Verreaux's Eagle Owl

My plans to attend the annual Raptor Festival were somewhat thwarted when my husband announced he had tickets for a concert at the National Gallery followed by dinner and a basketball game.  How could I refuse?

That allowed me only 1/2 an hour at the Raptor Festival (as it was a 30 minute drive each way).  I got there as soon as it started and the parking was already limited. It was very crowded and it was incredibly cold and windy. 

Taking photos was nearly impossible with the crowd. I was fortunate to get a few shots of this beautiful creature which I had never seen before.  It is an African Eagle Owl.  This magnificent creature was quite large, about 18 inches tall, and unfortunately in the crowd and with my limited time, I was not able to learn how this rehabilitation center had acquired it. 

I raced home, changed and headed downtown with my husband.  The concert was lovely and so was dinner...the basketball game not so much.  It's just not as exciting as Ice Hockey. 

In my rush to get photos, I see that my depth of field was too shallow. Anyway, it looks a lot better in large.