Buffy the Burrowing Owl

This is a story of love, love for the Burrowing Owls.
I am an artist and explorer of wildlife. I have spent many hours photographing birds on Sanibel Island, and in Shark Valley and Flamingo in the Everglades to incorporate into my artwork.
I love to rise early each morning just before dawn when it's peaceful and quiet, to prepare for a day of photographing or painting.
The air is often filled with the aroma of an early shower, and the croaking of frogs and the chirping of night creatures are everywhere.
After turning on the coffee pot to brew, I quietly open the front door and try to sneak out of the house to retrieve the newspaper without disturbing the Burrowing Owl that often sits on the light post or the one eating his breakfast while perched on my mailbox.
If alarmed, the little owls screech or hiss at me, generally making quite a fuss before flying off to the safety of their burrow.
One of these mornings, nature reached out and touched me in a special way. Ever since, it is quite easy for me to melt mentally and emotionally at the wondrous beauty and charm of these fascinating little owls that nest in the ground.
After ten years of following, studying and photographing Burrowing Owls, the images of this lovely bird have been forever implanted into my mind and heart.
The Burrowing Owl is now considered a "Species of Special Concern" and unless we take immediate action to protect it, this bird may be on its way to becoming endangered. Should it become extinct, our children and grandchildren may never know such a fascinating bird existed.