Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Meadow Vole

This photo was taken on 30 January 2017, when this Northern Hawk Owl flew down to the field across the road from where we were standing, caught a little Meadow Vole, and then flew up into the nearest tree. You can tell by the colour of the sky that the weather was not good for taking photos. The first time I saw the owl in this photo was on 29 January 2017. In the few days after that, I did call in very briefly maybe three other times, once just for 10 minutes. The first day was by far the best day, as the owl perched on a few fence posts, nicely out in the open. The other times, it has been high up in one tree or another, or perched high up on top of a utility pole next to an insulator. Haven't been back in about three weeks, I think. The road is dangerous for stopping and apparently there have been too many people gathering on some days. "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

Our bitterly cold weather continues. Yesterday, 6 February 2017, the forecast for this morning was -28C (windchill -35C!). Forecast for tomorrow morning is -27C (windchill -36C). After that, things are supposed to warm up, thank goodness. I haven't been out anywhere the last few days - too much new snow and such cold, cold weather. Almost unheard of, birding walks for yesterday and today were cancelled. Normally, many people will go, no matter how bad the weather. I tend to be a fair-weather photographer : ) I was rather hesitant to post this image, in case anyone thought I must have approached the owl to get the closest shot I could. This photo was taken when the owl flew down to the field across the road from where we were standing, caught a little Meadow Vole, and then flew up into the nearest tree. EXIF data gives Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm. You can tell by the colour of the sky that the weather was not ideal for taking photos. Apart from the few fairly recent days, the last time I was lucky enough to see one of these gorgeous birds of prey was NW of the city, on 8 February 2016, one year ago. It was just the same thrill seeing this recent one. The first time I saw the owl in this photo was 29 January 2017. Since then, I have called in briefly three other times, once just for 10 minutes. The first day was by far the best day, as the owl perched on a few fence posts, nicely out in the open. The other times, it was mainly in one tree or another, or a couple of times perched on top of a utility pole next to an insulator. I am not disclosing the area, especially after what some photographers have apparently been doing recently to get close photos of a Barred Owl. While most photographers are respectful of wildlife, there are always a few who will do anything to get a closer shot. "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/guide/northern_hawk_owl/lifehistory

It was the annual May Species Count on 28 and 29 May 2016. My group's Saturday Count was down in Fish Creek Provincial Park, at Votier's Flats and Shaw's Meadow. On the Sunday, our usual small group (six of us in two cars) covered an area SW of the city - which happens to be one of my favourite and most visited areas. We had a great day, stopping at a few wetlands and calling in at Barb Castell's acreage where she usually has amazing birds to show us. Several special species were missing, but we were delighted to watch a teeny Ruby-throated Hummingbird. We were also happy to see seven Rose-breasted Grosbeaks during the day, and a male American Kestrel that caught a frog for supper! No owls to be found anywhere, but I did go back the following evening and saw two separate Great Gray Owls in our Count area. I went back again the next day and found the first owl again. This time, it wasn't pouring with rain, but I was looking into the sun (so a lot of blown-out feathers) and it was very windy. The owl photo I've posted this morning was one of the first half dozen photos taken, before the owl flew a few fence posts away. It was nice to see the owl hunting, catch a small rodent and then fly to a fence post - wish the lighting had been so much better. Before early 2016, the most 'recent' Great Grays that I had seen and photographed was one that was a rare visitor to the city - found in Fish Creek Park for a while and my last photos of it were taken on 18 February 2014. There was also a Great Gray at Griffith Woods, Calgary, and some of my photos were taken on 10 February 2014. Saw another owl on our May Species Count SW of the city on 25 May 2014. Many of my 'best' sightings and photos of Great Grays were taken NW of Calgary, the last dates being 28 March 2013 and 5 May 2013. So, after 25 May 2014 .... nothing until early 2016, and then the owl in this photo on 1 June 2016. "Although the Great Gray Owl is the tallest American owl with the largest wingspan, it is just a ball of feathers. It preys on small mammals and has relatively small feet. Both the Great Horned and Snowy owls weigh half again as much, and have larger feet and talons. The oldest recorded Great Gray Owl was at least 18 years, 9 months old and lived in Alberta." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Grey_Owl

