This species has shown up hunting in the trees above my brush piles - saw a family group hunting near or after dusk in May, and several evenings since. It is usually too dark to even see them to focus on them. They showed early enough tonight to see, but I was forced to use flash with my long telephoto lens and camera in the focus.

The "red eye" from the flash in these photos adds an interesting dimension. They all were edited in PS-14, but I do not know how to eliminate it there, or with Paint. So, the results are in the follow.

These portraits in the share of are of this species Gray-morph color phase.

Regards,

Jonathan

Nice pics Johnathan .

Cool looking, they have small bars, sorta like Barred owl

T.20, The photos above are of a pair of juveniles hatched and fledged last month.

The horizontal pattern of the small, spotted streaks of their breast plumage is similar to that of newly hatched/juvenile Barred Owls, but after molting into their adult plumage, the pattern appears vertical in both species - except they are more obvious and much bolder in the Barred Owl. The bars on the breast of an adult Screech Owl are smaller, more obscure, compact, compressed and blend together.

At least that is my take and impression between the species.

For a comparison between the juvenile and adult Screech Owls, four years ago this month, an adult showed up in my yard an hour before dusk with two young fledglings that appeared to be out on their first hunt with their mother. They were not raised in my Wood Duck nest box, but used the roof as a perch waiting for mom to return with food.

Jonathan

Adult Screech Owl





Newly fledged juvenile Screech Owls - 18 June 2014

Very very nice captures, Jonathan !

Its difficult enough to be able to see one of those "screechers" much less photograph them !

They remind me of the wee Pygmy owls here with their stubby tails .

Thank you for the share

Always thought screech owls were cool.



If you build a nest box to "squirrel den" specs, you might just have yourself a screech owl house

Jonathon Great pictures of a bird many of us rarely see .They are a great little bird that by it's nature seems secretive but is just not seen much because of it's habits .Your skill in your captures is proof of your knowledge of the subject of your pictures along with how to use your equipment . Thanks for the interesting pictures .

Nice, thnks for sharing.

One of my favorite birds. Most of the ones I see have more noticeable ear tufts.

I love your pics, Jonathon!

fantastic pictures Sir.

Screeches are one of my favorites - we have plenty around my parts and they aren't particularly shy, except during daylight hours.
I really like listening too them, and can often get them to come in fairly close by calling back to them or using a recorded audio

It been some time I seen a grey one Not many years ago I seen a brown one.And back in MA had a brown nest in a tree in the back of house that was aback there.

I haven't heard a screecher in years

Excellent pictures !

Awesome pictures! It would be cool to watch them