Great Grey OWL

We all have our favourite birds and dream about finding something rare. I have my well documented obsession with Piney and Hawkie but Great Grey Owl is another species that I can’t get enough of and one which I have long had plans of finding in Maridalen. I have picked out all the likely looking places for the species and check them religiously when I drive past them. These are the same places where I would hope to find Pygmy Owl or Hawkie but the complete lack of both these species this autumn/winter is a sign of a lack of rodents in these parts. That doesn’t stop me from looking though as there are Great Grey Owls out there and their quest for food means that they can turn up (briefly) in many places.

On Sunday I popped out to check on Piney as I have some more guiding for them this week. 5 very cooperative birds were present (10 on Saturday) and I reckon there are just enough berries for the birds to hang around here a few more days.

I thought I had just enough time (I had said I was popping out for "half an hour"...) to take the scenic route home via Maridalen. The Great Grey Shrike was present in the same place as last week which is a positive sign with regards to rodents. I turned the car round to try to see it better but it had vanished. I then made a very fortuitous decision. I could have driven home or turned around again and driven my usual route around Maridalen but decided instead to take the road less traveled. As I drove along a stretch of road that is not part of my usual route I drove past a clearing and remembered that this was actually a very likely looking place for owls and made a mental note to check here more often. Then with that thought still going through my mind I saw a pale grey shape in a tree on the far side of the clearing. It could have been a plastic bag or a large piece of loose bark but it could also be something else. I quickly stopped the car, lowered the window, raised my bins, refocused my bins which had last been used for Piney at 2 meters range, and BOOM. GREAT GREY OWL IN DA HOOD MAN. A dream come true :-)

I enjoyed it for a good while and then collected Mrs and Jr Jr OB so they could see their first GGO. Jr wasn’t interested though (would have meant changing out of her pyjamas...) It stayed glued to the same perch which wasn’t a good sign with regards availability of food or the birds energy levels (my previous experience with the species is that they frequently move to a new perch if they are having no joy at their current position). I was unable to find it today and a check under yesterday’s perch didn’t reveal any pellets.

Great Grey Owl is a new species for Maridalen and in a sign of what an amazing year 2019 has been is the 7th new species for the Dale this year (only 1 in 2018, 6 in 2017 and 3 in 2016) and takes the total to 214 species of which I have now seen 195.

it started snowing and the snow settled on the head of the owl!