Snowy Owl (I'm a Scandinavian owl) is one of the most magnificent and iconic inhabitants of the Arctic. We don't even see them often here in the Susitna Valley, usually only in the dead of winter when their usual habitats north of the Arctic Circle are plunged into the deepest frost. They then drift south, competing with our native gray and great horned owls for mice and similar small prey. Like all owls, they can fly almost silently, giving them an almost ghostly appearance.
Sometimes they even drift further south. I remember one very, very cold night in Allamakee County in my youth, when my father and I were walking home from my brother's house, and in the dark, clear night there was a quiet glimmer of white; one of these regal owls glides overhead.
Now in Chicago, serious bird watchers and other curious people are heading to the shores of Lake Michigan to see a pair of these owls that settled there temporarily.
Pair snowy owls Spotted on a Lake Michigan beach, it has drawn crowds of curious people and sparked gleeful speculation about how long the Arctic birds of prey will call Chicago home.
Rumors about the two owls have been circulating on birding forums in the nation's third-largest city for about a week, according to the Chicago Ornithological Society. Although snowy owls are not uncommon in Chicago, their frequency varies greatly each winter. There are usually a few such cases reported in December, but sometimes there are none.
“Their nomadic nature makes them difficult to study or even identify patterns,” Edward Worden, the society's president, said Sunday. “Where they are going is anyone’s guess.”
Earlier this year, two birds were seen on the beach and pier near the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary on the north side of the city. The third was briefly spotted on a beach a few miles (kilometers) to the south, according to the Chicago Ornithological Society.
This is an unusual treat for Illinois birders.
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These large snowy owls do not actually migrate. as such. They stay as far north as is convenient, and are excellently adapted even to arctic winters, having thick plumage right down to their heels. But when temperatures drop to double digits below zero, they sometimes shift south to stay slightly ahead of any approaching cold fronts.
And sometimes they just drift south because for some reason it benefits them. This seems to be exactly what is happening here.
The Cornell Lab's page on these birds tells us: where to look for them in winter:
In winter, look for snowy owls along lake and ocean shores, as well as in agricultural fields and airport areas. Snowy owls nest in the treeless arctic tundra.
The females have dark feathers mixed with white ones, giving them a salt-and-pepper hue. Males are almost pure white. Both sexes have brilliant yellow eyes. If you're in the area and have the chance, this is a birding spot that isn't as common in the lower 48, and then only in the winter; summer finds them in breeding grounds north of the Arctic Circle.
Owls are fascinating birds. We have several species here, from the great great horned owl to the small, screeching saw-saw owl. We hear them more often than we see them, but it's great to have them around.
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