Leaving work tonight (17 September 2025), we noticed a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) perched on top of a telephone pole. I turned around and pulled off the road nearby.
We watched for a few minutes and then the owl crouched and took off, gliding down towards the ground:
It landed among the grass, but at first I couldn't tell if it had caught anything:
But then the owl looked up and I could see something in its bill. This happened quickly, and looking through the camera I couldn't tell what it was, but zooming in later, the prey was visible:
A garter snake! It didn't take long for the owl to swallow the snake.
The next views showed off those large yellow eyes:
And then the owl flew up to a nearby cypress tree. The light was just right for a great view of its talons:
An unexpected encounter! You never know what you'll see on the way home from work.
3 comments:
I'm thrilled to see these pictures. I've had one or more Great Horned Owls seemingly in my back yard for days (nights) at a time, over the last several years, and their hoots are captivating, but I've never seen one in "person." It's great to get such intimate glimpses through your lens.
Yay! I saw it yesterday too, but worried if I pulled over to take a picture I'd scare it off. Your pictures are so much better than mine would have been that I'm glad I didn't risk it.
What a great sequence, Jackie! I, too, saw the owl when I drove home, but did not stop. I'm so glad you did.
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