A Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) hops onto a piece of driftwood at Boundary Bay in Delta, British Columbia, Canada.
I will do a more thorough writeup of my trip yesterday to Boundary Bay, but for now I wanted to quickly share this image of a Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus). Of the over 600 photographs I made yesterday, this one stood out as one that showed the best action of the day. The Owls hunt sporadically, so there is a lot of sleep and relaxing in between. Sometimes they just sit there and barely open their eyes. This one started to warm up for the hunt and hopped around a little before taking off towards the water.
I should point out that I made this photograph from the path at Boundary Bay. Many photographers have behaved badly in this location in the last few months, a fact I will document and speak to in a later post. I was able to hang out for hours within 30-40 feet of a dozen Snowy Owls right next to the path, I have no idea why trampling the marsh and chasing the Owls is necessary for a good photograph. More about that later (and more Snowy Owl photos too!).
What a fantastic shot! I’ve always been fascinated with owls. To see one, like you said, doing something other than looking like their sleeping during the day is quite impressive. What beautiful creatures. I can’t wait to see more of your day.
PS I love how you said ‘made’ a photograph, instead of taking one.
Thank you Nick! The majority of the rest of my photos have owls sitting there not doing much like you said. They did get a bit more active towards the evening though – lots of stretching and feather ruffling.
I try to avoid using terms such as “capture” and “take”. I do use “shot” sometimes though. A lot that goes into the photograph is not the work of the camera but of the person behind it – so I think I make photos rather than some other process.
Michael, I love your reasons for using the word “made.” So eloquently expressed in the interest of art. Looking forward to additional photos and postings on this topic. Cheers, Ingrid
Thank you very much for photographing the owls from the dike path, Michael. I wish all the other photographers would do the same, showing some respect for the owls and the habitat. Boundary Bay is an Important Bird Area and home to many other diverse birds, animals and plants. Your beautiful photo shows no one needs to trample habitat or harass owls in the name of art.