Description
The closest look yet at the pair — two western screech owlets crowded into the mouth of their cavity, one leaning over the other, four enormous orange-gold eyes wide open, and a single set of talons hooked over the lip of the hole. If my quest was to find the cutest owl photograph, I think this is where it ends.
At this range you can see the facial disc beginning to form — the shallow bowl of stiff feathers around each face. It is not decoration. That dish works exactly like a parabolic microphone, gathering sound from a wide area and funneling it toward the ear openings hidden at its edges. An owl can adjust the shape of the disc, tightening it to focus on a rustle in the grass. It is the reason a bird this small can locate a mouse it cannot see.
The foot on the rim is worth noticing too. Owls have a swivelling outer toe — it can point forward for perching or rotate backward for gripping, giving them two toes forward and two back when they need maximum hold. It is why an owl can carry prey nearly its own weight, and why these two can hang onto a vertical trunk before they can properly fly.
Both of them will be hunting in the dark within weeks. For now they are sitting in a hole in a Portland tree, looking mildly outraged that anyone found them.
This is a high-resolution digital download of the photograph, made in Portland, Oregon — yours to print for your home or office, set as a wallpaper, or simply keep. It makes an excellent print for a nursery or a child’s room.
What you’ll receive: a high-resolution JPEG, approximately 3456 × 2688 pixels — sharp enough to print at full photo quality up to about 11.5 × 9 inches at 300 DPI, and larger at normal wall viewing distances. Delivered as an instant download the moment your order is complete.
License: Personal use only. Print it for your own home, use it as a wallpaper or screen background, enjoy it yourself. Not licensed for commercial use, resale, redistribution, or AI training. © Jonathan Swanson / JonSwan Productions. All rights reserved.
