Long-Eared Owl

I just had my fourth experience seeing long-eared owls at Corn Springs. In the interim I've learned that they migrate and they often congregate in the same tree. On December 19 I saw at least two, but I believe there were more. I got no photos. On January 16, I believe I saw 18 or 20, and I spent hours cautiously approaching them and taking photos. On February 13 I saw 8 or 10, much fewer and my best photos were taken of them flying. It was later in the afternoon and we didn't have as much time to focus on them. 

On February 28 I visited Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake with Sam and we found a grouping of four porcupines. While we were looking at them Sam flushed what turned out to be two long-eared owls that I got grainy photos of (I originally thought they were short-eared owls and an interaction on iNaturalist revealed they were long-eared owls).

Then yesterday, March 6, Judy and I took Sam out to Corn Springs and amazingly, there were still about five long-eared owls remaining in the palo verde tree. I'm assuming that they must be migrating in and migrating out singly or in small groups and that this must be near the end. I was only able to get one poor photo of one standing yesterday. 

They flew quickly from both the palo verde tree and the tamarisk tree. But I was able to get some good flying photos. This first set is a grouping of the same owl flying:

This next grouping is of the a different bird with some of the best photos I've gotten, particularly of the face (the last one is out of focus). 

Finally, a couple of groupings that I would normally be thrilled with, but just aren't as good as the foregoing:

and

I'm looking forward to seeing if they come back to the same spot next year.