Nature Canada 2026 Calendar

I was honoured to see my image of a Barred Owl (Strix varia) mother and her owlet featured in the Nature Canada 2026 calendar. The image shows the closeness of mother and baby, with this mother holding her owlet’s feather gently in her beak after a grooming session. This particular owl pair has always been a favourite of mine, so it was no surprise to either of us when they landed on a mossy branch in a ravine so close to me. The trick then was not to alarm her owlet, who was both curious about humans but still wary.

This image ranks among my personal favourites of all the photos I’ve taken of this Barred Owl pair over the years. When I first decided I wanted to spend time with owls, an image like this was only a fantasy, let alone seeing it used in a calendar.