It is hardly surprising that owls, with their mystical, ethereal qualities, figure prominently in folklore. They are not easily ignored, even by non-birders. I met with this beautiful Eagle Owl on my first trip out of Ankara in 1967, no doubt a road casualty, but only saw two more in my three years there. Now, I have a pair close to me in the Algarve. Rather smaller was the Spotted Eagle Owl in acacia forest above Lake Langano in Ethiopia.

Equally unfazed was this Barred Owl in the Florida Everglades, totally oblivious to humans partying loudly on the boardwalk below. The light was so poor I needed a one second exposure, so must have had a steady hand in those days! The Hawk Owl in Lapland also ignored me, being too intent on feeding its nearby young. It caught a vole seconds after this photo was taken.

Hunting Short-eared Owls are always great to watch. I was surprised to find it was a regular autumn visitor to Santa Maria in mid-Atlantic (probably ex-Iceland), sometimes in small parties. This bird was one of six in November 2010.

In Ethiopia, John Ash had trapped this Scops Owl at his ringing station at Koka Dam. Now split from the African form, the wing formula indicates it’s a migrant from Europe. White-faced Scops Owl is normally nocturnal, but this stunning midday bird in the Awash National Park in Ethiopia had two newly fledged young in a nearby acacia.