Predicament

Aberdeen, Saskatchewan

It is always tough to watch the interaction between predator and prey. One individual ends up losing their life. This day was no different. I love to photograph snowy owls and I work with them a lot. They're a tricky species, as they are quite shy and not too trusting. You have to be in a blind or have a hidden camera, or just get lucky. This image is an example of being in the right place at the right time. I had seen this owl perched on top of a power pole near Aberdeen, Saskatchewan. He would fly down to touch the ground, and then fly right back up to the top of the pole. He kept repeating this pattern. Through my binoculars, I couldn't see exactly what was going on, but I knew the behaviour was a little odd. I decided to walk into the field to get a closer look at what he was up to. What I soon realized when I entered the field, was that the field had been swathed , but not combined, and the grain was still there. It was winter and snow covered the swaths. Every time I jumped over a row, a mouse would pop out. The field was littered with mice! Then I realized what the owl was doing. It would fly down, hit a swath, and then flutter just above the ground, waiting for a mouse to pop out. The owl was actually quite trusting of me and I was able to approach close enough to capture this image with my 600mm lens. It can sometimes take days, weeks or even a month to get the shot I want. Luck was with me and I got this one within 15 minutes. 

Limited Edition 8x10 and larger to 900

Conservation Edition 30x40 to 20