Will be SO glad when Flickr finally fixes the "add to albums" problem and also the mess that Stats is in and has been in for a while! Finding it a bit hard to find motivation to post at the moment - plus I've been having to replace too many household appliances the last couple of months, which I don't really enjoy having to do. Thank heavens for owls and mild weather! Not a good quality image, but I thought it gives an idea of what we sometimes see a Great Gray Owl do. It all happened so fast and I wasn't expecting this owl to suddenly swoop down this close to us. Mind you, EXIF data gives Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm, as my camera had been fully zoomed for very distant shots. Unfortunately, the little Meadow Vole's colouring is exactly the same as that of the owl., so it barely shows up - its head is right next to the owl's bill. So many of these little Voles give up their lives to feeding animals higher up on the food chain. My alarm clocks were set for 5:30 seven mornings ago, 28 February 2016, and I was full of hope that for once, I would actually get out of the house good and early. I have such a problem getting myself out very early when I go off for a drive by myself. I think it was something like 8:30 am by the time I dragged myself off the computer and out the front door. To my horror, I discovered that my car door locks had frozen shut and my car was totally covered in a thick layer of extremely stubborn ice, that took me a long time to remove. Half an hour or so later, I was finally ready to start on my trip NW of the city. It had been quite a long time since I saw my last Great Gray Owl. Some of my most recent sightings had been one that was in Fish Creek Park in Calgary for a while and my last photos of it were taken on 18 February 2014. There was also a Great Gray at Griffith Woods, Calgary, and some of my photos were taken on 10 February 2014. Saw another owl on our May Species Count out of the city on 25 May 2014. Many of my 'best' sightings and photos of Great Grays were taken NW of Calgary, the last dates being 28 March 2013 and 5 May 2013. So, after 25 May 2014 .... nothing! Seeing one four days ago was such a thrill. No matter how many times I see one of these owls and no matter how many hundreds/thousands of photos I've taken, each owl is as exciting as the very first. "Although the Great Gray Owl is the tallest American owl with the largest wingspan, it is just a ball of feathers. It preys on small mammals and has relatively small feet. Both the Great Horned and Snowy owls weigh half again as much, and have larger feet and talons. The oldest recorded Great Gray Owl was at least 18 years, 9 months old and lived in Alberta." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_grey_owl When I first reached my approximate destination, I could see two or three cars way down the road, pulled over at the edge of the road. Often a good sign : ) Sure enough, friends had found an owl, It was on a distant barbed-wire fence post at first, then dove into the snow to try and catch a Meadow Vole. It then flew off into the trees with it and didn't return. After a while, I drove some of the other roads in the area and later drove back to where the owl had been seen. Amazingly, assuming it was the same individual, it was in a distant tree, from where it hunted, moving to a different tree each time it made an unsuccesful dive. Eventually, it did catch a Vole. I left after a while, feeling that it was time to leave the owl 'in peace', and also knowing it was time for me to make the long drive home - approximately 246 km round trip. The excitement plus the long drive (on less than three hours' sleep) totally wore me out and I felt so tired the next day. A good thing I went when I did, as we had fog, a bit of snow, hoarfrost and very slick roads overnight till the following afternoon. There were 234 reported accidents in the city during those hours, none with life-threatening injuries, thankfully.

This quite heavily cropped photo was taken one year and two days ago, in Fish Creek Park. "The Northern Pygmy-Owl may be tiny, but it’s a ferocious hunter with a taste for songbirds. These owls are mostly dark brown and white, with long tails, smoothly rounded heads, and piercing yellow eyes. They hunt during the day by sitting quietly and surprising their prey. As a defensive measure, songbirds often gather to mob sitting owls until they fly away. Mobbing songbirds can help you find these unobtrusive owls, as can listening for their call, a high-pitched series of toots." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pygmy-Owl/id These owls also have a taste for Meadow Voles and during the few weeks that this pair was seen, photographers saw them catch numerous Voles, including this unlucky little one. I have never once seen a Northern Pygmy-owl catch a songbird. This particular day was very quiet while I was there, with not much owl activity at all. We just lucked out when it caught this Meadow Vole. These tiny, fist-sized/popcan-sized owls (adults are 15–17 cm in overall length, nearly 6 inches) also sometimes catch prey that is bigger than themselves. They are diurnal and also hunt at dusk and dawn.

