Two male Snowy Owls in the same field

On 13 January 2018, I went with a group east of the city, to look for Snowy Owls, especially. This winter doesn't seem to be a good year for these owls, though we were very lucky on this outing. 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.

I took a photo of the closest Snowy Owl and then it flew across the field and landed again. Someone spotted a tiny white speck in the distance behind this owl - a second one, another gorgeous male! (This is a highly zoomed photo). These owls were owls #2 and 3 of the four we saw by lunchtime. 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.

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.