WildView™

February 20, 2025

A Snowy Owl in the Twilight

- as seen by -

Stacy Ratel @back_yard_birdie

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The night stretched dark as ink, and the waves crashed with a fury that seemed to rival the force of a wild storm. Seaspray, relentless and deafening, whipped against my face as I trudged across the beach.

The chill nipped at my fingers, but I was on a mission—an exhilarating, nearly impossible race against time. My goal? To spot a snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) before the sky’s twilight blues and pinks gave way to the harsh light of day. I knew a rare treasure was waiting, and I couldn’t let even one moment slip away.

Then, through the barren foliage on the beach tundra, I saw her. The snowy owl, perfectly framed in the brittle brush, appeared like a mystical creature whose white feathers seemed to merge with the landscape. The brown mottling on her wings and back was a perfect camouflage. She sat so still, so serene, it was as if time itself had paused to admire her.

A swell of emotion overtook me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I scrambled to set up my tripod. My breath quickened. Was she resting? Would she fly before I had the chance to capture her photo? Had I found a moment of rare tranquility in her world? The questions blurred as I tried to steady my freezing hands.

On that frigid 26-degree Fahrenheit morning, the shifting colors of the sky softened. I felt the weight of the cold fade away. All I could focus on was this magnificent creature – this fleeting, magical encounter with one of nature’s most elusive birds.

As I clicked the shutter, I hoped for a precious picture. A low-light, long-exposure photograph that would forever remind me of the mysterious beauty of the snowy owl, tucked away in the dunes down the shore.

This was more than just an image. It was a reminder of the delicate balance between nature and the modern world. Snowy owls, like so many other wildlife species, face increasingly fragile ecosystems, with many human activities threatening their habitats. The challenges are real, and it is up to us to protect the wild places that these majestic creatures call home.

Canon R5 with 100-500 lens and 1.4 extender

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