This past week, we managed to see and photograph short-eared owls in Abbotsford and Skagit County Washington. I have seen short-eared owls in Alberta, Newfoundland, BC, Washington, Ontario, Indiana and Kentucky. This has prompted a retrospective review of short-eared owl photographs I have taken. The first one, taken in Indiana has been viewed on line some 13 million times and downloaded more than 140 thousand times. (I used to post photos on a photo sharing site, Unsplash, but no longer do so after it was taken over by Getty Photographs and they changed their policies.)
Taken at the Somerville Mine in Indiana in 2017. The owl was hunting over reclaimed strip mining leases.Taken in Abbotsford this past week. I had been driving around trying to spot an owl when I noticed motion at the side of the road. This owl perched on a fence post beside the car.Another photo taken from the Somerville Mine in Southern Indiana, 2016.Short-eared owl at Boundary Bay, 2020. Not the greatest owl picture but a great backdrop!Generally in Indiana, you could only see short-eared owls at dusk. The exception was on cold snowy days, when the owls had to work harder to find rodents. At the sea shore in Delta, the owl activity is often influenced by the tides, so often it is possible to find owls in broad daylight. This photo was taken in Delta in 2020.This owl is protecting its catch. Taken in 2020 in Delta.Evening hunt in Delta. taken in 2022.Evening hunt in Delta in 2023.Short-eared owls squabble amongst themselves and with northern harriers with which they compete for rodents. 2023Short-eared owl chasing a northern harrier. 2023.Diving for a rodent. 2023Owl with the prize. 2023Short-eared owl in Abbotsford. 2024
