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 sparse, but regular speckling on the crown, back, and wings of the bird. Had it been an adult male, it would have been pure white with few blemishes. Although this bird didn't appear to be in a hunting mood, it was still curious about my presence and, eventually, the presence of other people who noticed my gawking at this impressive polar raptor.

From where I was standing, the owl could see far over the marsh and dunes and houses, quietly watching and waiting for food to come along. While on the tundra, they typically feed on lemmings, but when they come down to winter in the northern states, they diversify their diet significantly. In addition to small rodents, they will also take waterfowl and fish along our northern coasts, fields, and even some of our busiest airports! In most winters in Massachusetts, the main places they tend to end up are along the runways at Logan Airport, across the harbor at Deer Island, and on the north shore at Salisbury Beach and Parker River NWR. However, depending upon the owl, food conditions up north, and weather severity, they might end up further south than they would normally go. During the 2013-2014 Snowy Owl-pocalypse, there were owls showing up in Georgia, Florida, and even Bermuda! They are a long distance migrant, which is unusual for an owl, as most species tend to stick to their home range in a particular area or region.

 

What I was especially excited for was being able to get several up close photos of the owl. One of the reasons I bought my camera (Canon if you're wondering) was because of the zoom feature and the detail it provided even when zoomed all the way out. I watched for a few more minutes until the chilled gales beckoned me back to the warmth of my car. I couldn't believe my luck at having had the fortune of seeing such an impressive bird and found it hard to drive off to my next birding destination.  As I did so, I drove slowly, keeping the bird's reflection in my mirrors until the car behind me made it clear that they wanted to increase the speed. At the tide pools, I watched sea ducks cavorting amongst the rambunctious tides, while a small crowd of Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) sat vulturine on a rocky bar several hundred yards off shore. Gulls wheeled above the pounding surf and once again the wind drove me back to my car. What bountiful life even during such a violent wind.

Common Eiders (Someteria mollissima) and two female Black Scoters (Melanitta americana).

Preening male Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus).

Great Cormorants.

A secondary dune overlooks the rocky shore and tide pools below.

As I headed back to Saco, I looked once more for the Snowy and sure enough, it was sitting up on the pole still. I took a few more photos as it preened its feathers. It fluffed them up before nibbling, unseen, at its breast feathers. Seeing a bird or other animal care for its appearance is wonderful to witness. While often they're taking care of their hair, or feathers, or skin is purely for their continued survival, I can't help but think that they would feel some sense of pride about their appearance if more of them were capable of doing so.

"Please don't stare..."

"...I'm just getting ready for a night on the marsh."

I try not to anthropomorphize animals both as a reflection of my scientific education and as a personal trait, but one can't help trying to relate to those creatures with which we feel kinship. I especially feel this way about owls with their forward facing eyes gazing forth with a watchful stare necessary for their survival and vigilance, but also with their sense of privacy due to their camouflaged appearance and nocturnal habits. They represent a supremely adapted group that is spread widely throughout the world and is respected either out of reverence for their mysterious ways or fear due to their strange calls and yowls in the depths of the night. As for myself, hopefully I will be able to see or hear a Great Horned (B. virginianus) or Eastern Screech (Megascops asio) in the coming months. I might even hit the holy grail with my favorite owl species, the Long-eared (Asio otus). But for the time being, I will continue to savor the luck and fortune I had last weekend to be in the presence of such a powerful predator and polar traveler extraordinaire.