Epic Encounter

Hello!  Remember me?  Long time since my last blog, eh.  I have a few in my head to do but...  hopefully I get the *blog bug* to do them in the coming weeks.  What happened last night, really wanting to tell this story might be that revival I need...

So, here we are just flying through March.  Why is this month going so quickly?  In the last week I definitely have noticed more snowy owls after dark on my way home from work than what I have all winter.  It's obvious with spring around the corner, that these northern owls are on the move to their nesting territories.  I've been lucky enough to spot a few around my work either on my 30 minute break or on my way home at 10 PM.

I saw this one 3 nights ago.  Crap record shot from a nearby parking area.  The owl is across a small field from where I was parked.

Then last night after I got my coffee, I took a drive around to another parking area and found this other snowy owl.  The lighting was terrible here but it was cool to see the bird under the near full moon.

Initially I did not spot the owl but tuned into the first sounds of killdeer for the 2022 season.  It was a lovely evening with temperatures in the low teens.  As I drove around looking for snowys, I had my car windows down.  Hearing those killdeer was music to my ears.  As spring migration ramps up, there will be many first bird calls and songs of the year, and it's always a little exciting.  Just over a week ago it was the first red-winged blackbirds and common grackles to return, hearing them before spotting them.  Now it's the killdeer.

I had stopped my car in this parking lot, and listened to the killdeer.  I tried to spot one in the dim light from the moon and distant street lamps.  As I looked around, it was then that I found the snowy owl on a low lamp post.  I had my camera with me and tried for some pictures.  Unfortunately I couldn't get the angle to have the owl in the moon but it was fun to try.  Only having about 10 minutes to play around before having to get back to work didn't help.

The killdeer were loud and flying about the field.  It turned out that the snowy owl had also taken notice to these newly arrived migrants (they weren't here the night before).  I had the thought to take a short video of the owl on this lamp post with the sounds of the killdeer.  Before I could even make that video, off went the owl diving down into the field and it was chasing one of the killdeer.  Holy s**t!  The maneuvering of the owl was incredible to see.  I couldn't see the killdeer but I could hear it's frantic calls as it was being chased.  Mere seconds later the owl had taken down the bird.  There was a couple more ear piercing shrieks from the killdeer before it was done.  Those sounds haunted me the remainder of the night.  I was happy for the owl to get a meal.  I was sad for the killdeer to return "home" for the season only to become dinner on it's first day back.  

The field was more lit up than the parking lot where the owl was hanging out.  I was able to get another crap record shot of it on top of its prey.

I was almost late getting back to work to finish my shift.  I was so wow'd about this encounter.  It sucks that I don't work with any others who share my interest in wildlife.  I mean the guys like this stuff but not nearly to the extent that I do.  I told a couple about this encounter and they were like "oh neat" but perhaps when I see them today and can show them a picture or two, they will be a little more into it.

After work I had to get a few things at the Walmart just a couple blocks away.  On my way to the highway to head home, I passed the parking area one more time.  I found the owl on an icy snow bank along the driveway.  I watched it from my car for a couple more minutes, taking a few more pictures and then headed for home.  

As I got out my car in our driveway, all I could hear was killdeer in our neighbourhood.  Amazing how they're all back...  just like that!

It won't be long now and these snowy owl sightings will once again be a thing of the past until who knows when next winter.

Thanks for stopping in.  I hope this reads well.  I haven't even finished my first coffee yet; but I wanted to get on this before I got distracted by something else with my morning.

Cheers!