The snowy owls are coming!
Reports from the Great Lakes to Chesapeake Bay indicate this may be a great winter for seeing snowy owls (Bubo scandiacus). Tony Bruno traveled to Ohio last weekend and found this one at Headlands Beach.
There are clusters of snowies this month along the Great Lakes and Atlantic Coast as shown in purple on this eBird map. The screenshot shows only December 1-8, 2017 data. Click it to see the latest snowy owl eBird map for December 2017.
Is it time for a road trip? Or will the owls come south to Pittsburgh? Rumor has it they already have.
Read the latest snowy owl news at Project Snowstorm. Watch PABIRDS and Ohio Bird News for location updates.
(photo by Anthony Bruno)
Dave Brooke reported five snowy owls at Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie County, PA on Sunday, Dec. 3rd. These are not currently on the eBird map.
I love your blog and I was so happy to see the article about the snowy owl because I just saw one in my backyard in 12/7.Just this past Thursday. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and couldn’t take my eyes off of it. It landed on something and it picked it up and I saw that it was a mole. It proceeded to swallow it while and then regurgitated it and then swallowed it again. I was so mesmerized that I didn’t even think to grab my phone and by the time I did it flew off. It was one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen! I am so disappointed to not have gotten a picture but am so glad to heat that they have been seen because no one would have believed me. I will be in the lookout for it again and this time I won’t hesitate to grab my phone.
By the way I live right here in Munhall Pa.
Wow! Then the rumor about a snowy owl in Allegheny County came true!
Yes it is not a rumor and I have been kicking myself for not getting what I am sure was the photo of a lifetime!!!
Can you tell me where else in our area that one was spotted?
Debra, until you left your message I didn’t know where either one was spotted. The sightings had a fake location and were marked “on private property with no access”
I am praying that I see it again. Could you please let me know if anyone else sees it. People are going to think that I am nuts! I also reported it to e-birds at Cornell.
Check PABIRDS and Project Snowstorm (links are in the blog post). If you do, you’ll hear about them before me.
I heard that one was at the regional airport a few days ago (hence, the private property with no access). Probably the same one Debra was lucky to see.