This morning I got up at 5am and headed back to the owl site. I was there by 5.55am but nothing at the spot I had been told. I drove on down Grand Valley road a bit further just as the sun started to appear. Looking to my left and to me great delight sat a large bundle of feathers on a fence post. I stared through the binoculars finding it difficult to keep my hands steady in the excitement. Then its head turned - Wow!. My quest was over at last a Great Grey Owl.
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| A distant Great Grey Owl |
I took as many photographs as possible whilst being eaten alive by mosquitos. Another vehicle arrived carrying another photographer. Not wishing to spoil his fun I drove off. getting about 5 miles down the road I stopped. What was I doing? I had been hoping to see this bird all my life and now I had left having watched it for just under an hour. I turned round and drove back. The other photographer was standing just 10 feet from the bird. He smiled when I got out and indicated I should join him. The next hour was breathtaking. This great bird treated us with complete disdain as it hunted the meadow. I took over 200 photographs before withdrawing. One of the greatest moments of my life.
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| Great Grey Owl |
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| Great Grey Owl |
Thanks to my pal Bob Abrams in Virginia USA who emailed me last night and suggested I should get up early if I wanted to see this bird.
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| Swainson's Hawk |
To end a good session a great Swainson's Hawk on the way back for breakfast.
Fantastic, Derek! As our friend Mike Martinek once said, they look like a three year old kid in a gray snowsuit.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!
Wow Derek,so envious,what a bird,a once in a lifetime experience to say the least !!
ReplyDeleteJeff Slocombe
By the way, that is an amazing looking Swainson's. Did you see it fly? I was just wondering if it had bold commas on the underwing. Beautiful bird. Extremely pale even for a light morph.
ReplyDelete