Megascops kennecottii

These images pay homage to the introduction of night, a secret world cloaked in subsequent darkness and the illusion of time standing still. Like clockwork, just as our eyes strain in dilation to absorb the last remnants of ambient light, Western Screech-owls reveal themselves as the safety net of nightfall strengthens their protection. There was a time in the not so distant past that only descending trills rolling through backyards and riparian greenspaces would unveil their existence. Thankfully, things are a little different now.