A RARE shot of baby tawny owls is turning heads on the internet – because the cute little creatures are so well hidden.
A picture of the two owlets basking in the sun was taken by photographer Andrew Fusek Peters in a friend’s garden.
6
The two owlets are hidden in the tree somewhere but can you see them?Credit: Andrew Fusek Peters/Mercury Pres
But the birds’ camouflage is so good that people are struggling to spot them among the leaves.
Andrew, 51, was told by a friend that there was a tawny owl with two chicks living in her garden, and they’d come out to enjoy the warm weather.
The dad-of-two raced over with his camera and captured incredible photos of the babies squinting in the sun and stretching their talons.
6
The rarely sighted birds have excellent camouflage… but here’s where they are hiding (with close ups in the bigger circles)Credit: Andrew Fusek Peters/Mercury Pres
But one of his photos has had Andrew’s friends in a flap as they struggled to locate the birds, who blend into the foliage of the tree.
Andrew, from Lydbury North, Shrops, said: “I feel very privileged to have captured such extraordinary pictures of these magnificent creatures.
“It’s very rare that you see the chicks out at all, never mind in the day time and enjoying the sun like this. After all, they are shy, nocturnal creatures and lovers of all things dusk.
“The babies are still very young and show the fluffy juvenile feathers they have before their adult ones grow.
6
This cute little creature is what you are looking for among the leaves, but he is well hiddenCredit: Andrew Fusek Peters/Mercury Pres
“There are some pictures in which they appear to be looking right at me and in others the sun is in their eyes so they are squinting, which is very cute.
“The pictures have had everyone saying ‘ahh’ over them, though there are a couple that have been driving everyone mad and has proved a bit of a ‘spot the owls’ game.
6
Take a closer look… can you spot our feathered friends now?Credit: Andrew Fusek Peters/Mercury Press
“It’s actually quite tricky to spot them as their colours blend in with the beige leaves on the tree really well. That might be why they feel confident enough to be out in the day time like that.
“Each time I look at it, it takes a few moments to find them again – and I took the photo.
“The mum is very protective of them. At one point she swooped in to protect them when a pigeon got too close. It didn’t hang around for long, let me put it that way.”
6
The birds rarely come out during the day and like to stay out of sightCredit: Andrew Fusek Peters/Mercury Pres
The owls aren’t the only animals who have been confusing humans by hiding recently.
A recent safari park picture had people struggling to spot two huge tigers and a series of five pictures of cleverly camouflaged animals also had folk scratching their heads.
6
Andrew impressed his friends with his cute pictures of owls but foxed them with the long shotCredit: Andrew Fusek Peters/Mercury Pres
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education