OWLS

Part II – Snowy Owls

Photographing Snowy Owls in the dead of winter in Canada was one of the coldest photo shoots I’ve ever done. There was a day where it was so cold that you ran the risk of frost bite if you exposed any of your skin. We had moments of sunshine, but most of the time it was either threatening snow or actually snowing. However, seeing the Snowy Owls made it all worthwhile. I’ve put together a few of my images for this post which I hope you will enjoy.

While There Was Sunshine

Snowy Owls nest and breed on the tundra of the Arctic. In the winter some, frequently the younger birds, will migrate to the south. For us that means parts of Canada, the New England states and a few other of our northern states. They are the largest owl by weight in North America, about the size of a Great-horned owl. Snowys are diurnal, meaning they may be active and may hunt at any time of the day. Their heavily feathered body allows them to endure the minus temperatures of arctic winters as well as our much warmer northern winters.

(Click on an image to see a larger version)

Both the adult females and immature Snowy Owls have the dark barring on their wings and heads. I find it difficult to tell the difference. The males as they mature will become almost solid white. Unfortunately, I have yet to see one.

Threatening Snow

The owls are used to the treeless arctic tundra and prefer open fields when migrating. Of course, the open fields meant that this photographer had no protection from the cold winds.

In The Snow

The Snowy Owls like to perch on fence posts and snow mounds. There were times when it was difficult to see them against the snow.

These are beautiful owls, quite breath-taking when flying through the snow. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to photograph them.

A thank you to my friend, Sheila, who gave me the idea of the owl posts. I’ve really enjoyed putting them together and I hope you’ve enjoyed them as well.

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Thanks for taking the time to join me, Cheryl