Two Short-eared Owls battle it out while the sun sinks into the Illinois prairie . . .

A shortie puts the brakes on to take a closer look, and the poor voles don't stand a chance . . .

This Great Horned Owl is a curious one for sure. It would move behind the nook in the tree, and every so often it would slowly sneak back out and give a look to see what was going on. This is another of the birds of prey at the Stillman Nature Center in northern Illinois . . .

The late evening sun throws highlights on a short-eared owl during an evening hunt.

Just look at that face! Barn Owls used to be plentiful throughout all of Illinois, including here in northern Illinois. But as much of the Illinois prairie has been developed with small farms dwindling and conglomerate-based farms of soy and corn replaced hay, wheat and cattle enterprises, their numbers were decimated . . .

After turning on a dime and diving, a short-eared owl flies low through the prairie in search of an evening snack.