Nature Note #141: Gray Day Bird
Some of you might have spotted the pun from the title, but in my opinion, the bird I saw last weekend was spectacular. It started when someone at work had reported a Snowy Owl ( Bubo scandiacus ) within the vicinity of the Rachel Carson NWR along Mile Stretch Road in Biddeford, ME. As I was working that week, I had to wait until Friday before I could go and see the bird. As soon as tasks were over for the day, I sped off to find my first of the year Snowy. To say I got lucky was an understatement because as I arrived along Mile Stretch Road, a large white bird flew up onto the telephone pole in front of me. Immediately, I parked my car on the shoulder and looked up at the chunky mass of white feathers on the pole. No doubt, I was a lucky guy! A female and/or immature Snowy sat, quietly surveying the area below, swiveling its head around to pick up vague visual and audio clues to prey nearby. The reason I thought it could be either one or both female or immature is because of the spar