Great Grey Owl

Description:

These photographs may not be my best ever Owl pictures but are certainly the most unusual Owl images that I have taken. A large Owl with an average wingspan of 56 in. The facial disk is used to focus sound. Yellow eyed owls are not strictly nocturnal or nocturnal & crepuscular and have the most diverse feeding habits of the Owl families.

Habitat:

Coniferous forests near open areas.

Notes:

I found this Owl at a park that is less than a 10 minute drive from where I live. It is quite unusual for a Great Grey Owl to be seen inside the Calgary city limits. In fact, I was told that a Great Grey had not been seen at this park for approximately 14 years. I thought capturing the Owl sitting on a sign that says "Special Protection Natural Area" was pretty good but a little later the Owl landed on my camera tripod! I had taken my camera off the tripod and walked away thinking I would try some handheld photographs. What I didn't expect was the Owl to see the tripod as a convenient midway stopping point when moving from one side of the clearing to the other! Just to add, these are not photoshopped photographs and no baiting was involved. The Owl stayed in the area for at least 11 days.