The Great Gray Owl ‘death stare’
I was in two minds as to what subject I should post this month, but owls always seem to be popular so I’ll go with that. I also thought I’d focus on some of the less common species, at least in Alberta, that I’ve seen this year: the Great Gray, the Short-eared and the Northern Pygmy Owl.
In my experience, owls’ behaviour varies between species and again between individual owls. Some will take flight as soon as they see you, while others seem to completely ignore you – you never know what type of owl you will come across! 
At the end of the day, I’m grateful just to see one & absolutely rapt if I get to photograph one. This last comment is particularly true of the Short-eared owl where I made no less than 6 long trips earlier this year & only on the final trip did I finally see one – a great feeling.
I hope you enjoy these shots as much as I enjoyed taking them. Cheers, Tim.
NPO – what are you looking at?
These are spectacular photos! I would love to observe these species some day…