Chasing Ghosts in the North Woods
Boreal Owls are incredibly hard to find — nocturnal, secretive, and always on the move. I honestly never thought I’d see one in the wild, let alone get the chance to photograph it.
But after an epic Day 1 in Sax-Zim Bog, I was feeling bold. A fellow birder had mentioned a recent sighting out in rural Minnesota, so I decided to make the drive. I circled the area a few times with no luck and was just about to head to lunch when — boom — a Boreal Owl flew right in front of my car!
I turned around, parked, and started scanning the trees. Not only did I find it again, but I stumbled into a whole flock of Boreals. Other birders joined in, and we spent the next few hours completely awestruck.
To be the one to spot them — purely by luck — and to share that moment with others? Unforgettable. As a wildlife photographer, you live for those magical, improbable encounters. And this one? This one hit different.
