Simply Amazing

A "Northern Pygmy Owl" was spotted on the neighbors property, so I grabbed the camera.  I've wanted to see one of these for SO long.. I was giddy.  They are tiny and hard to spot, although the zoom lens makes them look full-sized.  Here's a little more about them:

Size:  A sparrow-sized owl 7-7.5".  

Range:  Resident from Southeastern Alaska southward through most of the West

Habitat:  Open Coniferous forests

Nesting:  3-6 small white eggs in an abandoned wood-pecker hole

This small owl sometimes hunts by day, attacking birds even larger than itself.  In spring the male is conspicuous uttering a staccatto whistle every few seconds while flicking his long tail upward and sideways.  In response, the small forest birds sound an excited alarm, scolding and mobbing this tiny owl, just as they would any larger owl.