There are a few spots in Nova Scotia where most winters, at least one Snowy Owl will turn up. Luckily, I live close to one of those places, and I tend to visit another spot at Christmas.

I live in Cow Bay (technically Southeastern Passage) and Snowy Owls tend to drop in to Hartlen Point now and again. Sometimes when I’ve been out walking my dogs they have flown overhead and it takes a moment to realize it’s not a big seagull flying over my head. It’s so passage as the saying goes…

For Snowy Owls to be this far south in numbers the average person might see one, typically it needs to be an irruptive year. This usually happens every 4-7 years.

Because I’m a local even if there is 1 around, I tend to stumble on it at some point as I’m out and about in nature most days.

This one was hanging out in a local Osprey nest and I got a snap.

Along the cliffs in Glace Bay a Snowy Owl tends to show up most winters and I often go to Cape Breton for Christmas, so I found this little lady hiding in the scrub along the cliffs a few years ago. It took almost an hour with binoculars btw, they camouflage amazingly in the winter. Once they close their eyes they pretty much disappear. And they know it!

I don’t have any good photos of an adult male Snowy Owl, but I have seen the odd one. They are all white. It’s difficult to get a good shot of a Snowy Owl (or any owl) without disturbing it, and you need a very long lens. Mine are shot at 600mm. So that gives you better reach than most binoculars.

If you disturb an owl that is hunting, it may not eat. So remember that when observing them. I usually give them a lot of space. Once in a while they put on a bit of a voluntary show but even then I back off after a bit to give them space to hunt and be wild.

Because Snowy Owls are meant to be in a winter environment, they assume they are camouflaged and therefore may believe they are safe when they are not. So they might sit on green grass and believe nobody can see them which puts them at great risk to predators and also to harassment by people who want to get close.

If they are in the scrub and snow tucked down with their eyes closed, you likely will not see them and they will be safe from predators.

Anyway, for me, being outside in nature in all types of weather is vital to my mental health and well being. I’ve been running through the woods since before I started grade school. I’ve always had wildlife encounters, but only had a camera in more recent years.

With all wildlife the best way to have an encounter is to move through nature gently and quietly. Sometimes that is not safe of course as you don’t want to sneak up on a bear for example so use good judgement and enjoy nature.

Hopefully I can help to instill a respect for wildlife, and a sense of wonder through my photos and stories.

And maybe I’ll get my photo of a male Snowy Owl this year.