Following our good fortune in spending time with two owl species as reported in my last post, our owl success became even more notable with the sighting of two others.
4 April 2022
The countryside of Waterloo Region is renowned for its wintering population of Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) and over the years Miriam and I have had great success in locating many of these magnificent birds.
Most of them have probably already left our area to reoccupy their breeding grounds on the tundra, but a few remain. We were thrilled to see this individual perched on a fence post not far from the road.
Obviously habituated to traffic it seemed quite unperturbed by us, and even when Miriam approached it with stealth and caution it showed no sign of apprehension.
I think that even a person without prior knowledge of birds would be able to recognize a Snowy Owl; it is just so distinctive.
Determining the sex of juvenile birds is not quite so simple, however. Based on experience, a plethora of reference books with many images, and my impression of the size of this bird, I am fairly sure it is a juvenile male.
As Scott Weidensaul, in his excellent Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean points out, however, "Sexing Snowy Owls by plumage is considerably more complex and difficult than birders generally believe, and many previous assumptions about sex- and age-related plumage differences have proven to be unfounded or simplistic."
Rest assured that young or old, male or female, pristine white, mottled or mesoptile, it is a bird to elevate the spirits. It might even make you contemplate the destruction we are wreaking on its habitat and spur you on to a more environmental conscience. Now that would be something to celebrate.
05 April, 2022
There is a trail behind our house with which we have become very familiar, and have become adept at finding Eastern Screech Owls (Megascops asio) there.
Unless sitting at the lip of their hole, they are usually well camouflaged, and for the uninitiated almost impossible to find.
You will have to piece together all of the pictures below to get an impression of the complete owl!
We were delighted to find the owl, akin to meeting up with an old friend.
We also derived considerable pleasure from our first sighting of the year of Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) and Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma).
Mourning Cloak
Eastern Comma
They had better be vigilant. They would make a tasty snack for a hungry screech owl.
Such is the way of nature!
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Hari OM
ReplyDeleteOh my word - who wouldn't be bowled over with such a Snowy Owl sighting?!! And well done getting anything of that Screech Owl through all that foliage! YAM xx
F=Frilly
Buenas tardes querido amigo, que imágenes más encantadoras y que belleza la del Búho nival, ¡es impresionante!, debe causar una gran emoción el verle y poder fotografiarle. El búho chillón a pesar de su belleza estaba bien camuflado, también debe ser emocionante tropezarse con él.
ReplyDeleteUna bella entrada que la disfruté muy bien.
Un gran abrazo de tu siempre amigo y compadre Juan.
The Snowy Owl is a real beauty, David. I love to see your beautiful photos of it. The butterflies are pretty too.
ReplyDeleteHugs and kisses, Marit
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteIt's great to have such busy trails!
Do you really think that newbies know the name of this owl? Personally I don't think so, at least in France .... there is still so much ignorance. You, the Anglo-Saxons have the birdwatching in you ;-)
Kisses
Great post, how lovely to see owls and butterflies. It's cold and stormy here. Big hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteHello David, Some Great Owls and what a great find.I would love to see a Snowy Owl one day. I can understand your excitement. Two day ago I took photos of the Bubo bubo. A couple of these Owl are breeding near my home (500 meters) in an old building. One can not get near the nest but the male will sometimes rest in the nearby trees to protect the nest against intruders and people with dogs that come to close. I was able to take some great photos of the male sitting on branches. The new look of your blog is great! Warm regards from Belgium, Roos
ReplyDeleteWe saw many owls in N. Idaho, and we have one that hangs out here in my yard. He/she hunts the rats that are so prevalent on the OR. coast. The snowy is my favorite though. Have a great day.
ReplyDeletewow that white owl facial expression is just priceless!
ReplyDelete...perhaps I don't know where to look for owls, but I can't remember the last time that I saw one, no less two!
ReplyDeleteThere is a good deal of truth in what you say, Tom. You have to understand their lifestyle and habitat, and have a good idea where and when to search.
DeleteI love that iconic picture of the Snowy Owl.
ReplyDeleteOoooh.
ReplyDeleteHow truly wonderful. Thank you for sharing the wonder and the joy.
The Snowy Owl, what a beauty and it is amazing that it just sat on the post and didn't remove itself. What a wonderful sighting!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a snowy owl, and how beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to have encountered two more owls David. Miriam's Snowy Owl photo is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteEvery bird is special, Carol, but an owl more special than most!
DeleteWhenever I see or read about Snowy Owls I'm saddened by the story I know I've already mentioned about the one we had in our trees on Lewis. It is very rare for me to see an own at all now although we do have long-eared owls here. I've see a few owls but been unable to identify them.
ReplyDeleteThe Snowy looks blissful! Fantastic photo, Miriam. Love the posts about owls, David!
