Grand Marais Break Wall

Earlier in the week lots of ice had built up on the Grand Marais break wall. I walked out to take a few pictures but before I got there I was in for a pleasant surprise.

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Snowy Owl Grand Marais Harbor 001

There in front of me right along side of the trail was a beautiful snowy owl. Snowy owls are one of the largest owls in the world. They live on the tundra but sometimes come down to United States during the winter. This snowy was so well camouflaged that I wouldn’t have even seen her had she not moved her head to look at me. The feathers on her back blended right in with the lichens on the rock. The snowy was very tolerant of my presence.

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Snowy Owl Grand Marais Harbor 002

Later as she took flight she gracefully passed right by the windows of the border patrol office before landing out on Artist Point.

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Snowy Owl Grand Marais Harbor 003

I hiked out on the point but was having trouble locating her. Before long a flock of crows gave her location away. They called and dived on the owl making quite a racket. The owl was easy to find at that point. I chased the crows off and got close for a few more images. I thought the owl would appreciate me chasing the crows away but as you can see she was pretty cranky by that time.

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Snowy Owl Grand Marais Harbor 004

The face and beak of the snowy owl has feathers so thin and fine that they look like fur. This insulation can keep them warm as they spend most of their time in the arctic where temperatures can reach -80°F. I felt very fortunate to be able to walk up on one of our northlands most beautiful creatures.

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