Album Northern Hawk Owl from Anne Elliott

Northern Hawk Owl juevnile - from the archives

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 16:08:58 +0000

No time to go out taking photos, so I dug into my archives again. I am posting the description I added under a previously posted photo taken on the same day, 28 May 2012. On a different day, I was priviledged to actually hold this youngster, when a friend, a raptor bander, came to band it. What an experience that was! I believe the last time I saw a Northern Hawk Owl was on 30 January 2017.

"From the archives! I took lots of photos of this priceless Northern Hawk Owlet and other owls last year, but still haven't really gone through my images properly. So, the occasional one from almost a year ago might still pop up now and again on my photostream. This was the first day out of the nest for this little owlet : ) I believe the last time I saw a Northern Hawk Owl was on 29 January, 2017.

We have been in a deep-freeze the last few days with windchill temperatures down to -40C. Far too cold to risk going out anywhere, including trying to take photos. The blizzard we had on Monday caused snowdrifts everywhere, and it would be all too easy to get ones car stuck in deep snow. So, into the photo archives I keep going!

This Northern Hawk Owlet, with the piercing eyes, was the cutest little thing. We were so privileged to be able to watch this family of three on a number of occasions. This particular day, 28 May 2012, was the owlet's first day out of the nest and we watched as it climbed over the rough ground and on to fallen logs and eventually clawed and flapped its way up this short, very thin tree and perched on the curved top. Some time later, Mom flew in with a Meadow Vole for the hungry youngster."

Northern Hawk Owl with woodland bokeh

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 18:30:27 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I'M TAKING A BREAK!

I think this may be the last photo I post for perhaps a couple of weeks or so. Many of the photos I've recently been posting have been from my archives and I feel like I keep posting photos of the same few subjects - like this owl, lol! I've barely been out anywhere for many weeks and for quite a while, I've been finding it hard to keep motivated - which probably means that those of you who visit my photostream very often, are also feeling a little (or very!) bored : ) So, very unusual for me, I'm taking a short break, and will post when I have taken photos of different things that feed my heart and soul - and hopefully yours, too.

**************************************************************************************

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.

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, just over a 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

Meadow Vole for a late lunch

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 18:02:03 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

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

Northern Hawk Owl

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 17:51:09 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Our temperature today, 24 February 2017, is -7C (windchill -14C) and it's snowing again. Much as I would like to stay home all day, I have no choice but to go and get some urgent things done.

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 or an in-flight capture.

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 had been lucky enough to see one of these gorgeous birds of prey was just over a year ago, on 8 February 2016, NW of the city. 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

Eyes fixed on supper

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 17:34:39 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

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 or an in-flight capture. The EXIF data for this photo is Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm.

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

Perch with a good view

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 17:13:39 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I have been taking so few photos recently, so am now having to dig into my archives most of the time. The few times I have been out, I have either seen nothing or nothing that I can photograph. Now, there are very urgent things that need to be done, and I must put them first.

This morning, 15 February 2017, the temperature is +5C and it's supposed to climb to +12C this afternoon! Hard to believe that we had windchills down to -34C not so long ago. Back to closer to 0C in another couple of days, though.

Apart from the last couple of weeks, the last time I was lucky enough to see one of these gorgeous Northern Hawk Owls was a year ago, on 8 February 2016, NW of the city. 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 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 in one tree or another, or perched high up on top of a utility pole next to an insulator. As you can tell by the sky, the light was terrible for taking this photo.

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 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

Peacefully waiting

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 16:42:43 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Not the best photo, and it is NOT MY MAIN PHOTO (!) but I always think that a distant shot of a bird in its environment can be just as interesting as a very close capture. Also, I kind of liked the bokeh, so didn't want to delete it. Thought I'd slip it in as my second photo, not my main image.

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

Quietly watching, always alert

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 17:24:26 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

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

Winner with its prey

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 18:29:50 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

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

Northern Hawk Owl

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 16:43:44 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

globalnews.ca/video/3229197/snow-route-parking-ban-for-ca...

There is a Snowfall Warning Alert in effect today, Sunday, 5 February 2017. The snow was heavy earlier today, but falling more lightly at the moment.

