An Encounter with A Pair of Spotted Owlets or Lilith Owlets in Maleha, Sharjah

A Spotted Owlet or Lilith Owlet on its rocky mountain perch

Truly majestic desert mountain predatory birds

A truly cute "beautiful eyes pose" for the explorer

The color and pattern of there plumage perfectly matched the desert 

Constantly vigilant in search for potential prey and threats

its a turn around

Thanks to the bright blue sky I can see them pass their camouflage

Protruding mountain rocks are the owls favorite roosting points

Do you agree that this mountain rock formation looks like an owl head? 

Can you spot the owlet in this picture?

There are 2 owlets in this photo. Can you spot them both?

The chilly winter season mountain air makes it truly the perfect reason to explore the UAE mountains and wadis, not just to traverse the various desert terrains but mainly to explore in search for awesome creatures. During my recent expedition to the Maleha, Sharjah trail I was truly blessed and thankful to have a close encounter with a pair of Spotted Owlets or Lilith Owlets in their rocky mountain home. The bright blue sky enabled me to spot these birds as they roost on the rocky outcrops. They were truly tough to spot as their plumage perfectly matches the color of their surroundings. As they have positioned themselves high on top the rocky mountain, I have to slowly crawl my way up to have a closer look and capture these awesome shots.  

LILITH OWLETS, Athene noctua lilith (AVES, STRIGIDAE)

These little owlets breeds on the rocky outcrops of the desert mountains. Unlike other owls, they are active during the day. There main prey on their rocky mountain desert home are mainly insects, smaller birds, lizards and rodents.   

The owlets are enjoying the awesome desert winter weather. Time for us to get out of our city dwellings and explore outdoors.    

Awesome creatures! Awesome CREATOR!

Thanks for your support and careful attention. 

If you need Pest Management Training, Technical Field Support, On-Line and On-Site Consultancy, please feel free to send me an email: odelon.reyes@gmail.com