Snowy Owl

This is a first for me. 

 I have been seeing photos of these gorgeous creatures for weeks, but never expected to see one today on my visit to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.  This particular one has been hanging out in the nearby town for quite a while, but I hadn't heard about it in a few days and assumed it had moved on.  While at the refuge shooting Bald Eagles and an assortment of wading birds, I spoke with another photographer who told me she had seen it this morning and where.  When I arrived at the location, it was sitting on top of a canopied fishing boat.  It sat there for the longest time and I kept waiting for it to take off, but as the sun got lower and lower in the sky, it got sleepier and I realized that I probably wasn't going anywhere until after dark.

Since my husband had driven me and indulged my photography from 8 am until 4 pm, I decided not to push my luck and we left.  I took so many photos, it will take me days to go through them all, and I am not even sure this is my best one of the owl, but I was reasonably happy with it.