What better day for the cold snap to break than our snowy owl prowl outing. Temps above zero for the first time in three weeks, gentle wind the further east we headed, and soft chinook skies casting gentle light on the fields. Half a dozen of us set off from Beiseker in three different vehicles, soon heading in different directions. Jackie and I headed off to the north and west trying locales where she’d had success before. It wasn’t long before our slow and steady perseverance paid off.
We were fortunate enough to spot two owls on this day (in addition to some partridge families, and snow buntings that didn’t actually race off the second our car turned the corner). Both females – you can tell by the heavy brown markings. One in a field way off in the distance, and one very tolerant of our presence as we walked closer and closer down the gravel road, towards her pole. She surveyed the neighborhood from her lofty perch, contemplating something moving below, preening her feathers (check out those talons), and giving us the odd glance before swooping off as a vehicle approached from the other side. The sun was going down as she swept across a farm field. She wrapped up her day as we wrapped up ours.
It’s always a privilege to spot these beauties. They’ve been elusive this year – lower counts being reported in quite a few areas. Grateful to have seen them before they begin their long trek back up north.
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