Snowy Owl number 5

This was the fifth Snowy Owl that friend Tony and I saw E of the city two days ago, on 13 January 2018, after leaving the rest of the group, as we needed to get back to the city. A nice treat before we headed back to civilization. I can't tell the difference between the females and juveniles, as both have dark streaking. Adult males are easy to ID, as they are pure white. When we were with the group, we saw the first four owls. After we left, we saw just this one new owl, while the rest of the group saw three other Snowies. A total of 8 different individuals that were seen.

This winter doesn't seem to be a good year for these owls. Some years, the Internet is full of photos of these spectacular visitors, but this year I'm not seeing many. Thanks so much for the ride, Tony - so much appreciated, as always.

After all the frigid weather we have had so far this winter, yesterday 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.