Tell me a Story: February 7, 2020: Burrowing Owls

Burrowing Owls are the cutest little feathery critters that I have had a close up encounter with.  Every so often I will take a drive down to the reclaimed garbage dump that was turned into a park.  Fortunately it does not smell anymore.  This park seems to be the home for the largest community of Burrowing Owls that I have found in the south.

While it may look like I am up close and personal with the owls and maybe even in their space, I am truly not.  Each owl burrow has fencing around it, preventing you from encroaching on the owls space.  My trusty zoom lens (which is not so trusty anymore) is the best way to get close to these tiny owls.

The owls are on constant look out for predators, so while they are watching me they are also watching the sky.  They typically do not go to far from their burrow.

This little one above popped out of it’s burrow to see what I was doing.  Often they will shoot into their burrow as you approach and then curiosity gets the better of them and they will pop back out again.  I typically lie down flat on the grass and just try to keep as still as possible.

The burrows can house quite a few owls.  The most I have counted has been six.  Today this lot had 3.

This burrow actually had 5 owls.  At least one of them is keeping an eye on you at all times.

Often you will find an owl having a sand bath.  It helps to keep the mites down.  It amazes me how the owl blends with the surrounding area.  It’s really helpful when it comes to hiding from predator birds.

This little owlet was just a ball of fluff out in the sand.  They are cuteness personified and I love taking the time to go down and visit with them.  It does help that the South African shop is down there and I can stop by and stock up on the goodies I miss from home.

Thank you for joining me this month as we spend time sharing another day in our lives.  This is a circle blog.  Take some time to view what the other artists have for you this month. My friend Mindy is up next and I can’t wait to read what she has to share.