{"id":42390,"date":"2016-10-04T05:32:37","date_gmt":"2016-10-04T11:32:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=42390"},"modified":"2024-09-08T04:17:56","modified_gmt":"2024-09-08T09:17:56","slug":"burrowing-owls-of-northern-utah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/10\/04\/burrowing-owls-of-northern-utah\/","title":{"rendered":"Burrowing Owls of Northern Utah"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult Burrowing Owl with bloody bill – Nikon D810, f11, 1\/400, ISO 250, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I feel so happy at times when I am out photographing birds that I can barely contain my joy. The joy I feel often increases when I am photographing the Burrowing Owls of northern Utah because they are such fascinating birds to observe and they are handsome too. The adults always seem more serious to me but the young Burrowing Owls can be goofy, funny and act like small, feathered clowns.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Burrowing Owl near a road – Nikon D810, f11, 1\/250, ISO 200, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of the Burrowing Owls here have left for warmer climates but a few will stay around and maybe one day I will get a photograph of one of these desert owls in the snow. Those are photos I have long wished to to create.<\/p>\n

Last week I saw one juvenile Burrowing Owl in northern Utah but the last time I was up that way I didn’t see it again. Maybe it left or maybe it was just inside the burrow.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Burrowing Owl looking at the ground – Nikon D810, f13, 1\/400, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

This adult male Burrowing Owl was a cooperative bird when I photographed it in May of this year, it was close enough to get frame filling images of it in nice morning light. The owl must have already had its morning meal that day because its bill was very bloody.<\/p>\n

It might be a long drive in the wee hours of the morning to get to where these Burrowing Owls are in northern Utah during the breeding season but they are worth it and I know I am so very lucky to have these owls to photograph!<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

It might be a long drive in the wee hours of the morning to get to where these Burrowing Owls are in northern Utah during the breeding season but they are worth it<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":134150,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1148,52,26],"tags":[4004,55,2663,5455,4214,4098,4062,3967,294,4104,4516],"class_list":["post-42390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-burrowing-owls","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-athene-cunicularia","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-bloody-bill","tag-burrowing-owl","tag-desert","tag-male","tag-owl","tag-owls","tag-perched","tag-western-burrowing-owl"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/burrowing-owl-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-5513.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-b1I","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39990,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/06\/13\/adult-burrowing-owl-about-to-lift-off\/","url_meta":{"origin":42390,"position":0},"title":"Adult Burrowing Owl About to Lift Off","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 13, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I was photographing this adult hoping to get it on lift off and in flight but looked away from my viewfinder to check my exposure exactly at the time it did lift off so I missed the shots.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Burrowing Owl pre-lift off, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/burrowing-owl-adult-wing-lift-mia-mcpherson-5624.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/burrowing-owl-adult-wing-lift-mia-mcpherson-5624.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/burrowing-owl-adult-wing-lift-mia-mcpherson-5624.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/burrowing-owl-adult-wing-lift-mia-mcpherson-5624.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46845,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/05\/18\/adult-western-burrowing-owl-on-an-old-fence-post\/","url_meta":{"origin":42390,"position":1},"title":"Adult Western Burrowing Owl On An Old Fence Post","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I love all birds, even birds that some people tend to ignore when it comes to bird photography but I have to admit that I am particularly fond of photographing owls, especially Burrowing Owls.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Western Burrowing Owl standing on one foot, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-7603.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-7603.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-7603.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-7603.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51259,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/03\/16\/looking-for-burrowing-and-short-eared-owls\/","url_meta":{"origin":42390,"position":2},"title":"Looking For Burrowing And Short-eared Owls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm getting ansty for spring migration and for the birds that it will bring including Burrowing and Short-eared Owls which I always look forward to photographing here in northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Burrowing Owl on a May morning, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-2869.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-2869.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-2869.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/burrowing-owl-adult-mia-mcpherson-2869.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":98321,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/12\/20\/aba-bird-of-the-year-2022-the-burrowing-owl\/","url_meta":{"origin":42390,"position":3},"title":"ABA Bird Of The Year 2022 – The Burrowing Owl!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It was announced yesterday that the Burrowing Owl is the 2022 ABA Bird of the Year! Burrowing Owls are small, long-legged, sandy-colored, charismatic owls with bright yellow eyes.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Burrowing Owl on a stump in soft morning light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/burrowing-owl-immature-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-7693.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/burrowing-owl-immature-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-7693.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/burrowing-owl-immature-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-7693.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/burrowing-owl-immature-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-7693.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35067,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/01\/22\/winter-burrowing-owls-on-antelope-island\/","url_meta":{"origin":42390,"position":4},"title":"Winter Burrowing Owls on Antelope Island","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"It was the first of the winter Burrowing Owls I was to find yesterday while on Antelope Island State Park.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Back lit Burrowing Owl in winter on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-back-lit-mia-mcpherson-5674.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-back-lit-mia-mcpherson-5674.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-back-lit-mia-mcpherson-5674.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-back-lit-mia-mcpherson-5674.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45285,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/03\/01\/my-burrowing-owl-fascination\/","url_meta":{"origin":42390,"position":5},"title":"My Burrowing Owl Fascination – It Never Ends","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm drawn to and fascinated by these western desert Burrowing Owls because they are beautiful, interesting and animated subjects. And they are pretty darn cute!","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two juvenile Burrowing Owls in early morning, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-8541.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-8541.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-8541.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-8541.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\/42390","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=42390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42390\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134150"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}