Burrowing Owls are a species of special concern and are disappearing in Southern California.
The species is listed as threatened in Mexico,
and endangered in Canada.
It is rare to see them in Southern California as their ecosystems have been goobled up by development.
These burrowing owls are protected at The Salton Sea Nature Preserve in Southern California.
The preserve sets up multiple drain pipes for the owls to shelter in from predators and marks them with signage to keep humans from bothering them.
It is always a major thrill when these tiny owls (they are only 9 inches high) decide to come out of hiding and people watch!
Cheers to you from the wonderful Burrowing Owls at The Salton Sea~
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Your headline is hilarious! I love burrowing owls! It’s so sad about their low and declining numbers. Thank you for sharing this beauty with us, Cindy! 🤎
Thank you more dear Teresa for caring about the owls. Stay safe & well my friend დ
Ich möchte diese Nachricht ausdrucken und einrahmen. Ehrlich gesagt, es ist so schön.
„Oh, ich bin sprachlos. Deine Nachricht hat mich beeindruckt 🥺.“
„Nichts, was ich zurückschreiben könnte, wäre so erstaunlich wie Ihre Nachricht.“
Ich bin unglaublich dankbar für Ihre sehr freundliche Nachricht und Ihre Gedanken. Ich freue mich, dass Ihnen die Eulen gefallen haben und danke Ihnen aufrichtig für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit დ
Dein Lächeln ist die Belohnung, die ich jeden Tag bekommen möchte. Es ist das Einzige, was mich schön atmen lässt
Beautiful pictures, as always, Cindy!
So appreciated Janice. Thank you & cheers დ
Reality is always bitter. We have to preserve rare species but some where efforts are not there. Pics are marvelous and beautiful captures. Thank you CK have a nice week ahead.
Yes. Reality is bitter and not enough is being done to save precious species. Thank you for caring my friend & be well დ
Thank you. I will save one of the pictures for my collection . Have a nice day .
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You got some gorgeous shots! I love looking at your photos, Cindy.
That makes me very happy Kymber. Thank you & take good care დ
Thank you for these pics, Cindy!
What a sweet little thing. I hope they do make a comeback.
Man must think he’s some kind of god. We take away, then try to give back.
Destroy and them try to restore. Madness დ
Yes! დ დ
The owl is giving you the eye!
Yes in a most owlish manner! 😉
Beautiful shots of these adorable little owls! So sad on their decline. I’ve had the privilege of seeing and photographing them on Marco Island in Florida, they are protected there as well.
Thank you Donna. Wonderful that you saw in the wild and that they are being protected დ
These owls are only 9 inches high, Cindy???
I can’t even imagine. Wonderful pictures – and always an education to visit your posts. Have a wonderful week!!
They are so tiny and sooooo cute and curious დ
Your photos of these precious little owls are stellar, Cindy! And I love your title. 😊
Smiling….. So appreciated Lynette. Thank you & take good care დ
Always happy to hear when someone is helping a precious species to hang on.
Yes. It is so critically necessary დ
Great captures Cindy. Birds are so versatile, they make use of what ever they find that serves their purpose, a bit like us.
Birds remind me of humans, but they can fly! 😉 😉
A simple thing to just give them a chance. I always tell people, imagine if there were no birds, no wildlife to ooh and ah over. The silence would be deafening. And the only people who trash these ecosystems are the ones that don’t care, they won’t be here later. The selfish who only care about the money and ‘their’ now.
Sorry Cindy, got on my horse and tore through those greedy cretins who will leave us like Mars. I think they were there first.
Anyway, great pictures and glad to see a new start for them all 😀❤️🙏
I so agree with everything you are saying Mark! Thank you. It is so heartbreaking that so many species are extinct, over 900 and counting. A world without wild creatures and spaces would be so barren and terrible. The earth would lose her soul. Please get on your soapbox Mark. Some people’s idea of nature is a golf course. They are missing so much and they don’t even know it. დ
Yes. So many folks have grown up under artificial lighting — and have never seen the humbling, awe-inspiring majesty of a starry night (with little or no light pollution). So many folks are trapped in bubbles of desire to consume — more Disney vacations, more trendy clothing, more fancy food, more fancy booze/drugs, etc. etc. etc. — that they are completely estranged from mother nature (and her cycles/rhythms/truths/beauty). Perhaps your wonderful photos, CIndy, can help to re-awaken some people’s curiosity about — and respect for — all of the amazing, interconnected, non-human worlds here on planet earth!
