A Snowy!
We have been graced with not one, but two, Snowy Owls here in Hampshire County this winter! At the very end of December they arrived. They caused a lot of attention because often when they do appear in our area they usually use it as a resting point as they continue on. Not this year. Two of them were consistently seen for approximately 8 weeks and the one that is assumed to be a male left early February. It was likely a male because it was much whiter than the other one which had many dark markings. All of these photos are of what I believe to be a female. A Snowy Owl is stunning and is truly a gift of a lifetime to see in the wild. When they arrived they hung out in the fields at the Northampton airport. Airports are very common areas that Snowy Owls hang out as these owls just love wide and large expanses that remind them of the arctic tundra where they breed. Logan airport has seen many Snowy Owls over the years that are very carefully captured and re-located to safer areas.
As you know I spent the Christmas holiday in Kennbunk and had been reading excited postings from our area about these majestic owls being seen in Northampton. As soon as I returned home from Maine I asked my brother David if he would be interested in trying to see a Snowy - he was game! So we bundled up - it was frigid - and drove over to the airport. When you drive past the runway you are immediately on dirt roads that take you through the farm fields. As we made our way on the icy dirt road I immediately spotted a long row of cars parked and knew either one or both of the owls had to be in that field. We parked and I grabbed my gear and David grabbed his binoculars and off we went walking carefully on the road. This first shot is our first sighting of the Snowy sitting in the field - I just wanted to give you a sense of what it looks without a zoom lens. I often tell others that when you are looking for a Snowy - look for a vase because that is what they look like to me! It is that blob just beyond the snowy corn stubble.
We made our way further down the road to get a better angle to the Snowy. We waited and waited for better lighting. Everyone was lined up along the road with cameras, binoculars and scopes - it was a very excited and respectful group. I’ll be very honest I find it very stressful when the crowds get large as it only takes one person to try and get too close which will stress a bird or animal. But this group was really wonderful. I overheard a young girl say to her mother - Mom, I never ever thought I would ever see a Snowy in person - this is a dream! Now if that doesn’t just melt your heart….
After the male left in early January the female decided to leave the airport fields and she spent her remaining couple of weeks alone in the fields on Honey Pot Road in Hadley - a very short flight for her. I was able to see her over there once by myself and once with very dear friends of ours.
Each time I watched the Snowy she was certainly aware of her surroundings but it was her resting time. She would get up and stretch a little occasionally. But…. I was able to witness her spin her head around many times which is such a thrill to see! Snowy Owls are diurnal, meaning they hunt day and night. I spent hours waiting for her to take flight but she never did in my presence. They are our heaviest owl in North America - weighing up to 6.5lbs. Their wingspans are up to 5’6” - just magnificent! They have very striking yellow eyes. Unfortunately I was not able to capture her eyes like I wished I could have because of the angle of the sun to her each time and because they were mostly closed :).
For this post I have selected primarily the shots from the outing with David on New Year’s Day as we had the most beautiful lighting that day. He is such a good sport - it was so so cold! I hope that you enjoy…how fortunate are we to have expanses of land in the Pioneer Valley that are attractive to one of the most spectacular birds on the planet.
When we were driving out of the fields on that first day a spectacular flock of Horned Larks flew right in front of us - David stopped the car and I took this shot right from the car!
And mixed in with Horned Larks were a few gorgeous Snow Buntings!
These last 3 shots are the following day…. She had moved to an adjacent field from the day before -
We waited a very long time for this pose before we went home to warm up - and finally she cooperated! I wanted you to see that her feathers cover her legs and feet entirely in order to help keep warm in the brutally cold environments she lives in.
What a thrill….