Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus), Elgin, Santa Cruz County

Short-eared Owl is a sparse and local winter visitant to grasslands of southern Arizona. They can be locally common, but often go undetected. This individual, one of three, was observed at dusk by Dave and Nancy Pearson, and Oliver Niehuis.

These remarkable photos were taken after dusk at high speed!

10 February 2007 photo by Oliver Niehuis