Good things come to those who wait! Such was the case when I drove up to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, last week to search for the snowy owl that had been making an appearance there this winter.

Early morning resting in the dunes

I had lucked out the week before when I discovered the snowy owl resting in the dunes just after sunrise. Would luck smile on me again?

Search Strategy…

I arrived early and met up with a photographer friend. We decided a recon mission was needed. He grabbed his binoculars and headed off for the dunes. I remained focused on the open picnic table area in front of me. This winter’s Hampton Beach snowy owl had been known to enjoy sunning himself there.

Despite an initial 25-minute search, our snowy owl scouting mission proved fruitless. He was nowhere to be found. It was time for a new strategy.

Divide and Conquer…

Two people. Two cars. One snowy owl. That meant only one thing — divide and conquer.

My friend took his truck and left to go search the dunes on the other side of the main road. I remained where I was, continually scanning the picnic table area with my eyes. We believed we had our bases covered.

Expect the Unexpected…

An hour had passed since we first arrived at Hampton Beach. I was getting ready to call it quits. Perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be today. I decided to quickly check email. After scanning messages for a couple of minutes on my cell phone, I looked up. My jaw dropped. There he was. The snowy owl — right there on the picnic table in front of me!

The unexpected appears

Be Prepared…

I slowly exited the car. The snowy owl didn’t flinch. Good thing I had my equipment ready to go:

• Camera already mounted to the tripod.
• Sigma 120-400mm rental lens from Lens Pro To Go already attached to the camera body.
• Cable release already attached to my camera.

Move Thoughtfully…

I gradually moved closer and closer to the snowy owl. Mindful of the light, I changed my overall position so that the sun was at my back. There was always a chance that something might spook him. If that were the case, I wanted the opportunity to best capture him taking flight.

The sun on his face.

Danger Appears…

Snowy owls are hunters by nature. This snowy soon moved closer to the rocks along the water’s edge. Perhaps a meal was nearby — or maybe he sensed danger.

Snowy owl senses approaching danger

While we were keeping a respectful shooting distance, a man arrived and sent his dogs out to run in front of us. The snowy owl quickly took off for higher ground.

Up high on the Pavilion

Location, Location, Location…

My eyes followed him as he flew across the parking lot to the safety of the Pavilion’s roof peak. He seemed at peace with the height of this new location. We gave the snowy some time to settle in. He then allowed us to photograph him there for quite awhile.

Posing for the camera

The Moral of the Story…

Sometimes when you want to find a snowy owl, sit tight. He just might come to you.

~ Liz Mackney

Website
Editor’s Pick Gallery
New England Photography Guild Gallery