The Snowy Owl is a rare visitor to southern BC. But, now and then—maybe every four or five years—there is a shortage of lemmings to eat in the arctic and the owls fly farther south in search of food.
I took these pictures on a Boxing Day visit to Ladner. Now, birders around Kootenay Lake are hoping for a visit.
This is one striking bird.
It is often seen in pairs.
A friend flies in for a visit.
The owl has a flexible neck.
how beautiful these birds are!
Amazing! And so much contrast with the background…
Just beautiful. What a magnificent bird.
My favourite owl by far, just gorgeous.
Excellent pics, especially the portrait. They didn’t puff up like that for me!
The latest theory is that they come south in years of abundant lemmings, which leads to a good breeding season and the need for wider winter dispersal. There are a lot of juveniles seen at Boundary Bay.
Jim, thank you for that insight. Indeed, one other person has suggested that my text may have missed the mark when it said that the southern migration implied limited lemmings. On this topic, I should dig further.