Will, I love your “so many people are trapped by bubbles of desire to consume…” Consumption is an addiction, the more you have, the more you need to consume, to keep up with your own new standard of living. I love how Warren Buffet bucks this trend and lives so simply. He doesn’t buy into consumerism and excess consumption. People can’t be physically or mentally healthy without a healthy natural world. Nature is our home and we and our comfort. Your thoughts moved me deeply Will. Thank you for sharing them ღ
Such ama nog photos. I love Owks and these are so beautiful.
Thank you so much Holly. I დ my friends who დ owls. Take good care my friend დ
Lovely caption and nice shots, thanks.
You are so welcome. I am happy you enjoyed დ
So sad to think that beautiful owl is endangered. Pleased to hear steps are being taken to supply them with safe habitat. What a penetrating stare he has. Beautiful photos Cindy
I love all owls. We have Great Horned and Barn Owls breeding at The Holler. A large percentage of an owl’s brain is taken up by it’s visual center. I call back and forth with The Great Horned Owls at night. Once I was standing blind in the dark, calling and enjoying the return calls, when there was a sudden whooshing above my head, that ruffled my hair. I heard and saw nothing. The owl swooped inches over my head without touching me to let me know he saw me, knew I was calling, and knew I wasn’t an owl. He didn’t hurt me. He easily could have. Great Horned Owls are powerful raptors დ
Wow that was an amazing experience Cindy. I believe you can’t hear owls wings beating.
I know. It is incredible considering how fast they fly. When they hit prey, I think they glide. But I was nearby for all of it, the take off when the wings beat fast and hard, the glide. There was no sound from any of it. It still strikes and amazes me.
These owls are beautiful. I cannot imagine such tiny ones and the fact that they burrow rather than perch in trees is fascinating.
They are utterly fascinating, so curious if you are patient with them, and completely endearing დ
Thank you so much, Cindy. These are such wonderful owls, and so much in need of help and support!
Thank you for your care and action Sharon. They are incredible birds, so curious and endearing. So many amazing wild creatures hang in the balance. Sad დ
Lovely shots, Cindy.
Thank you Michael დ
You’re welcome.
How could anyone not be moved by the plight of these little beauties, Cindy. These are lovely pictures, thank you for caring. Huge Hugs
Lovely caption and nice shots, thanks.
You are most welcome & I am happy you enjoyed ღ
Such beautiful little birds and as always amazing shots… We as humans seem to only care when animals are endangered.. we should appreciate and protect their habitats before this happens however its good that steps are being taken.. Lovely pictures, Cindy 🤗
I agree with you Carol. We are always in the position of trying to close the barn door after the horses have all fled. We should be proactive not reactive ღ
They are so sweet. Fab photos, Cindy. Thanks.
So pleased you like them Darlene & thank you ღ
What a great idea to set up the drain pipes and such a beautiful bird. thanks Cindy ♥
They did some quite house proud to me! 😉 ღ
Beautiful pictures of the bird. Love the history.
Happy you enjoyed & thank you ღ
fabulous!
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Great post with interesting information. And of course, very impressive and beautiful photographs.
So appreciated Herman. Thank you & cheers ღ
Our world is made from Beauty. All of it. Sadly, we mostly walk over it and see nothing at all. Life does survive, but we forget, what survives don’t have to be us. I’m not Catholic but agree we are, we are meant to be, Stewards of this place. May we grow up before we are replaced. For real.
Thank you Cindy for showing us so much.
“May we grow up before we are replaced. For real.” I hear you Neil and I couldn’t possibly agree more. Thank you for caring ღ
Wonderful owl pictures!! So thankful this kind of preserve keeps these owls safe.
Thanks much and yes, we need more nature preserves ღ
What delightful creatures, and what bad news that they’re endangered. But it comes to something if Social Housing Schemes are reduced to providing drainpipes! A great initiative though.