"The Northern Pygmy-Owl may be tiny, but it’s a ferocious hunter with a taste for songbirds. These owls are mostly dark brown and white, with long tails, smoothly rounded heads, and piercing yellow eyes. They hunt during the day by sitting quietly and surprising their prey. As a defensive measure, songbirds often gather to mob sitting owls until they fly away. Mobbing songbirds can help you find these unobtrusive owls, as can listening for their call, a high-pitched series of toots." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pygmy-Owl/id These owls also have a taste for Meadow Voles and during the past few weeks, photographers have seen this bird catch numerous Voles, including this unlucky little one, seen on 23 February 2015. This particular day was very quiet while I was there, with not much owl activity at all. We just lucked out when it caught this Meadow Vole.

"The Northern Pygmy-Owl may be tiny, but it’s a ferocious hunter with a taste for songbirds. These owls are mostly dark brown and white, with long tails, smoothly rounded heads, and piercing yellow eyes. They hunt during the day by sitting quietly and surprising their prey. As a defensive measure, songbirds often gather to mob sitting owls until they fly away. Mobbing songbirds can help you find these unobtrusive owls, as can listening for their call, a high-pitched series of toots." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pygmy-Owl/id These owls also have a taste for Meadow Voles and during the past three or so weeks, photographers have seen this bird catch several, including this unlucky little rodent, seen on 14 January 2015. This tiny owl has been very tolerant of the crowds of people with their giant, noisy cameras, but hopefully the number of people has already started to get smaller. I haven't been down to the park for six days now, so I don't even know if the owl is still being seen, at least in the same area. I'm posting late today (around noon, I think it was) - got to bed so late last night/this morning and needed to sleep until I woke up without any alarms being set.

I posted a similar photo the other day, but this one is a zoomed in shot, also taken on 20 November 2014. I had been on a birding walk in the morning. The weather has been reasonably mild recently, with sunshine and blue skies, though winter has returned since Wednesday evening. The only bird photo I got was of a male Hairy Woodpecker After the walk, I paid another visit to where the Long-tailed Weasel can sometimes be seen. Various friends were there, too, and we were treated to a few good photo opps, including with some of the eight or so Meadow Voles it caught while we were there. It is an amazing hunter, moving so rapidly over the uneven, snowy ground and tangles of dead plants and fallen logs. "Counting its tail, a large Long-tailed Weasel male, the largest of the three species in Canada, stretches nearly half a metre (20 in) in length, yet can slip into a hole just 3 cm (1.25 in) across. This enables it to enter small rodent tunnels used by mice and voles. In summer, it enters ground squirrels burrows in search of its favourite food. Average males measure 406 mm (16 in), their tail is 135 mm (5.25) long and they weigh 225 g (12.6 oz). Males are approximately 25 per cent larger than females, which on average weigh only 102 g (5.7 oz). When winter approaches, within 30 days it grows a coat of white, giving it perfect camouflage against the snow -- all except for the tip of its tail, which stays black. A hungry predator, such as a hawk or owl, aims for that black tip, enabling the weasel to escape. Towards spring, between late February and April, in only 25 days, it reverses the process, acquiring the cinnamon-brown topcoat it will use all summer. This includes brown feet, unlike the other two species which retain white feet. The underside is usually buff-coloured." (Taken from the old weaselhead.org website). Meadow Voles: "Especially because they are so abundant in the habitats where they are found, meadow voles have crucial ecosystem roles. Many predator species rely on voles to make up a significant portion of their diet, especially owls, small hawks and falcons. In addition, meadow voles consume large quantities of grass and recycle the nutrients held in the grass through their droppings. They also help to aerate and turn the soil through their digging activities." From BioKIDS Inquiry website. www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Microtus_pennsylvanicus/ This morning (28 November 2014), the temperature is -19C (windchill -31C). Snow for the rest of today and at least part of tomorrow. It will drop to -22C tonight (windchill -33C) and is expected to be the same tomorrow morning. After that, it should gradually warm up over the next few days.

