Northern Saw-Whet Owl
Two days after returning home to Connecticut from my owl excursion in northern Minnesota, my high school friend Pete and his young son Jackson texted because they noticed something unusual while shopping for their Christmas tree. Deep inside one of the trees they were considering, Jackson spotted two yellow eyes staring back at him. They sent an iPhone pic and I knew immediately it was a northern saw-whet owl, the smallest species we get around here (about 7 inches tall). I also knew that if left alone, it would likely be roosting in that same spot for at least the remainder of the day — they are strictly nocturnal — so I drove the thirty minutes to meet them. The sun was shining bright when I arrived and the wind was moving the branches around so I found a position where I could see through to the owl’s face, set my camera to expose for the bright spot, and waited for it to hit the open eye. I returned a few hours later when the sun was setting to get a few shots in even light, but ended up liking this one best. I’ll post a few of the others soon. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/100th of a second.
I presume they didn’t buy that particular tree! Or did they? Knowing Pete, he may have fancied the idea of the owl in the Christmas tree! Beautiful eye!
No, of course not. They alerted the owners who quickly tagged the tree with an off-limits ribbon. Jackson became a minor celebrity for spotting the very difficult-to-see owl.
Great story, thanks for sharing. You caught it winking.
I love these little guys so much. They have the sweetest faces of all the owls 😀
It’s really great to have spotters who are willing to send alerts to wildlife photographers when they happen to notice animals in the area. Kudos to you for dropping everything & springing into action, Sean. This photo is marvelous. You caught the one feature of the owl that saved the day!
PS: I have often mused that birds, butterflies, dragonflies, cones, fruit, flowers, berries & the like were the original Christmas tree ornaments. Your saw-whet owl certainly qualifies. In fact, it is an elegant sufficient ornament!
This photo was worth every mile, every effort to get it right, AND your little buddy cooperated with a wink! This photo is what I call a “keeper” — one of the best of the best. Thanks for the effort to get it, and to your friends who let you in on his whereabouts!