The Great Grey Owl

On my thirtieth birthday last year, a Great Grey Owl came down from the arctic circle to hang out in a tree downtown.  He just sat there, hanging out, mugging for the cameras who came to take photos of a rare sight that most people will never see in their lifetime.

I wanted to slap the people who were loudly cooing over him and getting too close to his hangout, but he was such a docile dude and didn't seem to mind.  In fact, I think he LIKED the attention.  "Yes, I'm great, I know.  That's why they call me the Great Grey Owl.  Oh, a photo?  Sure, but photograph me on my right side, that's my most handsome side!"

I'm grateful to say I got a chance to see this guy several times.

I think he's just gorgeous.  

Puppetcancer and I were emailing back and forth about owls, starting with the one of whom I just posted a photo of, my little screech owl who lives in the tree above my driveway.  (I named him Stuart.)  John told me a snippet about Great Grey Owls in our email and I remembered, "hey!  I've seen one!"  So I sent him a batch of photos I took last year of this guy and figured I'd share him with the rest of you, too.

Here's what I saw last April --  a bird most people will never get a chance to see, the Great Grey Owl.