This is one of the Great Gray Owls in the aviary at the Calgary Zoo, and she has recently had two adorable babies. These owls are rare to uncommon year-round in Alberta. I have seen several in the wild, but nowhere near this close.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Calgary Zoo nature ornithology bird birds Owl Great Gray Owl portrait Strix nebulosa raptor Panasonic DMC-FZ18 FZ18 Lumix P1280121 FZ18 annkelliott AnimalPlanet BlueRibbonWinner Explore interestingness#290 explore2008August9 i500 captive adult AvianExcellence SuperShot SpecAnimal
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This gorgeous Great Grey Owl sat out in the open on a tall, thin, dead tree branch/trunk when I visited the Calgary Zoo a week ago. It proceeded to preen itself, which was interesting to witness. It is such an amazing feeling to have these Owls flying or perched just a matter of feet away, with nothing between them and you.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Calgary Zoo nature wildlife bird ornithology Owl Great Grey Owl Strix nebulosa SOE Shield of Excellence
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As you can tell by the lush green surroundings, this is not a new photo, but one that I took back in June : ) I tend to post closer shots than this, but I thought it was kind of nice to see a bit of the area which this Great Gray Owl called/calls "home". This fence and post were right by the road : ) The only thing of interest for this Owl was watching intensely for "food" - not a bit concerned that I was there.
Tags: Alberta Canada southern Alberta south of Priddis nature ornithology avian bird birds bird of prey Owl Great Gray Owl Strix nebulosa fence post perched perching side view grass field trees concentration focussed image photograph digital color image horizontal outdoors beautiful beauty in nature Panasonic DMC-FZ28 FZ28 Lumix point-and-shoot P1130472 FZ28 annkelliott beautiful_expression Feels Good birdshare © Anne Elliott 2009 © All Rights Reserved Birder's World Magazine
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This gorgeous Great Gray Owl was perched just above one of the massive, iron gates that leads into the Owl aviary at the Calgary Zoo. As each Zoo visitor opened the gate and entered the aviary, this owl would turn its head and peer downwards, watching all the movement. I really like the feather pattern around those amazing, piercing eyes. No matter how many times I see these owls, I am always in complete awe when I am lucky enough to be standing so close with nothing between the two of us. This species of owl tends to be quite approachable in the wild in Alberta. It is the largest owl in Alberta, but the Snowy Owl and Great Horned Owls are heavier.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Calgary Zoo nature aviary wildlife ornithology bird birds Owl Great Gray Owl Strix nebulosa Bird of prey concentration eyes feathers face close-up portrait Panasonic DMC-FZ18 FZ18 P1100307 FZ18 annkelliott NaturesFinest TheEnchantedCarousel AvianExcellence FlickrDiamond DiamondClassPhotographer BlueRibbonWinner Explore
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LOL, these Great Gray Owls look so serious! This photo was taken on 27th June - passed that way yesterday morning, but there was no sign of him/her. This amazing owl wasnt interested in us at all - just sat there and watched and listened intently, practically the whole time. It also flew off into the wooded area in the background and occasionally would be seen flying along the outside edge of the trees. Thought the barbed-wire was kind of interesting, too : )
Tags: Alberta Canada southern Alberta south west of Calgary south of 22X nature ornithology avian bird birds Owl Great Gray Owl Strix nebulosa bird of prey fence post barbed-wire perched perching rural scene rare to uncommon adult feathers image photograph digital horizontal color image outdoors Panasonic DMC-FZ28 FZ28 Lumix point-and-shoot P1150122 FZ28 annkelliott Birdshare Excellence AvianExcellence
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