Great Grey Owl

Quiet morning, slept in, late Breakfast, checked mail in the Village, and hopped off the Shuttle at Lower Falls...One Fawn was by the Deer House...pic...Mama Doe out on Lodgepole Point...pic...sat awhile at Owl Log....quiet....Mallard about...oh...saw Blue Jay almost catch a flying Katydid, or some such bug...and then Blue Jay perched in Pine Branches where Katydid landed...Blue Jay looked and looked, along with me too!, and swooped in and caught Katydid...reminded me that I saw Junco almost catch Dragonfly while waiting at Mono Pass Trailhead for the Shuttle...where was I...oh..in the late afternoon, after giving up for the moment what to decidedecide to do with the Vacation Days, I hopped in Silver with all the Gear with the thought to maybe see the Great Grey Owl...out aways on Glacier Road found the Trailhead, and paddled out towards the Rim...took note of how the Trail would be in Winter on the Cross Country Skis...after a bit of a Downhill, sighted a group of tourists with Gear--tripods, scopes, big lenses--all looking out into an open area...oh, I thought, they see maybe Owl...and no sooner I thought that, than I saw Owl airborne just beyond the group....set up the digi, and walked quiet, hoping I could see too...group, a tour from England, invited me over, and made room for a spot for my tripod....not sure which was more charming, seeing Great Grey Owl, or being with a group of like minded!!...both very cool....Owl was farfar away...and good luck to get the take off flight clip...Owl flew further along, and I tagged along behind the tour...another sighting in progress, and I was once again invited to a looksee spot.... I almost got some more clips...Owl was posed really nice in a Pine's Green Branches...Lodgepole I think, but not sure...Owl flew to the right, and lost in the Trees, just as I was sighting the digi....time for the tour, but I stayed, and sighted Owl fly to another Tree, but hidden again....sensed my sighting time was over too-- have learned not to be too eager and press the Critters for pics and clips!....paddled back the way I came...happened on another couple from England...'have you seen Owl?'....yes, I answered, and pointed to where I thought Owl might come from the Trees...they were by the Little Wooden Bridge where everyone was at the first sighting....Owl had been very close to thereabout earlier...gave the couple encouragement, but thought how just a bit ago, I had been wondering how long it would take me to sight Owl!...days, months, years!...told my hiking friend a year ago, after hearing the report of Owl from hikers at Budd Lake, that when I get my jeep, I can look for Owl to my heart's content!....Providence smiled today!....sunny hot blue, cool in the late afternoon on the Rim.....

Blog of the Day: a remarkable account by some more tourists from England sighting Birds--a whirlwind tour, which may resemble my next few days!

And here's another tour account from England, with knockdown pics!