Still Looking for Those Elusive Snowy Owls

Ted and I went for a ride this past week in hopes of spotting a snowy owl.






If you are looking for a snowy owl (and by the way there doesn't have to be snow on the ground), look for them on or near the ground in wide open areas, on telephone poles, fence posts, hay bales or other tall structures. It's not too often they are spotted in trees. And they usually fly close to the ground, too.

They also can be seen at airports, on slight rises in barren fields, and sandy shorelines and sand dunes. We have a lot of open farmland in this area so thought we might have a chance of spotting one. These types of land features are similar to their summer breeding grounds of tundra-like exposures.

They spend their summers in the arctic circle way up north, and in late fall, if their food source is diminishing, the immature owls (one and two year olds) head south to southern Canada and the northern United States.

There was another irruption of snowy owls this year. An irruption is a "dramatic, irregular migration of large number of birds to areas where they are not typically found". Bird Irruptions

Even though we were unsuccessful at spotting a snowy owl, we did see some other wildlife.

Wild Turkeys

With all the farmland around here I know there has to be some snowy owls somewhere.

Here is a short video I took of the deer we saw at Selkirk Shores State Park, Port Ontario, NY.

Hope you are having an enjoyable winter!

Feel free to add your comments~