After two years patiently waiting for his moment, a Sooke wildlife photographer achieved his dream, capturing a rare moment when a barred owl went beak to claw with a crayfish.

Sooke's Brian Rundle was out in the early hours of Monday, Aug. 20, photographing tree frogs, when he stumbled across the owl perched on a log, staring into the stream below.

B次元官网网址淚t jumped off the log and went into the water and started splashing in the stream,B次元官网网址� said Rundle. B次元官网网址淏y the time I had my camera, it was sitting on a rock with a crayfish.B次元官网网址�

With the crayfish firmly in the grip of the owl's beak, Rundle thought the battle between the two was over, but the crustacean had other ideas.

B次元官网网址淚 thought, holy hell, he's fighting back,B次元官网网址� said Rundle. B次元官网网址淭he crayfish was pinching, still trying to get away. But eventually the owl just ripped the pinchers off and ate them, swallowed them whole.B次元官网网址�

The moment was one that Rundle had chased for so long, with no success.

B次元官网网址淚've been after that bird so many times,B次元官网网址� said Rundle. B次元官网网址淚've been out, I don't know, countless times, and got nothing. One time it did almost happen B次元官网网址� but it had its back to me, so I missed out on that one.B次元官网网址�

Rundle had all but given up photographing the crayfish-loving owls, which meant he was unprepared when the moment flew into his lap.

B次元官网网址淚 was real happy, but the other half of me was annoyed that I didnB次元官网网址檛 have my really good camera,B次元官网网址� said Rundle. B次元官网网址淢y other camera not only is sharper, it handles the low light better than this one. But I thought, ah well, at least I got it. I've been doing this for 900 years, you think I would know better.

B次元官网网址淏ut I looked up, said, B次元官网网址榯hank youB次元官网网址� to whoever was looking after me that day,B次元官网网址� he continued. B次元官网网址淲hen it comes to stuff like this, photographing wildlife, I find a lot of it is luck.B次元官网网址�

It's not unheard of for barred owls to eat crayfish. According to experts, if they eat enough, the feathers under their wings can turn pink, just like a flamingo. But RundleB次元官网网址檚 photos have captured the imaginations of people online, who have never seen the behaviour before or even knew that the nocturnal bird had a seafood diet.

"That's the kind of feedback I'm getting on Facebook. You could say that it is rare to see them do this,B次元官网网址� said Rundle. B次元官网网址淏ut I'm sure if you ask the owl, it's not rare, they do it every day.B次元官网网址�

Despite finally capturing the long-awaited moment, Rundle is striving for more.

B次元官网网址淢y background is video work,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 used to shoot for TV B次元官网网址� I worked on a kids TV show called KrattB次元官网网址檚 Creatures B次元官网网址� so I was arguing with myself that I should shoot video of the owl. Maybe thatB次元官网网址檚 a job for me next time, if I can be in the right place, right time again.B次元官网网址