I have a book in my mind and in that book is an owl. I don’t know a lot about owls, so I’ve started reading a little about them. One thing I learned that surprised me is that many owls don’t make the “Hoo-Hoo” sound that I’ve always imagined and read aloud in books with my kids. I’ve wondered which type of owl I would photograph for my own book and where I would find one? Like many photographs I see in my mind, I imagine traveling to remote and stunning places to get the shots.

But there they were at the park. They were camouflaged in plain sight. Two beautiful burrowing owls sitting guard by their nest in a little drainage ditch. Right beside the basketball court and across from the playground. We were ready to go and I didn’t see them until I started to back my car up. I pulled back into my spot and grabbed my camera. I was quiet and careful as I approached, thankful I had my long lens. The owls watched me cautiously, but I made sure not to get too close. I don’t know if those little burrowing owls with those beautiful yellow eyes will make it into my book or not, but I love that we found them there in that least expected spot. I’ll have to take the kids back on a quiet morning when we can sit at a distance and watch together, me with my camera and my kids with their binoculars.