FIELD JOURNAL
We Heard Them Long Before We Saw Them..
Congaree National Park, South Carolina — May 19, 2026
We were fifteen seconds into the hike when the calls started — strange, layered hoots drifting out of the swamp. We had no idea yet what they belonged to.
We nearly missed our first encounter of the day entirely. Then, about two minutes in, we spotted our first Barred Owl (Strix varia) and locked onto the shot. That’s when it clicked — the calls we’d been hearing the whole time had been him.
After that we made a rule: less talking, more observing. It changed the rest of the hike. We picked up deer movement working through the woods, and started catching smaller birds hidden in the brush that we would have walked straight past being loud.
We tracked quietly for a while, letting the swamp tell us where to look instead of the other way around. Then came the moment we didn’t expect — a sign of movement led us to an incredible second owl, better positioned than the first. We were still repositioning for the shot when the forest exploded with sudden movement nearby.
Two Barred Owls in one outing — our first ever. “What a day” about summed it up, and one final wildlife encounter on the way out closed things out.
FIELD FILM
Watch the Encounter Unfold
Shot in real time with the Canon EOS R7 and RF 100-400mm lens, the field film follows the full hike — the first owl calls, the missed encounter, locking onto the first Barred Owl, the deer and hidden birds along the way, and the second owl that made it a two-owl day.
Field video filmed and edited by Heath for Apex Exposure Media.
FIELD NOTES
Less Talky, More Observy
The turning point of the day wasn’t a piece of gear or a lucky angle — it was going quiet. Once we stopped narrating every step and just watched, the woods started showing us things: deer, hidden songbirds, and eventually a second owl we never would have caught being loud.
This was also the outing that put us in a good enough mood to head straight to Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve a few days later — where an entirely different bird would make us work just as hard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What wildlife did we encounter on this Congaree National Park hike?
We encountered two Barred Owls, white-tailed deer, and several smaller songbirds hidden in the brush.
What was the most memorable wildlife encounter?
Finding a second Barred Owl later in the hike, after repositioning for the shot and being interrupted by sudden movement in the forest — our first two-owl day.
What camera equipment did we use on this outing?
We used a Canon EOS R7 paired with a Canon RF 100-400mm lens.
Is there a film from this Congaree National Park owl hike?
Yes. “We Heard Them Long Before We Saw Them..” is a real-time field film documenting the full hike, from the first owl calls to the second owl encounter.
Is the owl photograph from this outing available as a print?
Yes. “Watchful Silence,” the Barred Owl photograph featured on this page, is available as a limited-edition fine-art print in the Apex Exposure shop.