Yesterday, 24 November 2014, I drove over to Fish Creek Park to see if I could photograph one of the Meadow Voles that live near the Long-tailed Weasel that quite a few of us have been visiting recently. On a number of days, the Weasel has been seen catching 8 or 10 Meadow Voles and taking them to its den. Quite the challenge to focus on one of these small, fast little animals - thanks to the friends who helped me find this one! Only got four (macro) shots and this was the only one that came out even remotely sharp. "The meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), sometimes called the field mouse or meadow mouse, is a North American vole found across Canada, Alaska and the northern United States. Its range extends further south along the Atlantic coast. Meadow voles are active year-round, and day or night, with no clear 24-hour rhythm in many areas. Most changes in activity are imposed by season, habitat, cover, temperature, and other factors. Meadow voles have to eat frequently, and their active periods (every two to three hours) are associated with food digestion. In Canada, meadow voles are active the first few hours after dawn and during the two- to four-hour period before sunset. Most of the inactive period is spent in the nest. Nests are used as nurseries, resting areas, and as protection against weather. They are constructed of woven grass; they are usually subterranean or are constructed under boards, rocks, logs, brush piles, hay bales, fenceposts, or in grassy tussocks. Meadow voles dig shallow burrows, and in burrows, nests are constructed in enlarged chambers. In winter, nests are often constructed on the ground surface under a covering of snow, usually against some natural formation such as a rock or log. Meadow voles form runways or paths in dense grasses. Meadow voles are an important prey for many hawks, owls, and mammalian carnivores, and they are also taken by some snakes. Almost all species of raptors take microtine (Microtus spp.) rodents as prey. Birds not usually considered predators of mice do take voles; examples include gulls (Larus spp.), northern shrike (Larius borealis), black-billed magpie (Pica pica), common raven (Corvus corvax), American crow (C. brachyrhynchos), great blue heron (Ardea herodias), and American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus). In northern prairie wetlands, meadow voles are a large portion of the diets of red fox (Vulpes vulpes), mink (Mustela vison), short-eared owl, and northern harrier." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meadow_vole

Yesterday morning, 20 November 2014, saw me out on a bird walk in the morning. The weather has been reasonably mild recently, with sunshine and blue skies. The only bird photo I got was a male Hairy Woodpecker, which I’m posting today, partly for comparison with the Downy Woodpecker photo I posted yesterday. After the walk, I paid another visit to where the Long-tailed Weasel can sometimes be seen. Various friends were there, too, and we were treated to a few good photo opps, including with some of the eight or so Meadow Voles it caught while we were there. It is an amazing hunter, moving so rapidly over the uneven, snowy ground and tangles of dead plants and fallen logs. I took a number of closer shots, so thought I would leave this more distant photo uncropped. "Counting its tail, a large Long-tailed Weasel male, the largest of the three species in Canada, stretches nearly half a metre (20 in) in length, yet can slip into a hole just 3 cm (1.25 in) across. This enables it to enter small rodent tunnels used by mice and voles. In summer, it enters ground squirrels burrows in search of its favourite food. Average males measure 406 mm (16 in), their tail is 135 mm (5.25) long and they weigh 225 g (12.6 oz). Males are approximately 25 per cent larger than females, which on average weigh only 102 g (5.7 oz). When winter approaches, within 30 days it grows a coat of white, giving it perfect camouflage against the snow -- all except for the tip of its tail, which stays black. A hungry predator, such as a hawk or owl, aims for that black tip, enabling the weasel to escape. Towards spring, between late February and April, in only 25 days, it reverses the process, acquiring the cinnamon-brown topcoat it will use all summer. This includes brown feet, unlike the other two species which retain white feet. The underside is usually buff-coloured." (Taken from the old weaselhead.org website). Meadow Voles: "Especially because they are so abundant in the habitats where they are found, meadow voles have crucial ecosystem roles. Many predator species rely on voles to make up a significant portion of their diet, especially owls, small hawks and falcons. In addition, meadow voles consume large quantities of grass and recycle the nutrients held in the grass through their droppings. They also help to aerate and turn the soil through their digging activities." From BioKIDS Inquiry website. www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Microtus_pennsylvanicus/ Yesterday evening, I went to an excellent talk on Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park / Áísínai'pi National Historic Site, which is about a three and a half hour drive south of Calgary. I’ve only ever been there once and that was 30+ years ago. A fascinating landscape to see and photograph. Rattlesnakes, too! A 3:55 min video about Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park / Áísínai'pi National Historic Site from Alberta Parks: youtu.be/_zsdWv0mQMI

