Great Gray Owl in Sax Zim Bog

[Borealhunter]

Today was the first day of many days to come of winter bird guiding. I was very fortunate to relocate or locate this Great Gray Owl on McDavitt Rd in Sax-Zim Bog. It was probably the most cooperative GGO I seen on this road. It allowed us to walk up to about 30 yards as it hunted along the road for voles and mice.

I was so excited to begin taking photos after my client was giving me high fives as it was a lifer for him. The owl began to hunt and hovered right across from me and I took some quick photos and of course with all the excitement came the shakes too! (-: I did my best in the flight photo and hopefully next time I'll do better and get less excited. My perched photos came out better and I liked the frosty background of the trees.

I'll be in Lake County tomorrow and Tuesday in Aitkin Co. Hopefully I'll have more photos to share on these trips.

There was another GGO on Owl Avenue just south of Mottonen Rd on the west side that was reported to me by some WI birders. No Hawk Owls in the bog I could find... DARN!

PS the back roads were not plowed like Admiral and Stickney Rd and hopefully tomorrow they will be plowed out.

[dockothebay]

She's (or maybe he) beautiful - the flight image gives such an interesting perspective and the frosty branches in the perched images are beautiful as well!

[AuggieDawg11]

Owls have such an intense stare. Great pictures.

[Todd Caswell]

Very nice Iv'e got to get up there this winter.

[MountainJam]

Amazing images, the owl really stands out amongst all that fresh snow!

[JayinMN]

Sweet shots Mike! The McDavitt owl is my favorite GGO to photograph. It has very little fear of people and just goes about its business like your not even present. I have had it come with in a couple feet of me while diving for voles and at times it has been too close for my camera to focus. The ones I see in lake county usually fly as soon as I stop. One is starting to warm up to me taking its picture though.

I was down in the bog today and thought I heard the logging equipment going when I was on Admiral Rd so I never went over to McDavitt. I figured the owl would have been scared off. I guess I was wrong!

[Birdsong]

These are really nice. No shakes evident at this size anyway. I would be very proud of them. What a great moment for your client, as well.

[finnbay]

Very nice!

[ShawnZ]

Bravo Boreal Hunter, Bravo! The flight image alone is magnifique....great series. Addictive is it not?

[Todd Caswell]

"Lake County tomorrow"????????????????

Just wondering what is considered " Lake Country "

[Nymph]

Well done, Boreal! Love the snow in the bg.

[Steve Foss]

Nice work on the angel pose in the first one, Mike!

[Jim Almquist]

Great series of shots Mike but that first shot is absolutely my favorite. I need to get back up there now that all that holiday stuff is done.

[RumRiverRat]

The first one is absolutely stunning.

Got a High Res version of that?

[TruthWalleyes]

Love the first shot. Anyway you would email me a full size for my background? Truthwalleyes@g mail. com