Carrizo Plain,
California
June 2005
This beautiful young Owl is a good example of the color differences between adolescence and adult Short-eared Owls. A young owl like this would still be under the care of its parents. Although it was fledged and flying around with another sibbling (both were sitting on this gate when I arrived), the parents would not be too far away and still taking care of them. The two were sitting on a farm gate along the road side and I just drove up, stuck my camera out the window, and took this photo from about 15 feet away... finding owls doesn't get much simplier than this!