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.
The above photo was taken several hundred feet away on the road [only a 300mm lens so not the best photo].
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!
Larry – Definitely a nice early Christmas gift! I hope he/she stays for the Christmas Bird Counts!
I have never seen a snowy in the wild! This is great for sure!
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.
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!
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.