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10-JAN-2009

Wildlife Tracks at Great Gray Owl location

I photographed these tracks at a location where a Great Gray Owl has been seen. The funny thing is the main track or groove in the snow had an abrupt end on both sides (not like you can see whatever made those tracks coming out of the woods or something. Perhaps the creature that made these tracks surfaced from underneath the snow.

The groove or track was a few feet in length and maybe a few inches across.

Right alongside the track are the claw-like imprints you see. And at the beginning of one end of the track (left side) were some small gray feathers (I'll try and photograph them later with a macro lens).


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golfpic12-Jan-2009 00:28
Hi Ralph. Thanks for taking the time to provide the insightful explanation. I hope the Puffins are doing well on Machias Island and congrats again on your Birder's World photo layout.
RALPH ELDRIDGE11-Jan-2009 14:38
Looks like a typical attack pattern for an owl or raptor. The side marks are made by flight feathers touching on the down-stroke. The central mark is the feet/legs ploughing through the snow, pendulum like, as the bird reaches down and ahead to grasp at the prey. Likely in this case it was a mouse or vole moving at or near the surface.
Sometimes you can see the whole body shape of the predator.
Absence of blood, little snow disturbed et cetera also tends to indicate small, mouse-sized prey that can be grabbed and carried off easily.
If you very carefully excavated a foot or so back from the centre groove you would likely intersect the very small (2cm) diameter rodent tunnel, which could be running in any direction.