UNIQUE ORANGE SNOWY OWL MAKES PHOTOGRAPHER TRAVEL 900 MILES TO HAVE A GLIMPSE OF ITS BEAUTY

Julie Maggert, a wildlife photographer, was determined to witness the orange-tinted snowy owl she had read about near Lake Huron in January. And in early February, she was well rewarded with the pictures she sought after travelling 900 miles over four days and sitting and waiting for almost 29 hours.

Despite seeing the owl multiple times, Maggert was unable to capture the clear image she was aiming for. She and her husband made a final journey and waited all day to take the picture because she was determined to see the owl again before other commitments would keep her busy for weeks.

She was standing atop a pole. For mice, voles, and other prey, they typically climb onto poles that watch over fields. To avoid disturbing her, I parked and turned off my truck," she says to My Modern Met. She was perched atop an unsightly utility pole with numerous lines passing through it. As quickly as it appeared, my dream photos of this snowy scene faded.

Once more, all of the effort and patience paid off as she eventually soared off that pole onto a more "clean" pole. I finally got the pictures of her I had been dreaming of. When your efforts and preparations are rewarded, it is always a period of mixed emotions. It's time to concentrate on another photography objective. Being able to finally photograph this extremely uncommon snowy owl in all her splendour is a dream come true.

Online users have been sharing Maggert's photos of the owl, whom she refers to as "Creamsicle." In an attempt to explain the owl's peculiar colouring, they have even led to her being published in The New York Times. How uncommon is it?

In its 35 years of research, the Owl Research Institute has "never seen any plumage distortion, or anything like what is in the images of the owl," according to Denver Holt, director of the institute. Some think it might be a genetic abnormality, while others have hypothesised that the snowy owl might have been struck by de-icing fluid at an airport, which has a similar tint. However, there is no way to be sure without testing its feathers further.

Whatever the situation, Creamsicle's portrait will always be a once-in-a-lifetime shot for Maggert. She also hopes that the pictures will remind people of the value of perseverance and the need to have patience with nature.