soaking it all up.
When there are owlets, there must be food provided to them … this time some grubs for the young ….
…. while the parents would share an unfortunate frog.
Of course, the affection was also shared with the baby owls as well. That being said, this little owlet couldn’t take his eyes off the lens of the camera. LOL
Well, that is until it was being offered some food. It’s amazing how they get around on their wobbly legs. Such a thrill to witness them growing up before your eyes.
Like I said … there was never a shortage of food this year. This owl had a worm longer than he was!
The relationship between the adults and their babies are close knit, loving, and patient, and the young owlets love nothing more than to be in the shadow of one of their parents, knowing full well they would be protected from harm.
I spent a lot of time with the burrowing owls in 2017, so be prepared for lots of images shared. I mean, how could I not with adorable looks like this one? Come on now … doesn’t it look like it’s smiling? ❤
Next up: Let’s not forget about Colorado 🙂
As they pulled out to start their journey, I had no idea of what would lie ahead, but I knew that it would be an adventure of a lifetime. :-O
See, though many thought that Tom had the hard job, with the drive and all, but I had the task of flying out with my mom and step-dad … oh, and an outdoor cat we inherited years before whom had never been put in any situation close to this one. The only thing is that the veteranian gave me tranquilizers for him … but what would keep me sane, I wondered.
Alas though, we all made it out there and the reward were things like this view out of our backyard in Fruita.
Fruita, CO is a small town, outside of Grand Junction, CO, which in itself is a small town. Fruita has an avid cyclist community, so it’s easy to see why Tom was rooting for settling down there. It wasn’t long before Tom set out on his inaugural ride, with mountain biking being the most popular, but also lots of safe roads for road cycling as well.
Of course, for me, I just couldn’t wait to get myself up on the Monument, though to my surprise, it POURED when we visited for our first trip up. It was fascinating to see the usually dry and arid landscape, all washed up in a heavy downpour, with the resulting “mud falls”.
This home is set on an acre of land and irrigation waters, so that meant a lot of yard for Tom to mow. It wasn’t long before he found himself a new toy … the riding lawn mower.
After which he wasted no time catching a quick snooze in his hammock (a Father’s Day gift from Kelli and Mitchell) set up under the shade of the pergola.
For the first few weeks, I struggled immensely with the lack of office furniture out here, so after an eternity of complaining, Tom improvised one for me. LOL Actually, it did the trick!
More trips to the Colorado National Monument followed every so often, to break up the monotony of the endless unpacking. I mean, with views like this, how could you get sick of it … or not feel rejuvenated.
Our first visitor to Fruita was our son-in-law, Mitchell, who was nearby in Denver for a work seminar on the business of making spirits and distilleries. Tough, huh?
They were able to get some mountain biking in on some of the amazing trails nearby. I on the other hand, got a break from unpacking, though shhhh … don’t tell Tom. 😉
YIKES! If I didn’t know better, I would swear that gremlins would come in at night and regenerate boxes and boxes to unpack! I’m not sure we’ll ever get through all of them.
My mom and her husband just love being outdoors in the sunshine and adore the views of the mountains and Monument in the distance. Not sure how my step-dad will enjoy it when the winter rolls in though. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.
I celebrated my birthday since I last blogged … and it was a bittersweet one. My daughter brightened my day though with these fabulous flowers.
After about a month or so, it was time to head back to Florida. First though, we had some unfinished business with some mountain goats on Mt. Evans. See, 2 years ago when I visited the road was closed due to road repairs and I couldn’t see the mountain goats I had yearned after for so long. This time, I conquered that item off my Bucket List. More on that to come.
Once home, we were taking care of business, as they say, when all of a sudden we learned of an unexpected, and uninvited visitor. Her name was Irma and she was packing quite the fury. Of course, I’m referring to Hurricane Irma, a Cat 5 hurricane that had it’s sights on south Florida … and the entire state of Florida. Before long, I boarded a flight on out of there and Tom loaded up yet another Penske (16 footer this time) and began to head out as well.
Tom’s journey back to Colorado was supposed to be a “solo” affair, but it seemed like 6.3 million other Floridians were on an evacuation plan of their own. If anyone knows Florida well, you know that there are generally only 3 ways out … I-95, the Florida Turnpike, or I-75. Everyone was in “frenzy” mode too and supplies and gas was getting short in supply. Then, the unthinkable happened … I got a call at 2:30 am in the morning, that the Penske had broken down in the middle of BFE. The differential had froze, pieces flew out, and by the time Tom got the truck pulled over and stopped, the drive train was hanging on and dragging on the ground! Thankfully no one was struck by the flying shards of metal … and that Tom was safe as well. Tom had to sit on the side of a highway, in the middle of the night, and wait almost 8 hours until he was on the road again. What an ordeal!
So that’s what my life has been like lately … and why the blog is so late … and why it wasn’t about burrowing owls, as indicated earlier. Rest assured, burrowing owls (lots of them) will be coming to the blog … and lots more too, so stay tuned. As I said, it’s been a crazy ride and quite the adventure. But then again … isn’t that what makes life so interesting? LOL
Next Up: Let’s try again for some Burrowing Owls
TNWA Photography 