Tiny Hooters

[Hillbillygirl]

Caught a couple decent shots of our smallest owl species for this area of North America.

This is a Northern Saw Whet owl. (shot with 17-40 F4L late at night. Yes we were VERY close, and yes, it is a wild non captive bird)

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/HobbyHorseHollow/E30C8272.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/HobbyHorseHollow/E30C82741.jpg

[Andrew]

Judging by the past photos you're posted you are so far from civilization this little guy probably didn't know what you were to let you get that close.:D Looks like you had enough time to make a couple of very nice shots. Are they usually around and that docile?

[Kevin McRae]

So adorable! I love owls. I like your first shot best. :)

Love the subject line as well. Cute!

[Wicked Dark]

my shade of green deepens. Wow. saw whets are tipping the cuteness scale right over. Excellent!

[AcadieLibre]

Nice capture must have been a chore catching a shot.

[Mad Aussie]

Not the hooters I was expecting to see HBG ;)

He's a beautiful, cute looking little guy. Great shots of him too. Perfect flash.

[edG]

beautifully done HBG

[asnow]

I just finished looking at MA's postings (car wash ones) so I was even more fooled by the title.

Amazing shots. Unbelievable that you could get this close to them (17-40 lens !!!!)

[Matt K.]

Eye candy, HBG; and it is amazing that you could get that close without scaring them/it off. Superb shots, razor sharp and wonderfully lit. Simply eye candy.

[Hillbillygirl]

A very big thank you to all.
I am just so glad to be able to share these little creatures with you all. They are so tiny, only 8" tall, and sooooo cute.
So sorry to mislead all the "gentlemen" on here with the title. Silly men should know by now that "Hooters" and "Tiny" do not go together in the sense they are thinking.

[JAS_Photo]

Beautiful captures, HBGirl! Such sweet little guys! At 8 inches that is putting them in around robin size.

[Mad Aussie]

I like tiny hooters as much as bigger ones. ;)

[thoughton]

I feel cheated :D

Nice owl anyway, amazing you can get so close!

[Bambi]

hmmm I must be getting old- I figured they were owls from the get go ;)

really adorable shots HBG. How did close did you manage to get?

[Iguanasan]

These are wonderful shots of a cute little feller. I guessed at your title subterfuge right off and was expecting to see owls :) I would love to know how you got that close too. Most of the creatures I photograph are extremely skittish.

[jude01]

Gorgeous HBG, love the second shot, the eyes are amazing!

[Mad Aussie]

I've never even seen a real owl in the wild :(

[Bambi]

I've never even seen a real owl in the wild :(

and I've never seen a giant lizard........

[Hillbillygirl]

Thanks again, to all of you, for the kind compliments. Glad that you all enjoyed them, nearly as much as I did taking them.

[Mad Aussie]

and I've never seen a giant lizard........
Come over ... we'll go croc hunting :)

[casil403]

Love, Love the eyes in that second shot...wowzers!

[Chantelle]

Awesome shots!

[Hillbillygirl]

Thank you very much for the compliments Casil, and Chantelle.

[Lizardqing]

Awesome! I hear owls all the time but rarely see them, The last one was flying and it just light enough still that all I could see was something real big about to buzz the top of my head.

[Hillbillygirl]

Thank you very much Chris.
Yes Owls are some of the hardest to find for sure. Best way to find any rare birds is to join a localized birding forum and check out sightings boards.