A summer with Great grey owls

Jonas Janss Haugli

Sep 30

6 min read

This summer, we brought eight groups of photographers to the magical and mysterious world of the Phantom of the North – the Great Grey Owl. We followed six breeding pairs from small chicks on the nest, through fledging and then to the owlets learning to fly on their own. From close encounters and adrenaline-filled experiences to small and subtle moments in the everyday lives of the owls, here is a selection of highlights and images from our summer with the Great Grey Owls.

A very special moment

On a cold summer morning in the forest, everything seemed quiet. Since before sunrise, we had sat patiently in position, hoping to photograph the feeding of two chicks perched on a broken birch tree close to the ground. But the otherwise vocal chicks had not begged for food for a long time, and the female sat sleeping in a nearby tree. It seemed like one of those mornings when not much was going to happen.

Then, suddenly, the female looked up and started calling. Her calls seemed like an on switch for the chicks, and the quiet forest was instantly transformed into a cacophony of screaming owls. We all understood that something was about to happen.

And without a sound, the male suddenly landed on the broken birch.

Normally, a feeding is over in the blink of an eye, especially when the male arrives with a mouse. He flies in, hands over his catch, and is gone again. But not on this occasion.

At first, everything seemed normal. The male landed and quickly tried to hand the mouse to the closest chick. But despite begging for food only seconds earlier, the chick showed no interest. The male did not seem to take the hint and kept trying to offer it the mouse. When that proved unsuccessful, he turned to the second chick, which was still calling for food. But feeding one chick over the back of another turned out to be more difficult than expected. The male seemed genuinely confused, looking around as if trying to understand what had gone wrong.

The female, watching from a nearby tree, must eventually have lost patience. She swooped in, and the male, seemingly just as tired of the uncooperative chicks, appeared more than happy to let her take over. She immediately took a few steps forward, pushed the first chick aside, and successfully delivered the mouse to the hungry chick. The other chick had apparently had enough of the whole situation and took off, landing with a small splash in the bog before climbing onto the next log.

Before the female had even managed to look back at the chick, the mouse had already been swallowed, and the begging calls had started all over again.

Anyone who has photographed Great Grey Owls knows that the feeding is a very difficult moment to capture well. It often happens quickly, sometimes without any calls from the chicks or female, and typically there is always a branch or tree blocking the view. To experience a feeding that lasted for several minutes, involving two chicks and both adults at such close range, was something we all agreed would stay with us for a very long time.

Hunting Without a Sound

The Great Grey Owl is a large bird, and even if you have seen them many times before, their size never fails to impress. Watching one effortlessly manoeuvre through dense forest with a wingspan of up to 1.5 metres, glide silently over a meadow, or suddenly swoop down to catch its prey is incredible to witness. Even more remarkable is that it can do all of this without a sound.

Their long, deep wingbeats and gliding flight allow them to move quickly through the forest. Photographing them therefore requires constant attention: scanning the landscape for movement, watching the trees and listening to the warning calls of other birds for signs of a nearby bird of prey. Still, with their excellent camouflage and silent flight, a Great Grey Owl can appear out of nowhere, suddenly sitting in a tree just a few metres behind you without you having noticed a thing. One moment, the forest seems completely quiet and empty; the next, you turn around to find one of the largest owls in the world watching you from nearby.

This is part of the magic and mystery of the Great Grey Owl. How such a large bird can move through the forest, appear and disappear almost without a sound, never stops being remarkable. And even after countless observations, seeing a Great Grey Owl emerge silently from the forest still feels like something very special.

Fun in the Fog and Rain

Throughout the six days of our Owls – The silent hunters tour, the Norwegian summer weather can vary greatly. The best photo opportunities, however, do not necessarily occur in the conditions you would typically expect. This proved true on some foggy and rainy morning sessions during our tours.

Too much rain will typically leave Great Grey Owls very inactive. Their exceptional ability to fly almost completely silently comes at the expense of waterproofness. But their chicks do not stop being hungry when it pours down. Therefore, if the rain comes in showers with breaks in between, or if the rain is light, the owls may still venture out to hunt.

On one particular morning, a light drizzle hung in the air as we left the hotel before sunrise. As we drove into the forest, the fog grew denser and denser, and together with the blue pre-sunrise hues, it created a mystical landscape. Dressed in full rain gear, with covers protecting our camera equipment, we hiked into the territory of one of the breeding pairs.

As expected, we found both adults seeking shelter while the rain showers drifted through the forest in quick succession. Then, still in the early morning hours, the rain finally gave us a longer break. The female, still staying close to the nest while the chicks were small, perched high in a pine tree, hunting and keeping watch over her young. The combination of blue hues, drifting fog and soft morning light created a wonderfully moody atmosphere.

On another foggy morning, the male had left to hunt during a break in the rain showers. After a while, he returned from the hunt, looking rather wet but carrying a mouse in his talons. After quickly delivering his catch to the chicks, he flew close past us through the foggy landscape, creating a fantastic photographic opportunity. Moments later, the rain started pouring down again, and both adult Great Grey Owls disappeared into the dense forest, seeking shelter beneath the protective spruce branches. The chicks, still unable to fly, were left sitting in the rain, their bellies full and their downy coats soaked.

Although we only had a few moments with the owls on these mornings, the conditions made the encounters and images all the more special. And while other rainy mornings did not give us any good opportunities to photograph the owls, they still proved why it is worth heading out every morning. Over the course of a six-day tour, the weather can change dramatically, and with it, so can the opportunities. You never know how the fog will drift through the forest, when the rain will ease, or when an owl will suddenly appear. Some of the most rewarding moments of the summer came in conditions that, at first, seemed far from ideal.

Everyday moments

During our tours, we spend a lot of time outside looking for the owls. Much of that time is spent with the chicks and the female, waiting for the male to return from hunting with a mouse to feed the hungry owlets. We only work with owls that are comfortable with our presence and continue with their daily lives as if we were not there. This gives us the opportunity to experience and photograph the natural behaviour of the Great Grey Owl in its everyday life.

Here is a selection of images from those experiences: owlets jumping around on the ground, climbing trees and practising their flight skills, sleeping on a branch or huddling together for warmth; adults returning with a mouse; and even rare moments when a kestrel attempted to scare an owlet away from its nesting site. All of these small moments, experienced over the course of a week, are a wonderful way to get to know the every day life, interactions and habits of the Great Grey Owl a little better.

Time to be creative

Over the course of six days and countless hours in the field, there is plenty of time to get creative and build a diverse portfolio of Great Grey Owl images. With changing light, habitats and weather conditions, every session offers an opportunity to create something different. Whether it is using long shutter speeds, under- or overexposure, ICM (intentional camera movement), multiple exposures or creative compositions, the possibilities are endless.

The group environment also provides a great opportunity for inspiration, with photographers sharing ideas, techniques and images throughout the week. Here are some of the creative highlights from this summer’s Owls – The Silent Hunters tours.