Sleepy looking Burrowing Owl maleSleepy looking Burrowing Owl male – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Both times I photographed this male Burrowing Owl yesterday morning he looked very sleepy, he may be worn out from helping to raise a passel of chicks. I have not seen a burrow or chicks near where this adult male owl hangs out but another burrow in the area has at least nine chicks and Burrowing Owls can have as many as twelve chicks to a brood. I know that raising that many chicks would have me all worn out trying to feed them!

This photo shows the eyes as far open as I saw them the two separate times I photographed him and in it they weren’t open much at all. But I liked the colors of the silvery green sagebrush and the dried grasses in the background so I photographed him even though I would have liked to have seen more of his lemon-yellow eyes.

Sleepy adult Burrowing Owl maleSleepy adult Burrowing Owl male – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

I’ve been feeling sleepy myself lately because of how long the days are during summer and how early I have been getting up to go out photographing in the morning. My alarm is set for 3:15 a.m. so that I have time to finish up my daily posts before heading out the door in the darkness to get to where I plan to photograph birds at sunrise when the light is golden. I think I might be a little addicted to photographing birds.

Life is good.

Mia