Arizona owls

I'll start my Arizona picture set with this Barn Owl. It is far from the most rare of the owls that we saw, but we caught it in a very intense moment.

Unfortunately, we caused it. We came too close to its day roosting spot and flushed it out:


Almost immediately, and out of nowhere, a Cooper's Hawk showed up and started chasing it in circles:


The hawk and the owl compete for the same food. But usually, the hawk owns the day while the owl hunts at night.


The hawk actually made contact a couple of times:




The hawk would not let it go:


Eventually it chased the owl into a tree and then went away to roost nearby.


Here are some of the other owls we saw on our trip. This is the Northern Pygmy Owl:


Despite it's tiny size, it actually hunts other birds:


Western Screech-Owl:




Whiskered Screech-Owl


Burrowing Owl:


Great Horned Owl:


Elf Owl:


And finally - owl food:

Cancun birds 2

A Turquoise-Browed Motmot - an astonishing bird with an astonishing name:



Despite being so colorful and graceful, they are a surprisingly common sight:


Another fish-spearer on the lake near Koba - an Anhinga:


Interesting fact: Anhinga's scientific name is "anhinga anhinga".


But Native Americans called it a "snake bird":


Whoever named the Rosy-Throated Becard didn't have to look far for inspiration:


Summer Tanager in full bloom:


Another view at the Vigia Chico road near Felipe Carrillo Puerto:


Roadside Hawk, seen at the Vigia Chico's roadside:


Least Flycatcher, in Yucatan for the winter:


Magnoli Warbler:


Ruddy Ground-Dove:


Wilson's Plover:


A beetle being attached by ants:


More Yucatan sunsets: