Looks as if this winter/spring is an irruption year for Snowy Owls.
Sightings in December in Virginia, NY, Michigan, Mass, North Carolina, and many more spots
Please post articles and sightings in your area, for the rest of us.
Sure hope they get down into Washington State again - would head up there in a minute. Got some great shots at Ocean Shores, WA a couple years ago, at the last irruption.
You can sign up for notifications on E-Bird, if you wish
Sandy
Posted by Luke Ormand on December 11, 2017 at 5:54 PM
There are a number of them that have settled in on Long Island (NY) again in the usual haunts along the barrier beaches. Probably 6 or so regularly being seen, with a handful of others likely to be around in the more remote areas
Posted by Max Waugh on December 11, 2017 at 6:51 PM
It's been a while for Washington. We had a couple sighted so far this winter, but if they're not appearing in greater numbers by the end of November you can pretty much tell it's going to be another quiet year here on the west coast. Seems like the upper midwest and the east coast have had consistent sightings the last several years... can they even tell the difference between a normal winter and an irruption any more?
Max
Posted by Dennis Plank on December 11, 2017 at 9:24 PM
I was checking Ocean Shores after Jim Zablotny's posts from Michigan's Saginaw area (my wife's old stomping grounds), but didn't find any sightings.
Posted by Hali Sowle on December 12, 2017 at 7:10 PM
There are at least 4 in Rhode Island this year, 3 on Aqudneck Island and at least one that has been reported in Providence
Posted by Luke Ormand on December 12, 2017 at 10:08 PM
Max,
There was an irruption maybe three years ago? That year we would find snowy's every time we went to the beach. It wasn't uncommon to find two or three in a day just driving down the coastal road. That being said, in the past maybe 5 years, Snowy's have been very consistent on the island. We probably average 5-6 no matter the year and they of course stick around in pretty well defined territories making it easy for people to find.
Long Island of course is interesting geographically - the only place that will reliable have snowy owls are the barrier beaches. There are three distinct sections, one that is largely a state park and has many large parking fields popular in the winter with birders, fishermen and people enjoying the beach. One long stretch is national seashore and summer home communities that largely cannot be accessed by vehicle and the third stretch has a road from one end to the other. As you would imagine, not many are reported in the middle section due to lack of public access.
When there are big years, the Snowy's show up in all sorts of places... farm fields on the east end, islands / bays between the north and south fork and areas of the north shore (separated from Connecticut by LI sound).
Several snowy sightings in Walla Walla, WA today, on ebird.
Hope some will return to Ocean Shores, WA again.
Sandy
Posted by Jim Zablotny on December 13, 2017 at 7:57 AM
Two weekends ago, Jenny went up to the Bay City area and saw about 5 snowies. They are starting to show up in the Detroit area with one having been observed sitting on top of a car at the Detroit Post Office. The snow has started and these owls will be able to conceal themselves from the hordes of birders that have been pursuing them.....................Jim
Discussion
8 repliesSightings in December in Virginia, NY, Michigan, Mass, North Carolina, and many more spots
Please post articles and sightings in your area, for the rest of us.
Sure hope they get down into Washington State again - would head up there in a minute. Got some great shots at Ocean Shores, WA a couple years ago, at the last irruption.
Here are E-Bird sightings so far:
http://ebird.org/ebird/alert/summary?sid=SN40647&sortBy=obs
Info from Audubon Society: http://www.audubon.org/news/hold-your-bins-another-blizzard-snowy-owls-could-be-coming
You can sign up for notifications on E-Bird, if you wish
Sandy
Sandy
Max
There was an irruption maybe three years ago? That year we would find snowy's every time we went to the beach. It wasn't uncommon to find two or three in a day just driving down the coastal road. That being said, in the past maybe 5 years, Snowy's have been very consistent on the island. We probably average 5-6 no matter the year and they of course stick around in pretty well defined territories making it easy for people to find.
Long Island of course is interesting geographically - the only place that will reliable have snowy owls are the barrier beaches. There are three distinct sections, one that is largely a state park and has many large parking fields popular in the winter with birders, fishermen and people enjoying the beach. One long stretch is national seashore and summer home communities that largely cannot be accessed by vehicle and the third stretch has a road from one end to the other. As you would imagine, not many are reported in the middle section due to lack of public access.
When there are big years, the Snowy's show up in all sorts of places... farm fields on the east end, islands / bays between the north and south fork and areas of the north shore (separated from Connecticut by LI sound).
Hope some will return to Ocean Shores, WA again.
Sandy