atahiliani's Identifications

I was on my way to do some bird watching in the area when I noticed a number of cars parked along the side of the road. As I passed, I saw a line of photographers a little ways off the road. I figured there might be an interesting bird in the area, so grabbed my camera. We watched a burrowing owl for quite a while before it flew away to hunt for food. It may have been at that spot for a little while as there were a number of bird droppings on the rocks.

I didn't realize until I got home and did a little research that the Burrowing Owl wasn't seen in BC for at least a decade. The Burrowing Owl Society of BC is working to reestablish them in the Okanagan Valley. I read the ebird post of another birder about this owl, and he said that it isn't banded, so is considered wild. Initially I wasn't certain as I didn't see the bird's legs clearly.