Pure White Owl - TexasBowhunter.com Community Discussion Forums

Hillary · 10-26-2009, 09:55 PM

I was driving to my Ranch on Friday morning ans was inbetween Goliad and Kennedy when something caught my eye on the side of the road in a tree. I passed it and said to myself, was that a big white bird?!

Normally I have my camera with the 70-200 next to me at all times, and this time, I left my big lens in the back. I, literally, slammed on my brakes, ran to the back of my jeep, put the big lens on my camera, busted a u-turn and parked on the side of the road, sprinted into the field and snagged this shot. I bet I looked really cool. I tried to get closer and he flew off. This is the only shot that I have...

I'm not saying it is an albino owl, because I don't know. But that is my gut feeling. This is like a 70% crop. I've never even seen an Owl in real life, let alone a white one....
Can anyone shed some light on what kind of owl this is, and if they have ever seen one? Especially at 10:30 in the morning?

Let me know what you think...

ezypikns · 10-26-2009, 10:01 PM

Snowy Owl. They do occasionally visit Texas. Sometimes fall storms will move them south.

Hillary · 10-26-2009, 10:03 PM

I would never had though that a Snow Owl would be in Texas.
Too cool.

I thought it was cool either way

scotty · 10-26-2009, 10:29 PM

Being in the right place, at the right time, always helps

AggieHunter · 10-26-2009, 10:44 PM

Very cool!!

Berandel · 10-26-2009, 10:46 PM

That's the ghost of Jess Neely, the old great white owl!

Verry cooool.

Some of you older pharts will know.

bruzer30 · 10-26-2009, 10:50 PM

awesome picture , that would have made my trip

TxAg · 10-26-2009, 11:04 PM

Found this on wiki........

Snowy Owls winter south through Canada and northernmost Eurasia, with irruptions occurring further south in some years. They have been reported as far south as Texas, Georgia, the American Gulf states, southern Russia, northern China and even the Caribbean. Between 1967 and 1975, Snowy Owls bred on the remote island of Fetlar in the Shetland Isles north of Scotland, UK. Females summered as recently as 1993, but their status in the British Isles is now that of a rare winter visitor to Shetland, the Outer Hebrides and the Cairngorms.[2] In January 2009, a Snowy Owl appeared in Spring Hill, Tennessee, the first reported sighting in the state since 1987.

ksebesta23 · 10-26-2009, 11:10 PM

Too neat! I once saw an owl sitting on the shoulder of the highway... I sure hope it flew away before it got hit... It didn't budge when I went by

Atfulldraw · 10-27-2009, 12:12 AM

wow!

cool capture!

Outdoor Man 2 · 10-27-2009, 03:37 AM

Looks like it's going to be a cold winter! cool pic

Hillary · 10-27-2009, 08:42 AM

That bird is HUGE too.
Kinda surprised me.

Well, cool. I didn't know that Snowy Owls came to Texas. It totally made my day, I have been talking about it to everyone since Friday, all my photography friends don't really care, LOL.

I really wish I got a better picture of it, ugh, oh well.

M38A1 · 10-27-2009, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillary

That bird is HUGE too.
Kinda surprised me.

Well, cool. I didn't know that Snowy Owls came to Texas. It totally made my day, I have been talking about it to everyone since Friday, all my photography friends don't really care, LOL.

I really wish I got a better picture of it, ugh, oh well.

That's a really nice capture..... And even if you don't like the results, you DO have a capture of something none of us will most probably ever see in our lifetime.

J-Bone · 10-27-2009, 11:36 AM

We had a pair of great horned owls winter at our place every year near Port Lavaca. It got quite hairy when those big ole birds tried to roost in the same tree I was hidin in!

Nice capture, I love watching birds of prey.

jc207 · 10-27-2009, 11:47 AM

Nice capture!!

AtTheWall · 10-27-2009, 02:14 PM

Cool capture Hilly!!!!

DBHIII · 10-27-2009, 03:34 PM

What a great score

texag87 · 10-27-2009, 03:45 PM

that is way cool

leclaire123 · 10-29-2009, 09:24 PM

Awesome

kawasaki08green · 10-29-2009, 09:59 PM

Thats awesome. That would be a great find

Snake doctor · 10-29-2009, 10:18 PM

Thats really neat

Fishndude · 10-29-2009, 11:17 PM

Nice job Hillary! Where is your ranch?

Muddy Bud · 10-30-2009, 01:15 AM

I have seen some semi white and grey owls but never a pure white one.
Thats neat and kinda of creepy two.

bonesplitter · 10-30-2009, 01:18 AM

Very nice,Hill. Thanks for sharing..Great photo!

Hillary · 10-30-2009, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishndude

Nice job Hillary! Where is your ranch?

