Burrowing owl hunting behavior....In the first set of shots #2-5, I was setup for the owls at 50 feet away, when the male flew up to me and landed 20 feet away behind a cluster of daisies. I stayed put knowing it would spook if I changed my position. I waited and it eventually came out into the open. Apparently, the male caught a lizard, which he brought down into the burrow to feed the owlets. But not before he partook and pinched off the tail and ate that first.
Excellent burrowing owl images, Herb! And an interesting documentation of their feeding behavior. Yes, the family is important and the owlets are always hungry but the father needs to eat, as well. I visited our favorite burrowing owl location yesterday and there were 6 or so seemingly well-fed owlets at one burrow. I cannot imagine the amount of food the parents have to catch and bring to those hungry owlets? However, the weather conditions were gloomy and the parents did not seem that anxious to hunt....
