Snowy Owl Couple

Located 480 km north of the Arctic Circle, the arctic tundra in Utqiagvik, Alaska, is the last breeding ground of the snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) in the United States. According to the owl researchers, snowy owl populations have been rapidly declining in the last decade — current populations are estimated to be less than half of what it was in 2013. It is now considered a vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature list.
I was fortunate enough to be able to observe the snowy owl nesting sites with the help of the Owl Research Institute. During the breeding season, female snowy owls stay at the nest to incubate the eggs and to feed the offspring, while male snowy owls search for food. While snowy owls are capable of hunting larger prey such as geese, their preferred food source is the lemmings (as seen in the photo). In this particular nest, there were four eggs only a few days from hatching.
This photo was taken in early July around 2:30 AM, while the sun was at its lowest point in the sky, using a small photo blind in arctic tundra, Utqiagvik, Alaska, USA. No bait or trick of any kind was used.