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Saw-Whet Owls

Words and photographs by Megan Lorenz (visit Megan Lorenz’s photo website)

The first time I saw a Northern Saw-Whet Owl was at a Raptor Centre for injured Birds Of Prey.  Hutton had been hit by a car in March 2008 and had permanent damage and loss of sight in her right eye. Luckily there are wonderful Raptor Rehab Centres which will look after birds like Hutton permanently if they are unable to be returned to the wild.  I was completely taken with the tiny Owls who are smaller than a pop-can with a wingspan of only 43 cm – 56cm.

After hearing that Saw-Whets are very common in Ontario, I wanted nothing more than to photograph them in the wild.  Some are year-round residents, others are moving through on their migration path.  It seems like searching for a needle in a haystack at times, but once you learn their habits, migration patterns and keep an eye on recent bird sightings… it’s not as hard to find them as you would think.

They prefer to live in coniferous forests with small, dense trees around clearings with lots of vole, deer mice and shrew activity but are also found in deciduous woodlands.  They are nocturnal, so during the day will be found roosting in these trees and trying to blend in.  They will usually not move around much during the day unless disturbed.

It’s very important not to disturb them or flush them from their perches. It is approximated that only one-quarter of raptors survive their first year, and only half of these will reach maturity and raise their own young.  Unfortunately at least four of the Saw-Whets I was able to photograph this season were killed by Red-Tailed Hawks in the area.  They are easy prey with little to defend themselves.

Their defense upon discovery is to “freeze,” hoping they will not be seen.  This causes the misinterpretation by many people that they are “tame.”  This is not the case. Although their defense strategy does allow you to get closer to them than most birds of prey, you still need to respect their boundaries.

They hunt at dusk and dawn; waiting until their prey is close and dropping down on them from a low perch at the edge of forests or by a clearing.

Over the course of a few weeks while they were around my area, I went at least every few days to see them.  Some days they were deep within the pine trees and there were not many photo opportunities but just being able to see them in the wild was thrilling.

Other days, they were in more accessible areas and I got all the photos I wanted.  It just made me realize how important it is to know your subject and their habits and how to open my eyes and really be observant of  all the wildlife signs around me.

All the Saw-Whets in that area are now gone, so I’ve been doing the drive to Kingston every few days to see them on Amherst Island.  I keep a close eye on recent sightings and make regular trips when I find a small population of the Saw-Whets.

I could talk about camera settings etc, but I found the most important thing in getting good shots of these Owls is patience.  I get there early and sometimes sit around all day once I’ve located the Owls, just waiting for them to be in good light or against an interesting background.  When they do move into a good location, I am usually already in a perfect position and can take my shots without moving around too much.

Since I’ve been pursuing photography full-time, I’ve had lots of time to travel and there are many destinations on my list that I can’t wait to experience.  My main interest has always been nature and wildlife photography and I’ve learned that while I can travel all over, there’s still so much to see even in my own backyard.  The wildlife has always been there and yet it took a passion in photography for me to realize it.

For more information on Megan Lorenz, click here to visit her photography website.

Filed under: Photographers in the Field