Great Gray Owl in Maine

Geoff Wood  and I made a quick decision at 5 in the morning to make a quick 500 mile trip to try to see a Great Gray Owl that had been seen in the Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife in Maine. This large refuge abuts long logging roads so it was a real shot in the dark, but we turned up successful. After coming across a flock of Pine Grosbeaks, we found the owl shortly after. The owl was hunting a field along a section of the access road. It was quite a treat to see this large boreal owl up close, at one point while hunting the bird dropped about 40 feet away in pursuit of a small rodent. Great Gray Owls are auditory hunters so it was interesting to watch the bird "listening" and then floating across the field like a giant moth to drop onto prey. A very long trip, but well worth it to see this majestic owl of the north.

                       The large facial disk on this owl helps funnel sound to its ears for hunting.

                                                  Hovering before dropping onto prey

                                       Male (red) and Female (yellowish) Pine Grosbeaks