Short-eared Owl

Five of us had such a great day on 21 July 2013, when we went on a birding trip to Bow Valley Provincial Park, W of Calgary. It turned out that people from the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge, had brought several of their bird Ambassadors, including this beautiful Short-eared Owl, for an exhibit that day, so we were treated to seeing these birds much closer than we would see most of them in the wild. Never fails to amaze me what wonderful, fine feathers birds have when you see them up close.

"Hoover Jr. was found in Tilley, Alberta, as an orphaned owlet when he was only a few weeks old. Hand-raised by staff, Hoover Jr. is now an educational ambassador for his species. He was hatched in June 2010. Short-eared Owls are named for their tiny feather tufts, which may look like ears, but actually serve no purpose with hearing." From a sign at the exhibit.

People are seeing and photographing Short-eared Owls outside the city, and I'd love to see another one in the wild. Have seen maybe three during the last few years, but from a huge distance or, as was the case with the pair I last saw, when it was dark and useless for a decent photo. Once Christmas and Bird Counts are out of the way, maybe I'll get out for a drive in January, depending on the weather.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-eared_Owl

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Short-eared_Owl/id