ANOTHER SNOWY ADVENTURE

It has become commonplace to see at least one Snowy Owl when I enter Chums Village near the ballpark.  I’ve seen a male atop a light post, and I’ve seen females at the crown of two buildings, on a radio tower, and on a utility pole. 

So I was pretty confident I would see a Snowy when I drove into the park on Saturday.  I only wondered where it would be.  It didn’t take long as I spotted a female straight ahead on the southeast corner of the Pepsi building. 

As I approached in my car at a snail’s pace with the window down, camera ready, and radio off, she looked down at me.  Even though it wasn’t sunny, she was definitely squinting at me. 

She quickly lost interest in me and turned her head to face south.  I wondered what she was seeing.

My gut told me that the Snowy wasn't going to leave her perch any time soon, so I chanced driving around to the other side of the building.  From there, the owl was just a tiny dot on the building corner.  There were several semi-trailers parked at the back of the building.  I could also see the start of a hill.

I drove a bit further and saw a wide-open field beyond the Pepsi trucks.  It was the perfect habitat for the Snowy to hunt mice and voles.  While today’s owl was no longer within my line of vision, I know they can sit in the same spot for hours scanning a field with their extraordinary vision to draw a bead on their prey.

I returned to the other side of the building to continue watching the Snowy.  She gave me a squinty look down to acknowledge my return, but she wouldn’t open those eyes more.  How I wanted to see those bright-yellow, piercing eyes!

Her interest in me didn’t last long, and the Snowy turned back to watching the field.  This time, I caught a glimpse of the protective eyelid that allows the owl to tolerate the bright sky and hunt during the daytime, unlike other owls that are night hunters.  I waited and watched a while longer for some action to occur, but I quickly learned that this Snowy Owl had more patience than I did.