Northern Pygmy-owl

Talk about being on a natural high right now!!! Though we had already seen one of these tiny, popcan-sized owls in Fish Creek Park on two occasions this fall, today was the first time to get a better look at it. This is a heavily cropped image, by the way! Rare to uncommon in Calgary, they have been seen in this park the last few years. I think it was three (?) winters ago, 3-4 of these tiny owls provided birders and photographers with many hours of pure delight and awe : ) They are such attractive little guys. A short while earlier, I was with friends and had seen this owl swoop down and catch a little Meadow Vole for lunch, hence its blood-stained beak. I'll have to check my photos and see if I managed to get a shot of this that is fit to be posted, ha. On our walk back to the parking lot, I couldn't stand it any longer - I just HAD to go back to the location to see if the owl was still there, LOL. That's when I got this shot. By the way, I did "remove" a very thin twig that just overlapped the owl's side. There is nothing that could compare to a natural high like this!! I've been SO lucky this week, what with the rare Long-eared Owl on 7th November and now today's little owl.

"This tiny owl of western North America may be found in the southern boreal forest and adjacent foothills and mountains of west-central Alberta. Heavy coniferous forests or mixed forests dominated by conifers where there are nearby meadows or other clearings are the preferred habitat for this diminutive owl.

Primarily a daytime feeder, this fierce little owl will take prey much larger than itself, including many birds and rodents.

A pair of Northern Pygmy-Owls seeks out an abandoned hairy woodpecker or flicker cavity in which to lay their three to six white eggs. After a 28-day incubation, the owlets spend another 27 or 28 days in the nest cavity before they are ready for their first flight." From talkaboutwildlife. There are also four of my older photos of a Northern Pygmy-owl on the talkaboutwildlife page.

talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=164