ReplyDeleteMagnificent snowy owl - what a beauty! I like your approach to synthesizing the full image of the screech owl from the various cluttered views you gave us. Both are fabulous birds and then to top it off with the butterflies, well what a great day!
ReplyDeleteMagnifique Harfang des neiges! Le hibou a un bon camouflage, difficile de le localiser contrairement au Harfang. Bonne soirée
ReplyDeleteI felt tempted to say that you're a lucky man to find four owl species in a week, David, but then I suspect that your birding skills, rather than luck, played a very significant part in those finds. The intimate view of that Snowy Owl is more than a little special. What a fabulous creature! It's good to know that your butterflies are appearing too. The Mourning Cloak is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteWhat an endearing photo of the Snowy Owl - it gave me the urge to want to stroke it! :)
ReplyDeleteAlways such beautiful photographs, the snowy owl looks like she is taking in the morning sun, amazingly captured as are those of the butterflies.
ReplyDeleteEl búho nival, es tan precioso que me encantaría verlo, pero por aquí no hay... estaré atenta a la lechuza. Abrazos querido amigo David.
ReplyDeleteAh,las mariposas, también son muy lindas.
ReplyDeleteThis snowy owl seems to have a whimsical expression.
ReplyDeleteHooray for the snowy owl. It was like seeing an old friend again. A snowy owl spent several winters along the edge of a farm several roads north of me. The first couple of years it was seen there, there were morning traffic jams of commuters at the side of the road, just staring at its very unperturbed self.
ReplyDeleteSo thrilled you can share your owl sightings with all of us. Around here, we have seen Pygmy Owls and a Great Horned Owl. So magnificent!
ReplyDeleteThe photo no 2 of the Snowy owl is perfect and worthy a poster. Just love it.
ReplyDelete(Fortunately, the owls have no trouble at all telling juvenile from adults and males from females. I imagine. What if they have!!!)
You have so much experience that you could find the Eastern Screech Owls - even on your photos when you tell me it is there it is hard to see.
Regards Lisbeth
Hello,
ReplyDeleteGreat sighting of the Snowy Owl. It is always a thrill to see any owl. Beautiful butterflies. Take care, enjoy your day and happy weekend!
What for us is something as exceptional as the observation of snowy owls in our countries, it is clear that for you it is something almost daily. The good thing about sharing these observations is that we all benefit and we all enjoy the observations of our friends across the ocean. Greetings David.
ReplyDeleteI think you and Miriam are owl whisperers! How exciting -- especially the snowy. What a gift you two have, and how generous you are to share these beautiful creatures with us.
ReplyDeleteYears of practice, Jeanie.
DeleteHi David.
ReplyDeleteThe Snowy Owl is one of my favorites.
Nice to see the butterflies.
Greetings from Patricia.
The puffy Snowy Owl seems quite content, secure and unafraid. Exchanging the feathers for fur, the bird is reminiscent somewhat of the much more threatened baby seal.
ReplyDeleteI am not so sure that a baby seal is more threatened. As the permafrost continues to melt the breeding habitat for Snowy Owls is eliminated, as are the conditions for their principal prey, lemmings, to survive.
DeleteHi David, The larger shot of the Snow Owl is breathtaking. What a beauty. I have only seen one in a nature reserve, and could not take my eyes off it, and was loath to move on to see other creatures. There is something rather special about this almost mystical and beautiful bird.
ReplyDeleteIt is very special, Sonjia. We see them every winter and we are never less that awestruck - and I think our appreciation goes up from there!
DeleteHi David, you both are blessed to see a snowy owl like this, and for Miriam to take this photo that is gorgeous. The screech owl looks like the owls I use to see in Lesvos, they're so well camouflaged, I realy it and it's a thrill when you find one. I also like the photo of the mourning cloak, it's a special butterflie that is not often seen in the Netherlands but last year there was a little influx.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend,
Big hug from your Dutch friend Marianne
It's always a great delight to hear from you, Marianne.
DeleteAmigo David, gracias por este acercamiento al mundo de los búhos y de las mariposas, dos bellezas de la naturaleza.
ReplyDeleteMuchos besos.
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteI love the owls, the Snowy Owl is a beauty. Wonderful captures of the butterflies. Great sightings and photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.
The 2nd picture is sooooooooooo good it doesn't look real. The Owl looks like a statue, but a fluffy soft one at that. Such a sweet looking face. The butterflies are fantastic. I get excited when I see a butterfly these days...you just don't see many. When I was a kid they were so plentiful.
ReplyDeleteSandy's Space
I love when owls sit on a fence post! Your photos are lovely.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
The white owl's eyes are full of peace.
