White Morph GHO w Prey

Hi all! I posted this for a weekly challenge a few weeks ago but thought I would share it here, as if you're anything like me you don't get to see a lot of this variation on a Great Horned Owl.

My family and I were camping in Waterton Lakes National Park in early May, photographing baby foxes and the first of the black bears to emerge from hibernation. I was getting my gear ready to head out for the evening when one of my daughters knocked on the trailer door and told me to follow her--and quickly--with my camera. I obliged, and she led me to this handsome white-morph Great Horned Owl, still clutching it's recently killed prey (Columbia Ground Squirrel) in its talons. 

It turns out that (a) this is a male, and the father of two owlets; and (b) he decapitated the ground squirrel before flying off and delivering to his mate and young ones in the nest a couple hundred yards away.

I do have more graphic images (although arrived after the decapitation), but I like this frame best for the dark forest feel and the sense of the proud hunter the owl seems to be exuding here. 

Please note that I have retouched three areas in this image to reduce distracting bright spots (sky and highlit branch).

Thanks in advance for your comments, critiques and suggestions--please view the larger version if you have time.

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Nikon D600
Nikkor AF-S 500mm f/4D IF-ED
ISO 1600
1/100sec @ f/5.6
-0.7 stop exposure from meter
Mounted on FEISOL CT-3372 Elite tripod with Acratech GV2 ballhead and Wimberley Sidekick