Gray Gray Owl 001

One day as Karla and I drove home from town we noticed a great gray owl sitting on the south side of a spruce tree. The night before had been one of those 50 below zero wind chill evenings so I imagine it was trying to warm up in the morning sunshine.

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Great Gray Owl 002

Later in the day I returned with a friend and we found it hunting for mice on the edge of a field. It must have heard a mouse below as it flew to the top of the spruce tree. It was really concentrating on the area beneath the tree.

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Great Gray Owl 003

Great grays have the ability to hear a mouse running under a foot and a half of snow half a football field away.

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Gray Gray Owl 004

Just as it flew we got some images in flight. Great grays have quite a long wingspan and I was fortunate enough to capture the wings fully extended.

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Great Gray Owl 005

Within a two-hour time span we saw the owl drop to the ground for mice on two occasions. Due to the hard, icy surface of the snow it was not successful.

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Great Gray Owl 006

My last shot was of the owl in flight heading to the other side of the field.

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