A Hoot of a Christmas

It's Christmas!! Although under the shadow of current day matters you'd be forgiven for not noticing. No family gatherings other than over the internet, but it does somehow still feel like Christmas. A blanket of white has been drawn over Kitchener, and I am happy to enjoy this whitest of Christmases. 

A walk through the Wetlands after eating a little too much for Christmas dinner seemed like a great idea, and of course, no walk is complete without a camera. Hooded, masked and wrapped in layers, I made my way along a path now riddled with boot and paw prints. Not one thing did I see, nor chirp did I hear until I reached just past the halfway point and came off the beaten track. As I faced homeward, I heard the cawing of American crows. They were far up ahead on the edge of the treeline, causing a huge commotion. I shot off a few photos as I approached, knowing full well that all they'd produce was a ragged, underexposed black silhouette against a grey sky, and I was correct. There just wasn't enough available light.

My curiosity was piqued though. What was at the center of the crow's displeasure?

I watched the crows fly in and out of a fir tree's branches, stopping only to complain and broadcast that complaint to everyone within earshot. I eyed the branches and trunk of the tree and eventually noticed a partially visible irregular shape. I could not see a bird's head, but I could just make out the lower half of its body, and the barred feathers on its underside blowing in the wind. From the width of its body, I could tell that this was a large predator. I jostled for position, looking for a line of sight through a maze of twigs and branches.

Two ears protruded from the top of the bird's head, and in that instant, my memory revisited the first time that I had seen this owl at the Wetlands. I recalled the great horned owl's broad wings passing over me as it glided past. That was in October of 2019.

Back to the present though, as I attempted to obtain a clearer view. I was momentarily distracted by a small group of black-capped chickadees who were working their way through the lower branches of the trees. One rested for a split second, knee-deep in the snow.

A downy woodpecker was keeping up with the chickadees, and I also welcomed that photo opportunity.

The distraction passed, and I again attempted an unencumbered shot of the owl. The American crows, who had been so vocal, suddenly appeared content with their finger-pointing and moved away, releasing the great horned owl's attention from them, and now it was focusing on me. Two large round eyes came into view through the blurred twigs and branches.

I moved to a better position. The great horned owl gazed down at me and blinked.

I moved my camera aside and courteously blinked back. Then after a few more photos, the great horned owl completely lost interest in me and closed its eyes. I could have stayed longer, but I knew that I had captured as well as I was going to. I was happy with my Christmas walk, and processing the photos at home was the next step. 

The tweaking of the raw data of the photos enables a little of the photographer's personal artistry to shine through. A mix of old-school film development and the airbrush skills that I learned years ago, of course, it is now all easily accomplished on a computer. I was glad to move the obscuring branch behind the great horned owl's head.


Without the aid of the American crows, I would never have noticed the great horned owl, hidden away in the top of the fir tree, but great horned owls apparently keep to the same area, so I am hopeful that we'll meet up again.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Copyright © scottswildencounters.blogspot.com 2020 Scott Atkinson All Rights Reserved.

Location: Borden Wetlands, Kitchener, ON N2E, Canada

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