Burrows and Brags

We have finally made it back home from our winter migration to Arizona. This was a first for us this year as we usually make our way to south Texas. Not our most memorable trip by any means as the cold decided to chase us all the way there and then quickly caught back up to us on our way back. Not sure I can blame that on Arizona, although for two years in a row Linda has caught Covid in the week heading into a planned trip out there. We have decided it cursed! Not all disappointing. Hiking the Arizona mountains was a lot of fun, new birds added to the life list, a new RV for Linda and I had the opportunity to spend my birthday in Vegas. Suspect back to Texas next winter, but we’ll possibly take another trip out to Arizona later in the year to give it a fair chance. Oh, worst part is I managed to catch some wicked crud in Las Cruces on the way back and now having to deal with that crap.

Before getting into today’s featured feathered friend, a quick self-pat on the back. January officially kicked off my 17th year of blogging here at Intrigued. 

Time has certainly flown by along with all the features we try and bring you each and every month. A big thank you to Brad and his staff (Jan and Allyson) that have shared their stories these last couple of years bringing new sights and wildlife species to the Intrigued story. Will continue to have more posts coming from that team. Extending our appreciation to the behind the scenes Intrigued staff that make this machine hum and especially to all our readers who make this effort so enjoyable. Raise your glasses to an exciting 17th year and beyond!

Okay, enough of the self-praising, let’s get to today’s featured feathered friend.

Burrowing Owl found at Anahuac NWR in January 2023

Hit the jump to read more about our yellow-eyed friend.

Up until about 2 years ago, the Burrowing Owl has been at the top of my “to check off” species life list. Thanks to a surprise mention about an irrigation pipe on a Chicago birding blog, we managed to get that check while on our Texas wintering trip (link here). That broke the ice, if you will, as now we have had the pleasure of seeing them numerous times since – three sightings last year alone.

Burrowing Owl found at Anahuac NWR in January 2023

Today’s sighting comes to you from the second of those encounters. Turns out the Burrowing Owl was back at the irrigation pipe last year for the first check of the year. Linda then learned about one hanging out at Anahuac NWR. One of our favorite places to visit and always make plans to stop by even without this Burrowing sighting – consider this the cherry on top. The problem is Anahuac is a large place and all we had to go on was that it seen at its “cement cave”. Not a lot to go on, but Linda has an incredible knack for locating owls – my brother Ron calls her the Owl Whisperer thanks to her ability to find Snowy Owls (link here). 

Burrowing Owl found at Anahuac NWR in January 2023

Somehow she did it again. We were driving along the main road into the refuge (past the auto-loop heading down to Frozen Point). Eventually we came to a small group of grazing cows when she promptly proclaimed “There it is!”. Some kind of sixth sense I’m telling ya’. As we pulled up closer, we noticed there was another car parked on the opposite side of the road. Linda quietly brought the Jeep to a stop and we quietly exited hoping the Owl was visible. As you can tell, the answer was affirmative. Note, we also spotted the other lady who was deep in the weeds off the road also taking shots – I’ve dealt with the hellspawn that live in Texas weeds – opted to leverage the reach of the Beast from the safety of the road. 

Burrowing Owl found at Anahuac NWR in January 2023

I find most birders to be rather social and at a minimum cordial almost to a fault. That other observer…not so much. Never acknowledged us much less offer a greeting. Snapped several shots, picked up her gear and went back to the other side of the road. Quick mental check, did I remember to put deodorant on? Her exit left us alone with our watchful specimen. 

Burrowing Owl found at Anahuac NWR in January 2023

We didn’t want to stress it any more than our presence already was. Honestly, it didn’t seem too concerned about us – an occasional glance to make sure we had not breached the protective barbed wire and then back to slowly scanning the other directions. Burrowing Owls amaze me. With all the ground threats in their kingdom, they seem to pick somewhat vulnerable locations to stake claim to their burrows. There is a mystique about Owls and stories of their escapades have surely gotten around. Their Great Owl kin in our parts will not hesitate to take out a Bald Eagle that encroaches on their hunting grounds. While snapping away, I noticed a Savannah Sparrow coming in from the side. 

Burrowing Owl found at Anahuac NWR in January 2023

WHOOAAAAA NELLLY! Wrongly assumed I missed the encounter, but the Owl snapped its head around and literally stopped that bird in its tracks with its yellow-eyed glare. Full flight brakes, Houston we have a problem! Apparently my safety concerns were unwarranted…at least in the feathered kingdom. A quick 180 and that intruder was high-tailing it out of there (literally).

Burrowing Owl found at Anahuac NWR in January 2023

As nonchalant as it could, the Owl went about its patrol – immediate danger alleviated. My guess at the time was there were more dangerous critters to be concerned about. This was Anahuac and those tall grass fields could easily provide cover for much more formidable predators. 

Burrowing Owl found at Anahuac NWR in January 2023

A foreshadowing, if you will, for an upcoming part two of this post. Not going to leave you with a feeling of dread – as far as we know, no harm came to our little cement cave dweller. Our interesting encounter came soon after calling it a day. Night was falling and we were on our way out of the park. Paul Harvey says you will need to come back for our next post in February to read “The rest of the story”.

