Spending time in the woods alone without another human for miles with hunting Great Gray Owls is magical. However with our horrible cold snap, thankfully now ended, I had not been out looking for the gray ghosts of the forest in over two weeks. Spending time standing motionless in the forest experiencing temperatures of -10F to -20F is NOT fun.

Friday evening I headed north of Two Harbors to my personal favorite owling grounds. I had expected bright clear blue skies, but God had other ideas. The heavens clouded up which although better for finding owls (they tend to hate bright light), makes photography more of a challenge. In addition, a blue sky is prettier than white.

Great Gray Owl #1

I was wrong. The owl eventually flew 200 yards distant and posed with an opening in the clouds right behind it. The artist in me loved the photo.

Yesterday morning I continued my owling. Although the mercury had dipped to -16F (-27C), there was no wind. As the sun rose everyone … owl and human alike could feel the warming rays of sunshine. Although Great Gray Owls normally don’t hunt in the bright sun, I found two out long past sunrise enjoying the weather.

Great Gray Owl #2

Great Gray Owl #3