"Issued at 10:33 Sunday 05 February 2017
A long period of snowfall, with total amounts of 15 to 25 cm continues." Isn't that what we all just longed to hear, lol?! The temperature is -17C (windchill -22C).

A week ago, 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 a few who will do anything to get a closer shot. When I reached my 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 don't remember ever seeing a Northern Hawk Owl perched on a fence post before, and I was so happy to get a nice, clear view of it. It was some distance down the road; not as close as it looks in my photo. EXIF data: Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm.

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, just about a year ago. It was just the same thrill seeing this most recent one!

"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

Northern Hawk Owl

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 18:36:25 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Apart from the last few days, the last time I was lucky enough to see one of these gorgeous birds of prey was on 8 February 2016, just about a 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, as in this photo, 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 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

Atop a utility pole

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 14:05:28 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Meadow Vole for a tasty snack

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 14:05:27 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Flickr is acting up again, 31 January 2017 - a problem today (for others as well as myself) with views and stats. Some people's images are not being seen, and consequently a much smaller number of views under each photo. There is always something not working correctly! It is being looked into by Flickr staff, apparently.

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 yesterday, 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 a few who will do anything to get a closer shot. When I reached my 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. EXIF data: Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm.

The last time I was lucky enough to see one of these gorgeous birds of prey was on 8 February 2016, just about a year ago. It was just the same thrill seeing the one yesterday!

"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

Northern Hawk Owl

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 17:39:38 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday, 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 yesterday, 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 a few who will do anything to get a closer shot. When I reached my 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 had my camera fully zoomed for when the owl was a bit further away, and then it suddenly flew to a closer fence post. This was one quick shot, and then I was able to zoom out slightly for the next few images. EXIF data: Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm.

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, just about a year ago. It was just the same thrill seeing the one yesterday!

"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

Northern Hawk Owl from 2016

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 28 Jan 2017 12:58:41 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

People have been seeing a Northern Hawk Owl recently, out of the city, but I'm not sure if or when I'll get a chance to go looking. So, I thought I would post a photo from almost a year ago, for now.

This photo makes it look as if this Northern Hawk Owl was right in front of me, but the EXIF data shows Focal Length (35mm format) - 1050 mm. Actually, I don't even remember the owl flying in our direction and landing on a branch out in the open like this, but it obviously did. This owl gave us a few occasions of being seen, but then suddenly disappeared.

It had been almost five years since many of us were fortunate enough to make visits to a family of Northern Hawk Owls, NW of Calgary. I was so thrilled to see this one on 8 February 2016, again NW of the city. It's a one and a half hour drive for me to get there, so not a drive I care to do very often - roughly 220+ km round trip.

It was like a spring day that day, sunny, pleasant and not cold. I really wanted to get over there before we got our next snowfall and it seemed a perfect day to go. There were three or four cars parked at the side of the road when I arrived at the area and everyone let me know that the owl had been fairly close to the road just before I arrived, but had now disappeared way across a huge field. "You just missed it!" - never words one wants to hear, lol! However, I was assured it would be back - and that is what happened.

"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

Northern Hawk Owl

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 14:57:37 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

It had been almost four years since many of us were fortunate enough to make visits to a family of Northern Hawk Owls, NW of Calgary. I was so thrilled to see this one on 8 February 2016, again NW of the city. It's a one and a half hour drive for me to get there, so not a drive I care to do very often - roughly 220+ km round trip. I haven't seen any reports about this owl being seen for many weeks now.

It was like a spring day that day, sunny, pleasant and not cold. I really wanted to get over there before we got our next snowfall and it seemed a perfect day to go. There were three or four cars parked at the side of the road when I arrived at the area and everyone let me know that the owl had been fairly close to the road just before I arrived, but had now disappeared way across a huge field. "You just missed it!" - never words one wants to hear, lol! However, I was assured it would be back - and that is what happened.

"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

Blowing in the wind

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 12:42:16 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo makes it look as if this Northern Hawk Owl was right in front of me, but the EXIF data shows Focal Length (35mm format) - 1050 mm. Actually, I don't even remember the owl flying in our direction and landing on a branch out in the open like this, but it obviously did. This owl gave us a few occasions of being seen, but has not been reported for maybe a month now.