Take care everyone, “Y’all come back now, ya hear!” (Paul Harvey put me in a nostalgic mood).

45 thoughts on “Burrows and Brags”

  2. You got the Cruces Crud, eh? The southwest was trying to do you in. That’s an adorable burrowing owl. Wonderful photos of it and its feathered encounter of another kind

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    1. They gave me something that is beating the hell out of me. Finally went to see the doctor as I rarely, and I mean rarely get sick and even warded off Covid both times my wife came down with it the last two years – not this hellspawn crud. Around our parts, the local Owls are pretty vicious and take no crap from any birds regardless of size (just ask our Eagles). Made me laugh when our subject exhibited the same nasty disposition to any intruders ha. Take care and you need to be careful this crud doesn’t travel down to you from Las Cruces (NOT my favorite town by the way by any means – found out they have a crime rating of a 1 – they are safer than only 1% of the cities in the entirety of the US).

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          1. It is. Although, legal gun owners are under assault by the legislature. The bills that were introduced that might actually have had an impact on crime and violence have been tabled, while bills to outlaw guns, and drive gun stores out of business are moving forward. Most of the violence is between gangs. Crime is bad, always has been, because most of the politicians and much of law enforcement in this state are criminals.

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    1. Thank you Luisella. Don’t worry, the little sparrow only suffered minor mental stress and was able to leave with all its feathers intact. Nothing a good bird therapist couldn’t resolve in a few months or so hehehe. Appreciate you dropping in.

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  5. Love it, what a cutie! Wonder if it shares that home with snakes?
    Not sure what your definition of ‘crud’ is but don’t sound good. Here in Norfolk ‘crud’ is that gungy old mud that gets stuck around tractor wheels then deposited on the road for us unsuspecting motorists to run into! Whatever you’ve got get better soon.
    Happy anniversary, 16 years is a loooooong time!

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    1. You know, I didn’t think of the whole cohabitation thing with Snakes or I would have sent Linda to look at the water across the street just in case hehehe. Based on my Owl experiences, any Snake near that area would be put on a plate and served to the rest of the family. Here, crud is in reference to the crude oil like yellow slime that keeps having to be purged on the hour, although living out here in the country I can relate to your form of crud every time the big implements come out of the fields at harvest time. Doctor basically told me to suck it up and wait it out (5 more days and counting) as isn’t any fever with it so the body isn’t fighting an infection…just gunk production. I tell everyone the best thing about having a blog ..besides the great readers of course..is the fact you get to document your maturity in whatever the blog covers – I look back at those early wildlife pictures and shudder hehehe. Appreciate you dropping in B.!

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    1. Thank you Tom, appreciate the kind words. One of those rare times in the photography world where everything seems to come together – as you know, a rarity indeed ha. Thank you coming by and take care.

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    1. Thank you Maggi, appreciate it. We were not only lucky enough to locate it, but it also happened to be extremely tolerant of our presence as long as we paid it the proper respect. Stay tuned, we had another encounter with a Burrowing Owl in Las Vegas that let us get even closer!. As always, appreciate you coming by.

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    1. Well, that earworm song is firmly stuck in my head today hehehehe. I never cease to be amazed by the kindness of people we meet, unfortunately, it no longer surprises me the number of times we see the converse. I keep telling myself the sour encounters are the isolated cases, but lately definitely growing in frequency. Was starting to get a complex, but Linda swears it isn’t just me ha. Take care Jerry – as you might have noticed, with my new computer I am able to finally comment on more blogs now …. plenty of problems left, but at least getting through the worst of them.

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  9. Congrats on 16 years! Does that mean the Intrigued pension is only a few years away? Thanks for providing a platform for Allyson, Jan and I to try something new. Those owl eyes are intent enough for me to think it wanted you for dinner.

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    1. Thank you Brad! Intrigued doesn’t have the nice pensions of our old employer..holding out for some billionaire to come buy us out…waiting, waiting, waiting… Intrigued is delighted to have you, Jan and Allyson on board and definitely from the comments received,, our readers have enjoyed learning about your adventures. I made sure Linda was in arm’s reach in case it lunged I could quickly slide her in between …. I mean out of the way, yeah, that is what I meant out of the way, you know safety and all, loving husband, hero..you get the picture!

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      1. You probably weren’t in any danger from the owls or Linda. As long as there weren’t any “snakes or snakes with legs” you should be good. I did have a moment of pause when the bear walked behind the tree where Jan was about to be walking that one time . . .

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        1. We have had a similar Bear experience while we were in the Tetons – told the stories numerous time about Linda depantsing me trying to get the Bear Spray out ha. Does give one a moment to pause and to assess.

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  10. I’ve been out to that slab of cement several times, but haven’t caught Golden Eye at home yet. Since the maps say it is a year-round resident, I’ll keep trying. I do wonder about the effects of flooding… that piece of land is only about 8-10 inches above sea level if I remember right. Last year was so very dry, but this year, so far, we are having a wet winter.

