It seems life rarely goes the way you want it to and the older you get the more detours it seems to throw in front of you. Of late our lives have been full of detours. So many in fact that to tell you the truth I haven’t really had the desire to look at many pictures much less actually pick up a camera and go out and take any. Thus the lack of updates here on the blog.

A little over a week ago though …...



This guy showed up a mile or so away from the pond and I couldn’t help myself. Even though he wasn’t physically at the pond he was pretty close and since it’s rare to see a Snowy Owl here in our area I wanted to share a little bit of the time I got to spend watching him.

It's the second time in the last five years I have seen a Snowy here in northern Michigan. The first time was because the bird had been injured and couldn't complete its migration but fortunately this owl just seemed to have been taking advantage of a good hunting spot and resting before moving on.


After the first Snowy Owl I saw died I was concerned that this one might also be hanging around because of an injury. Not wanting to have another great bird pass away because I failed to realize it was hurt I called the nearest raptor rehabilitator I could find in case he did turn out to need medical help and I got to learn a bit about Snowy Owls. (Thanks a million to Rebecca from Wings of Wonder)

Apparently mild northern winters are usually when these birds will appear this far from their more traditional range. Greater numbers of them survive their first winter and the younger birds (usually males) get pushed further south during their migration cycle. Normal winter mortality rates for first year Snowy Owls run about 75%.


Unlike most of our native owls they are daytime hunters and because of the terrain they usually feed in it is not uncommon to see them on the ground.

While they are not completely unaware of humans their lack of contact with us in their normal home range makes them a little more approachable than most owls. This doesn’t means you should try to see how close you can get to one if you see it, it just means it will probably be less likely to take flight when you first notice it.


Apart from their impressive size and flight skills I think the thing that I find most fascinating about birds of prey is their tendency to display their personalities more than other birds. The eagles at the fish pond all have very distinct characteristics or personalities. As a perfect example from this guy, when's the last time you got “the look” from a Chickadee?


While it was great to get to spend time observing him he has now hopefully continued his migration north. After three days the last I saw of him he was sitting atop a power pole being pestered by a crow which is I’m sure enough to make anything want to head for home.



The complete set of images of this owl can be viewed in the gallery linked below;

http://eaglefi.photoshelter.com/gallery/owls/G0000VOfvvjAofHE

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO:
Melinda 'Mel' Majoros, Cancer Survivor - diagnosed September 18, 2007