I’ve spent a lot of early mornings cruising the auto tour road at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, hoping to spot a great horned owl. They live there, but they do not make it easy.
On March 16, 2024, I finally connected with one again, even if it chose a tough perch.
Wildlife Notes
Great horned owls can be regular residents at the refuge, but daylight sightings feel like a coin toss. They sit tight, blend into bark and shadows, and let branches do the hiding.
This morning started with a helpful tip. I had seen a recent Facebook post that mentioned a great horned owl in a specific area, so I aimed my drive that way. I photographed an owl in that same spot a few years back, so it felt like a good bet.
My first pass came up empty. I looped back later that morning, and that decision made the difference. I spotted the owl on the backside of a large tree, tucked into a tangled mess of vines and branches. It was not an open, clean view, but I could see enough to know it was the bird I came for.
I still count it as a win. Seeing an owl like this, in its usual hiding style, is part of what makes the refuge so much fun.
Interestingly, this very same tree was the scene of a fascinating encounter back in March 2021. In a previous blog post (Great Horned Owl With A Pied-billed Grebe), I recounted witnessing a Great Horned Owl with what appeared to be the head of a Pied-billed Grebe!
Photography Notes
I photographed this owl from the comfort of my truck. That helped me stay steady and quiet, and it kept the moment simple.
The perch forced some compromises. The vines and branches blocked a lot of the body, and the scene had plenty of visual clutter. Still, I liked the challenge, and I liked the way the owl’s face and eye stood out in the mess.
Gear and settings (as shot):
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
- Focal length: 500mm
- Aperture: f/8
- Shutter speed: 1/800 second
- ISO: 2500
- Exposure compensation: +5/3
That high ISO came with the territory. I wanted a shutter speed fast enough to protect detail if the owl shifted or turned its head.
Closing
Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge keeps surprising me. This great horned owl did not give me a perfect, open perch, but it gave me a real sighting. After enough early mornings, that feels like the reward.