Winged Wednesday — 5/13/2026: Owls

[Eric Gofreed]

It’s Winged Wednesday—where feathers, flutters, and flight steal the show! Whether they’re soaring, sneaking, swooping, or staring directly into your soul from a dead tree at dusk… birds, bats, bugs, butterflies, or anything else with wings is welcome here.

Always open theme — all winged photos welcome.

My Contribution this week are owl photos
Owls occupy a strange place in the bird world.
Part predator.
Part philosopher.
Part sleep-deprived librarian.
They fly almost silently, appear mostly at inconvenient hours, and always look like they know something you do not.

Great Horned Owl
He looks like he knows exactly how civilization collapses and is mildly annoyed you asked.

Western Screech Owl
Flying low over the grass like a feathered rumor with bad intentions.

Northern Saw-whet Owl—
always appears to be guarding secrets nobody remembers telling it.

Northern Hawk Owl
It’s called a hawk owl because naming birds correctly would make ornithology too simple.

Owl Butterfly
Nature put giant fake owl eyes on a butterfly, proving evolution occasionally enjoys practical jokes.

 

[AlanLichty]

Wonderful collection of owl images Eric. Neat birds I have never had the chance to encounter with a camera in hand unfortunately.

 

[Trent Watts]

It’s Winged Wednesday—where feathers, flutters, and flight steal the show! Whether they’re soaring, sneaking, swooping, or staring directly into your soul from a dead tree at dusk… birds, bats, bugs, butterflies, or anything else with wings is welcome here.

Always open theme — all winged photos welcome.

My Contribution this week are owl photos
Owls occupy a strange place in the bird world.
Part predator.
Part philosopher.
Part sleep-deprived librarian.
They fly almost silently, appear mostly at inconvenient hours, and always look like they know something you do not.


View attachment 89088
Great Horned Owl
He looks like he knows exactly how civilization collapses and is mildly annoyed you asked.


View attachment 89093
Western Screech Owl
Flying low over the grass like a feathered rumor with bad intentions.


View attachment 89089
Northern Saw-whet Owl—
always appears to be guarding secrets nobody remembers telling it.


View attachment 89091
Northern Hawk Owl
It’s called a hawk owl because naming birds correctly would make ornithology too simple.


View attachment 89090
Owl Butterfly
Nature put giant fake owl eyes on a butterfly, proving evolution occasionally enjoys practical jokes.

OHHHH I love these Eric. That Owl Butterfly is really something.

 

[Trent Watts]

I have a couple of Owl images and some others from this week.

This was from last summer when a Long-eared Owl pair nested in a tree close to my house. There were four owlets but I only managed to get three posing at one time.

This Northern Saw-whet Owl is from a few years ago. My neighbour called me to say it was in the tree just outside their living room.

I took this image of what I assumed was a Swainson's Thrush but wondered when I got home if it could be a Gray-cheeked Thrush. They are very similar so I had my friend look at at it and he says it is a Gray-cheeked Thrush.

A Hunt's Bumblebee doing some pollinating on some Willow flowers.

This Crow was preening and had fluffed up feathers.

 

[AlanLichty]

I was out weeding in my garden yesterday around some young echinops plants and got inspired to dig up some shots of bees at work on their blooms from previous summers. Not quite sure what the insect magnet is for the echinops blooms but bees and wasps go nuts for them when they do. I have seen 3 or 4 bees at once sharing a bloom with wasps and other pollinators and completely ignoring the others while they are all there. I have several new plants that will be blooming this summer and I will be watching with camera in hand.

2 bee or not 2 bee

 

[Trent Watts]

These are gorgeous plants and insets Alan. Must be pretty tasty pollen!

 

[AlanLichty]

These are gorgeous plants and insets Alan. Must be pretty tasty pollen!

Thanks Trent - it's not something I can smell but the pollinators seem like junkies trying to get their fix swarming to get at the blooms.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

I have an owl image to contribute to this week.

 

[Eric Gofreed]

I have a couple of Owl images and some others from this week.

