Superbowl

From David Driver

From David Driver

Young Tawny Owl

From Vajira Gunasekera

Brown Wood Owl

(Strix leptogrammica)

At Kurunagala

Sri Lanka

Canon EOS R

Lens Canon Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary

Speed 1/250s f/6.3 ISO 3200

Focal Lenth 600mm

Hand Held

*Janet Johnson, natural resources program manager for the Oregon Military Department, on June 11, 2025, places a burrowing owl on a digital field scale during monitoring operations at the Rees Training Center near Hermiston. Weight measurements are part of the comprehensive data collection that tracks the health and development of the owls in what has become the most successful burrowing owl colony in the United States. *

From The Hermiston Herald

Deep in the sandy terrain of Rees Training Center, a small owl with bright yellow eyes peered from an artificial burrow that became home to the most successful burrowing owl colony in the United States. What began as a desperate conservation effort in 2008 has transformed into a major regional success story. The Rees Training Center outside Hermiston, which serves as the Oregon Military Department’s premier training facility for the Oregon National Guard, also is the home of hundreds of burrowing owls. The National Guard training installation now hosts more than 100 nesting pairs of the diminutive raptors, a dramatic increase from four remaining pairs 17 years ago.

“This has become one of the most successful colonies in the United States right now,” said Janet Johnson, natural resources program manager for the Oregon Military Department. “Last year was a bumper crop. We had an amazing amount of forage, and the population doubled from 2023 to 2024.”

The changes in the owl population are the result of interventions, observation and research David H. Johnson and his team conducted during the past decade and a half at the Raymond F. Rees Training Center at the former Umatilla Chemical Depot a few miles west of Hermiston.

“This is a rescue mission, and it’s working,” said Johnson of the repopulation attempt.

The colony’s success stems from a partnership between the Oregon Military Department, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the wildlife researchers Johnson leads. The information for this story combines a 2024 East Oregonian article and a recent press release from the Oregon Military Department.

Deer, badgers affected

Burrowing owls, when fully grown, weigh about 6 ounces, with the females being slightly larger than the males, especially before laying eggs and incubating them. They’re about 6.5 inches tall with a wingspan of about 23 inches. Johnson, director of the Global Owl Project, said to imagine the small birds like “an orange with wings.”

In 1969, 14 pronghorn antelopes were introduced to the depot grounds. With time, their population grew and then began to crash. Managers believed coyotes were hunting young pronghorns, so they started a coyote control program, which accidentally resulted in trapping badgers, leading to no tunnels for the owls to nest in.

The cause of the pronghorn population decline has since been attributed to inbreeding causing low genetic diversity, but the damage to the badger and owl populations was done.

When those natural badger burrows disappeared because of the control program and also because of decades of military development, Johnson’s research team developed an artificial burrow system using repurposed apple juice barrels from a local processing plant.

A beneficial partnership

Each artificial burrow consists of two chambers — one for nesting and another for food storage – connected by irrigation tubing that serves as the entrance tunnel. The system is designed to last 10-15 years and can be relocated when military training requirements change.

“My No. 1 job here is to ensure that the military can continue to train on this parcel into perpetuity,” Johnson said. “In order to do that, they need a healthy ecosystem without restrictions from endangered species or species of concern. Those tend to go together quite nicely.”

The owls are an important part of the local ecosystem, Johnson said, mentioning they eat small mammals such as mice as well as insects.

The population has rebounded in a huge way in just a few generations, without relocating owls from other populations or doing any captive breeding. And the badgers are beginning to return, as well. Last year, Johnson said he believed a badger dug three natural tunnels.

The program demonstrates how military installations can balance training missions with conservation goals.

The research has contributed to around 10 scientific discoveries about burrowing owl behavior and biology, with studies ranging from vocalization patterns to migration tracking using GPS transmitters. And Lt. Col. Mark Timmons, incoming commander of the 249th Regional Training Institute at Rees Training Center, said his soldiers frequently train in areas near the owl burrows.

Johnson said the tribe has offered not only land but also also support to the efforts. “The tribal side and the Oregon Military Department biologists work together to manage the colony as a whole,” he said.

Lindsay Chiono, wildlife habitat ecologist for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, leads tribal conservation efforts on adjacent lands to the training center, where about two-thirds of the colony’s burrows are located.

“The burrowing owl is essential to the health of the shrub-steppe ecosystem, and it is a species of special cultural significance to CTUIR,” said Chiono. “The team of researchers and land managers contributing to the project formed strong relationships around a shared, simple goal: for this burrowing owl population to flourish. To see our efforts succeed beyond expectations has been immensely gratifying.”

Model of success

The colony’s success has made it a model for other military installations across the Department of Defense, demonstrating conservation and military readiness can coexist.

Chiono said the population in Umatilla County is now a Pacific Northwest stronghold for burrowing owls, but the overall population is still declining. “We have a long way to go to secure the owls’ future,” she said. “Burrowing owl populations are declining throughout their range, and they need more from us. We humans must do a better job of protecting the owl habitat that remains, and we must learn to live with our wild neighbors, like the badgers who build owl burrows for free.”

Johnson’s words echoed hers.

“We all need to work together for conservation,” he said. “I still hold onto the perspective that we want to keep common species common and keep them off of the endangered species list.”

