Most people might choose to stay home in the midst of a snow storm, but most people are not me! When a weather window appeared this morning with lighter snow and wind, before a second storm onslaught I went looking for a “Snowy in a Snow Storm”! Now normally looking for a Snowy Owl around 10:30 am would be an exercise in frustration, but I thought last nights ugly weather followed by this brief respite might bring an owl or two out into the open. I was not disappointed.

This Snowy had been actively looking around, and then started to snooze. However, when owl and I heard crows approaching the Snowy quickly woke up and exited Stage Left!

Snowy Owl in a Snow Storm (White on White in White!)

The photographic conditions were hugely sub-optimal. I was very pleased with my results. There is not a ton of contrast available when one is attempting to photograph a white bird in a white storm against a white background. Try it some time. Given this owl is a “very white male”, my task was even more difficult.

Yesterday morning started with ships and sea smoke 40 minutes before sunrise off Lake Superior’s Splitrock Lighthouse. The day ended with the 60 minutes prior to sunset with a royal Snowy Owl Flush… both a beautiful female and male! By the time I got home I was thoroughly frozen. With the temperature hovering around 0F (-18F), even with decent gloves it is impossible to keep the hands warm. While it was much colder during my morning sea smoke photoshoot (-18F or -28C), when photographing owls there is a lot of waiting for action which is when one gets bone cold.

Snowy Owl Take-Off (female or first year male)

Sleepy … or laughing at me Snowy Owl (male)

The male Snowy even slept through a diving attack from the female pictured first in this blog post. It was too cool to be bothered.

Great big mounds of plowed snow gave me the ability to almost see “eye to eye” with the owls. Was fun being up at their level 10 to 12 feet off the ground… but still a bit distant. My Canon Sx70 has a 65x optical zoom, which is a 1365 35mm equivalnet. On bright, sunny days the super zooms work very nicely.

The gift of sight is precious. Late yesterday afternoon I drove myself over to Superior, Wisconsin in search of Snowy Owls … let me repeat that fact … I drove MYSELF over to the owling grounds.  While my doctor had told me not to expect the BOTOX injections for Blepharospasm to be effective till after seven days, I apparently am one of the lucky individuals where the drug works quickly. Snake venom is now blocking the miscommunication between my brain and eyes.

I can see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was the first time I have driven a car in two months. I also took a hike while it was still sunny and bright (impossible just five days ago). I traipsed through the deep snow in  the forest near my home on deer trails … easily seeing deadfall and stepping over same. I was searching for my local Great Horned Owls. This morning as I create this post at 7:15 am, my local owls are hooting away at me!  Nature is welcoming me back to its world of wonder. While the battle with Blepharospasm will now be a life long war, it appears as if I will have a life worth living which includes the gift of sight.

Here is one of the two Snowy Owls I found at the Superior Railroad yards. While the photo opportunity was not grand (blah skies and location), for me the image capture was one of the happiest of my life. Perhaps this female Snowy is yelling to the other nearby owl: “The gigs up … I think he sees us!” (Location … power poles south of the intersection of Hill Ave. and 24th Ave. E.)