Every evening emerging from deep in the forest canopy, Great Gray Owls such as this one come out to open meadows to hunt for meadow voles. During the twenty or so minutes I observed this owl, it had already caught and consumed three voles. It had no reservations with my presence.
Holding a flattened pose, this brilliant coloured common garter snake kept a watchful eye on me while I took a moment to photograph it. This little guy may look blind in the one eye; it will only be temporary, as it is actually just getting ready to shed its skin. The trails along the Oregon Coast have no shortage of these slithery serpents. I would regularly see dozens of snakes rush back into the brush after each step while hiking through the grassy clearings in the forest.
