Some of my images are highly evocative for me. Not many but a few and this is one of them. When you first see it you may think you’ve seen it before but you’d be mistaken.
Way back on the morning of January 15, 2008 I had Farmington Bay WMA all to myself. It had snowed heavily the day before and apparently most folks didn’t want to chance getting stuck on the dicey dirt road covered with snow. Even the intrepid (crazy?) duck hunters seemed to be taking the day off.
When I reached the 4-way at the south end of the refuge and turned around to head north again I noticed one of the darkest and most threatening storm fronts I’d ever seen quickly bearing down on me from the northwest. At that point my intention was to skedaddle back home. I sure as hell didn’t want to get stuck on the refuge with no one there to help pull me out. Even my friend and fellow bird photographer Joe Ford, who had pulled me out of snow before, wasn’t on the refuge so I was feeling pretty vulnerable.
But the drive back north to the refuge entrance was magical so I just creeped along. It became very dark very quickly and when it started to snow it came down hard and fast so the white snow falling against the nearly black background was enchanting. Except for the crunching and squeaking of my tires on the snow it was dead quiet so I often stopped and turned my engine off with the windows down so I could more fully appreciate the experience.
When I stopped at one of the bridges to look down the ice-covered canal I lingered there for quite a while because it was such an enchanting scene. And that’s when it happened.
1/800, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 40D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
A Barn Owl came from out of nowhere behind me and turned left to fly down the canal with ‘his’ back to me. With his slow, moth-like flight close to the ground he was obviously hunting for a last-minute meal before the snow became so thick any chance of hunting success would be nil.
He was flying so slowly I was able to get quite a few photos of him before he disappeared in the falling snow. They’re all butt shots but because of the mood and the falling snow they’re probably my favorite butt shots of all time.
1/800, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 40D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I didn’t notice it at the time but the last photo I got of him showed him stealing a quick glance back at me, as if he was wishing me luck getting off the refuge and then getting home in all that snow. I prefer the first photo above because both the falling snow and the colors of the owl can be seen better but I’m glad I have this one too.
After the owl was gone I probably sat there for another ten minutes savoring what I’d just experienced. But eventually I became so intimidated by the snow I headed for home.
Getting off the refuge and then the drive home on the freeway is another story altogether.
Ron
Notes:
- The reason some readers may think they’ve seen photo #1 before is because I posted a different but similar photo of this owl in the past (I called it “The Lonely Hunter”). But this one is new to Feathered Photography and I probably like it more than the original photo because the falling snow is more easily seen against the darker background in the right half of the frame.
- Another reason this series of photos is evocative for me is because one of them is the first print I ever sold, 13 years ago to another bird photographer in Washington state. That transaction was far from a financial windfall because the print was damaged in shipping so I felt it was my responsibility to pay for a replacement print and for the shipping costs to get it to my client. Even so, selling my first print was pretty special.
“Hello darkness my old friend…” What an intimate portrait! And our good fortune that you were there to capture it! This is one I’ll come back to again and again. Thanks for sharing.
Loved the quote, Diane. I’ll have that earworm for a while but it’s a good earworm.
I’m imagining the vastness of the silence you shared with this intrepid hunter with real longing.
Thanks, Marty.
Very poignant images and story. Similar to your sentiments, I imagine him saying “Farewell friend and safe travels.”
I also agree: best butt shot ever.
Thank you, Lyle.
Excellent!
Thanks, Michael.
Definitely enchanting. A majestic and magnificent bird in magical surroundings.
Which I am very glad that you survived with no mishaps.
Thank you so much.
I’m glad too, EC. It would’ve been a long, cold wait to be rescued.
“The Lonely Hunter”…”The Sound of Silence” … although I know owls are silent fliers, still I can imagine hearing this one’s wings as they gently but powerfully push through that heavy air in search of prey. No wonder these are such evocative photographs for you. They are beautiful, as is the story behind them.
Chris, I played around in my head a little with using “The Sound of Silence” in my text or in my title but in the end I couldn’t make it quite work. Besides, I’d used “Silent Hunter” in my first post about this bird so I just stuck with it, with modification.
I’m entranced. The story, the photos, the imagery that settles in my mind are magical. Thanks again, Ron.
Thank you, Nina.
You are a brave man to continue on when all the signs were pointing to you maybe getting stuck there. I sure can relate to that shutting the car off and just taking in that dead silence. I have been in a couple situations similar and really enjoyed the silence. I hope we get to hear the rest of the story sometime in the future.
“You are a brave man to continue on”
Brave or foolhardy, Everett. Perhaps a little of both.
Enchanting indeed! 🙂 No wind, beautiful owl, beautiful snow! Obviously you made it out and home OK 😉 MT driving prepared you well….. 😉
You hit that nail on the head, Judy. MT in winter is the best training ground for driving on snow that I know of.
Thank you, Ron!! Wow!!
Glad you liked it, Mary
“Enchanting” is certainly the best word for those huge, silent wings moving
through a velvety gray backdrop studded with tiny diamonds of snow……
I would love to have seen it in person, but will gladly settle for witnessing
it through your gorgeous shot #1—-thanks !
Kris, his “silent wings” added to the almost deafening silence of everything else is part of what made it so enchanting for me.
Sounds like this was a great experience, Ron. Thank you for sharing it with us.
It was, Ed. It certainly was.
You captured the moment for me in words as well as photos. I wanted to go grab an Afghan to keep warm. 🙂
Thanks, Arwen.
You gave me one of the “lonely hunter” photos and it’s still the background photo on my laptop. I see it multiple times a day and I still love it!
Dang, I completely forgot about that Sue. I’m delighted to know that you’re still enjoying it!
Hi Ron. This is likely my favorite story (so far) from your blog. So well told that I felt that I was there with you,enjoying the silently falling snow and the beautiful Owl as it flew along the canal. Thanks for starting off my Monday with such a fine story and pics!
“So well told that I felt that I was there with you.”
Rick, nothing you might have said could have pleased me more.