I had another “point and pray” photo taking experience yesterday a bit before sunset. I did not realize it when I took this photograph due to my own tunnel vision that the Snowy Owl was flying over to inspect another owl which was only 75 yards behind me. Snowy #1 cleared my head by four feet and landed 20 yards behind me. It then proceeded to stare at Snowy #2, which I then discovered. An amazing experience. Uff dah!

This is the image I took as the owl flew right at my head … I pointed the camera in front of me … pressed the shutter release down hard and prayed I would get the shot.

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And now in sequence as I experienced the two owls … which were never more than 75 yards away from me, and often much closer. Notice that Snowy #2 is “whiter in color”. I am pretty certain that the first owl is an immature female, whereas I think the second Snowy is an immature male. By the time male Snowy Owls are four years old they become almost pure white with no banding. The female’s banding helps with camouflage as it incubates eggs in the nest on the ground up on the Arctic tundra.

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Snowy #1: Resting in the late afternoon

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Snowy #1: Wakes up and sees Snowy #2 (I did not know at what it was looking)

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Snowy #2: Discovered right behind me!