#northern pygmy owl

[uwmspeccoll]

Wood Engraving Wednesday

As I posted this past spring, I was this year's juror for the 5th Triennial Exhibition of the Wood Engravers' Network, the national organization for American wood engravers. With my love of wood engravings and the superior quality of the entries, the experience was joyfully playful.

Of the 140 entries, I selected 60 for the exhibition. The chosen works met all four of my criteria: excellent craftsmanship; interesting composition; emotional resonance; work I would I would mount on the walls of my home. But among these 60, there were a set of works that really resonated with me, and I display two of them here, along with some details and the front and back covers of the catalog that display snippets of some of the other work: Northern Pygmy Owl (4.5" x 3") by California artist Richard Wagener and The Madonna Tree (6.6" x 5") by Massachusetts engraver and letterpress printer Abigail Rorer.

What stands out for me in Wagener's owl print is the asymmetrical composition with the flat jet-black background having the same emotional weight as the owl, and the simple treatment of the eyeballs that allow the eyes to almost glow in the darkness. In Rorer's print, it is the precision of her mark making, the exquisite depth of her composition, and just the aliveness of the tree and the apparent spirit it holds. Both just wonderful!

View another post with work by Richard Wagener.

View more posts on work by Abigail Rorer.

View more engravings by members of the Wood Engraver’s Network.

View more posts with wood engravings!

– MAX, Head of Special Collections

[birds-of-prey-daily]

Northern Pygmy Owl

[autistrix]

[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50571993] Northern Pygmy-Owl || Glaucidium gnoma Observed in Canada Vulnerable in location of observation

"The two shots were taken less than a minute apart. I'd never seen a pygmy-owl do this before.. It had been in a relaxed posture, then, once a nearby chickadee appeared to notice it and started making a fuss, it compressed its feathers and stretched out, also raising the feathers above the eyes (first picture) than shortly after began to relax again, returning to a more usual pose (2nd picture). It was a pretty impressive transformation!"

[birdblues]

Northern Pygmy Owl

[marshmallow-biscuit-blog]

Owl

I don't know why, but an owl

You know, if I were to say "my favorite animal"-- there'd be a list 50 animals long because I can't choose. But I'd say owls are definitely in the top 10.

So, I'll do my favorite kind of owl, a northern pygmy owl. And you'll see why because I'm literally insane and like brutal little animals who should not be able to do what they do. They're also just very cute visually.

The northern pygmy owl is native to western North America, and has the tiniest little 'hoots' that make it sound like a squeaky toy, that make you think it couldn't possible be a threat to anything. It even chitters.

They are only 6.75 inches long (yes I did google this part) with a wing span of 12 inches, weighing only 2.5 oz. That is absolutely tiny. LOOK. I could go on about the cutesy stuff about this bird, but I love brutal. And these guys have some 'interesting' behaviors such as-- this. Clip from Ze Frank's video.

I know that mf wasn't eating or burying his food. That was sus. Anyways, the more brutal part is notice what the prey is. Literally another bird, the size of itself. They're just as deadly as bigger owls, just packed into a tiny little party sized pellet.

Speaking of which, here's an owl pellet. The regurgitated bones and fur that owls can't digest. Owls typically get rid of 1 or 2 a day. A more known fact, but still interesting nonetheless. The Northern Pygmy Owl is low conservation concern.

[shittybirdpictures]

northern pygmy owl😱

[raw-wild]

Northern Pygmy Owl | K3 Photography MT

[bouncinghedgehog]

Northern Pygmy Owl from yesterdays adventure around the greater Vancouver area

Thanks for looking

www.abucciphotography.com

[smallerdelusions]

Dinovember Day 15: Megaraptor + Eyespots

[glitchgeek]

This may be my finest quiz of all

[horrendoushag]

feast your eyes on THIS

orb.

[pumpking64]

Photos under the cut

[dopescissorscashwagon]

Paul Bannick Photography : Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma)The smaller the owl, the more quickly it gains independence. Larger owls like Great Gray Owls and Great Horned Owls can take 2-3 months to hunt on their owl, while young Northern Pygmy Owls like this one can hunt by 4-5 weeks.

[birdblues]

Northern Pygmy Owl

[scottpartridge]

A rectangular version of North American Owls includes Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Bearded Screech Owl, Whiskered Screech Owl, and Flammulated Owl in addition to the Elf Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, Saw Whet Owl, Eastern and Western Screech Owls, Boreal Owl, Hawk Owl, Long-Eared Owl, Short-Eared Owl, Burrowing Owl, Barn Owl, Spotted Owl, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Snowy Owl, and Great Grey Owl. Note that the Hawaiian Pueo is a subspecies of Short-Eared Owl.

[herpsandbirds]

Trick or treaaat and a happy Halloween!!! 🎃

Happy Halloween!

Northern Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium californicum), family Strigidae, western U.S.

photograph by Protik M Hossain