ReplyDeleteThe snowy bird family (snowy owls, snowy egrets, snow buntings, snow geese, the elusive Himalayan snow cock, etc) are a fantastically appealing classification. I love your owl photos. I think blogger may have eaten my previous comment.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
The Snowy Owl looks so perfect, it doesn't look real! Love seeing the butterflies that you've seen. We are seeing more and more this week on our hikes. Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteOh my, the Snowy Owl is just wonderful :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend.
All the best Jan
I've been fortunate to see several owls in the wild -- but never a snowy owl. That is my new goal!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your search. If you are ever in southern Ontario in the winter we could help you.
DeleteOh, such a content face!
ReplyDeleteInsects are a bit scary, but the last one is really beautiful (on a pic).
Nice series of images.... Happy Sunday David...
ReplyDeleteI love the snowy owl...Cheers
All I can say is wow!! My nickname isn't hootin'anni for nothing. This is stupendous. Not one but two!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking time to link in and share your birding expertise with us. Great photos!!
~Anni @ I'd Rather B Birdin'
Stunning!
ReplyDeleteThe Snowy Owl is a sight to behold!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the fabulous photo series as always.
Happy Sunday, David.
Gran foto de Miriam. La cara del es de felicidad plena amigo. Es una belleza. Gracias
ReplyDeleteMiriam David os deseo un buen domingo.
Un abrazo.
The snowy owl was a real photo treat to see, thanks to Miriam and yourself. I wondered how much observing it was doing of the human watchers.
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky to see so many snowies. We had a great horned owl in our campsite this week. Sure do love to hear them!
ReplyDeleteA Great Horned is very special too.
DeleteWhat a beauty this snowy owl! David, there are quite a few birds around you. Here, when I was in the garden, I saw a flock of waxwings, they have a tuft on their heads and a long tail with a stripe. I'm right?
ReplyDeleteThey certainly have a crest, Nadezda, but the long stripe with the tail sounds a little puzzling. You are certainly in the area for Bohemian Waxwings, however.
DeleteWhat a beautiful picture of the snow owl.....this picture is for an award!! ...Abrazotes, Marcela
ReplyDeleteI am just so jealous. The only Snowy Owl I have ever seen was a captive one :-((((
ReplyDeleteI hope all is well. Thankfully the weather is improving here and more things are happening in the garden! Keep well. Cheers Diane
Diane, there is nothing else to be done but to come to Ontario in the winter. Abandon all thoughts you ever had about it being too cold. We will take you to see a Snowy Owl in a heated car where you may remain, gazing at this beauty. Then we will whisk you to our centrally-heated house and feed you ratatouille with fine wine. No more excuses! I will expect you in December!
ReplyDeletethat is a beautiful owl :)
ReplyDeleteThat Snowy Owl photograph is wonderful. When I was a teenager hiking up a canyon in Nevada with my mom, we saw a Western Screech Owl on a cross timber in the opening of an old abandoned mine. It made the entire hike memorable. I once saw a Great Horned Owl in a forest of trees at a large park here. We kept following its calls until we spotted it way up in one of the trees. I used to hear Barred Owls hooting back and forth at the state park I worked at, but was never fortunate enough to see one. Your sightings have been very interesting to read about.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! I’d love to see a snowy owl.
ReplyDeleteI have never spotted an owl in nature, only in the zoo or bird park! That snowy owl looks so calm and peaceful. It must feel very confidently safe with its eyes closed on open ground. Owls might like butterflies but I am sure bigger predators would like an owl for dinner!
ReplyDeletePrzy takich obserwacjach na pewno odczuwacie wielkie emocje. Uwielbiam takie odkrywanie terytorium zwierząt i podpatrywanie ich z ukrycia. A czasami nie trzeba się ukrywać, bo zwierzęta zajęte są same sobą.
ReplyDeleteI've fallen a bit behind in my reading thanks to my latest excursion to find wildflowers, but I always make sure to catch up with your posts, and this one is a prime example of why that's so pleasurable. The photos of the Snowy Owl are wonderfully appealing. Not only that, I believe I know what one of my to-this-date unidentified butterflies might be: an Eastern Comma! I'll be checking that out soon.
ReplyDeleteEven seeing a snowy owl in your photos makes the heart go aflutter; I can only imagine the thrill of seeing it in person! I've always assumed that owls were not likely to be seen here in my part of NJ, but now I'm thinking I just don't know where to look for them.
ReplyDeleteNot sure how I missed this post, but how cool to still see a snowy owl. And let have it poise for you so nicely. And the screech owl is a nice find too. Now I haven't seen any butterflies yet, but it is exciting to hear they are around. I made my hummingbird food the other day and need to get my feeder out. It might be a bit early but it is exciting that it is just about time for them to return. Have a nice weekend. hugs-Eriks
ReplyDelete