Owls are my favorite birds.  One of my greatest thrills was observing and photographing this majestic bird, apparently an infrequent sighting in the Calgary region.  On a cold, dreary December afternoon, my husband and I were returning home from an errand when we witnessed this bird perched in a tree very near our home.  

To my delight, he remained in the area while we dashed home to obtain my camera and return to the site.  I was able to photograph him in various poses for about 15 minutes while he calmly cooperated.   According to a bird field guide, Northern Hawk Owls can be very tame around humans.