A slight breeze had picked up early that morning, knocking the lingering golden autumn leaves off of the aspens and onto my tent. The subtle sound of the leaves sliding down my tent had woken me up. It was a beautiful time of year, a crisp wind rustled the leaves on the trees as I stepped out of my tent with camera in hand. Setting out, it was still dim but would soon be light enough to see clearly. All I wanted that morning was an Owl, that wasn’t much to hope for, was it?

Two weeks earlier I had passed through a similar area. I’d spent multiple days photographing multiple Great Gray Owls, a truly amazing adventure. It had ended too soon, and me with my greedy disposition, was back at it again looking for these regal birds. I’d spent the last couple of days searching from before sunup to after sundown with no luck yet. This was my last morning in the area and I desperately hoped for some reward for all of my long days out here. 

Walking as silently as possible through the forest, I saw signs that the birds had been here. A feather here, some whitewash there and an occasional pellet told me they were here and I just needed to look harder. Looking more and more intently I hoped for the best and enjoyed every moment along the way. Aspen tree, aspen tree, pine tree, aspen tree. And so the morning went. Aspen tree, pine tree, aspen, pine tree with eyes, aspen, aspe….. wait what!? Shifting my gaze back to the pine tree I had just looked over, it did indeed have eyes! Or so it seemed. Perched among the branches against the trunk was a stunning Great Gray Owl, perfectly camouflaged. The Owl shifted its gaze to me, possibly sensing my excitement and then continued scanning the ground for food. 

Settling down on a nearby rock I raised my camera and held completely still, not wanting to disturb the majestic Owl in its search for breakfast. Another chilly breeze rustled the golden aspen leaves. A truly beautiful time of year to spend with some truly magnificent wildlife!