- Tawny owl wedged itself in a hole in a tree trunk in woodland for a daytime sleep
- The nocturnal bird of prey appears to fit perfectly in its tiny hiding place
- Photographer Lars Eskilden spotted bird in woods north of Stockholm, Sweden
This camouflaged owl found the perfect hideaway for a daytime nap by squeezing into a tiny hole in a tree.
The tawny owl can be seen wedged in a tree trunk in woodland north of Stockholm in Sweden and seems so snug that the hollow looks like it was made to measure.
As the bird of prey’s brown and white feathers fill every nook and cranny, the tree provides the owl with the ideal hiding place from any unknown dangers while it takes a daytime snooze.
But even the best camouflage couldn’t fool the keen eye of professional photographer Lars Eskilden, who spotted the napping owl last week.
A camouflaged owl found the perfect hideaway for a daytime nap by squeezing into a tiny hole in a tree
The tawny owl can be seen wedged in a tree trunk in woodland north of Stockholm in Sweden and seems so snug that the hollow looks like it was made to measure
Father-of-two Eskilden, 53, visits the woodland most days on walks with his wife, kids and dogs and said it was amazing to be able to capture how these stunning birds can find perfect hidey holes.
Eskilden, of Stockholm, Sweden, said: ‘It was amazing to see this owl and how he managed to fit so perfectly into this tiny hole in the tree.
‘They are nocturnal so they need somewhere safe to sleep through the day. He looked very comfortable in there.
‘I was waiting for him to wake up and start hunting. After a while he started to open his eyes, yawning, blinking and having a scratch. Then suddenly he flew off to hunt.
‘I have been going to the woods a lot recently. It’s a great place to walk my dogs and I am trying to get some photos of the owls hunting.
As the bird of prey’s brown and white feathers fill every nook and cranny, the tree provides the owl with the ideal hiding place from any unknown dangers while it takes a daytime snooze
The stunning shots of the owl were taken by Lars using a Nikon D850 and a Nikon 300mm lens
‘Because they don’t come out until it is dark, it isn’t easy to get the focus and the right lighting. I’m hoping if I practice enough I will get some good shots eventually.
‘You could set your clock by the owls. They wake up at the same time every day at 4:30pm – as soon as the sun starts to go down.’
The stunning shots of the owl were taken by Lars using a Nikon D850 and a Nikon 300mm lens.