Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Snow Storm

The irruption of snowy owls continues this winter although eventually these magnificent creatures will head back north to stake out territories and breed. But we are enjoying it while it lasts. Case in point was this owl we saw at The Meadows in Cape May last Saturday.


The bird was on the dunes overlooking the Delaware Bay, big white blob easily spotted.


As we walked down the beach a small group assembled to view the bird, with a variety of optical equipment. Bins, scopes, cameras with lenses large and small.


For the most part the bird paid us no mind. Quietly sitting and looking about. But eventually it decided it had had enough of the paparazzi and headed off to town, landing on the roof of a distant building. We would later drive through town looking for the bird, to no avail.


But we had gotten very good looks at regular but usually rare visitor to these parts.

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If you've not gone out to see one of these owls time may be running out as eventually they will head back north. The birds are easy to find and once they find a spot to their liking they tend to stay. And an owl may be nearer than you think. I've seen one not ten miles from my home, at the Philadelphia airport. To find an owl near you check out Project SNOWstorm, which is tracking the owls along the east coast of the US. Good luck and good birding if you decide to go.


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