One of the early posts on TYWKIWDBI was the top photo recording the last moments of a small mammal at the talons of a Great Grey Owl:
I wondered about the absence of a "hole" in the snow at the capture site (having seen such in the backyard here in Wisconsin when hawks grab squirrels), but this comment may be relevant -Since nothing ever disappears on the internet and all interesting items continue to cycle endlessly, the photo showed up today accompanied by another even more impressive one (second above) taken at Mammoth Hot Springs about 8 years ago.
And there would not have to be an "impact" mark in the snow, if the owl plucked the rabbit off the ground without fully landing. The wingprints would still be explained by the hard downstroke of the wings as the bird "pulled up" at the moment it grabbed the rabbit. The owl could have used the same "touch-and-go" technique that eagles and other birds routinely use to catch fish.
Top photo credit Susan Barstow. Bottom photo credit Bob Fuhrmann.
