I was heading out the front door when my former neighbor Elaine walked by. She lives in an apartment now, but on this unexpectedly warm day she walked over to talk to her daughter.
I asked if she wanted to go with me for a ride and she sure did! The day was sunny and warm and the snow was gleaming over the hills. We got organized and off we went to the area east of Freedom, Wisconsin in pursuit of snowy owls.
We get a sprinkling of snowy owls coming down from the Arctic Circle every winter but this winter there is an irruption. At least 200 have been spotted in Wisconsin since November. There now is a map from e-bird that helps birders find them. http://ebird.org/content/wi/news/another-snowy-owl-winter-in-wisconsin/
However, Elaine and I didn't need any maps since the snowies come to the same place every year. We drove up and down roads looking across. Once I thought we had one but it was just a piece of white fabric blowing in a field. A snowy in the snow is not that easy to spot.
Then we drove by the dairy on Van Astin Road and found four cars parked beside the road a sure sign of crazy birders who had found something. Sure enough, there was a snowy owl on top of a farm silo. I had two pairs of binoculars in the car so we got a good look. One of the birders had a big camera and later she posted a photo of the bird in flight. It was a juvenile, a first year owl. Adult snowy owls spend their windows in the tundra. It is the young birds who come here for easy hunting. After they turn three, they won't be back.
It was the first time Elaine had seen a snowy owl. I've seen dozens but what a thrill to see those beautiful birds.
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I've set a goal of reaching 20,000 "hits" by midnight on New Year's Eve at our short story blog. We have only 51 to go. http://blackcoffeefiction.blogspot.com/2013/12/they-might-be-monsters.html Take a look!
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Only 81 days until spring. Today's summer song is "A Summer Song" by Chad and Jeremy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D2XD341xHo It's a sad song about love lost, but the description of summer days is nice.
I like hunting for snowy owls, but I like summer even better.
I asked if she wanted to go with me for a ride and she sure did! The day was sunny and warm and the snow was gleaming over the hills. We got organized and off we went to the area east of Freedom, Wisconsin in pursuit of snowy owls.
We get a sprinkling of snowy owls coming down from the Arctic Circle every winter but this winter there is an irruption. At least 200 have been spotted in Wisconsin since November. There now is a map from e-bird that helps birders find them. http://ebird.org/content/wi/news/another-snowy-owl-winter-in-wisconsin/
However, Elaine and I didn't need any maps since the snowies come to the same place every year. We drove up and down roads looking across. Once I thought we had one but it was just a piece of white fabric blowing in a field. A snowy in the snow is not that easy to spot.
Then we drove by the dairy on Van Astin Road and found four cars parked beside the road a sure sign of crazy birders who had found something. Sure enough, there was a snowy owl on top of a farm silo. I had two pairs of binoculars in the car so we got a good look. One of the birders had a big camera and later she posted a photo of the bird in flight. It was a juvenile, a first year owl. Adult snowy owls spend their windows in the tundra. It is the young birds who come here for easy hunting. After they turn three, they won't be back.
It was the first time Elaine had seen a snowy owl. I've seen dozens but what a thrill to see those beautiful birds.
------
I've set a goal of reaching 20,000 "hits" by midnight on New Year's Eve at our short story blog. We have only 51 to go. http://blackcoffeefiction.blogspot.com/2013/12/they-might-be-monsters.html Take a look!
----
Only 81 days until spring. Today's summer song is "A Summer Song" by Chad and Jeremy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D2XD341xHo It's a sad song about love lost, but the description of summer days is nice.
I like hunting for snowy owls, but I like summer even better.
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