Snowy owl

[IluvABbeef]

Here's the snowy owl that decided to make a stay here on the weekend. He (or she) stayed in the same spot for at least four hours, if not more.

And he blends in near perfectly with the snow in the background:

 

[bigbull338]

that owl blends in so well i had to really look to spot him.

 

[ga.prime]

I bet the snowy owl is easy to see when the snow is all gone.

 

[hillsdown]

Beautiful !!!

That must be a female or a young one right, as aren't mature male snowy's pretty much all white ?

 

[IluvABbeef]

Nope, looking at a bird book it says the males are mostly white and the female is generally white with dark barring on the upper parts and the breast, and the young'uns are a bit darker. I see none of that on this one, so yep, "he/she's" a he.

Originally I was wanting to get a shot with him contrasting to the darker background, but apparently I got a little too close for his liking and took off before I knew it. But absolutely, he'd be sticking out like a sore thumb with all that brown grass.

I think I'm going to consider investing in getting a better "telescopic" (can't remember the proper term) lens so I can get closer shots from a longer distance. Be worth the investment!

 

[ga.prime]

I think I'm going to consider investing in getting a better "telescopic" (can't remember the proper term) lens so I can get closer shots from a longer distance. Be worth the investment!

That would be cool. I'm very interested in birds too and it's hard to get close enough with a regular camera to get a good detailed photo.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Well I've found that to take worth-while wildlife pics without getting to close is that you need a lens that is at least 500 mm. My telescopic lens only goes up to 300 mm. Plus the 500 mm lens is $1300 plus. I'm still keeping it on my list, but won't make any purchases until I get enough money to consider getting one lol.

 

[alisonb]

Be worth the investment!

:nod:
Nice pic AB! How do they camouflage themselves in summer, do they have anything that preys off of them?

 

[IluvABbeef]

Alison I believe they remain white throughout the year. The owls migrate north to the Arctic for the summer, then come back down to the southern parts of Canada (and probably across the border to the very northern edge of the US) in the winter. They're not like the ptarmigan that replace white feathers with brown, they remain white throughout the year and throughout their lives (except when they're owlings).

Neat birds, for sure.