Snowy Owls

The fact that there are a couple dozen snowy owls hanging out at Boundary Bay, B.C. certainly isn't breaking news. Snowy owls have been in the news a lot this winter due to an interesting mass migration that has pushed them farther south than the range they are normally found and Boundary Bay has got to be one of the BEST places to see them. Photographers, bird enthusiasts, and curious wanderers have been flocking to this location to admire these beautiful and very charming creatures. After seeing everyone's beautiful photos and hearing amazing stories (please check out my friend, Monika's wonderful blog), I was soon gripped by snowy-owl-fever myself...so much so that I began to dream about them at night. It took me about a month, but I finally made it up to Boundary Bay yesterday. I have to say that I am so pleased that I made the journey because I would rate the adventure as being one of my best wildlife experiences...and also one of the strangest. Usually when you travel to see a somewhat rare animal, you would expect some challenges along the way - inhospitable weather, barely navigable trails through dense wilderness, and blisters on your heels (ouch!), but seeing the owls was no more difficult than crossing the border. You park your car in a gravel parking lot, wander up a bit of a hill, and there they are! And my is it ever surreal seeing them for the first time. I was a bit gobsmacked. Boundary Bay contains a huge expanse of wetlands and tidal flats - lots of areas where the owls could set up shop without having to be near people, but ironically here they were, right next to the trail (my camera measured them as being 31 meters away), hanging out on the driftwood logs along side of the trail. They also seemed to be totally chill with the dozens of adoring onlookers who came to admire them. Most of them were napping. At times they would open up their saucer-shaped vibrant yellow eyes and twist their heads around in all directions checking things out. I was stunned and I had to just stand there for a while and absorb the scene before I was able to take some images:

The Family Tree:

I'm not sure this fellow could look any LESS amused, haha:

One of the things I find most amazing about owls is the range of motion of their necks. You wouldn't ever want to put a "kick me" sign on an owl's back! They'd find it for sure!:

This last image is probably my favorite. I love this gnarly, old log. Also, the fact that it was quite a cloudy day just made this owl stand out;  a shock of white in an otherwise deep-colored expanse:

After about three hours my fingers were frozen and my arms were beginning to buckle under the weight of the large lens a good friend insisted that I borrow. I will always feel thankful and blessed that I was able to spend an afternoon with these incredible, special, and unique beings.

If you decide to go visit the owls, here are few things to keep in mind:

• Lots of people come to see them every day and disturbance to these animals could be potentially damaging. Move slowly, keep your voice low, and leave the dog in the car!
• Snowy owls migrate vast distances. It is VERY important that they rest and conserve their energy for their migrations. Don't approach them closely and stay on the foot trail. Use binoculars or a telephoto lens to see detail. You wouldn't like someone walking up to you and staring while you're trying to rest, would you? I didn't think so. Respect their space!

Happy owling... :)