Maggie's Farm

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Tuesday, March 3. 2015

Owl du Jour: Snowy Owl

I was thrilled and surprised to see one pass by this week, low over my garden. Must be cold up north. I am sure he or she is hurrying north to nest in the snow.


Reposted -


The Snowy Owl breeds around the world at the northern edge of the tundra. Depending on food supply (lemmings and similar rodents), they regularly migrate further south during the winter.


I have only seen a handful of them in New England although they are regular visitors to tundra-like, wide-open places in New England and other areas of the northern US: golf courses, marshes, beaches, large fields and meadows. The last one I saw was sitting on a snow-covered sand dune in Montauk, L.I., but I have seen them perched on farmhouse roofs. They are diurnal owls, and usually perch on a high spot to watch for the movement of little critters.


You can read more about the Snowy Owl here.



Posted by Bird Dog in Natural History and Conservation, Our Essays at 15:05 | Comments (13) | Trackbacks (0)

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That's a gorgeous photo, Bird Dog. I called my husband [you know, the writer and wildlife photographer] in to see it and he said, wistfully, "I wish that were mine." When I told him it was a post by Theo, who also has those gorgeous pictures of semi-naked women that you post all-to-seldom, he nodded and said "I wish they were mine too."

So there's a voice from the peanut gallery for you. And I wish you'd show some more of them too. Some more normal ones unlike that deformed creature on Drudge with those grotesque siliconed size 38FFFFFFF-etc. blobs on her chest. I looked at her and thought waaay too much of what used to be a good thing, if I recall correctly.

Marianne
#1 Marianne Matthews on 2009-02-05 14:26 (Reply)
What a fabulous looking bird! Great photo. I wish I could take even good photos. The days are slowly... slowly... lengthening. That means My Personal Osprey will soon return. Not rushing things, of course, but we've turned the corner and spring is marching our way.
#2 Knucklehead (Link) on 2009-02-05 15:02 (Reply)
Beautiful pic and great info...
Recently came across some interesting research regarding snowy owls in which it was revealed using some remote sensing devices that while it had always been presumed they were primarily terrestrial predators, a significant percentage of them seem to spend a majority of their time over shoreline and arctic coastling preying on seabirds, to the extent that there's some discussion of redefining them as primarily a predatory sea bird.
Unfortunately I did not save the link...drat.
#3 doug l on 2009-02-05 15:11 (Reply)
Wish you could find the link.
#3.1 Bird Dog on 2009-02-05 16:54 (Reply)
Ah...found it.
In Science Daily...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210143416.htm
#3.1.1 doug l on 2009-02-07 15:18 (Reply)
Incredible (and for me, rare) photo.

Around here (PNW), Great Horned's are common, but the only times I've ever experienced them:

1. Perched on a lower branch after a major windstorm.
2. Being harrassed by their primary enemy, the gang of crows (if the crows are going noisy bonkers up in some tall trees, it's likely an owl).
3. "Hoo-hoo... Hoo. Hoo." calls to their mate.
4. Flying right over my head at dusk like some kind of ghost. Startled me - they're totally silent in flight.
#4 commander clopfelter (Link) on 2009-02-05 16:06 (Reply)
I saw one years back at Plum Island, in Newburyport, Ma.
What a majestic bird. Right now at my feeder I an inundated with Bluebirds. They are so beautiful.
#5 jappy on 2009-02-05 17:55 (Reply)
We had a great siting just south of Nashville. The in-laws, who are "birders" even drove up from Alabama to get a look.
#6 kurt on 2009-02-06 12:45 (Reply)
Amusingly, to me, those critter are known in French as "Harfang de Neiges" or just "Harfang"

Harfang is a loan word from Scandinavian ( spec. Norwegian, IIRC)

Where "Harfangr" = "Har Fangr" = Hare Catcher.

Hare Catcher of the snows... sounds better in french really.
#7 Fred on 2009-02-09 18:15 (Reply)
That might explain why i never see them..no rabbits to speak of. We have lots of hawks. Just saw a red tail and evidence of something ....1/2 consumed chicken in the yard. Also lots of bald eagles. Nesting pairs along the susquehanna river must be doing very well as my husband saw one all the way up north near the pa/ny border.
#7.1 fjord on 2015-03-03 15:33 (Reply)
I Have seen a few in Vermont at early morning . Off topic, I have been on Long Island the past few winters and there are
no Blue Jays as in the past. Do any of you know why this is?
#8 Dennis Lukas on 2015-03-03 22:16 (Reply)
No idea. They seem to be around normally as best I can tell.
#8.1 Bird Dog on 2015-03-04 06:25 (Reply)
What a great picture! To my pleasurable surprise there was also a comment by our friend MM. Memories are awakened. Thanks!
#9 ron snyder on 2015-03-04 07:36 (Reply)

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