![\"Giving](\"http:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/burrowing-owl-1042.jpg\" "\\"Giving")
<\/a><\/p>\nGiving the photographer a suspicious look<\/em><\/p>\n It’s difficult to resist being anthropomorphic (ascribing human emotion or motivation to non-human species) when it comes to Burrowing Owls so I won’t even try.\u00a0 This juvenile looks very suspicious of me but in reality I suspect that it was only curious.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0Wing-stretch with lifted foot, or “They went that-a-way!”<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Juveniles\u00a0practice their parallax skills regularly.\u00a0 It involves bobbing and twisting their heads so their eyes can view an object (in this case me) from different positions.\u00a0 This allows them\u00a0to better determine distance to that object.\u00a0\u00a0 I’m sure it’s serious business for the owls but to us it can sure look silly.\u00a0 And adorable.<\/p>\n \u00a0Reaction to sudden and unexpected rain<\/em><\/p>\n One sunny and hot August morning I was photographing a pair of juveniles when a single cloud passed overhead and it started to rain.\u00a0 The reaction of these birds to the sudden raindrops was simply hilarious to watch.\u00a0 At first they looked up in seeming surprise as if to say “Whoa, what was that?”\u00a0 Then they spread their wings\u00a0to apparently enjoy their cool, brief shower.\u00a0 The second juvenile is just out of frame to the left.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0Ecstasy\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Then the birds seemed to go into ecstasy over the rain.\u00a0 They crouched down on the perch, spread their\u00a0wings and tails, lowered their heads, closed their eyes and literally trembled and shook.\u00a0 I suspect it was just bathing instinct taking over but it sure looked like more than that and was very entertaining to watch.\u00a0 I love this look at the long “eyelashes” and interesting eyelids.<\/p>\n You never know what interesting or appealing pose you may catch a Burrowing Owl in while it’s preening (grooming).\u00a0 It usually happens very fast and I often don’t even know what I’ve captured until I get home and review the images.\u00a0 \u00a0Sometimes there’s a pleasant surprise, as in this image.<\/p>\n One legged wing stretch<\/em><\/p>\n Juveniles do a lot of stretching – some of it very creative.<\/p>\n \u00a0 Sibling contrasts\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The youngster on the right could\u00a0 barely stay awake.\u00a0 I must have bored him\/her.\u00a0 Its sibling was fascinated by me however.<\/p>\n \u00a0 It’s only a yawn\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n While this bird may look threatening, even angry, in reality it was simply overcome by a yawn as it was checking me out from close range.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0This image has some flaws but I’ve always liked it anyway.<\/p>\n \u00a0 The weirdest pose of all<\/em><\/p>\n The image above is obviously not a quality shot as I had very harsh light but I decided to include it here anyway because this is the strangest pose I’ve seen from a Burrowing Owl.\u00a0 This bird literally sat down on its rump with its tail\u00a0hanging down behind the perch and parallaxed me for quite a while.\u00a0 It makes me smile every time I see this image and remember this endearing bird.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>Topsy \u00a0turvy owl<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0Grooming pose<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n