An Arctic Phase Great Horned Owl … and its owlet!!!! My oh my, was I ever excited yesterday evening when these two birds appeared, and I was not even looking for owls.
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An almost white Great Horned Owl is a rare color variation known as an “Arctic Phase”. Generally this color of GHO’s are found well north of Minnesota as one gets closer to the tundra line. Yesterday evening I was near Frank Lake in Alberta, Canada when Wowie, Zowie, UffDah … these two owls appeared.
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Frank Lake is a gem of a location both for nesting shore and water birds, and as a stop on the Rocky Mountain Bird Migration Route for many other birds. I am birding this region till Friday, including some excursions up into the mountains. Molly, my wonderful wife has been pressing me to go on a birding expedition, and this is the region I chose. Better yet, yesterday I was privileged to bird with two very knowledgeable local birders, one of whom is a retired college professor who made this region and its birds his research specialties. He was a wealth of knowledge as we birded till 10 pm last night. Wednesday the same two guys are taking me up into the mountains!

Time to go back out birding. I had a great time with both waterbirds and shore birds this morning … now a first quick jaunt up into the mountains.

Arctic Phase Great Horned Owl