Can ya see it?

[FinsnFur]

The eyes kind of give it away, but what incredible camo.

[slagmaker]

yes

[Carolina Coyote]

WOW for sure that looks like part of the tree!!

[KySongDog]

That is a great pic!   The ultimate sniper.   

[possumal]

Nothing like a full camouflaged Al, owl

[MI VHNTR]

The tree has eyes!! 

[Hawks Feather]

Just sitting there waiting on a squirrel or bunny.

Jerry

[Okanagan]

Superb photo!

Is that a barred owl?  Anybody know?  The vertical stripes on its chest don't seem as dark and light contrast as I'm used to with barred owls but each individual can be slightly darker or lighter.

We've had an increase in barred owls over the past ten years and they come to my moose calls for some reason. 

Also, barred owls are killing off the Federally protected spotted owl that enviros used to shut down and kill off the majority of logging industry in Western Washington.  Karma with a dash of cosmic humor.

[code]

Looks like a grey but it could be a spotted.

[FinsnFur]

Ya think they know where to set so that they are camouflaged? Granted the photographer helped this situation, but I wonder if they realize where they are concealed the best.

[Okanagan]

That's a really thoughtful question.  I think they do know where to go and how to position themselves to blend in, and do it deliberately.

Could be wrong, but I base it on the way that animals work the wind, apparently in a conscious intentional way rather than merely instinct.  I.e.  I have had caribou refuse to allow me to pass downwind of them, even to a footrace straight downwind parallel to each other with the caribou racing downwind to keep me from turning across downwind of him.  When I stopped running and started across upwind of him, he stopped and had no problem letting me do that.  Is is less obvious with animals less open about their actions than caribou but cats position themselves so that you can't smell them. 

Long winded reasoning but IMO animals consciously work visuals as well, preferring to blend in rather than stand out, though there are always exceptions when a bull moose decides to walk across a blond stubble field, an owl sits on top of a telephone pole, etc.  Blending in is a different aspect than merely hiding behind something.

Am curious what anyone else may think or have observed.

[nastygunz]

Note the parabolic dish shape of the face designed to funnel sound so as to zero in on prey species.

[KySongDog]

I agree with code.  It's a Great Grey Owl. 

[Okanagan]

I agree with code.  It's a Great Grey Owl.

Thanks!

[nastygunz]

It has the white "bow tie" feathers under the beak, def a gray, and it does look like they deliberateley hug the tree trunks for camo.

[HaMeR]

Ok-- My thoughts are that the Caribou was displaying a normal predator/prey relationship with you that day. The Caribou wanted to know what it was dealing with from a 2nd perspective,,ie scent plus the visual. I have no other way to explain what you experienced. But it sounds like it was an interesting encounter. 

I think most prey birds just set up where they have a clear flight path to a meal that they seen from above. I'm probably not close tho. 

[riverboss]

Beautifull bird if you stare at the face long enough it looks like a cat.

[FinsnFur]

How about this one?

[Hawks Feather]

Yea, I found it, but that image reminds me of pictures used to tell if a person is color blind.

Jerry

[Carolina Coyote]

Well yes I did after looking for several minutes. I am color blind on red colors but not greys. cc