They did seem just a tad house proud to me! Happy you like them Margaret & cheers to you ღ
Thanks, Cidy. Great post!
Obrigada Isabel ღ
Well photographed and informative. I have seen these in The Hawk Conservancy Trust
Thank you Derrick. I am glad you have such a trust and that you were able to see these amazing little creatures ღ
How fabulous
Merci beaucoup mon Ami Sheree ღ
Avec plaisir
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Simply wonderful!
Grazie mille Luisa ღ
🙏💐🙏💐🙏
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Amazing! May I ask, how far were you when you took pictures of this beautiful creature?
I actually don’t really know. I was using a lot of zoom and I don’t use a tripod. I freeze when they spot me, and inch forward as their tolerance grows. If I had to guess I would say 20 feet at the closest ღ
Thanks,Cindy. Owls are such fascinating creatures. Cheers. x
Fascinating and mysterious. They are on watch while we sleep ღ
Glad to hear that they put the pipes for these little cute ones to live!
Yes, thanks, I am grateful they are doing this and wish we were doing more ღ
That is so sad to read about these little wonderful owls. Glad someone is taking steps to protect them
It is very sad. Thank you for caring about them Beth ღ
Adorable birds. Thank you for capturing them for us to see. We need to protect our animals.
We do. Thank you Jennie ღ
You’re welcome, Cindy.
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Beautiful photography! LOVE the proud birds… They seem to want everyone to know that they ARE amazing.
Smiling….. I think you are completely correct! ღ
What a cute little bird of prey!
Stay safe, dear Cindy.
And you too dear Martha ღ
Cindy, at least there is a small effort to help their numbers. The photos are wonderful and what an adorable and unusual owl. Their eyes are mesmerising!
Yes, I do wish the efforts were more substantive. Thank you Annika. Your thoughtfulness is much appreciated ღ
Cheers to the burrowing owls and Cindy
from Eddie and all south Florida wildlife!
Smiling. I am glad to know you are there Eddie looking out for the creatures in South Florida ღ
You’re so very kind Cindy, big hugs, Eddie
Visa versa 2UX2 Eddie ღღ
Likewise dear heart
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hugs dear heart
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hugs dear heart
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You’re a gem
So are you.
For a long time I didn’t know quite how to say it, you’re a dear.
You learned my friend. Thank you.
hugs dear heart
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What a great share❣️ yeah for burrowing owls and the peeps that support the. … and to you Cindy 💞
Visa versa 2UX2 Val! ღღ
Love this:)
Smiling ღ
So sad to see another species in danger of extinction. Thanks for highlighting efforts to protect one group.
You are most welcome Maria. Thank you for caring ღ
What a beautiful bird! It’s alarming that so many species are endangered or heading for extinction.
It is alarming. As nature goes, so do we ღ
When I read your post, the phrase “canary in a coal mine” did come to mind.
Yes. There are so many of these warnings that go mostly unheeded now.
We ignore them at our peril.
Exactly.
Thanks Cindy for highlighting species that are endangered. Owls really fascinate me and I had no idea there were mini – versions!
You are most welcome Linda. Owls are mysterious and fascinating creatures ღ
How wonderful you were able to capture this little beauty! Thank you for sharing with us.
So happy you enjoyed the owls Dale & thanks much my friend ღ
Very much so! I am always on the lookout for owls but, so far, unless someone has pointed one out to me.. I’m SOL 😉
Here’s to hoping that changes soon!
I have managed to capture a couple – but as I said, after someone pointed them out! 🙂
Oh, that’s wonderful!
Yes! I hope it happens again 🙂
Hoping with you.
You’ll know, coz I’ll share! 😉
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Such a cute owl. As others have said, it’s sad that we treat nature as a disposable treat for our pleasure/greed etc. Hopefully, we learn to live in harmony or disappear and make room for the rest of nature to thrive.
Excellent point Brad. I don’t know why some people don’t understand that as we kill off nature, we are killing off ourselves as well. We are all interdependent ღ
What a gorgeous bird! I’m so glad that their habitat is being protected in the Salton Sea area. We used to visit there regularly when we lived in CA.
This odd polluted sea, is a last ditch refuge for so many wild creatures. Since you have visited you know what I mean ღ