Some winters, I hardly see even one Pygmy Owl. This year, I cannot stop seeing them. We saw three different ones in a short time yesterday.
It gave me the opportunity to try photographing one in flight.
As daytime hunters, Pygmy Owls have sharp vision for locating prey. So they can obviously see humans wandering nearby. The Pygmy Owl certainly knew we were watching it, but as we were neither a suitable predator nor prey, it just seemed to ignore us.
Of course, while it will always fly off to snare prey, it would often time its departure for when we looked away or had gone. It is as if it wanted to hide its next location from observers. So, photographing one flying was a problem.
There were many pictures of owls sitting and hunting, but only one so-so shot of an owl flying off. Ah well.
Here is one of the Pygmy Owls when it was hunting.
It flew off rapidly, but for less that a second, it was still sort of in focus (and still watching).
We’ve seen several as well. Great flight capture.
Yes, I have seen 3 so far this winter.
Alistair,
Any picture of a Pygmy Owl doing anything at all is a delight, to me.
Thanks.
I agree with B. They are amazing little birds, and so cute yet so lethal! Wonderful flight shot!
I hear them calling to their mates around the end of January, beginning of February. This is their breeding season. I go out onto my back deck at midnight, and I hear this hooot-hoot-hoot, very fast. That’s their call for mates. Love these fierce little birds.
Sharman
Good pics! Hoot Hoot for you! Look at those eyes! Wow!
I am just back from Kaslo..for the first time I got to see The Great Grey Owl that has been hanging out at the Aldinger`s field, beside the Back Road junction. It was sitting on the low telephone line..watching one area below it intently..then it lifted and swooped..action was in the ditch off the highway..I wasn`t able to see it after that.
Happy New Year…looking forward to your 2025 Blogs!
Allan
Woodbury Village
Great pictures