From Paul Ng

Camped at HWP for the past one week in order to get this shot - 140625 - 1pm, Buffy fish owl. Sony A93, 400-800mm G OSS.

From William Ko

"HAPPY OWL!"

Woohoo for an epic weekend!

15 June 25

Tanjong Karang, Malaysia

Dusky Eagle Owl

From Baytree Owl and Wildlife Centre

I always find it remarkable how the smallest babies survive in a big clutch. Look at the huge difference in size between the smallest and largest baby barn owls.

Unlike other birds that lay all their eggs and then start incubating them all at once, Barn owls start incubating them as they are laid. They can keep laying eggs from 1 to 3 weeks, resulting in hatchlings with significantly different ages. This is called asynchronous hatching.

For some theories about potential advantages of asynchronous hatching vs synchronous, check out this article.

From SteWi Photography

When Silence Has Wings

Between moss and marble, where time breathes softly, she sat—a long-eared owl, shrouded in shadow and silence.

Her eyes mostly closed, as if dreaming of old stories known only to the wind.

But in a fleeting moment—a yawn, almost like a whisper—she opened her eyes, looked at me...

As if to say, "I see you."

A moment so still, yet full of life.

From Damian Grycuk

Beautiful Ural owl in its natural habitat.

The magical atmosphere of a fairy-tale forest.

Nikon Z8 560 1/640 ISO 6400

July 2025

Poland

From Dave Newman

White Faced Scops flying at Suffolk Owl Sanctuary.

From Paul Bannick

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)

A female Snowy Owl arrives at her nest to warm her young on her nest on the tree-less Arctic tundra. Our only white owl is our heaviest (up to 6.5lbs/2950grams), breeds and winters further north and has one of the most poorly understood movement patterns.

Some of these Arctic owls winter on Arctic ice, others on territories on the tundra and some migrate to the northern Great Plains, Great Lakes, while others (especially young) irrupt or migrate into the northeastern and even the Pacific Northwestern states.

From Izzy Edwards

When a woodpecker drummed on this tree trunk, my boyfriend and I were so thrilled to see this little head pop out of a small golf ball-sized hole. This is a Northern Pygmy Owl.

From Fei Cheng

Burrowing owl taking flight at sunset.

From Joey Alfante

What I love most about this Philippine Scops Owl are its standing ears, so proud, so full of presence. There's something bold in the way it sits, unshaken. I was honestly surprised when I found the shot. I didn't think I'd captured that moment... not the first time I reviewed it. But there it was, waiting for me. lol

Canon EOS R // Canon EF IS 100-400mm // Tripod // ISO25600 // f/5.6 // 1/15sec // Señor Apetito Nemiranda Arthouse Angono, Rizal

From Kevin Schuchmann

A glimpse of a beautiful barred owl playing hide-and- seek amongst the foliage in the Mississippi Valley near Frenchtown! What a delightful, unexpected find!

From Carina Crayton

#MousetheMarshOwl is becoming a very beautiful monster owl intent on killing me.

Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation is a registered NPO and Section 18a(1)(a) PBO and runs a fully permitted Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center near Crecy, Naboomspruit, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

From Jon Burket

A great horned owl couple talking strategy before heading out to find dinner.

I did find a bobcat each of the last two nights but didn't get any great shots before severe storms chased me home. Tonight the weather cleared and I covered a lot of ground but had zero luck.

But then as I was loading up my car I started hearing these owls calling nearby so I took my camera back out and went to investigate. It was too dark for any detailed shots but this gorgeous sunset color gave me something to work with.

From Paul Bankowitsch

Pair of cuckoo owls (Morepork/Ruru) - in mating time they call cuckoo, like our local cuckoo. They are from New Zealand.

F5 1/125 ISO 320 Brw: 240mm Processed Canon SX50HS

Paar Kuckkuckskauz - in der Paarungzeit rufen sie Kuckkuck, wie unser heimischer Kuckkuck. Sie kommen aus Neuseeland.

This owl gets so many names!

From Harold Wilion

They Call Me Mellow Yellow

Where were you 9:30 last night?

I was laying down on the ground in a large, empty parking lot under sodium lights experiencing one of the more unique photography experiences I've had photographing owls.

They started out in a swampy area in the woods, made a couple stops along the way, and ended up in the parking lot on a few different trees and streetlights. Then all of a sudden, I noticed one on the ground.

I knew ground level shots would be the way to go, but I was hesitant because once I'm lying on the ground, I find it almost impossible to get up and end up flailing about like a beached whale. But after surveying the situation with my camera on the tripod, I knew the ground was the only way to go.

It was an amazing experience as they kept going to the ground and flying all around as if I wasn't there. And when on the ground, some of them would walk around instead of flying, which was cool as hell, but at 1/20 of second turned out to be an effort in futility photographing that.

Although I hate eating dinner at 10:30, it was worth it in this instance. I didn't bother color correcting it because I really liked the vibe of the crazy cast from the lights.

From Lavin Photography

Hey I'm not upside down - you are!

Barred Owlet

Minnesota

From liewwkphoto.com

A rare Barn Owl, endemic and the name derived from Minahassa Peninsula.

From Villager Jim

I would like to thank Gabriel for giving me one of the best barn owl shots i think i've ever taken, he's a superstar and he's even started accepting me quite near him now :) :) Don't laugh but i even chatted to him this morning from 20 feet away and he was quite settled and comfortable with me it totally made my month never mind!