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Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
45.801, -122.763
Field Notes
Description:
Large round head, blackish eye-ring, yellow eyes, complex, buff marbling on upperparts, short ear tufts, fine dark streaks on breast, whitish buff underparts, black wing tips underneath, narrow dark bar under wings, otherwise, whitish under wings.
Habitat:
Prairies, grasslands, tundra, fields, and marshes, across northern North America.
Notes:
I visited the Ridgefield NWR today, Oct. 26, 2011, and was parked in front of Rest Lake shooting a female harrier that was flying around over the lake. I then noticed another bird flying in the vicinity of the harrier, circling over the ducks and geese. It was quite far out there and I couldn't ID it, even through the viewfinder. I took a few seconds of burst shots then the bird left the area and flew south. At first I thought it might be a male harrier because of the black wingtips but its wing cadence was distinctly slower than that of the female harrier that was also in the area. When I got home, I processed these HEAVY CROPS and realized then I had a Short-eared Owl. This is my 2nd SEO that I've seen and photographed in my five years of shooting at the refuge. This bird is listed on the refuge Bird Sighting List as Occasional during Dec - Feb.
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