ML646238794

Observation details

Amazing, once-in-a-lifetime encounter! Will and I were hunting high up on the ridge between Lean-to and Castle Creek. I was walking quietly up through the spruce-fir forest on the north-facing side of the ridge and had just come out into the edge of a meadow in a high saddle where I was glassing out to the south, when I caught a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye and registered a medium-sized bird flying into a large spruce right next to where I was standing. I was certain I had seen something, but there was no further movement in the tree, so I slowly took a couple of steps forward, peered in around the trunk with my binoculars, and was face-to-face with a Boreal Owl staring at me with its bright yellow eyes!! I was only about 10 feet away from it, so I quickly backed off to ~50 feet away and watched it for 5-10 minutes. When I caught sight of Will on the other side of the saddle I waved him over and pointed the owl out to him. We walked a wide circle around the tree and found a spot on the other side where the owl was much more visible, so we sat down and watched it through our binoculars for another 10-15 minutes. It appeared to slowly nod off, and by the time we left its eyes were closed and it appeared to be fast asleep.