That’s right, I’ve been a “hunter” all my life. Yes, I’ve been involved in hunting ever since I was a kid in junior high school, but to be honest, my only interests are not just in bagging a deer or turkey every year, but I also enjoy seeing and encountering all kinds of wildlife.
You bet I get excited when I spot a big flock of wild turkeys, but I also enjoy seeing a variety of other wildlife, including a variety of birds.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a serious bird watcher like some folks I know, but as a wildlife artist, I definitely enjoy painting scenes with hawks, eagles, owls, game birds, and a variety of songbirds.
Even though we are in a bit of a lull with our hunting seasons, I’m still on the lookout for whatever wildlife I can see when I’m out and about. It was this time of year about 10 years ago when I spotted something in a field that I had never seen before in the state of Pennsylvania, and now, when February rolls around, I start looking again.
I was on a back road just outside of Pennsdale when I spotted a big Snowy Owl sitting in the middle of a snow-covered field.
My guess is very few people reading this have ever seen a snowy owl in real life, and for good reason — they are an extremely rare visitor to our state. The Snowy Owl lives in the tundra in northern Canada, where they feed on lemmings and voles.
It is believed that when shortages of that food supply occur, the Snowy Owls migrate further south in search of other food sources.
Sightings are most likely to occur in late fall to around May.
From what I have been able to dig up, apparently, in February of 2014, there was an unusually large number of sightings here in Pennsylvania, with at least three different Snowy Owls showing up right around the Turbotville area.
Be aware that the Snowy Owl is just one of eight owl species that show up in our state. We also have the Barred Owl, Barn Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, Long-Eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Short-Eared Owl, and the one most of us are probably familiar with, the Great Horned Owl.
The Snowy Owl is quite different in appearance than the others and lives up to its name. The Snowy Owl is basically white; the white is more prominent in the adult male with some markings showing up, while the juveniles and adult females are more clearly marked with moderate to dark-colored barring. The barring occurs on the wings, breast, and top of the head. Fluffy white feathers cover the legs and feet. The eyes are vivid yellow with black pupils. The Snowy Owl is the largest of our owls, with a wingspan of over four and one-half feet.
It’s entirely possible that we may not have any Snowy Owls visit us this year, but I am going to keep an eye out. By the way, they tend not to perch up in trees a lot, but rather, they are often found sitting on the ground in the snow or maybe on a nearby fence post. They are birds of open fields and marshes and not the woods, and when they show up here, they prey on rabbits, waterfowl, and other game, including dead fish.
Well, keep your eyes out for that white owl. If you spot one, I’m sure there are a lot of bird watchers that would like to know.
