Reader Joshua Lincoln sent some lovely photographs of owls (and a passel of his moggies):
Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus). This is a diurnal Northern circumpolar species that will sometimes grace us with its presence, especially in years where there was a good crop of lemmings on its polar breeding grounds. The Snowy is North America’s heaviest owl. This photograph was taken in Addison, Vermont.
This is a Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) from Waterbury, Vermont. This owl is one of only a few diurnal (active during the day) or partially diurnal owls. It is a boreal species that rarely graces us with its presence.
This is a young Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) from Biddeford Pool, Maine. Also younger Great Horned Owls demonstrating how well camouflaged they can be; these are from Ontario National Wildlife Refuge in Ohio:
Last, this is a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) from Costa Rica:
I thought that you might appreciate what I have to contend with every night (catbed).
As lagniappe, here’s a picture of a Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), taken by reader Anne-Marie Cournoyer in the Parc National du Mont St-Bruno (near Montreal):
We have three, but they will rarely get near me when I am in bed and tend to clump like bosons. That passel is coulombic.
Cat bed? That is an indoor bivouac or clowder.
Pictures are very good – like that nuthatch
…..a glaring.
Good one, I had not seen that one.
Cat bed? Looks more like when Gulliver was trapped by the Lilliputians in Gulliver’s Travels.
It’s adorable but its hard to turn over when you’re pinned down by cats, especially if you don’t want them to leave. 🙂
Look at the size of the talons on the first juvenile Great Horned Owl!!!
A small correction- the nuthatch is a White-breasted Nuthatch.
Amazing owls pictures. You have certainly seen 2x the owl species that I have.
All fine shots. That first owl shares it’s aerodynamic design with blimps and weather balloons.
I love the fluffy feat of the snow owl!
Those owl pictures are vachement chouette!
Another minor correction. The wildlife refuge in Ohio is Ottawa NWR, not Ontario. I’m a bander of eastern North America’s most diminutive owl, the Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadius). Will try to send you a pic or two sometime.
Beautiful owl pics!
Delightful collection of owls! Esp. like the Snowy in flight and the two GH owlets in the snag!
Your kittehs are in inverse (from this angle) Olympic ring formation. 😀
Anne-Marie, love the nuthatch!
I swear, the Snowy looks like a cat with wings. (It’s body looks just like one of mine.)
Only 3 cats in my bed – quite enough.