Donna Johnson Buckley’s photograph of an injured Snowy Owl that she helped rescue and release back into the wild.

2014 Connecticut Snowy Owl Observation Contest

First Place for photographing Snowy Owls while volunteering for a birds of prey rescue and rehabilitation organization:

Donna Johnson Buckley
Clinton, Connecticut

Donna spent a number of days in the field with rescuers from A Place Called Hope, in Killingworth, rescuing injured Snowy Owls so they could recuperate and be released into the wild again.

Donna wrote:
“I am a former respiratory therapist, for 30 years. I have lived in Clinton for 26 years, with my husband, Jack, and have raised three daughters, who are now grown. Unfortunately I have been dealing with rheumatoid arthritis for 16 years which has left me medically disabled and unable to work at my profession. I turned to photography a few years ago as a way to deal with my illness and situation.

“I started taking photos of the daily sunset, which was a way to get myself out of the house and make myself feel better. I have been doing this for five years now and wouldn’t miss it, since it is now a big part of my day.

“I joined A Place Called Hope, in Killingworth, over a year ago and love all the people there and what they do for wildlife. They are a volunteer organization that works tirelessly rescuing, rehabilitating and hopefully releasing birds of prey. They welcomed me into their ‘family’ and I hope to stay there for a long time! Being a part of their family allowed me to be included in a few of their releases, a fantastic experience to say the least!

Donna Johnson Buckley, first-place winner.

“The irruption this year brought three Snowy Owls through the doors of APCH. This Snowy was the first that was rescued from a backyard in midstate Connecticut. Grace Krick of APCH tended to this beauty round the clock for two weeks until it was time to release. A release for the folks at A Place Called Hope is a special, emotional time. It is attended by the core people involved and is a joyous event. This particular Snowy had last minute ‘words’ with Grace before she released it. It soared into the air and flew like a champ! What a fantastic feeling for the wonderful people at A Place Called Hope.

“My photography name is Sky Chaser Photography, you can view images on Facebook on this page.”