This was a rare sighting of the Northern Hawk Owl on Vancouver Island. Rumour has it the last recorded sighting was in 1969. The owl is only 14-18 inches tall and has a long tapered tail and short pointed wings. The Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight at a distance of up to half a mile. It hunts by searching from a lookout, then quickly flying to swoop down on prey. This owl was active during the day and hunted in the fields for mice and other rodents. I met photographers from northern Vancouver Island and the lower mainland who had traveled here just to photograph this bird