It had been almost four years since many of us were fortunate enough to make visits to a family of Northern Hawk Owls, NW of Calgary. I was so thrilled to see this one on 8 February 2016, again NW of the city. It's a one and a half hour drive for me to get there, so not a drive I care to do very often - roughly 220+ km round trip.

It was like a spring day that day, sunny, pleasant and not cold. I really wanted to get over there before we got our next snowfall and it seemed a perfect day to go. There were three or four cars parked at the side of the road when I arrived at the area and everyone let me know that the owl had been fairly close to the road just before I arrived, but had now disappeared way across a huge field. "You just missed it!" - never words one wants to hear, lol! However, I was assured it would be back - and that is what happened.

"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

Watchful eye

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 12:40:53 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

It had been almost four years since many of us were fortunate enough to make visits to a family of Northern Hawk Owls, NW of Calgary. I was so thrilled to see this adult on 8 February 2016, again NW of the city. It's a one and a half hour drive for me to get there, so not a drive I care to do very often - roughly 220 km round trip. Great to see a few familiar faces up there, too : )

It was like a spring day that day, sunny, pleasant and not cold. I really wanted to get over there before we got our next snowfall and it seemed a perfect day to go. There were three or four cars parked at the side of the road when I arrived at the area and everyone let me know that the owl had been close to the road just before I arrived, but had now disappeared way across a huge field. "You just missed it!" - never words one wants to hear, lol! However, I was assured it would be back - and that is what happened.

"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

Focused, listening, watching

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 16:00:52 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo makes it look as if this Northern Hawk Owl was right in front of me, but the EXIF data shows Focal Length (35mm format) - 1050 mm. Actually, I don't even remember the owl perching on a branch out in the open like this, but it obviously did.

It had been almost four years since many of us were fortunate enough to make visits to a family of Northern Hawk Owls, NW of Calgary. I was so thrilled to see this adult on 8 February 2016, again NW of the city. It's a one and a half hour drive for me to get there, so not a drive I care to do very often - roughly 220 km round trip. Great to see a few familiar faces up there, too : )

It was like a spring day that day, sunny, pleasant and not cold. I really wanted to get over there before we got our next snowfall and it seemed a perfect day to go. There were three or four cars parked at the side of the road when I arrived at the area and everyone let me know that the owl had been close to the road just before I arrived, but had now disappeared way across a huge field. "You just missed it!" - never words one wants to hear, lol! However, I was assured it would be back - and that is what happened.

"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

Northern Hawk Owl with Meadow Vole

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 16:54:53 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I'm slipping in this distant, poor quality photo as my third image this morning - too grainy to see in larger size! Just wanted it as a record of seeing the owl with a Meadow Vole that day - taken just before the rest of the Vole was swallowed in one big gulp.

I decided to drive NW of the city on 11 February 2016, to make a second visit to see if there was any sight of the Northern Hawk Owl. It looked like the three hours of driving round trip, plus driving several of the backroads nearby a few times, were going to be in vain. Sure, the sun was shining, the sky a deep blue and some of the scenery was beautiful, but, let's be honest, it would have been disappointing to not see any owls, of any species.

After a great deal of patience, managed only because friend, Bonnie, had also decided to go there that day, we finally were in luck. At the time the owl was spotted by another photographer (thanks so much, Harshad!) who was further down the road from us, I had just said to Bonnie that I had spent enough time up there and really wanted to do the long drive home before it got dark, because of poor night vision. There were just the three of us when Harshad saw the owl on top of a distant tree. During the afternoon, though, various people came and went. No owl baiters turned up, thank goodness, unlike on my first visit. That day, one of the photographers who was already there got rid of them very quickly, as soon as they arrived.

Part way through my visit, I enjoyed such an interesting chat with someone who happened to be driving down one of the backroads in the opposite direction to me. Stirling Clark is a carpenter, who makes beautiful furniture (and other things) in the Finish style. He has 20+ years of experience with Finish carpentry, door and trim installation, built in custom cabinetry, hardwood floor installation, stairs and railings, outdoor decks, siding, renovations and new construction, and general carpentry. His (other) passion is photography, enjoying nature, landscapes and wildlife. He told me that he had a Northern Hawk Owl visit him at his carpentry workshop recently - quite a treat. A pleasure to meet you, Stirling!

www.stirlingclark.ca/carpentry.html

www.stirlingclark.ca/photography.html

"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