Great Grey Owl Strix nebulosa. Although most winters I see some signs of owls (their pellets/waste and sometimes marks from them landing in snow to catch prey) I only very occasionally (not even annually) actually see one of them- and not always the same type. I'd have to dig for photos, but last time might have been a Great Grey- in the yard, a handful or so of years ago.
This one didn't seem as large, maybe younger? I checked the typical sizes, and even the lower range seemed larger than this bird, but it could be the positions I saw it perched in, plus rather high and viewed from below making it seem shorter. In any case, the other features seem to fit the species- Strix nebulosa Great Grey Owl. I first saw it just outside the acreage at the edge of a wooded area on the farm, it wasn't that concerned about me, but as I moved to try to get better photos (that time I only got the back of it) it flew away. About a week later I saw it again, not far from the first spot, but this time was able to get photos and video that confirmed the id. Then I saw it flying in the woods a few days after this. They apparently are not usually much worried by humans, and this one let me gradually get closer and closer till I was quite near the tree it was in. So, do you think this was a special visit from Bird Goddess? Some of the ancient Bird Goddess images/figures seem particularly inspired by owls :) Music excerpt: Somnia Variation 1 relax and sleep - Reed Mathis