AN ADVENTURE WITH MY CHRISTMAS VISITOR

I was correcting final exams when I got the call.  It was my brother Mark and he was coming north so we could spend the day together and have a Christmas lunch.  I was beyond excited!  I also began to hatch a plan because I knew we couldn't spend much time together without heading outdoors to take pictures.  The Snowy Owl sightings had been abundant the last few days, and Mark had never seen or photographed one before, so I hoped that would change with his visit.

He arrived early and we headed out late morning.  My Audubon alerts reported there'd been local Snowy Owl sightings over the weekend at Wuerfel Park, the airport, and near the Holiday Inn.  I thought we'd tried the ball park first and we'd not gotten far inside when we spotted a group of photographers taking aim at this female perched on an electrical box.  She was squinting in the bright sunshine.

As we got closer, Mark said there was something wrong with the bird's eyes.  I'd thought that too after my very first Snowy Owl sighting, but later learned that these birds have upper and lower eyelids.  They also have a third, transparent eyelid that keeps their eyes moist and shades them from sunlight.  This is really important for this owl species because it hunts in the daytime, unlike most other owls which are night critters.

All the photographers were keeping a respectful distance from this Snowy, and it seemed nonplussed by all the activity, including when a huge semi-truck noisily rumbled by.  Secretly, we were all hoping it would take off so we could capture it in flight, but knew not to interfere with nature.  But not everyone lives by those ethical rules and shortly after, a car pulled up close to the bird.  The passenger rolled down her window and stuck out her camera phone, setting the bird in motion.  I immediately saw that the owl had been tagged.  Number 25!  This was the same bird that'd been at the airport over the weekend.

The owl didn't go far and landed atop a pile of dirty snow not far from where a crow had also perched.  The crow was babbling the whole time, but the Snowy just watched it.  I wondered whether each considered the other as prey, but such a scenario didn't materialize.  Looking at the ugly snow, I wished too that the owl would choose more photogenic places to perch.

Mark was dressed more warmly than I was so he shot outside the car with his long lens amplified even more by an extender.  I stayed in the car and shot from my window, but even then, it was very cold.  The temperature was in the high thirties, but the wind made it feel much colder.  As I watched my brother shoot, I was grateful for the time we were having together, but was especially delighted that he was getting the opportunity to see and photograph this beautiful bird.

The Snowy Owl continued to watch the crow a while longer.  I chuckled as it craned its neck while it was watching.  To be sure, it kept those yellow eyes fixed on the crow until it flew off.   It ended up being a wonderful day with my brother.  I love having this southward invasion of Snowy Owls, known as an irruption.  They are one critter I don't tire of seeing.