I have been photographing owls for a few years now and have even built some 250 nest boxes for owls. This year seems to be an excellent year for forest owls in southern Sweden. I found a record number of four breeding pairs of Pygmy Owls in Skåne, the southernmost part of Sweden. Two of them were in nest boxes and another two in old woodpecker holes.
Like many other owls are Pygmy Owls are very ignorant about humans. They hardly care when you walk by which gives excellent photographic opportunities for any wildlife photographer. During this spring, I spend one whole day each week in the owl forests and have managed to get some excellent photographs of the family life of the pygmy owls.
Here I have filmed the tired female who is waiting for the male to arrive with prey for the young ones. Pygmy owls are active during daytime. She is looking out from her nest in an old, abandoned woodpecker hole. She is bothered by the scandinavian mosquitoes who even have bothered me a lot in the forests.
2010-05-22 Pygmy owl mother waiting for the male to arrive.