Before a few days ago, I had never heard a Great Gray Owl hooting. Yesterday evening Poppa GGO put on a “hoot fest” for me … a few times you can even hear its owlets in the video begging for food in the background. It was truly a special time yesterday evening for me all by myself on a remote road in northern Minnesota. Wait, I did have company … four owls! I overexposed the video a bit such that the owl is not just a shadow!

Great Gray Owl Hoot Fest (video link for blog subscribers)

Magical moments in the Northwoods are defined by spending an entire hour with this Great Gray Owl by myself on a remote dirt road in northern Minnesota, not once but twice in the last 24 hours … both last night before sunset (the hootfest) and then again this morning just after sunrise.

Poppa Great Gray Owl (Yesterday Evening just before Sunset)

Poppa Great Gray Owl (Shortly After Dawn this Morning)

Just chilling out!

Time to escape the sun and hide!

You may ask how I am able to tell this is the same owl and poppa:

1. I found the owl within yards of the exact same location yesterday evening and this morning
2. Momma Great Horned Owl has a squawk she uses to communicate right now
3. The Owlets / Juveniles screech
4. Thus, the “hooter” is Poppa! (I listened to online recordings to confirm)