Yesterday morning I interviewed a local celebrity who made the outrageous claim that Great Gray Owls are boring, and she could personally not understand where all the owl paparazzi had gone to. I tried to calm her down, and said “the grays” were just a passing fad and soon the color of snow would reign once more.
Snowy Owls Rock!
Saturday was a ugly day, and all the owls … both our locals and irruption migrants … decided they needed to hunt DURING the storm. For Great Gray Owls which catch prey by hearing mice and voles running beneath the snow, I can’t believe they had much success. It goes to show, hunger is a great motivator. Make certain you watch the videos. The snow was coming down at an amazing rate (Video links for email subscribers: Owl#1 | Owl#2 | Owl#3). I will be following this post up with a “morning after the storm” addition to this blog!
Finally here are some still images taken during storm. I actually hung out at home till the worst of the storm hit. Thankfully, none of these owls were over 10 miles from my home. I just slowed down my driving and took my time. I was actually somewhat amazed I found any owls given the poor visibility. Luck (and some skill) definitely played a role.
Just prior to the storm … unlike us, owls don’t get to use weather apps to learn that a storm in coming
Great Gray Owls during the storm. The last owl was in a ravine, which I thought was smart, but then it flew up to a non protected area. In the fourth image, the owl is shaking show off its head … thus the bit of blur. 
Flight shots. Quite frankly I am amazed I not only found these owls, but managed to photograph them in flight.
Any day when you get to hear not one, but different species of owls sing out and hoot, life is good! This post is about Amy, my local Great Horned Owl. She and her mate have nested near my home across from Amity Creek (thus the name Amy) for six years, and they are back for a seventh season!
The photograph and video accompanying this post was taken 25 minutes post sunset which makes photography difficult, but the experience was super positive. Earlier in the day I may have had a “once in a lifetime” experience. While birding in the Willowsippi Wildlife Management Area I found a Northern Hawk Owl, and happened to be taking videos when that bird decided to call out! See that post, and hear that owl.
Amity Creek Great Horned Owl
Amy Hooting (video link for email subscribers)