The soulful eyes of a Barred Owl...

...this morning Matty and I had the rare opportunity of photographing a few of the world's most beautiful and interesting birds of prey. Being able to stand within arm's reach of these amazing predators and see the detail in their ever-vigilant eyes, or the pattern and flow of their camouflaging plumage, or the curve and strength in their efficient talons stirs emotion—especially when you know the only reason you can stand so close to them is because they have been injured (usually do to human interaction) and can no longer fly free. My friend, Rick Hartigan of Nature Trek Photo Safaris, who is also the organizer of the Ohio Valley Camera Club, invited us to a special meetup he put together with Raptor, Inc. to photograph and study these gorgeous raptors...

With large and dark eyes, a Barred Owl's soulful gaze catches our hearts...

...and even though many say anthropomorphizing is egotistic and fantastical (a product of a human's attempt to see the world through his own thoughts and feelings), would any other word work here?

...because even if this Barred Owl is not "soulful" (we have no idea what her thoughts are), we react with a soulful intensity when we look into her eyes, so what does it matter?

She has the ability to produce great, deep and wise emotions within us, and for that I am thankful...

Priscilla, the Barred Owl...

Priscilla was admitted to RAPTOR, Inc. back in 2007. She was a victim of a car strike, sustaining a left wing fracture at the elbow. Most of the birds that flow through RAPTOR are treated, rehabbed, and released back into nature, but some can never heal from their injuries and stay on as permanent residents and working birds. RAPTOR, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to the preservation of birds of prey. RAPTOR stand for the Regional Association for the Protection and Treatment of Raptors. Members of RAPTOR, Inc. rehabilitate and care for injured birds of prey until they can be released back into the wild. If you're a Cincinnati birder, you probably already know that Susan Williams of Susan Gets Native is the Education Program Director at RAPTOR, Inc. Click here to see all of her posts and inside scoops on the permanent residents and working birds at RAPTOR. Click here for RAPTOR, Inc.'s HackBack newsletter and to learn how to donate to the organization, volunteer, or sponsor a banded raptor.

Thanks to Rick for inviting Matty and me to the shoot--we had so much fun, and thanks to Mark and Cindy Alverson for showing us the birds. I LOVED every minute--even when Earl the Vulture yacked up his rat! I'll have lots more posts this week of the amazing birds at RAPTOR...