During a late July visit to see my son in Montana, I had an incredible encounter with a family of Great Gray Owls. One quiet morning, I stumbled upon an adult owl, and over the next five mornings I returned to watch not just one, but a family that included at least two recently fledged young.
I witnessed some fascinating behavior—seven different bird species harassed the owls, but the most surprising moment was watching a Wild Turkey chase one in flight and then continue the pursuit on foot. Across my time there, I observed around 30 hunting attempts, but only three were successful.
I’ve taken several trips to see Great Gray Owls in the winter, often sharing the experience with other visitors. This Montana encounter, though, was something special—just me, the quiet of summer mornings, and a family of owls living their wild lives.
morris wrote:
Wonderful set Jeff. While the first is eye catching, the next to the last is a great capture and quite unusual.
Morris
Thank you.
I agree about the Turkey and Owl photo—it was such a unique encounter. The Great Gray Owl was flying low over a field when it passed over a Turkey. The Turkey leapt up and immediately gave chase. The owl landed on a nearby fencepost, and the Turkey touched down and ran straight toward it. I’ve never seen anything like it.
The following day, I noticed a Turkey in the same field with several young ones. I assume it was the same bird, likely a protective mother defending her brood.
J0nnnnn wrote:
Wow the one with the two in flight is amazing. Is that a vulture in the back?
Hello, thank you. The one in the back is wild Turkey. The owl flew over a field, the turkey jumped up and flew after it. I think the turkey had young ones with it and was just defending them.
