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I found “him” along the causeway to Antelope Island almost exactly seven years ago, on January 28, 2013. There was about 6″ of fresh snow on the ground so he was much easier to spot than usual. He was perched on rabbitbrush and “stickier” than usual, most likely because of the cold and snow. The background is the snow-covered mud flats of the Great Salt Lake so all of these images are very high key<\/a> which appeals to some but not to others.<\/p>\n Very soon after I got my lens on him he looked up at what must have been another bird flying overhead but I didn’t see it. It almost looks like he’s slyly checking me out but owls can’t move their eyes in their heads so he must have been looking upward.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was extremely alert. He looked horizontally in every direction imaginable with that typical jerky movement of their heads. He looked to his left…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n to his right…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n and occasionally directly at me. After all, there’s no question that I’m a suspicious looking character.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then as he became more relaxed in my presence he repeated the process but this time he was looking downward as he surveyed the snow covered ground around him. I’d say he’s now switched from wary mode to hunting mode. He looked left…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n and right and in all other directions but most of the time I couldn’t see his eyes well so I didn’t include any of those photos. He hunted from the rabbitbrush without success so eventually he flew off.<\/p>\n I rarely see Short-eared Owls in winter and almost never on or near the island so this was a memorable experience for me. Shorties are nomadic by nature and only a partial migrant but some are present year round at mid-latitudes so you never know where you’ll find them from year to year. Here in northern Utah we’re the border of their winter range and where they’re found year round so in winter especially they’re always hit or miss (mostly miss).<\/p>\n During breeding season around here they’re what I call a boom or bust species because of their nomadic nature. Some years in certain regions they\u00a0 seem to be almost everywhere while they’re breeding but in following years there’s nary a shorty to be found in the same area.<\/p>\n For bird photographers and birders alike they’re a challenging species.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This was one inquisitive owl.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/short-eared-owl-5656b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"short-eared-owl-5656b-ron-dudley\\"")
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