One very quick shot of this Long-tailed Weasel was all that I managed to get yesterday, when I went over to Fish Creek Park. My intention had been to get over to the park a few hours earlier, but that didn't happen. As it turned out, I couldn't have chosen a better time to arrive, even if I had planned it. I started walking along a narrow path and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw fast movement - it was this little Weasel running through the snow, with just part of its body seen. When I got closer, I lost sight of it for a few moments, and then suddenly it reappeared, running back in my direction. It disappeared for a second or two and then came back into sight up on this log, with a Meadow Vole in its mouth. Dodging the trees that were closest to me, I was just in time to click the shutter, not even sure if I had captured any of this amazing sight. I quickly took another shot in the same direction, but the Weasel had vanished and I didn't see where it went. The posted photo could have been a bit better composed and I wish the quality was better, but I'm still amazed that I got anything! I waited around for a while, but maybe the Weasel felt like a nap after eating its catch. Such a treat to see this animal, wearing its white, winter coat. I have seen just a handful of them before and its always a challenge to get any photos. Can't believe how lucky I was, including the fact that I didn't have far to walk - always much appreciated, with my back being so painful and usually stopping me from going for walks. My apologies to anyone who may have been down to that area time after time, hoping to see the animal, but always in vain : ) Most of us know what that is like, lol. "Counting its tail, a large Long-tailed Weasel male, the largest of the three species in Canada, stretches nearly half a metre (20 in) in length, yet can slip into a hole just 3 cm (1.25 in) across. This enables it to enter small rodent tunnels used by mice and voles. In summer, it enters ground squirrels burrows in search of its favourite food. Average males measure 406 mm (16 in), their tail is 135 mm (5.25) long and they weigh 225 g (12.6 oz). Males are approximately 25 per cent larger than females, which on average weigh only 102 g (5.7 oz). When winter approaches, within 30 days it grows a coat of white, giving it perfect camouflage against the snow -- all except for the tip of its tail, which stays black. A hungry predator, such as a hawk or owl, aims for that black tip, enabling the weasel to escape. Towards spring, between late February and April, in only 25 days, it reverses the process, acquiring the cinnamon-brown topcoat it will use all summer. This includes brown feet, unlike the other two species which retain white feet. The underside is usually buff-coloured." (Taken from the old weaselhead.org website).

FROM THE ARCHIVES, unfortunately : ) I noticed that this was one of the photos I put aside from a folder of photos taken on 25 March 2012, NW of Calgary, before saving the file to my external hard drive. Thought I'd post it today. This was such an amazing family of Northern Hawk Owls - adults and one owlet - who gave us such a delightful chance to watch, both before and after the young one was hatched. We felt so privileged to be allowed into their little world over a period of many weeks. It was an hour and a half's drive up there, but so worth it when rewarded with sights such as this one, of Mom or Dad with a Meadow Vole that it had caught.