Ranch is in the Hill Country, this was taken on the drive.

daveally · 10-30-2009, 09:10 AM

Hey! Harry Potter's owl got away!

Chew · 10-30-2009, 09:24 AM

Awesome owl shot! I didn't even know they migrated. Maybe he retired after his partner was killed while filming Dumb And Dumber!

Hillary · 11-03-2009, 02:13 PM

UPDATE

So as luck would have it, on Flickr someone told me to send this in to the
TBRC, or the "Texas Bird Records Committee" for some help identifying it.
So I filled out the form and sent it in with the picture.

Apparently I was right, this is NOT a Snowy Owl.

It is an Albino Barrel Owl

Too Cool.
Confirmed by the people at the TBRC.
Sweetness.

tomcat3030 · 11-03-2009, 02:20 PM

Congrats on the rare find! Props for going back and getting the photo for proof!

Devin · 11-03-2009, 02:40 PM

That is too cool, Hillary.

Even more rare than a snow owl in Texas, I'm sure.

I've never known of snow owl's in Texas, or the possibility of albino ones. You enlightened me to both.

Devin · 11-03-2009, 02:51 PM

I Googled a bit about them and found the true albino is much more rare than a typical "white" phase owl (that has patches of grey).

Definitely a cool and extremely rare capture.... but, I wouldn't expect any less from our black-ops member, Hillary.

Hillary · 11-03-2009, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devin

I Googled a bit about them and found the true albino is much more rare than a typical "white" phase owl (that has patches of grey).

Definitely a cool and extremely rare capture.... but, I wouldn't expect any less from our black-ops member, Hillary.

You should have heard the bird nerd talking about it!!

Kevin · 11-03-2009, 03:02 PM

Very cool Hillary!

Snakelover · 11-03-2009, 04:01 PM

Great find and capture!

Snakelover · 11-03-2009, 04:22 PM

Is that the only picture you sent the TBRC? A snowy would have black beak and talons. An albino barred would have white beak and talons. I can't make out the color of either in that picture. They're probably right, but I'd get Wilded to look at it too. He really knows his stuff when it comes to birds of prey.

Hillary · 11-03-2009, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakelover

Is that the only picture you sent the TBRC? A snowy would have black beak and talons. An albino barred would have white beak and talons. I can't make out the color of either in that picture. They're probably right, but I'd get Wilded to look at it too. He really knows his stuff when it comes to birds of prey.

He said he could minly tell because the head was rounded and the tail featheres were long.
He also said that Snowly Owls make it down to Texas, but most are very juvenile and thus have black spots all over them; this owl didn't have any black.
The beak, from what I can remember, wasn't black, but I am not 100% on that.

skystalker · 11-05-2009, 08:35 AM

I saw one of these at the border of Kansas & Colorado last season. Awesome

ezypikns · 11-05-2009, 08:50 AM

Quote:

It is an Albino Barrel Owl

but I b'lieve that's a Albino Barred Owl.

If you hunt turkeys in the spring you may have heard them with their "Who Cooks for You" call.

Lots of gobbler locator calls mimic this owl's call.

My apologies. I'm a bit of a bird nerd mahseff.

Hillary · 11-05-2009, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ezypikns

but I b'lieve that's a Albino Barred Owl.

If you hunt turkeys in the spring you may have heard them with their "Who Cooks for You" call.

Lots of gobbler locator calls mimic this owl's call.

Oh cool, thanks for the tip!
I have no freaking clue about Owls.

Ron · 11-05-2009, 08:56 AM

Thanks Hillary, that's a great picture!

Snakelover · 11-05-2009, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ezypikns

but I b'lieve that's a Albino Barred Owl.

If you hunt turkeys in the spring you may have heard them with their "Who Cooks for You" call.

Lots of gobbler locator calls mimic this owl's call.

My apologies. I'm a bit of a bird nerd mahseff.

Feelin' a little nerdy, myself.

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apbowhunter · 11-06-2009, 12:11 PM

Very cool shot and I like the way you highlighted it.

M38A1 · 11-08-2009, 11:39 PM

Tonight I attended a photography club session by Greg Lasley, a local wildlife photographer and 'birder'. I asked him his thoughts as well as provided him the link to this thread for the picture, and he thinks it's an Albino Barred Owl as well. He provided the following:

I've never seen an albino owl, but I know of several records. My best guess is that it is an albino Barred Owl from the posture and shape of the bird. Snowy Owls just have a different shape and posture to me and they are always open country birds and I doubt one would ever been in tree like that. There was an albino Barred Owl with a wildlife rehab person here in Austin for a number of years so I know they can occur. It is really something to come across one of these in the wild. It would take a pretty good view of the bird's face to tell for sure (which this shot does not allow) but my money is on an albino Barred Owl. There are 3 or 4 records of Snowy Owls in Texas but they are typically much farther north than Texas and really stick to open country. Barred Owls have dark eyes and Snowy Owls have yellow eyes, but in this shot you cannot see that.

