This summer has been especially exciting. The vast taiga forests in the middle and north of Sweden are home to one of the most fascinating and secret owls in Scandinavia. The Great Grey Owl.
I was lucky to photograph this “phantom of the taiga” and its family for a couple of evenings in a remote area in the middle of Sweden. This year owls in Sweden have a hard time to find food due to a lack of rodents. Many pairs have not bred at all in 2009. However, the two youngsters were in good condition and I witnessed several times owl-mom and owl-dad catching a mouse. To see the adults feeding the young is a great experience. Wildlife photography does not get much better than that.
Male Great Grey Owl hunting
Young Great Grey Owl waiting to be fed. This youngster is approximately four weeks old and fully able to fly.