We were SO lucky to see not just a Northern Pygmy-owl (rare to uncommon in Alberta), but to see it swoop down and catch this unfortunate little Meadow Vole. Witnessed at Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park, on November 13th. This tiny owl is popcan-sized, about the size of a person's fist, and it is a vicious predator and will attack and kill prey that is larger than itself. Average length of a female Northern Pygmy-owl is 18.5 cm (7.3"), male: 16.5 cm (6.5"). A heavily cropped image : ) talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=164 "Measurements of average adult male Meadow Voles are: total length, 150 mm (6 in); tail, 37 mm (1.5 in); weight, 31.5 g (1 oz). Females are only slightly smaller." talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=542

A photo from my archives, taken on 28 May 2012. This was the first day that this little Northern Hawk Owlet had been out of the nest. It had somehow managed to make its way to the ground and later, clawed its way up this short, very thin tree. The mother flew in with a tasty Meadow Vole for her youngster. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Hawk_Owl/id

This was the first day that this Northern Hawk Owl owlet had been out of the nest. It had somehow managed to make its way to the ground and later, clawed its way up this short, very thin tree. The mother flew in with a tasty Meadow Vole for her youngster. This photo was taken a few weeks ago, so by now, the owlet will be flying free, safe from predators. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Hawk_Owl/id

Another photo taken on March 21st - the best day for seeing this Northern Hawk Owl. We were unbelievably lucky to get some amazing, close views - the owl has only been seen very high up in extremely tall trees ever since that day, from what I have seen myself and from what others are reporting. You can make out the talons that are tightly clutching this little Meadow Vole that the owl caught for a snack. The Northern Hawk Owl is a medium-sized owl, about 35 centimetres (14 inches) long. It is rare to uncommon in Alberta, year round. Apparently, it is one of Alberta's most sought-after birds by birders. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Hawk_Owl/id/ac en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl

HAPPY EARTH DAY, everyone! I'm so glad to know so many people who do care greatly about our planet! Rather a messy shot, but it's not everyday that one gets the chance for a photo like this, ha. Another shot from March 21st, when several of us had an amazing time watching this Northern Hawk Owl, NW of Cochrane.

... meaning not the quality of the image but that a few of us had a wonderful day yesterday, searching for and watching a pair of Northern Hawk Owls NW of the city. The weather was perfect, sunny and blue skies, and the Owls were pretty co-operative : ) I was out for nine hours, something like three of them were spent on travelling to and from the location, the other six hours were spent watching the Owls either very high up in trees or lower and quite close to us. Northern Hawk Owls have no fear of humans, which can make for wonderful watching - IF you can find them in the first place. When I visted the area on Sunday afternoon, I went alone and stayed for a much shorter time. Having company makes the difference, both for the trip and once arrived. Thanks so much, Phil, for inviting me to go along - and thanks to various other friends who arrived close to when we did. Usually, the more eyes the better, when it comes to finding birds. I was also told yesterday that Wolves had been heard in the area and that there were Cougar tracks in the snow. So glad I didn't know this on Sunday - but now, of course, I'll be very nervous if/when I go alone, lol! I had hoped that the snow would gradually melt, as it was very deep - again up to my knees in many places - and the sort of snow that is crisp and crunchy on the surface, hiding deep, powdery snow beneath. My least favourite ground to walk on, as you never know if the next step will send you plunging down through the top layer. It's so difficult to get up on your own once you are kneeling down in deep snow. You put your hand out to help push yourself up, and of course your arm disappears. This morning, I discovered that it's snowing, which will hide the treacherous holes and ice out there - nasty! By the way, this image was taken when one of the Owls was perched on the upper, short branch and the lower Owl flew in with a gift of a Meadow Vole (mouse?). I think the upper Owl is the female. The male did try giving the Vole to his mate, but the branch was too short for him to be able to land. In the end, he ate it himself, ha. By the end of the day, I was exhausted - no strength in my legs at all, and so much pain . Standing in one spot, with one's head tilted upwards for a long time, is a killer, as is trudging backwards and forwards through deep snow. So worth it, though, ha!! The Northern Hawk Owl is a medium-sized owl, about 35 centimetres (14 inches) long. It is rare to uncommon in Alberta, year round. Apparently, it is one of Alberta's most sought-after birds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Hawk_Owl/id/ac en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl