Typically Western
Seedhead wisps
Great Gray Owl from 2013
Dreaming of spring
Peacefully waiting
Just needed colour
Such a beautiful owl
Taveta Golden Weaver
Mongoose Lemur
Mountain Goat
Perch with a good view
Heart of a Snowdrop
Chocolate Pansy / Chocolate Soldier / Junonia iphi…
Humboldt Penguin / Spheniscus humboldti
Guardian of the path
Burrowing Owl
Mandrill
A mix of textures
Moose in the mountains
Eyes fixed on supper
Picked for demonstration
Entrance to a ranch
Cattle drive
Decorating the base of a tree
Mountain Chickadee / Poecile gambeli
Yellow-bellied Marmot
A highlight of a bird count
Old prairie barn
Winner with its prey
The joy of winter roads
The Sickener / Russula emetica?
It's those white birds again
Colour from Ornamental Cabbages
Winter textures
Northern Hawk Owl
With a little filtered help
The old-fashioned way
Snowy Owl along the fenceline
Goat's-beard with visitor
Lying on a bed of hoarfrost
Northern Hawk Owl
Winter in the Nanton, Alberta, area
A backward glance
Red-winged Blackbird female or juvenile
Atop a utility pole
See also...
Keywords
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Quietly watching, always alert


On 29 January 2017, I left home hoping to see one species of owl and came home having seen a different species instead! There was no sign of the first kind of owl, despite quite a few other pairs of eyes that had been searching. I don't normally drive from one location to another one that is a long way away, but I did this day, and I am so glad I did. I am not disclosing the area, especially after what some photographers have been doing recently to get close photos of a Barred Owl. While most photographers are respectful of wildlife, there are always those who will do anything to get a closer shot.
When I reached my second destination, I slowed down, starting to check the trees and fence line. Then I spotted a car parked further up the road and found that there were a couple of photographers who had already found the owl.
In the short time I was there, this beautiful Northern Hawk Owl was busy hunting, flying from tree to tree and along the fence line. I saw the owl dive into the snow twice - not sure if it caught a Meadow Vole the first time or not, as I wasn't quick enough to get a photo, but I did see it with a Meadow Vole dangling from its beak the second time. Sorry for the little rodent, but glad that the owl had a tasty snack.
The last time I was lucky enough to see one of these gorgeous birds of prey was on 8 February 2016, NW of the city, one year ago. It was just the same thrill seeing the one in this photo!
"The type of prey the Hawk-Owl catches will determine its eating strategy. For mammalian prey the ritual is generally the same: the Northern Hawk-Owl will eviscerate its prey, eats the head first (especially for prey like the red squirrel, whose head is fairly large), and then—when tackling larger prey—it will eat the organs and cache the remains; with smaller prey, the owl will simply swallow the body whole."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl
"The Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight at a distance of up to 800 meters (half a mile). Though it is thought to detect prey primarily by sight, the Northern Hawk Owl can find and seize prey under 30 cm (1 foot) of snow." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org
When I reached my second destination, I slowed down, starting to check the trees and fence line. Then I spotted a car parked further up the road and found that there were a couple of photographers who had already found the owl.
In the short time I was there, this beautiful Northern Hawk Owl was busy hunting, flying from tree to tree and along the fence line. I saw the owl dive into the snow twice - not sure if it caught a Meadow Vole the first time or not, as I wasn't quick enough to get a photo, but I did see it with a Meadow Vole dangling from its beak the second time. Sorry for the little rodent, but glad that the owl had a tasty snack.
The last time I was lucky enough to see one of these gorgeous birds of prey was on 8 February 2016, NW of the city, one year ago. It was just the same thrill seeing the one in this photo!
"The type of prey the Hawk-Owl catches will determine its eating strategy. For mammalian prey the ritual is generally the same: the Northern Hawk-Owl will eviscerate its prey, eats the head first (especially for prey like the red squirrel, whose head is fairly large), and then—when tackling larger prey—it will eat the organs and cache the remains; with smaller prey, the owl will simply swallow the body whole."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl
"The Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight at a distance of up to 800 meters (half a mile). Though it is thought to detect prey primarily by sight, the Northern Hawk Owl can find and seize prey under 30 cm (1 foot) of snow." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org
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