I once again found myself on the lower Colorado River to continue the immensely rewarding avian research. The Elf Owls had lured me back into their tiny grasp. How could I say “no” to something the size of a mint chocolate chip waffle cone?
This year, we captured a handful of Elf Owls to track via telemetry. Once caught, we’d carefully apply a teeny radio transmitter that sent a set frequency, which we use to track their territories. Outfitted with metal antennas, sometimes we braved the stormy skies like bison.
Alicia Arcidiacono with an Elf Owl 
Keith Brennan with an Elf Owl
Often, the nights would bring about unexpected treats like thread snakes, baby kangaroo rats, angry rattlesnakes, or a cougar sprinting off like a bat-out-of-hell after getting sprayed by a skunk. The nights often brought a slight bit of sleep-deprived insanity in the form of creative camera shots.
“Life nowhere appears so brave, so bright, so full of oracle and miracle as in the desert” –Edward Abbey
