One for my mother

My mother loved owls. I never really knew why. I was barely out of my teens when she died and hadn't yet gotten to the place where my mother was at all interesting. But I knew she loved owls and most of all she loved Snowies.

Snowy Owls are a rare occurrence in the Pacific Northwest - they rarely migrate this far south, but every few years one or two can be spotted in some areas around Seattle & the coastal areas. But this year seemed like a bumper crop of Snowy Owl sightings. They were sighted in & around Seattle and reports were coming in from Montana & North Dakota. But the Boundary Bay area in British Columbia was the most interesting for birders - up to 20 Snowy Owls could be seen sitting on the drift logs at any time. Photographers & birders "flocked" to the area.

I was thrilled when a birding acquaintance told me she would be leading a Mountaineers trip to Canada to see the Snowy Owls and other birds at Reifel Bird Sanctuary. I wanted to try & get a picture of the owls.

My mother had been on my mind a lot lately - just the stresses of life and how I remember her warm & loving hugs. One day while shopping, every rack of shelves held an owl something: a figurine, a cup, a candle holder. So when the opportunity to photograph one of her beloved birds came up, I couldn't say no. Even as the weather looked bad, I knew I would go. My back account was stretched thin before payday, but I took out the cash to pay for gas. There wasn't a question in my mind that I would go.

I hoped the birds would be close enough for me to see and photograph. I don't classify myself as a wildlife photographer, so don't have all the fancy equipment to capture animals at a distance. But I needn't have worried, the owls were lined up on logs not 20 yards from the trail sitting, watching, grooming. Camera lenses and birding scopes in a line pointed at them and I set up along with them all - focusing on one large fluffy bird on an interesting stump hoping he might do something more interesting than stare at us.

Then he did. He twisted around to start grooming, lifted his head feathers outstretched and I got a picture my mother would have been proud of.