Chirps and Cheeps

The town of Medina is known for the short-eared owls that hunt in the fields beyond the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. I've been wanting to get out there for some time now, but my work load has been keeping me house bound. Today, on the spur of the moment, I decided to clear my head, grab a little sunshine, and see if I could find those owls.  They would be life-listers for me, so I was extra anxious.

The drive out was beautiful. I counted 3 Red-tailed Hawks along the way and I stopped to enjoy and photograph a small flock of Horned larks. And this time, I finally got to see their little horns!

I wanted to be early for the owls, so I arrived at the fields around 3 PM. Surprisingly (to me), they were already putting on a show.  I counted 6 Short-eared Owls and 2 Northern Harriers. I didn't think the 2 predators would hunt alongside one another the way they were. They obviously shared the abundant rodents in the fields.

One of the owls, in the fields to the left of my car, perched nicely for me. Another flew by with the prey he caught - a vole, dangling from his talons. Another couple was engaged in a struggle over the ownership of a vole that the hunter was defending in the dimming light. It was an experience to behold. A phenomenon.