From Joshua N Wiley

An Eastern Screech Owl, Megascops asio, starts up out from its hole and prepares to launch out into the night to hunt. Note his big, dilated pupils. Taken at a favorite location in a big valley in northeast Ohio.

I went there late Sunday afternoon, looking for screech owls sunning themselves. Surprisingly I didn’t find any.

I talked to several birders, and they assured me that this owl in particular was pretty reliable.

Just after the last other person left the area, the little owl appeared in his hole, right at sunset. He flew off about 20 minutes later, and this was the last frame I captured-at very low shutter speed, when it was quite dark.

3/9/25. Nikon D850, 600 mm, f/4, ISO 1000, 1/2 second. Summit County, Ohio.