Great Grey Owl

Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.” Luke 10:23-24

I took this picture of a Great Grey owl on a recent hike through some dense timber. After my initial surprise at seeing such a stunning creature, we both stopped and stared at each other long enough for me to get a decent photo.

Owls have amazing eyesight and hearing. You’ll notice the Great Grey owl does not have external ears like some other owls. No matter, it is still able to hear so well that it can pinpoint a mouse under a foot of snow and pounce on it for a meal without ever seeing it first! Also note the dish-shaped face, which helps direct sound into those sensitive ears. I have read where the hearing of owls is better than any other animal ever tested. They have a unique ability to zero in on the exact position of the source of a sound. Owls can tell the distance the source is from them, and whether it is coming from up in a tree or on the ground – or under a foot of snow for that matter.

Great Grey owls stand a little more than two feet high and can have wing spans up to about five feet. As big as they are, they only weigh between two to three pounds. Although they are North America’s largest owl, a Great Grey’s weight is only about half that of a Snowy owl. As one writer noted, Great Greys are a lot about feathers.

As I mentioned, owls in general also see extremely well. So if you ever get a chance to see one yourself, know that in all likelihood the owl saw and heard you long before you saw it. I was fortunate this Great Grey was curious enough to give me a nice photo op. A few moments after I took its picture, it sailed off further into the timber for some peace and quiet, and perhaps to snare an unsuspecting mouse or two.

Hope you have a Great Grey day eh!