Random Owl sightings

Two weeks ago I managed a few photos of a Snowy Owl in flight that I had wanted to share. Of course, I never got around to it… until last night when a great night of owl surveying prompted me to get my act together…

So let’s start with that Snowy, taking off against the sky and then flying low across an uncharacteristically snow-free Manitoba marsh in March.


Last night, I enjoyed great night owling in southeast Manitoba, completing 37 Manitoba Nocturnal Owl Survey stops. I made good use of some of the minor forestry roads in Sandilands Provincial Forest that are usually snow covered at this time of year. At first it looked like Boreal Owls would be the most numerous but after midnight the s’wets put on an exceptionally strong finish...

First highlight was a lengthy observation of a pair of Barred Owls. Here they are individually first and then the third photo shows them in a state of post-copulatory bliss.

The next highlight was spotting this Northern Saw-whet Owl perched three feet off the ground hunting by the roadside – what a treat!