Barred Owl Near the Reeds at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge

On June 23, 2023, I was out at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma with my friend and fellow photographer Mia McPherson from Utah. We spotted a Barred Owl perched right above the water, framed by a wall of green reeds, and both of us stopped everything to get the shot.

It was one of those moments that reminds me why I keep coming back to Sequoyah.

Wildlife Notes: Barred Owl in the Reeds

The Barred Owl (Strix varia) is a medium-sized owl found across much of the eastern United States and into the Pacific Northwest. Around Sequoyah NWR, they show up regularly near wooded edges, water, and marsh areas, which makes the refuge a reliable spot for finding them.

This one was perched low over the water, in full view, which is less typical behavior for a species that usually keeps to shaded, dense cover. Morning hours in late June probably helped. The light was still soft, the refuge was quiet, and the owl seemed relaxed enough to hold the perch for a while.

Identification cues. The Barred Owl has a round head with no ear tufts, dark brown eyes (one of the few owl species in the East with dark rather than yellow eyes), and the classic barred pattern across the chest with vertical streaking below. The facial disc is round and pale with a dark border, and those feathers serve a real purpose. They funnel sound toward the owl’s asymmetrically placed ears, which helps it pinpoint prey by sound alone.

Diet and hunting habits. Barred Owls hunt mainly small mammals like mice and voles, but they also take frogs, crayfish, birds, and fish when opportunity presents itself. At Sequoyah, with the abundance of wetland habitat, crayfish are a known part of their diet. I’ve photographed that behavior firsthand, and you can see it in Barred Owl and its Crawdad Catch. They are primarily nocturnal, but daytime sightings, especially in early morning, are not unusual.

Habitat at Sequoyah. The bridge near the entrance to the tour road is a productive area. The combination of open water, reeds, and adjacent timber gives the owls hunting habitat and roost cover in close proximity. It’s worth slowing down there every pass through the refuge.

Photography Notes: Canon RF 800mm at the Refuge

Mia spotted the owl first. We were driving over the bridge near the tour road entry when she called it out. We pulled up carefully and shot from the vehicle, which acts as a natural blind and keeps disturbance low.

Gear. I used the Canon EOS R5 with the Canon RF 800mm F11 lens. That lens is compact and lightweight for an 800mm prime, which makes it easy to handhold from a vehicle window or use on a beanbag. At F11 it’s fixed aperture, so exposure management comes down to shutter speed and ISO. I had the camera in manual mode for this shoot.

Exposure. The settings were F11, 1/400s, ISO 6400 (auto), with +0.7 EV exposure compensation. The focal length was 800mm. The shot was taken at 8:40 a.m., so morning light was available, but the owl was partially in shadow from the reeds, which pushed the ISO higher. The +0.7 comp helped retain detail in the darker feathering without blowing the background. Settings are also available in the technical details below.

Light and composition. The reeds created a natural, textured green backdrop that separated cleanly from the owl’s brown and white plumage. The owl’s body was angled slightly toward the camera, which gave a three-quarter view and showed both the facial disc and the barring on the chest. That combination, subject clarity plus a clean background, is what makes this image work.

For more on Barred Owls at Sequoyah, check out Barred Owls: Thriving at Sequoyah Wildlife Refuge.

Equipment Used:

• Camera: Canon EOS R5
• Lens: Canon RF 800 mm F11

Technical Details:

• Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
• Date and Time Taken: June 23, 2023 (08:40 A. M.)
• Exposure Mode: Manual
• Aperture: f11
• Shutter speed: 1/400
• ISO: 6400 (Auto)
• Exp. Comp.: +0.7
• Focal Length: 800 mm

Wrapping Up

Encounters like this are why Sequoyah stays near the top of my list for wildlife photography in Oklahoma. The refuge consistently delivers, especially in the early morning hours when the light is manageable and the animals are active. Having Mia along for this trip made it even better. Two sets of eyes always help.