There are several Eastern Screech Owls in the Biggest Week in American Birding area. One along the boardwalk at Magee Marsh, one right around the Black Swamp Bird Observatory building itself, one at Ottawa NWR, and one along the boardwalk at Maumee Bay State Park. And those are just the ones I know about!

This bird is the BSBO Owl. After 3 says of sitting hunched almost invisible and apparently asleep against the trunk of a tall evergreen (near the top of course) we found it in the trees immediately behind the building as it is in this image…at full alert…and with a clear line of sight. A treat indeed.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 with 75-300mm zoom. 1200mm equivalent field of view (2x digital extender). Shutter preferred. 1/640th @ISO 2000 @ f6.7. Processed in Snapseed on my tablet.