Eastern Screech Owl, gray morph in Milwaukee County Wisconsin on February 11, 2025

This Eastern Screech Owl, gray morph was a fun one to find today. I’m still in search for more Northern Saw-whet Owls this winter which is what lead me to find this owl today. As I’m walking around some large pines with no branches on the lower  6 feet of the tree I hear Black-capped Chickadees making a heck of a ruckus above. I look up into the tree I’m under and see nothing but a couple of Chickadees moving around. I moved on to a couple more of the large pines and saw nothing. Then I thought, I better double check that tree where all the action was. Looking up again into the tree, I see a Gray Squirrel running around. That’s sorta odd? Walking away from the tree I look back about 25 feet, a screech owl is watching me, enjoying some sun. It was a cold morning with temps at 20 degrees mid-morning, some wind at times but full sun that did bring in some warmth out of the wind. Image was taken on February 11, 2025.

Eastern Screech Owl, gray morph…

Cell phone pic – just enjoying the sun…

The owl is so tiny on this photo, but it is there, cell phone pic…

Eastern Screech-Owl, red morph in Milwaukee County Wisconsin on November 16, 2022

While out doing some everyday birding I stumbled across a red morph Eastern Screech-Owl. What a surprise to be walking slowly through some woods and to look up and see this bird up in a tree right in front of you but only the back of it at first. Backing off and circling around to the front of this bird at a distance it gave a couple of hard to get quick photos before leaving the area quietly. Nice to see a Screech Owl out a tree cavity for a change. This owl would have been so easy to miss but I just happened to look up at the right time. First sighting this fall-winter of a screech-owl for me. This bird has not been reported that I know of. A cloudy day with low winds. Images were taken on November 16, 2022.

When I first saw this owl up in the tree…