    Snuggle up and get well, you have races to run and more bird trips to enjoy!

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    1. I never even thought of how low that area actually is – that is a good point. Sorry to hear you have missed our little buddy, fingers crossed it was just taking naps or maybe out slaying Sparrows those times you were there. There is another possible explanation that will make more sense in the second part of this post coming out soon. Now I have a slight feeling of dread, but those Owls are quite resourceful. I am trying everything I can think of to rid my body of this Cruces Crude. Even went to the doctor which is pretty much unheard of for me – diagnosis was suck it up since there was no fever associated with it – can’t wait to see the bill on that expert advice. I keep telling Linda I run a fine line as it is on my training regiment and every day I am not training puts the ultras at risk… her response… suck it up.. Swear I can’t win for trying. Thanks for coming by Sam. I know the trip got shortened, but will we be seeing any tins from your trip back to SPI?

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      1. Can’t wait to read your alternate explanation, I love a good story!

        And speaking of stories, no, the Dancing Reddish was all you will see from our trip to the Rio Grande area. I did find another dozen species at the Center, but I only have one or two good images of each, so there’s really not enough for a good story. The wind was fierce at the Laguna Atascosa NWR, so didn’t get anything there. And I did take a quick side trip to Laguna Vista Nature Trail, the Aplomado Falcon viewing area and the South Texas Eco Tourism Center… but no results to share. Thanks again for your tips, you helped me make the most of my very short time in the RGV. Never fear, I shall be back!

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        1. Here at Intrigued, we are all about the story – Brad can confirm it is written on the walls of our corporate HQ hahaha.
          A feel bad you didn’t have the best experiences at the two Lagunas and the other places mentioned. I would at least give Atascosa another shot on a less windy day, it has been worth it the many times we’ve had the opportunity to go there. Vista has been hit or miss, but that is usually because I am chasing a rarity (last year the Tropical Parula) and that can be a very fickle endeavor as you know. I am really disappointed you missed the Aplomado Falcon. They are a sight to see. We will be back down there in early April to make up for going to Arizona in January. I’ll give you another rundown after that and let you know what’s happening in the area. I am delighted you at least added to your species count at SPI Center, looking forward to our return…and finding that damn Least Bittern that eluded me last time ha.

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  11. such a fantastic look at the burrowing owl, Brian. I haven’t seen BO in years and was just thinking a week or two ago that it would be nice to see those little cuties again. Your post has inspired me to seek them out. Great photos of the savannah sparrow stopped in mid-air by those piercing golden eyes and then flying off. Congratulations on your anniversary, you and your wonderful naturalist staff of artists have certainly brought light and beauty to me. Many thanks.

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    1. Thank you so much Jet – encounters are always better when I can share them with all my great readers. Good luck on your BO hunt, they are so incredibly full of expression…even with those haunting yellow eyes. That Savannah sure got a surprise – tickled that I was able to get some of the show in the tin. I was a little shocked when I saw the announcement of the anniversary come in my feed – we have had so much fun being able to share what we find in the field and as the family has grown it has just gotten better. The best part is all the people like you and Athena that continue to challenge us to get better, although not sure I’ll ever be able to top witnessing the birth of a Seal! Take care, stay calm, adventure on.

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  12. Very cool photos, Brian. I have never seen a Burrowing Owl in a man-made structure like this irrigation pipe. Let’s hope they won’t fix that hole!
    And congratulations on your long-lived blog. May it continue to thrive.
    Best wishes,
    Tanja

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    1. Thank you Tanja! Funny how some birds embrace our human structures. If the current occupant has anything to do with it, no one’s gonna touch his house ha! We are still excited to bring our readers stories from our field adventures and currently plan to keep this little off ramp on the digital superhighway going for years to come. Brad has also been a big help to bring new life and perspectives into the blog these last couple of years insuring this effort doesn’t become “work”. Be safe and take care!

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  13. Any day one can see a Burrowing Owl is a good day indeed.

    We’re fortunate they breed in our immediate area. We’re unfortunate they are darned near impossible to find. Gini is like Linda. “Oh, you didn’t see the family of owls three miles out in that pasture? How could you miss them?”

    Sorry to hear you are ill and hope for a speedy recovery.

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    1. I definitely agree Wally. Been such a rarity over my life that I practically have to pinch my self when I witness one in person – We now have a place in Vegas where we can just drive up and take a picture of one to get the check for the year, but that is definitely the exception. Gini has the “gift” – I hope she at least tells you before you get back to the car ha. Appreciate the well wishes – I’ll be back at it soon enough, taking advantage of the extra down time to get everything ready for the new year.

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    1. I absolutely agree! We are rather limited in our selection here at home (Barreds, Great-Horned and supposedly Barns but have yet to find one of those here). Those are fun, but we always get more excited when we come upon these incredibly expressive Burrowings Owls. Almost on cue, I hear the “Who Cooks, Who Cooks for You” call out my den window – must have seen what I was typing and felt slighted ha. Take care!

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