Right at Home

-11 Fahrenheit and Plunging                   5 January 2014

Snowy Owl

A nationally famous Snowy Owl invasion year is upon us, and, with owls in good condition, this one isn't likely due to dwindling food supplies.  Perhaps it is a strong recruitment year in the owl populations of the eastern North American Arctic.  These images of one Arctic visitor were taken at Crex Meadows State Wildlife Area in Burnett County, Wisconsin.

The owl was spending some time along Dike 4 and 5 Flowage, right along the Main Dike Road.   I kept my distance and observed the owl from the gravel road for nearly forty-five minutes before the owl, as if hearing a distant call, focused intently on the southern horizon and finally lifted off toward the unbroken ice of Phantom Lake.  The owl's flight was as lovely as unusual.  There is no other bird on Earth that flies like a Snowy Owl, with giant wings bent at the wrist but held rigidly, then, defying all rigidity, dipping into a deep bow before springing back to the top.  It is almost as if a gull and an owl had shared flight engineering tips and swapped parts before the Winter migration...

Both images were made using a refurbished Canon 7D and 300mm f4L IS lens.  I used a Gitzo tripod and Canon electronic cable release.  No vehicles came down that wintery gravel road for the entire forty-five minutes I observed the owl (Yes, it is wild up here!)  To combat the strong North winds, I slung my camera strap over the top of my lens so that it wouldn't kite my camera into subtle shaking.  With wind-blown tears freezing in the corners of my eyes and some loss of physical control in my hands due to the cold, it was very hard to achieve critical focus.  While the tree made for a busy picture, I was very happy with the position of the crescent moon, barely visible in the image.  This was as good as it got for me!