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Article in: Birding

Snowy in the Snow

Snowy Owls make a yearly appearance in northern Illinois but most of the sightings are around the Chicago area. In fact, the last accepted record in our count, Winnebago, was some twenty years past by the airport.

So when we got a call that one was not far from home, we excitedly made the trek to see it for ourselves. What a thrill to see such a beautiful bird, even if was trying to hide in the snow.

Snowy Owl

The above photo was taken several hundred feet away on the road [only a 300mm lens so not the best photo].

9 Comments or Trackbacks   ↓ Jump to add comment ↓

  1. Larry says:

    Boy-I’d love to see a Snowy Owl!-They have come in to CT in past years but I’ve yet to see one.-An early Christmas present for you!

    Posted on: December 9, 2007 @ 6:21 am

  2. The Birdfreak Team says:

    Larry – Definitely a nice early Christmas gift! I hope he/she stays for the Christmas Bird Counts!

    Posted on: December 9, 2007 @ 1:30 pm

  3. mon@rch says:

    I have never seen a snowy in the wild! This is great for sure!

    Posted on: December 9, 2007 @ 2:34 pm

  4. Mary Carlson says:

    I guess I’m joining the group here to add that it would be great to see a snowy in the wild. Congrats on seeing one, and I hope it does stick around for your CBC.

    Posted on: December 10, 2007 @ 11:23 am

  5. The Birdfreak Team says:

    Mon@rch – It was truly fun to see!!

    Mary – Thanks! We’re just glad we didn’t have to battle bad weather to see the Snowy!

    Posted on: December 10, 2007 @ 6:41 pm

  6. Lynda says:

    Just wanted to let you know that my daughter spotted a snowy owl near the runway when we landed at the Rockford Airport on 3/21/09. She said, ‘Look Mom. A white owl!’ My husband and I both saw it. It was sitting near the ground on a log of some sort. I’ve never seen any type of owl in the wild before, but my husband and I are avid birders and are sure of the identification. The bird seemed to be calming watching us as we taxied past him. Just wondered whether you’ve had other reports of this bird.

    Posted on: March 28, 2009 @ 9:36 pm

Trackbacks

  1. Birdfreak: The Bird Conservation Blog » Blog Archive » Rockford Christmas Bird Count
  2. NCIOS - North Central Illinois Ornithological Society » Winnebago County Drive-by
  3. Birdfreak: The Bird Conservation Blog » Blog Archive » 2,000th Photo on Flickr

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