Yesterday, my readers who subscribe to this blog know I had a fantastic evening … privy to a Snowy Owl fight. Believe it or not, talons were a plenty beyond the Snowies. Northern Hawk Owls, unlike most other owls, hunt during the day. Around noon a friend and I found this individual sharpening his talons up for the midday hunt.

Talons!

Actually not sharpening talons … preening!

If you were a vole, you would be in BIG trouble!

The last two days were stormy with strong winds. In short, I knew that the owls had not been able to hunt successfully. With that knowledge I headed out before sunrise to my owling grounds. I was not disappointed! The number of Great Gray Owls which were hunting after sunup was amazing. Starvation is a great motivator.

Dawn’s Early Light Over the Owling Grounds!

Attack of the Vole Patrol

Great Gray Owl and its Vole (same owl as in prior sequence)

Northern Hawk Owl gets in on the Action!

Oh man … what a morning north of Duluth. I lost track of the number of Great Gray Owls I found out hunting. The wind was dead calm, and the light was fantastic. At one point, I could see three different great gray owls hunting at the same time!

Here is a sequence of eight photographs I took of one owl after it had just successfully dispatched a vole. Enjoy! (click/press upon any image to view at higher resolution)