The Boreal Owl (or as we call it in Europe, the Tengmalmś Owl, named after the Swedish naturalist Peter Gustaf Tengmalm) is a rare species in the southern part of Sweden where i live. This spring a pair suddenly started to breed in the forests just 45 minutes from my home. During a cold evening in early May, I stood outside the nest hole in a pine and waited together with other birdwatchers. After about an hour, one of the youngsters suddenly sat there in the hole and gave me perfect ideas for a new painting.