Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm! In other words, highly zoomed in. However, even a very distant Snowy Owl is a wonderful sight, and I always love to see one that is on the ground with snow-covered stubble. After a while, this handsome male flew off across the field and then, when it landed, someone spotted a second tiny white speck even further away from us. These were owls #3 and #4 that we saw in the morning.
Part way into the afternoon, Tony and I had to head back to the city, but we did see another owl on the way home. The rest of the group saw three other Snowies after we left, making a complete total of 8 birds for the day.
After all the frigid weather we have had so far this winter, this day felt balmy. Actually, I'm not sure what the temperature was, but it must have been above 0C. There was no cold wind and it just felt pleasant. The sun was shining and the sky was full of 'good' clouds. Not sure why almost all my photos were too blurry to keep - maybe the light wasn't as good as I thought it was. However, I did get a shot of each of the owls, so I'm happy. A few other bird species were also seen, including Common Redpolls and Horned Larks, Gray Partridge, Magpies, etc.. Tony also spotted a Prairie Falcon on our way back to the city. I will add Terry's list of birds seen by the end of the day in a comment box below.
Many thanks, Terry, as usual, for taking us on this owl prowl. It was a great trip and, especially for those who had never seen a Snowy Owl before, a most amazing experience. As with any kind of owl, it doesn't matter how many one sees, I always find each time is as awesome as the very first time.
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