The Great Gray Owl is our largest owl but not our heaviest in NoAm. All those feathers that give it that majestic profile permit it to “float” on top of snow when it crashes down through the crust after its prey. That massive head, its facial disk, is a natural radar dish it uses to focus in on the slightest sound and channeling it to its ears with pin point accuracy. All of that biology aside, it is a spectacular critter!

Three feet tall, five foot wing span, don’t think for a moment that its large size makes it any easier to find then some tiny hummingbird. They blend into their world beautifully and fly making no sound. There are a number of locales throughout NoAm where you can find them. They literally nest on the other side of the valley from our home (and don’t think for a second knowing that doesn’t drive me nuts). But getting them in the viewfinder is a challenge. One of the locales you have better than even odds to do more than just see them, to actually photograph them is at Sax-Zim Bog. You might think I’m doing you a big favor with that information but even knowing that, I went there for three years before seeing one, five years before photographing them.

This year was our best opportunity to date permitting us a little over an hour with this individual at relatively close range. That wasn’t enough time! I would love to have hours and hours to just watch one, soak in all it is to be a Great Gray and watch it over and over again float down to pluck a tiny morsel from the snow. It is truly a magnificent part of our wild heritage I wish all could spend some time with. Their presence will reach down and grab your heart and lift up your spirit. And once you do spend time with one, you to will know what it is, the gray ghost and me.

We first meet, the Camper Robber & I decades ago at a picnic table. I was enjoying the view, playing with some grapes in my hand as I popped them in my mouth when from nowhere, the Robber dropped down on the table next to my hand and helped itself to a grape! I’ve loved these avian characters ever since. I’ve never lived in their range (northern US / Canada) so when ever I am in the range of the Canada Jay, I make and effort to bring back that camp robber charm in a click. These guys are amazing! Did you know they nest and raise their young in the dead of winter?! In the northern part of their range, this can be in total darkness 24/7!!! They incubate their eggs even if it’s -20f OMG! They eat basically anything, from nuts & fruits to small critters caching in the summer / fall for winter. They have to eat 47 calories a day to maintain all their energy. In 2018 the Camp Robber’s formal name of Gray Jay was changed to Canada Jay . Personally, I love photographing them best in the winter when their plumage is at its best and the snow bounces light up filling out their plumpness. There is simply nothing not to love the camp robber!