“I clicked on the shutter and seconds later, I saw it land on my lens,” he told Breakaway Alison Brunette. “It’s the biggest owl we have here in Quebec. It’s not like a chick.” Trepanier says the owl perched on her camera for about 30 seconds. She remembers standing as still as possible because her friends, who are also photographers, said: “Do not move! Do not move!” while taking some photos. For someone who took up photography as a hobby during the pandemic, Trépanier considers herself lucky enough to have had such an intimate encounter with a rare spotted bird. Large gray owls range from Quebec to the Pacific coast of northern North America and are also found in Scandinavia and parts of northern Asia. Birds are not always easy to spot and do not dare in Quebec every year.
Flashlight as a perch?
Trepanier asked some experts why the bird may have decided to land on his camera. He said they have some theories, but no one is absolutely sure.
“It could just be a matter of luck,” said Pascal Côté, director of the Tadoussac Bird Observatory. “Maybe the owl thought it was a perch or was looking for prey.”
“He may just have been in the right place at the right time.”
Côté said that while it is extremely discouraging, some photographers bring mice or other live bait to try to lure owls or birds of prey to their cameras. He said the practice has made some birds more comfortable interacting with humans.
“It’s not what I did,” Trepanier said firmly.
Anaïs Trépanier took this photo of a large gray owl, known as Choutte lapone in French, just before landing in her lens. (Submitted by Anaïs Trépanier)
Some ornithologists who have seen the photos that Trépanier shared on the internet have said that the perch theory makes sense. The photographer was wearing a white jacket that looked like snow and remained motionless for quite some time. Experts also said that large gray owls are known not to be afraid of humans.
“Most photographers are surprised, but they are really happy for me,” said Trépanier.
Her own stunning photo of the owl coming to land on her lens has set the bar incredibly high as to where it will go from here. But he said wildlife photography quickly became a passion that would continue to follow.
He said he has many ideas on the subject. This spring, she will turn her lens to Canadian geese and try to spot some foxes breeding new kits.
“You have to be really patient,” he said. “Sometimes we wait hours to get a good shot.”
“It’s a good way to live in the moment. I did not know I would love her so much.”
