Short-Eared Owl Swoops Down On Supper

The first light of morning stretched across the prairie as, on my fourth visit to this spot in two days, I watched, waiting a nearly impossible moment. Short-eared owls move fast and silent, their flight unpredictable as winter weather in Washington. Then, at last, she swept low, wings glowing gold in the dawn. In that breath of stillness, instinct and patience aligned. The owl struck, and I caught her mid-dive, a fleeting, hard-won triumph of art and nature.