Another Snowy Owl

Yesterday morning I had two presentations to give at Beal City Elementary.  On my drive to the school I kept a watch out for Snowy Owls - one has been reported hanging out between Rosebush and Beal City near the intersection of Weidman Road and Nottawa Road for several weeks.  Sure enough, as I approached the intersection from the east there was an owl perched on a utility pole.

I didn't have time to stop right then, but hoped the owl would still be there when I drove back through the area.

Two and a half hours later, after completing my classroom programs, I drove back down the same road with hopes that the owl I sighted earlier would still be near the road.

Fortunately for me, the owl was perched on the same roadside pole.  I pulled my truck as far off the road as possible and hopped out.  The owl was definitely aware of my presence and it looked directly at me several times, but it was more interested in the several cars and trucks that passed by in the few minutes that I stayed there.  Whenever a car went by the owl would turn its head to follow it.

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)

This is the fourth individual Snowy Owl that I have seen this winter and the third that I have had the opportunity to photograph.  This one was by far the most heavily marked owl that I have seen this winter.  Most likely this is an immature female - female birds are more heavily marked than males. Hopefully I will see several more yet this winter before they return to the Arctic. 

Snowy Owl - cropped to a vertical image