Author: Caleb Crain

Prospect Park, 4 & 8 February 2023

A few weeks ago, having heard that there was a Northern saw-whet owl in Prospect Park, I went looking for it. Since owls sleep during the day, it’s against etiquette to post their locations online, to prevent a crowd from gathering and waking them up, so I had to guess where it might be. I didn’t guess altogether wrong, as it later turned out, but after looking for two hours, I gave up. It was getting dark, and the owl, wherever it was, would soon be flying off for his nightly hunting. But then, on my way home, I ran into a birder I knew, who was looking up into a tree. He let me in on the secret.

I took a number of photos that day, although the ones I’m posting here were taken on return visits. All were taken with a very long lens, while standing on the pavement of a much-trafficked thoroughfare, and I’ve delayed posting them. Yesterday I was unable to find the owl at its old location, and another birder told me this morning that it has moved on to a new location—which, at my request, he did not tell me, so that I wouldn’t be able to tell anyone who might read this and want to ask. So I feel that I’m in the clear to share the photos—enjoy! Note in the photo above that in its talons the owl is holding a snack, whose tail and rear paw are just visible—probably the reason the owl’s eyes were open during this one visit.

Prospect Park, Jan. 20 and 26, and February 1, 2023

Prospect Park, 7–20 January 2023