By Sally Siko

Last year I was tasked with assisting @isaacmcshanephoto in an effort to help him reach 200 bird species on his 2021 eBird list.
It came down to the wire on December 30th with success found in the form of a Virginia Rail at the Roanoke Island State Gamelands.
Happily, Issac was able to return the favor last week in getting me my 200th bird for 2022 with these adorable Eastern Screech Owls!

We were so excited to spot the little fluff balls in their nest box at the University of Kentucky Arboretum (bike path). Although I’d heard their calls over the years, I’d never seen a Screech Owl before so this encounter was truly special, one I’ll never forget.

Yet, there was more owl fun in store for us…
These birds are small and are pretty hard to spot during the day so imagine my surprise when I randomly found a third one (an adult) perched in a mass of vines while hiking a trail later that same day. We spent about 20 minutes photographing the adult who didn’t stir a inch from his resting spot. In fact, the bird only moved once briefly during the entire encounter to get a better look at us before closing its eyes to rest.
So cool!

As their name implies, Eastern Screech Owls are found throughout most of the eastern and central parts of United States from Florida to New England and west from Texas to the Dakotas.
As widespread as the species is, you’d think that they would be a common sight, yet their small size (only 6-10 inches in length) and nocturnal habits make them a difficult bird to find in any region.

Screech owls occur in a wide variety of habitats, particularly wooded suburban neighborhoods and parks, riparian areas, orchards, and woodlands near marshes, meadows, and fields.
My best advice is to listen for their distinctive, whinny-like calls /low-pitched trills and look for them moving between the open areas of fields into wooded areas at dusk and after dawn.
Or, just head over to the UKY Arboretum this month and enjoy the little ones while their still here 😉

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds