One of the biggest reasons that I am so drawn to birds is the ornate patterns their feathers take on to both shield them from view of predators and attract mates. While photographing this Northern Saw-whet Owl near the banks of Lake Erie, I conceptualized this photo in black and white. The sun was really coming through heavily from the back, and I really liked the way the feather patterns worked with the pine needles that surrounded the owl. It's no wonder owls are so hard to find!