I have shots of both those species on my web site at:
http://www.greglasley.net/snowyowl.html
http://www.greglasley.net/barredowl.html

Hillary · 11-09-2009, 08:41 AM

Score,
Thanks for the info Scott!

10-26-2009, 10:01 PM	#2
ezypikns Four Point Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Dallas Hunt In: Way down yonder in the Indian Nation.	Looks like a.... Snowy Owl. They do occasionally visit Texas. Sometimes fall storms will move them south.

10-26-2009, 10:29 PM	#4
scotty Ten Point Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Taylor,Tx Hunt In: Sonora, Sutton Co. Encinal, LaSalle Co.	Being in the right place, at the right time, always helps __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Tobacco Free since 8:55 p.m. 10/30/05. Thanks to Team Quit 2005

10-26-2009, 10:44 PM	#5
AggieHunter Ten Point Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Breckenridge Hunt In: Stephens, Wharton, Colorado, Lavaca Cty	Very cool!! __________________ Tempus Fugit Memento Mori "God is Great, Beer is Good, and People are Crazy" To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-26-2009, 11:10 PM	#9
ksebesta23 Four Point Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Midland, TX Hunt In: Mertzon,TX	Too neat! I once saw an owl sitting on the shoulder of the highway... I sure hope it flew away before it got hit... It didn't budge when I went by __________________ Parker ~ Challenger with Carbon Tech Cheetah Arrows *Nikon D40*

10-27-2009, 12:12 AM	#10
Atfulldraw Pope & Young Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Dallas, TX Hunt In: San Saba County - Cherokee	wow! cool capture! __________________ *Rod* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. I'm going to ask that YOU move along! MM 7-18

10-26-2009, 10:46 PM	#6
Berandel Pope & Young Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: White Oak	That's the ghost of Jess Neely, the old great white owl! Verry cooool. Some of you older pharts will know.

10-26-2009, 10:50 PM	#7
bruzer30 Four Point Join Date: Oct 2009	awesome picture , that would have made my trip

10-26-2009, 11:04 PM	#8
TxAg Six Point Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Dallas	Found this on wiki........ Snowy Owls winter south through Canada and northernmost Eurasia, with irruptions occurring further south in some years. They have been reported as far south as Texas, Georgia, the American Gulf states, southern Russia, northern China and even the Caribbean. Between 1967 and 1975, Snowy Owls bred on the remote island of Fetlar in the Shetland Isles north of Scotland, UK. Females summered as recently as 1993, but their status in the British Isles is now that of a rare winter visitor to Shetland, the Outer Hebrides and the Cairngorms.[2] In January 2009, a Snowy Owl appeared in Spring Hill, Tennessee, the first reported sighting in the state since 1987.

10-27-2009, 03:37 AM	#11
Outdoor Man 2 Four Point Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Houma Louisiana Hunt In: Sonora, Tx, and South Louisiana	Looks like it's going to be a cold winter! cool pic

10-27-2009, 11:36 AM	#14
J-Bone Pope & Young Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: San Antonio, Tx Hunt In: LaSalle County	We had a pair of great horned owls winter at our place every year near Port Lavaca. It got quite hairy when those big ole birds tried to roost in the same tree I was hidin in! Nice capture, I love watching birds of prey.

10-27-2009, 11:47 AM	#15
jc207 Eight Point Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Victoria	Nice capture!!

10-27-2009, 02:14 PM	#16
AtTheWall Ten Point Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Kerrville	Cool capture Hilly!!!! __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "The price of being a sheep is boredom. The price of being a wolf is loneliness. Choose one or the other with great care." To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-27-2009, 03:34 PM	#17
DBHIII Ten Point Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: McAllen, TX Hunt In: Webb	What a great score __________________ It is what it is...

10-27-2009, 03:45 PM	#18
texag87 Ten Point Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Aggieland, Texas	that is way cool

10-29-2009, 09:24 PM	#19
leclaire123 Four Point Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Sanger, TX	Awesome

10-29-2009, 09:59 PM	#20
kawasaki08green Ten Point Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Coleman,Texas Hunt In: Coleman,Young counties	Thats awesome. That would be a great find __________________ Will hunt for food ----> I'am a simple man FIRE UP THE GRILL CUZ HUNTIN' AINT CATCH AND RELEASE

10-29-2009, 10:18 PM	#21
Snake doctor Four Point Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Peaster Tx. Hunt In: Peaster/Jacksboro/Mineral Wells	Thats really neat

10-29-2009, 11:17 PM	#22
Fishndude Sounder Shepherd Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Arlington, Texas Hunt In: Mason Co., Webb Co.(when I am invited!)	Nice job Hillary! Where is your ranch?

