{"id":141289,"date":"2025-03-07T02:34:44","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T08:34:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=141289"},"modified":"2025-07-11T14:01:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T19:01:32","slug":"nearly-hidden-great-horned-owl-at-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/03\/07\/nearly-hidden-great-horned-owl-at-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","title":{"rendered":"Nearly Hidden Great Horned Owl At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge"},"content":{"rendered":"

Late last month, while at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted a nearly hidden Great Horned Owl perched in a tangle of branches in the woods.<\/p>\n

Great Horned Owl nearly hidden at 100mm<\/span><\/p>\n

Neither of these two photos will make it into my galleries because they don’t meet my standards, but I’m sharing them anyway, spotting the nearly hidden owl made me happy.<\/p>\n

This image, taken at 100mm, doesn\u2019t even show how small the owl looked to my naked eye. The Great Horned Owl was even harder to spot without using my camera’s viewfinder.<\/p>\n

You might wonder why seeing it made me happy.<\/p>\n

Great Horned Owl nearly hidden at 400mm<\/span><\/p>\n

I was happy because I’m obviously getting used to the lay of the land, or the forest in this case, at the refuge. Having that kind of ability on top of my keen eyesight is a distinct advantage for me as a bird and wildlife photographer.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve lost count of how often this ability, like muscle memory for the landscape, has helped me spot my subjects.<\/p>\n

Just the tip of an ear above the waving golden grasses has helped me find deer or coyotes. This skill has also led me to spot raptors perched on cliff faces from half a mile or more away. Noticing something out of place anywhere in the landscape can lead to a wonderful subject. Seeing something in the landscape that is missing can also be helpful in some cases.<\/p>\n

This skill, or ability, whatever you want to call it, comes from training my eyes to notice multiple details. I\u2019ve also trained my brain to remember them in the places I go when I’m out in the field looking for subjects to photograph.<\/p>\n

I know I\u2019m not the only one who does this. My friend, Steve Creek<\/span><\/a>, has this skill too. It almost always works to our advantage.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to view more of my Great Horned Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Late last month, while at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted a nearly hidden Great Horned Owl perched in a tangle of branches in the woods.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":141287,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,209,13973,13974],"tags":[4004,2663,14190,13984,6577,4203,5370,4108,388,3967,294,153,4076,373],"class_list":["post-141289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-great-horned-owls","category-oklahoma","category-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","tag-adult","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-bottomland-hardwood-forest","tag-bottomlands","tag-branches","tag-bubo-virginianus","tag-forest","tag-great-horned-owl","tag-hidden","tag-owl","tag-owls","tag-raptors","tag-trees","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/great-horned-owl-hidden-mia-mcpherson-6173.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-AKR","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":127064,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/04\/03\/save-owls-by-not-using-rodent-poisons\/","url_meta":{"origin":141289,"position":0},"title":"Save Owls By Not Using Rodent Poisons","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Since spring's arrival, people will be spending time outdoors, and more people will be seeing rats in their yards and gardens. Owls eat rats and other rodents.","rel":"","context":"In "Barred Owls"","block_context":{"text":"Barred Owls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/owls\/barred-owls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Barred Owl fledgling in a willow tree, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/barred-owl-chick-in-willow-mia-mcpherson-3825.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/barred-owl-chick-in-willow-mia-mcpherson-3825.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/barred-owl-chick-in-willow-mia-mcpherson-3825.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/barred-owl-chick-in-willow-mia-mcpherson-3825.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":142762,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/04\/10\/spring-barred-owl-at-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":141289,"position":1},"title":"Spring Barred Owl At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I was very happy to spot this spring Barred Owl adult yesterday near the end of my visit to Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. Very happy indeed.","rel":"","context":"In "Barred Owls"","block_context":{"text":"Barred Owls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/owls\/barred-owls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spring Barred Owl adult in a leafy tree, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/barred-owl-adult-spring-mia-mcpherson-4503.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/barred-owl-adult-spring-mia-mcpherson-4503.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/barred-owl-adult-spring-mia-mcpherson-4503.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/barred-owl-adult-spring-mia-mcpherson-4503.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41864,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/09\/06\/great-horned-owl-in-the-marsh-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":141289,"position":2},"title":"Great Horned Owl in the Marsh at Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Last month I wrote about how surprised I was to spot a Great Horned Owl in the marsh at Bear River MBR in northern Utah and said I would post more photos later, so here they are.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Horned Owl in the marsh at Bear River MBR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah\u00a0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-marsh-mia-mcpherson-1880.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-marsh-mia-mcpherson-1880.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-marsh-mia-mcpherson-1880.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-marsh-mia-mcpherson-1880.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":113940,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/06\/24\/adult-barred-owl-at-sequoyah-nwr\/","url_meta":{"origin":141289,"position":3},"title":"Adult Barred Owl At Sequoyah NWR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this adult Barred Owl in nice light yesterday morning at Sequoyah NWR in Oklahoma. Huge thanks to Steve Creek for pointing it out to me.","rel":"","context":"In "Barred Owls"","block_context":{"text":"Barred Owls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/owls\/barred-owls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Barred Owl in a willow, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/barred-owl-adult-willow-tree-mia-mcpherson-3781.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/barred-owl-adult-willow-tree-mia-mcpherson-3781.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/barred-owl-adult-willow-tree-mia-mcpherson-3781.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/barred-owl-adult-willow-tree-mia-mcpherson-3781.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27009,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/08\/01\/great-horned-owl-in-box-elder-county\/","url_meta":{"origin":141289,"position":4},"title":"Great Horned Owl in Box Elder County","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I was in far northern Utah yesterday and saw the hawks I expected to see but finding this Great Horned Owl was a bit of a surprise since I wasn't looking for Great Horned Owls.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Horned Owl in Box Elder County, northern Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-mia-mcpherson-1130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-mia-mcpherson-1130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-mia-mcpherson-1130.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-mia-mcpherson-1130.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":141974,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/03\/24\/spring-barred-owl-in-a-spindly-tree\/","url_meta":{"origin":141289,"position":5},"title":"Spring Barred Owl In A Spindly Tree","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm keeping it simple today since I shared two posts yesterday. I photographed this Barred Owl two days ago at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "Barred Owls"","block_context":{"text":"Barred Owls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/owls\/barred-owls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Barred Owl in a spindly tree, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/barred-owl-adult-tree-mia-mcpherson-8836.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/barred-owl-adult-tree-mia-mcpherson-8836.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/barred-owl-adult-tree-mia-mcpherson-8836.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/barred-owl-adult-tree-mia-mcpherson-8836.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141289"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141289\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}