Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: no ear tufts

Not a new, recent sighting! Perhaps not the best angle photographically, but it is so rare for me to have the chance to see and take photos of a tiny NorthernSaw-whet Owl, that I thought I would add this one to my Birds of Alberta set. Taken on January 26, at Carburn Park. Had my camera fully zoomed for this one : ) Just love those facial feathers. Most of the time, it was asleep, but it did open its eyes briefly a couple of times. This tiny owl hasn't been seen for weeks now - I wonder if it's stil in the area and just wisely hiding from all the endless photographers.

This tiny Northern Saw-whet Owl only opened its eyes for a few seconds a couple of times. The rest of the time, it was asleep. Photographed in Carburn Park on January 28th. Winter has returned once more, with a thin layer of snow early this morning. Adults are 17–22 cm (6.7–8.7 in) long with a 42–56.3 cm (17–22.2 in) wingspan. They can weigh from 54 to 151 g (1.9 to 5.3 oz) with an average of around 80 g (2.8 oz), making them one of the smallest owls in North America. In relative size to other birds they are close to the size of an American Robin. "A small owl of all types of woodlands, the Northern Saw-whet Owl can be found roosting in winter in small, dense conifer trees, sometimes even in parks and gardens. Its defense upon discovery is to sit still and not fly, leading people to perceive them as "tame." From AllAboutBirds. After an online "Critter Vote", the Saw-whet Owl became the new star of Telus' mobility campaign in the summer of 2011." Some of you may have seen this very cute TV commercial : ) youtu.be/GaeFUeusM7w www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl/id/ac en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl

When a phone call came just before 1:00 p.m. yesterday, letting me know that this owl had been found in Carburn Park, I was sitting at my computer, still not dressed and no breakfast! I don't think I've ever got ready so fast in my life (slight exaggeration!), my heart beating so quickly : ) What an absolute thrill to set eyes on this tiny owl, so perfect - and perched amongst a mass of tiny branches, immediately above the trail. With a bit of manoeuvering, I was able to get zoomed shots without the branches, but with more distant shots that was not possible. Love the fine feathers on its face. Three of us were also privileged to watch a huge pellet being thrown up. The owl was sitting in almost the same site where one was first found in the year 2000 and again in 2005. If it is the same bird, it is at least 12.5 yrs old. Before I found the owl location, I came acoss two or three White-tailed Deer on a nearby trail through the trees, including a beautiful buck (will post a photo maybe tomorrow). As if all this wasn't enough for one afternoon, I noticed a Jack Rabbit in its white winter coat, sitting on the grass outside my place when I got out of my car. S/he just sat there and let me take quite a few shots, which was great. "Adults Saw-whets are 17–22 cm (6.7–8.7 in) long with a 42–56.3 cm (17–22.2 in) wingspan. They can weigh from 54 to 151 g (1.9 to 5.3 oz) with an average of around 80 g (2.8 oz), making them one of the smallest owls in North America. In relative size to other birds they are close to the size of an American Robin. After an online "Critter Vote", the Saw-whet Owl became the new star of Telus' mobility campaign in the summer of 2011." Some of you may have seen this very cute TV commercial : ) youtu.be/GaeFUeusM7w www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl/id/ac en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl I have to stay home today and wait for an inspector from the city to come and check the installation of my new heating furnace. The Government is offering a rebate at the moment and an inspection has to be made first.

A more distant shot of the tiny Northern Saw-whet Owl seen in Carburn Park. He's very well-camouflaged against the huge, broken branch, but the tangle of small branches around him are not too photogenic : ) Very difficult to photograph, as it barely moves hour after hour, so most photos tend to look the same!

Horribly blurry, but thought I'd post it anyway, as not everyone gets the chance to witness a tiny Northern Saw-whet Owl coughing up an enormous pellet! Not sure if the owl's movement caused the blurriness - or maybe it was because I was so excited that this was happening, that I didn't keep the camera steady : ) Photographed at Carburn Park on January 26th. Size: Length 17 to 21.9cm (6.7-8.6") Wingspan 45.9 to 56.3cm (18.1-22.2"). Weight 75-110g (2.6-3.9oz) - Females are slightly larger than males. "A pellet, in ornithology, is the mass of undigested parts of a bird's food that some bird species occasionally regurgitate. The contents of a bird's pellet depend on its diet, but can include the exoskeletons of insects, indigestible plant matter, bones, fur, feathers, bills, claws, and teeth. In falconry, the pellet is called a casting. The passing of pellets allows a bird to remove indigestible material from its proventriculus, or glandular stomach. In birds of prey, the regurgitation of pellets serves the bird's health in another way, by "scouring" parts of the digestive tract, including the gullet. Pellets are formed within six to ten hours of a meal in the bird's gizzard (muscular stomach)." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellet_ (ornithology)

I LOVE owls - but for some reason, the Barn Owl freaks me out, LOL! Just something about its face. Maybe it says the same about me, ha, ha! This Barn Owl resides at the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre for injured birds, about 10 minutes past Lethbridge in southern Alberta. Takes just over two hours to drive there. We don't get Barn Owls in the wild here, so it is a great chance to see them down at the Coaldale centre.