For me it can be a number of things...a rare sighting (even more special if I am lucky enough to find it myself, although I am not above going to staked out birds), a close encounter, or a favorite bird at an unexpected time or place. Sometimes several of those factors converge to make a truly memorable sighting.
Great Gray Owls are my very favorite bird, and although I have seen a number of them, one in particular stands out. It was last winter in the Sax-Zim bog. I had not seen a Great Gray for quite some time, and after a long day in the bog I finally decided I had better head for home, as it was beginning to snow heavily. Suddenly I saw a large shape glide out over the road ahead of me and return to a roadside tree. It turned out to be a Great Gray, which perched right next to the road and peered at me with those incredible yellow eyes while I pulled over and took a couple of quick photos throught the swirling snow. I think I smiled all the way home. Melissa Hein North Branch > Saturdays' Great Gray Owl - as well as the much more common Gray Jays - > stuck with me through today. > > The Great Gray was due to its absence/rarity, 13 months since my last > sighting, and at least a couple of years since I last had one on Aitkin 18 > (which I visit nearly monthly). Its "presence" (size, face/eyes, > coloration, silence, jizz and probably other factors) also contributed to > the overall joy. > > The Gray Jays were due to their proximity, and unique calls. The > opportunity to enjoy their specific features from ten feet away was a rare > treat. > > For me, coloration and markings mix tend to leave lasting impressions. > The > first Scarlet Tanager, Blackburnian/Golden-winged/Black and White > Warblers, > Ruddy Turnstone and a few others each year linger in my mind. > > How about you? > > Al Schirmacher > Princeton, MN > Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > ---- Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
