Snowy Owl
I believe it was 2018 when I last went searching for Snowy Owls. That winter was an irruption year, meaning more owls than usual headed south for Winter. As a result, birders and photographers alike flocked to the coast in hopes of spotting one of these stunning animals. Unfortunately, many left their sense of ethical wildlife viewing at home. If there's one subject that brings out the worst in people, It's Snowy Owls. This is not to slight beginners who don't know any better. I've been there. Mistakes happen. I've been caught up in the moment and have inadvertently scared off an owl. It happens, we learn, we don't do it again. I am instead talking about the intentional "flushing" of owls. Time and time again, I've watched owls purposefully chased into flying, all for the sake of the shot. I have even watched birders chase owls, claiming they were doing so to "protect" the birds from unethical photographers. Photographers who were viewing the owl from quite a respectable distance and made no such efforts themselves. It is for this reason that I had not attempted to photograph Snowy Owls in the past few years. That all changed last week. I was recently informed of a newly arrived owl at a park I had never been to before. After much hesitation, I decided to give it a go. I figured the cold, cloudy weather and earliness of the outing would limit the number of observers. This would prove mostly accurate. There were ultimately only five or so photographers/birders present. All of whom maintained a safe distance and respected the owls comfort zone. For our efforts, we were even fortunate enough to catch a short snow shower. Quite fitting for a Snowy Owl.
Snowy Owl
I believe it was 2018 when I last went searching for Snowy Owls. That winter was an irruption year, meaning more owls than usual headed south for Winter. As a result, birders and photographers alike flocked to the coast in hopes of spotting one of these stunning animals. Unfortunately, many left their sense of ethical wildlife viewing at home. If there's one subject that brings out the worst in people, It's Snowy Owls. This is not to slight beginners who don't know any better. I've been there. Mistakes happen. I've been caught up in the moment and have inadvertently scared off an owl. It happens, we learn, we don't do it again. I am instead talking about the intentional "flushing" of owls. Time and time again, I've watched owls purposefully chased into flying, all for the sake of the shot. I have even watched birders chase owls, claiming they were doing so to "protect" the birds from unethical photographers. Photographers who were viewing the owl from quite a respectable distance and made no such efforts themselves. It is for this reason that I had not attempted to photograph Snowy Owls in the past few years. That all changed last week. I was recently informed of a newly arrived owl at a park I had never been to before. After much hesitation, I decided to give it a go. I figured the cold, cloudy weather and earliness of the outing would limit the number of observers. This would prove mostly accurate. There were ultimately only five or so photographers/birders present. All of whom maintained a safe distance and respected the owls comfort zone. For our efforts, we were even fortunate enough to catch a short snow shower. Quite fitting for a Snowy Owl.