Great Grey Owl

In all the years of visiting Finland I have only had a handful of chances to photograph the beautiful Great Grey Owl. The Finns call it “The Ghost of the Forest” which is a good description because it is so elusive. In some years, the forests seem devoid of Great Grey Owls but every so often the Owls can be found in good numbers. This is because it is a Vole year where the there is an abundant food supply. As winter progresses the Vole population starts to crash and then the Great Grey starts to move to the edge of the forests.