The Phantom of the North, the Great Gray Owl, in Yellowstone National Park. A rare diurnal owl, they hunt by sight and sound for small rodents in the grass below. Their beautiful plumage is amazing camouflage against lodgepole pine bark, as they sit motionless waiting for prey to make themselves known. I wanted a photo that truly showed this bird as an apex predator of the forest, the worst nightmare of small rodent below. I hiked into the woods and found this owl, and was lucky enough to spend about 5 hours with it as I quietly ushered other hikers to get a view off the trail. I gave field-style lectures to about two dozen awesome people who let me tell them all about the natural history and behavior of this species. This owl spent most of the time napping, and to me there is no better feeling than when wildlife is so comfortable with you in their space that they feel safe sleeping. An experience I'll never forget, and am grateful I got the help a few other experience this with me.