Another Snowy Owl

"To those who know owls to be something more than ordinary birds if something less than gods, deserving our respect and love."

                                                                                                                        Paul Johnsgard 

05 February, 2026

     Victoria had seen a Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) before, but never a really good look. We had promised to help her find one that would provide the satisfaction she was seeking.

     It didn't take long!

     This beautiful female was perched close by the road, perfectly positioned for great views and great pictures, except for the twig in front of her face. This is nature after all!

     We approached slowly and got out of the car to try for better angles. The bird was very patient, tolerating three inquisitive humans with equanimity.

     Finally, she had enough and flew off to a distant farm, where she perched far away from the respectful, yet intrusive behaviour of curious birders.

     If only we could communicate how much we admired her.

     We meandered around the countryside, eyes wide open, enjoying everything we saw.

     A Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) does not have quite the same cachet as a Snowy Owl, but is nevertheless an impressive bird.

     A couple of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were labouring through deep snow to find scarce food.

     Winter tests even the most hardy animals; some will not see another spring.

     Many pairs of Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) prospered on open water.

     A lone Mallard (Anas platyrynchos) drake kept them company.

     We cast another look at the deer.

     The wintry landscape made us thankful for our warm car, tasty snacks and a heated home to return to.

     This outstanding dark morph Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) scanned and listened for a rodent meal.

     A small group of Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) probed in a field close to home.

     To start with an owl and end with a turkey is not a bad way to spend a morning.

Another Magical Winter's Day

 "The clean, severe cold of the northland, tempered by the beaming sun and decorated by the pristine snow and the happy greens of the pines, spruces and balsams, produces a tingling, challenging awareness of life."

R.D. Lawrence

     Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) have an addictive effect on us and having seen the first of the year, there is an immediate impulse to go out and search for more.

      So it was that we headed back out into the countryside, as though in search of a holy grail. An avian holy grail, a mission with spiritual overtones. 

       If one could say that farm buildings had an air of contentment, winter would bring that out.

     Snow was all around us; winter is upon the land. Deciduous trees stand like sentinels.

     Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser), seemingly impervious to the weather, went about their business along the river.

     Winter driving is not for the faint of heart.

     Our first Snowy Owl, probably a juvenile bird given its heavy barring, was perched atop a silo, gazing down on an area no doubt well provisioned with rodent prey.

     The insulative value of the owl's feathers is miraculous to contemplate.

     

     The sun shone weakly; daily it will be higher in the sky imparting its warmth and promising brighter days to come.

     Forbs and grasses bend to the wind; but they are conserving energy and will rise again in spring.

     A young Mennonite boy took advantage of ideal weather to flood the hockey rink.

     In a scene as old as Canada itself the swoosh of skate against ice will soon be heard as the battle for the puck takes place.

     We spotted another Snowy Owl far off in a frozen field.

     Twilight was approaching and we left to go home. It was a fitting farewell.

A Search for a Snowy Owl

24 January, 2026

     The weather has been unkind of late and a couple of outings we planned had to be cancelled. So, on a clear but cold day, with the air temperature around minus 17, to say nothing of wind chill, we decided to go on a hunt for Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus). There is no more talismanic bird, and we looked forward to our first quest of 2026.

     Our little party comprised good friends Kathy, Lisa, Heather and Ellen, and Miriam and me. The pursuit of the owl had special significance for Ellen - she had never seen one.

     It was very fitting, therefore, that as we drove slowly along the roads where we have consistently found this enigmatic species, that Ellen spotted this beautiful female atop a utility pole.

     Miriam and I had been so intent on scouring the fields we actually drove past this bird. If not for Ellen's sharp eyes we would have missed it. The first Snowy Owl is very special, to have found it yourself gives you bragging rights forever!

     Conditions were not ideal for photography. Fingers got cold quickly, at times the wind was very strong affecting stability, the blowing snow obscured visibility, and made the already frigid conditions appreciably worse. Add to that, it was mostly dull and Miriam was using a new camera for the first time. In consequence, some of the photographs are not ideal, but you will no doubt understand.

     A little flock of Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris) entertained us at the side of the road.

     It is a source of wonder that these little birds not only survive in these conditions, but actually thrive.

     Here is a picture taken in the same area in a past winter showing the bright colours of this very appealing lark.

     These pictures will give you an idea of the bleak winter conditions we faced.

     From time to time, people from poor countries seeking a better life have been frozen to death attempting to cross the border between Canada and the United States. One can only imagine the agony of their final hours.

     Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus), a raptor that breeds in the high Arctic, spends the winter here, but is notoriously difficult to approach and even more challenging to photograph.

     We saw a couple of magnificent dark morph birds, but a good picture was not easy to come by.

    The bird you see in flight finally perched on top of a silo, but too far away for a decent shot.