This was from last summer when a Long-eared Owl pair nested in a tree close to my house. There were four owlets but I only managed to get three posing at one time.
View attachment 89094

This Northern Saw-whet Owl is from a few years ago. My neighbour called me to say it was in the tree just outside their living room.
View attachment 89095

I took this image of what I assumed was a Swainson's Thrush but wondered when I got home if it could be a Gray-cheeked Thrush. They are very similar so I had my friend look at at it and he says it is a Gray-cheeked Thrush.
View attachment 89096

A Hunt's Bumblebee doing some pollinating on some Willow flowers.
View attachment 89097

This Crow was preening and had fluffed up feathers.
View attachment 89098

Trent you are an extraordinary photographer. I love each photo, The Long ear owlets is World-class. I have seen but never photographed the gray-cheeked thrush—e

I have a couple of Owl images and some others from this week.

This was from last summer when a Long-eared Owl pair nested in a tree close to my house. There were four owlets but I only managed to get three posing at one time.
View attachment 89094

This Northern Saw-whet Owl is from a few years ago. My neighbour called me to say it was in the tree just outside their living room.
View attachment 89095

I took this image of what I assumed was a Swainson's Thrush but wondered when I got home if it could be a Gray-cheeked Thrush. They are very similar so I had my friend look at at it and he says it is a Gray-cheeked Thrush.
View attachment 89096

A Hunt's Bumblebee doing some pollinating on some Willow flowers.
View attachment 89097

This Crow was preening and had fluffed up feathers.
View attachment 89098

Sensational photos every time, Trent. Kudos to both your dedication and your artistry. I loved every image. The owlet photo is world-class, and the Gray-cheeked Thrush is a bird I’ve never seen myself, so envy, envy. Swainson’s Thrush has the buffy spectacles and face pattern, right?

 

[Eric Gofreed]

I have an owl image to contribute to this week.

View attachment 89110

Jameel, this deserves to be framed and admired every day. An awesome portrait—those piercing yellow eyes and the beautiful detail in the plumage make it unforgettable.

 

[Eric Gofreed]

I was out weeding in my garden yesterday around some young echinops plants and got inspired to dig up some shots of bees at work on their blooms from previous summers. Not quite sure what the insect magnet is for the echinops blooms but bees and wasps go nuts for them when they do. I have seen 3 or 4 bees at once sharing a bloom with wasps and other pollinators and completely ignoring the others while they are all there. I have several new plants that will be blooming this summer and I will be watching with camera in hand.

View attachment 89104

View attachment 89105

2 bee or not 2 bee

View attachment 89106

Alan!!! These bee photos are gorgeous, but they’re really portraits of Echinops with buzzy little visitors. A beautiful series—the color, detail, and composition are outstanding.

 

[Trent Watts]

Trent you are an extraordinary photographer. I love each photo, The Long ear owlets is World-class. I have seen but never photographed the gray-cheeked thrush—e

Sensational photos every time, Trent. Kudos to both your dedication and your artistry. I loved every image. The owlet photo is world-class, and the Gray-cheeked Thrush is a bird I’ve never seen myself, so envy, envy. Swainson’s Thrush has the buffy spectacles and face pattern, right?

Thanks Eric... Here is the response from my friend. I had sent him 3 photos.
These 2 species can be tricky. This bird seems to be lacking the faint yellowish wash on the throat and eye-ring of a Swainson’s Thrush.
Therefore, I would say it is a Gray-cheeked Thrush.

 

[DES]

It’s Winged Wednesday—where feathers, flutters, and flight steal the show! Whether they’re soaring, sneaking, swooping, or staring directly into your soul from a dead tree at dusk… birds, bats, bugs, butterflies, or anything else with wings is welcome here.

Always open theme — all winged photos welcome.

My Contribution this week are owl photos
Owls occupy a strange place in the bird world.
Part predator.
Part philosopher.
Part sleep-deprived librarian.
They fly almost silently, appear mostly at inconvenient hours, and always look like they know something you do not.


View attachment 89088
Great Horned Owl
He looks like he knows exactly how civilization collapses and is mildly annoyed you asked.


View attachment 89093
Western Screech Owl
Flying low over the grass like a feathered rumor with bad intentions.


View attachment 89089
Northern Saw-whet Owl—
always appears to be guarding secrets nobody remembers telling it.


View attachment 89091
Northern Hawk Owl
It’s called a hawk owl because naming birds correctly would make ornithology too simple.


View attachment 89090
Owl Butterfly
Nature put giant fake owl eyes on a butterfly, proving evolution occasionally enjoys practical jokes.

Love the narrative......and the beautiful pictures.