Whiskered Screech Owl IIShoot Date: February 1, 2019
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Aperture priority ¹⁄₁₀₀ sec at f/6.3 ‒ ²⁄₃ EV
Lens: TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 @ 483 mm
ISO: 400

I don't know many things better than getting a text message from a friend sharing that they are on an owl. Except maybe if it is a life Owl!  

How she found this Whiskered Screech Owl is beyond me. Perched nonchalantly deep in the brush, about a foot of the ground, this five-inch bird was camouflaged perfectly.  Even after knowing where it was when I moved to find a clear shot I lost it and had to go back to my original spot to mark it again. 

If you look closely (I suggest full screen) at this image, you can see the telltale filamented feathers that give the Owl its name.  In the United States, it is found in the high altitude canyons in the southernmost part of the southern Arizona high desert and New Mexico.  It is hard in this photo to fully appreciate how small this Owl is.  At about six and a half inches tall it is smaller than the Western Screech Owl that it shares territory with. 

There is nothing greater than having the blessing to photograph and share the miracles of Gods creation. It is grace far vaster than anything I had ever hoped for in this life. I remain His scribe. 

Shoot Date: February 1, 2019
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Aperture priority ¹⁄₁₀₀ sec at f/6.3 ‒ ²⁄₃ EV
Lens: TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 @ 483 mm
ISO: 400