Long-eared Owl

Talk about unexpected!! My 4-year old son and I were taking a walk through the Big Sioux Recreation Area, a State Park right across the street from us.  I'd never really had that outstanding of a birding experience in the park, and despite the proximity, usually pass it by.  Well, on this beautiful fall day, as we walked, the cedar tree 5 feet in front of us erupted as a lone Long-eared Owl flushed out.  Very surprised, we paused a moment, took 2 more steps...and then no less than 7 more flushed out!!

Amazing how close we were without seeing them in the cedars.  I was thinking what a great birding find it was, but never expected to get much for photos, given how the few I'd ever seen before were so incredibly shy.  Well, not these guys!! I could walk right up to them as they roosted in the cedars.  The toughest part was getting a clear shot.  The top photo is the only one I found completely in the open.  The second was one I found in a spruce tree.  The third was taken right at sunset (sun in the background).