Screech Owl

[{OF}Erad]

Don't know if y'all love nature as much as I do, but the wife and I were out in the back yard last night burning wood in the outdoor fireplace, and I saw movement from tree to tree, and being that I can see better at night than most, I knew what it was. I grabbed my camera, and got these pictures of a tiny screech owl. It is about the size of a soda can. It was back there for over 2 hours, and let me get within 5 feet of it to grab some of these pictures without flying away! We normally get very large Barn Owls at night, but this is the first time I saw a screech owl in my back yard. We heard 2 or 3 more calling to this one from several houses away, but this one would not leave our yard. Sorry that they aren't in better focus, but it was at 9 pm, and pitch dark. I had to guess more or less where it was, and point and shoot, being I couldn't see it through the view finder or on the LCD display.

[Capt. Insane]

Those are awesome man. That's so cool you got so close to the little guy.

[{OF}Barney_B]

That's so cool Erad. There's nothing that can scare the bejeezus out of you than to be sitting quietly deer hunting just before total dark and have one of those sound off. You'll know you're alive and absolutely sure every animal in the woods is laughing its *** off when they saw you jump. What I find the most amazing is that they are absolutely silent when they fly...no flapping or wing flutter. You do hear the squeeking of the small rodents they catch and the squirrels are absolutely terrified of them. I've watched them pick'em off the tree branches.

[{OF}Flying_Dutchman]

Kewl pics!

[{OF}Malicious Assault]

Very Nice, We have a couple of Owls around our house, but I have yet to get close enough for a good pic

[{<NF>Ratman}]

You could sell these pictures to Animal planet :P
Really nice pics, normally they dont wait till you take a picture.

[{OF}Prong]

Very cool Erad