Snowy Owls and Peregrine Falcons both rule in their habitat. They live separate lives, the falcon on Arctic cliffs when it nests that far north, the owl on flat tundra. They would be expected to rarely encounter each other. On the Chicago waterfront, however, a meeting happened in late January. It gave two extremely fortunate birder/photographers an opportunity they cannot expect to see again. A Snowy Owl, one of the hundreds in the U.S. this winter, visitors from Canada, was minding its own business on the beach, with downtown Chicago in the background. A Peregrine, a nesting resident of the neighborhood, did not want another predator in its territory. A five-minute battle ensued when the falcon attacked the owl. Tke a look at photos of the encounter at http://www.nabirding.com/2012/02/12/when-a-snowy-met-the-locals/
These truly are once-in-a-lifetime photos.
