PRESENTS
Snowy Owl Sightings
Author and Photographer:
Emily J. Carter ~ Nature as Art
It was a cold winter morning along the Delaware seashore, and dawn had brought me to the beach in search of an elusive creature. As I walked on the soft winter sand, a whisper of a ghost swooped past me. Silent as could be, a beautiful white Snowy owl flew past and landed not far away on a fence post. The world was quiet and I felt her spiritual presence, representing patience, purity, wisdom, renewal, truth, and understanding. It was at this moment that I felt a true connection with nature.
Approximately every four years, Snowy owl sightings increase throughout the United States. It had been a bountiful year in the Arctic for Lemmings, resulting in an irruption year. Irruptions are exceptionally large-scale migrations where birds show up outside their typical winter range. This particular owl, who I was lucky enough to behold, had likely flown down from its arctic breeding grounds to overwinter where food sources were plentiful.
The Duchess
As the winter of 2022 was the most recent irruption year; Snowy owls were found along beaches, at airports, in agricultural fields, and even around urban areas. One of these owls, “The Duchess,” made international headlines, choosing Union Station in Washington D.C. as her hunting grounds. Every evening when night enveloped the city, she silently swooped down and posed beautifully upon the flag poles as well as the Columbus Fountain in the garden in front of the station.
Feeding on the rodents and pigeons that lived below, Duchess had attracted the attention of thousands of people who converged upon Union Station each night to catch a glimpse of her. Consequently, the presence of this majestic bird influenced the city’s approach to trapping rats, which had included the use of poison. Local bird environmentalists convinced the city to stop poisoning the rats during her stay.
Having wing spans up to five feet and weighing less than five pounds, Snowy owls keep the rodent population down in the Arctic region as lemmings and other rodents are their primary food source. They have also expanded their diet to include arctic hares, ducks, and seabirds. Sadly, populations of this iconic owl are declining and as such, they are now red-listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It has been estimated that there are less than 28,000 Snowy owls throughout the world.
Should you ever have the opportunity to view a Snowy owl, showing consideration and respect will go a long way to help with their survival.
To view this and other articles on Nature and the Environment’s official website, click here:
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