Oh what large eyes!

Port Franklin is a small fishing village on a mangrove fringed tidal creek, which runs into Corner Inlet. On a walking trail here, one of the BirdLife East Gippsland Autumn camp members spotted a Southern Boobook owl roosting in a dense melaleuca thicket.

The Boobook, Ninox boobook race boobook,  (one of four races in Australia) sat quietly while we all had a very close look and some photos were taken.

My lens at 420mm was way too long for such a close shot and there was no position where a fully clear view could be obtained, so I settled for some partly obscured head and shoulder portraits.

I guess a Photoshop wizard could improve on the images given enough time on the computer. I thought some of the images were worth a post “warts and all”, they certainly capture the owl's beautiful large eyes and facial features.

The upper eye lid appears to have eye lashes but not the lower?

Even though it was an overcast day it still seemed quite bright so I am surprised how dilated the owl's pupils are!

The "wise owl" look!