     The fact that we don't have a high quality photograph doesn't detract for a moment from the emotional satisfaction at seeing the bird.

     A couple of flocks of American Crows (Corvus brachyrynchos) were foraging on the road, consuming necessary minerals, I assume, although we did see others in fields, perhaps feeding on winter seeds.

     Crows by the thousand flock into the City of Waterloo, to take advantage of the higher urban temperature, and the safety of a collective roost.

     Winter was all around.

      We visited the Conestogo Dam, but the water on the lake was completely frozen over, so there were no waterfowl or gulls. Only the river on the discharge side had open water.

     A couple of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were stoic as they surveyed the water from their lofty perches, hoping to spot a fish or an injured duck.

 

     A pair of Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) were on the Conestogo River in the hamlet of Glen Allen, but never in position for a picture, diving incessantly to capture food and remaining on the surface for mere seconds. This is a picture taken a few years ago on the same stretch of water.

     As a grand finale to our owling expedition, we spotted a male Snowy Owl off in the distance. I am using the royal 'we' but, if truth be known, I think that Ellen first laid eyes on it. She had quite a day!

     It was far off, but that didn't diminish the exhilaration we all felt, and we were especially happy for Ellen.

     A male Snowy Owl is about as exquisite a creature as exists on this Earth, and I can't resist sharing a clearer, closer picture from our archives, taken no more than a kilometre from where we saw our bird today.

     We were a contented group of birders on a snowy day in January.

     Life is good!

A Snowy Owl on Christmas Day

     Miriam and I often get out into the country on Christmas day; it is generally quiet as most people are at home enjoying their festivities.

     We had not seen a Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) this winter and went on a search in some of our  favourite places - areas where we have found this magnificent bird in years past.

     It did not take us too long to locate one, quietly resting in a field, conserving energy for its night-time hunting activity.

     This is what we saw.

     As you will note, the bird was quite far off.

     Thank goodness for the zoom on modern cameras.

      A Snowy Owl is a very special bird, verging on totemic. We have seen many of them, but it is always a very special experience to see one again.

      As we were searching for more owls we went through the town of Glen Allen and the river was still mostly open and looking very picturesque.

     Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) are often located here, and today was no exception.

     They were joined by a lone American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus). We were unable to get a decent picture, so I am using one from the archives taken at the same location several years ago.

     Most years a sizeable population of Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo lagopus) is present in our area, but the birds are very wary and hard to photograph.

     We were unable to turn up any more Snowy Owls but we ended the day with a Merlin (Falco columbarius).

     It had been a good day for raptors and we were very happy with our Snowy Owl.

     Rest assured that we'll be searching again soon! 

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandicaus)

"Whole ecosystems are threatened, and the losses have started to feed on themselves ."

Elizabeth Kolbert 

   Over many years I have searched every winter for Snowy Owls and have had great good fortune in finding them. Understanding the habitat they prefer in their winter quarters is the key to success, and we are fortunate that the Region of Waterloo and Wellington County have for many years hosted reliable and sometimes large populations of this magnificent bird.

     

     Last winter, Miriam and I were unable to find even one. This winter, so far, despite scouring the areas where they have taken up residence year after year, we have failed again. The winter is not over, of course but our initial forays do not bode well. We have also noticed severely reduced numbers of that other enigmatic raptor from the north, Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus).

     Climate breakdown is having very serious consequences for Snowy Owls and all other arctic species.

     Snowy Owls breed on the treeless tundra and build their nests on the ground. The Arctic is heating up faster than almost any other region on Earth, and the permafrost, ground frozen for millennia, is thawing. The terrain is sinking and new ponds have formed. In addition to eliminating nesting habitat the meltwater is flooding the burrows of Lemmings (genus Lemmus), the principal component of the Snowy Owl's diet, essential to the growth of its young.

     So, in one stroke of human-caused catastrophe, we have robbed this iconic bird of home and food.

     This does not even begin to address the consequences of carbon and methane release. Or the madness of beginning to drill for more fossil fuels in areas like the Arctic National Wildlife refuge.

     It causes me immense sadness that I may have seen my last Snowy Owl, or at the very least may no longer have such familiarity with them. 

     Such are the distances the remaining members of their kind now have to wander in search of suitable breeding grounds, a bird banded in the Ottawa Valley in Ontario was recovered in Siberia.

     It is profoundly sad that humans have so affected the planet that extinction is proceeding at a pace that far exceeds anything that has ever occurred in the entire 4.6 billion year history of the Earth. Entire ecosystems are being obliterated and the Snowy Owl is just one victim of this human indifference.

     It will not end well for owls, but it will not end well for humans either. We have met the enemy and it is us.

     John Donne's truth is immortal:

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.” 

     Make no mistake, the bell tolls for us all and we are our own bellringers. As goes the owl, so go we.