Snowy Owls Draw Near!

Snowy Owl flying on shoreline

Photo Credit: Jenifer Selwa

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

The sighting of a Snowy Owl is a memorable and magical moment of nature’s way. This stunning lead image, and the final in-flight image were both captured during the last week of November along the east shore of Lake Michigan by nature photographer Jenifer Selwa’s long lens. She graciously shared them with me, along with critical coexistence advice, as these powerful owls of the High Arctic tundra continue on their journey. 

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Snowy Owls: Visitors from the Arctic Wilderness

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

Snowy Owls are charismatic, majestic and mysterious. They are the heaviest of all North American owls with some weighing almost six pounds. Their yellow eyes, massive talons, feathered feet, eye-catching white plumage and diurnal hunting behavior appeal to almost everyone, even people who normally would rather shop in a crowded mall than walk in the silence of a woodland. Naturalists and birders are smitten by their unpredictable movement patterns, and the spirit of the remote arctic wilderness these amazing raptors represent. However, unless you plan on visiting the high Arctic tundra of North America or Eurasia, the chances of seeing Snowy Owls in the wild is usually nearly zero. But maybe not this December.

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