10-30-2009, 01:15 AM	#23
Muddy Bud Four Point Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Corpus Christi Hunt In: Brooks County	I have seen some semi white and grey owls but never a pure white one. Thats neat and kinda of creepy two.

10-30-2009, 01:18 AM	#24
bonesplitter Ten Point Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Old river,Tx Hunt In: Uvalde, Hardin, Liberty counties	Very nice,Hill. Thanks for sharing..Great photo! __________________ YEAH WE CAN MAKE THAT, ITS A TOYOTA STUPID!!!!! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Mathews MQ1 Mathews DXT

10-30-2009, 09:10 AM	#26
daveally Six Point Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Sugarland, Texas Hunt In: Freer, Ozona, Falfurrias, Menard...wherever I'm invited	Hey! Harry Potter's owl got away!

10-30-2009, 09:24 AM	#27
Chew Pope & Young Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Kingwood Hunt In: Schleicher County	Awesome owl shot! I didn't even know they migrated. Maybe he retired after his partner was killed while filming Dumb And Dumber! __________________ Bowfishing saved my life! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "Thank the Lord SWS hit that **** stump!" Ouch on 8/6/09

11-03-2009, 02:20 PM	#29
tomcat3030 Ten Point Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Weatherford Hunt In: Anywhere I can	Congrats on the rare find! Props for going back and getting the photo for proof!

11-03-2009, 02:40 PM	#30
Devin Unicorn Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: WFalls Hunt In: Baylor Co	That is too cool, Hillary. Even more rare than a snow owl in Texas, I'm sure. I've never known of snow owl's in Texas, or the possibility of albino ones. You enlightened me to both. __________________ . “Devin has to be the worst Mod. in internet history” - cooler inductee To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-03-2009, 02:51 PM	#31
Devin Unicorn Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: WFalls Hunt In: Baylor Co	I Googled a bit about them and found the true albino is much more rare than a typical "white" phase owl (that has patches of grey). Definitely a cool and extremely rare capture.... but, I wouldn't expect any less from our black-ops member, Hillary. __________________ . “Devin has to be the worst Mod. in internet history” - cooler inductee To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-03-2009, 03:02 PM	#33
Kevin Ten Point Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Coppell, TX Hunt In: McCulloch, Bosque, Dimmit, Zavala	Very cool Hillary! __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-03-2009, 04:01 PM	#34
Snakelover Pope & Young Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Rockwall, TX Hunt In: Good question!	Great find and capture! __________________ Questions about To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ? * *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.* MY VIDEOS: * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-03-2009, 04:22 PM	#35
Snakelover Pope & Young Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Rockwall, TX Hunt In: Good question!	Is that the only picture you sent the TBRC? A snowy would have black beak and talons. An albino barred would have white beak and talons. I can't make out the color of either in that picture. They're probably right, but I'd get Wilded to look at it too. He really knows his stuff when it comes to birds of prey. __________________ Questions about To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ? * *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.* MY VIDEOS: * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-05-2009, 08:35 AM	#37
skystalker Nubbin' Buck Join Date: Nov 2009	Owl I saw one of these at the border of Kansas & Colorado last season. Awesome

11-05-2009, 08:56 AM	#40
Ron Ten Point Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ennis Hunt In: United States,Navarro County, and Rocksprings TX	Thanks Hillary, that's a great picture!

11-06-2009, 12:11 PM	#42
apbowhunter Six Point Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Fort Worth Hunt In: Junction, TX	Very cool shot and I like the way you highlighted it. __________________ Mathews Drenalin Member of Lone Star Bowhunters Association

11-08-2009, 11:39 PM	#43
M38A1 Six Point Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Austin	Tonight I attended a photography club session by Greg Lasley, a local wildlife photographer and 'birder'. I asked him his thoughts as well as provided him the link to this thread for the picture, and he thinks it's an Albino Barred Owl as well. He provided the following: I've never seen an albino owl, but I know of several records. My best guess is that it is an albino Barred Owl from the posture and shape of the bird. Snowy Owls just have a different shape and posture to me and they are always open country birds and I doubt one would ever been in tree like that. There was an albino Barred Owl with a wildlife rehab person here in Austin for a number of years so I know they can occur. It is really something to come across one of these in the wild. It would take a pretty good view of the bird's face to tell for sure (which this shot does not allow) but my money is on an albino Barred Owl. There are 3 or 4 records of Snowy Owls in Texas but they are typically much farther north than Texas and really stick to open country. Barred Owls have dark eyes and Snowy Owls have yellow eyes, but in this shot you cannot see that. I have shots of both those species on my web site at: http://www.greglasley.net/snowyowl.html http://www.greglasley.net/barredowl.html

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