Great Gray Owl in Soft Amber Mist

A great gray owl sits upright on a lichen-covered branch, facing the viewer with pale yellow eyes and two white bow-tie marks beneath its beak. Its round face and streaked grey-brown plumage stand out against a hazy background. Warm amber light drifts in from the right and cool grey fills the left, so the whole frame reads as a muted wash of cream and silver. Thin bare twigs cross the picture, and small pale leaves and blurred bokeh patches float around the bird. The mood is quiet and a little dreamlike.

The great gray owl (Strix nebulosa) is among the largest owls in North America by length, though much of its bulk is feathers. The big facial disc works like a dish, directing faint sounds to the ears, and the bird can find rodents moving under snow. It hunts mostly at dawn and dusk and often perches on low limbs at forest edges. The caption places this individual in Maine in late February. The image is a landscape crop, and its soft tones suit a widescreen monitor or laptop. The owl sits just left of centre, so desktop icons on the right will not cover it.

More like this: Snowy Owl in Low Flight Over Prairie.