Burrowing Owls of Cape Coral

Though this is not an ideal nature walk, the area is very enjoyable and productive. In Cape Coral, FL, it is common for burrows to be located within two block clusters, making their homes in empty residential lots. Early mornings and evenings are best to catch them out and about . The Public Library area is a well known location, with many sites easily seen from the road, also the area around Veteran's Park is worthy of mentioning, with at least 5 burrows.
Though I am able to walk up to within 20ft of some (many are located just 25ft from the sidewalk), I do not always feel comfortable in doing so. Daily these birds view cars and people passing by, but testing “how close” is not something I like to do.

"Tombstone Bird"

The best to hope for is to see one sitting up on their “T” posts provided at each burrow. For me this does not happen often enough. This does provide a clear shot without interference from grasses. The other challenge is to get good even lighting. Since the usual time for shooting is during low sun angles setup is important. At the right angle their eyes do light up well.

I used a 400mm IS with an 1.4x T.C., which helped with close-ups.