Gone Birdin'

July 2, 2024

1. The Elf Owl. My friend Emmie and I set up wildlife cameras to monitor Desert Purple Martins and accidentally captured footage of an Elf Owl visiting its nest in a saguaro cactus. They’re the smallest owl species in North America, and are mostly insectivorous.

I’ve been told their favorite prey-items are scorpions 🦂. Vicious…

2. The Whiskered Screech-Owl. Richard Fray took my sister and I night-birding in Madera Canyon for my birthday in July. We encountered a group of Whiskered Screech-Owls and froze. To encompass the moment in a word: beauty.

3. The Burrowing Owl. Yet another day of owling brought a big ol’ colony of Burrowing Owls. I kept my eyes peeled for these while I lived in San Diego but never did see one. Indeed, they were even more miniature in person than I imagined.

Want the latest? Subscribe for notifications!