Cuzner in Nature

I captured this image of a short-eared owl a while back at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. I don't come across too many of these owls in my travels.  Photographer Rick Cuzner captured this image of a rare short-eared owl at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newbury. The owl is an endangered species in the state. When I heard one was in the area, I went on a mission to find it. I hiked in about 3 1/2 miles on a dirt road that had been closed to vehicles because of excessive ice and erosion. The reward was certainly worth it. I spent about an hour watching the owl hunt in an open field, landing in very close proximity to the road several times. The short-eared owl is an endangered species in Massachusetts, with only 20-25 breeding pairs remaining in the state...