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| Snowy owls' invasion of Chicago is off to a flying start this winter | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 15 2011, 12:02 AM (1,177 Views) | |
| Petunia | Dec 15 2011, 12:02 AM Post #1 |
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I thought this article about snowy owls expanding their habitat was somewhat interesting. I'd love to see one in person if they ever travel to my neck of the woods. There is a nice video at the link. Snowy owls' invasion of Chicago is off to a flying start this winter By Sheryl DeVore, Chicago Tribune December 14, 2011 Snowy owls are arriving in the Chicago area in far greater numbers than usual this winter, but the dramatic presence of a bird made famous in the Harry Potter movies has nothing to do with magic and everything to do with finding a good meal. "The owls are here for only one reason: food," said Paul Kerlinger, a New Jersey-based expert who has studied the species throughout the country. Along the shores of Lake Michigan where the birds seem to be showing up almost daily, that means an abundance of tasty ducks, large flocks of roosting gulls and in Chicago itself, rats — plenty of rats. The snowy owl breeds in Arctic regions, raising young in the remote tundra wilderness. The species, however, is staging an invasion in a broad swath across the northern United States, from Washington to Illinois to Maine, experts say. One was even found as far south as Honolulu, the first time it's been seen in Hawaii. "In most years, there are maybe only one or two snowy owls seen all winter from October through March in Illinois," said Matthew Cvetas, a longtime birder from Evanston. By the end of last month, owls had been spotted at Montrose Point and Promontory Point in Chicago, in Winthrop Harbor, and in Waukegan. In Wisconsin, up to eight birds have been observed along Green Bay and six have been sighted in another location on the east shore of Lake Michigan. More are expected, with the prospects so promising, and the invasion could rival or exceed the last great documented arrival that occurred between November 1996 and the following March, when 73 of these visitors from the far north were reported in the state, records show. full: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-snowy-owl-20111214,0,2761678.story |
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| Stevie | Dec 15 2011, 12:34 AM Post #2 |
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born & raised a Chicagoan/suburbian. |
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the meek shall inherit the earth. not many meek people on message boards. I'm just here to hone my communication skills, not looking to convert anyone. | |
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| Petunia | Dec 15 2011, 12:50 AM Post #3 |
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Oh, cool. Did you ever see any snowy owls when you lived there? I can't imagine how cold it gets near the lake in the winter with those winds blowing off of it. |
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| Stevie | Dec 15 2011, 01:14 AM Post #4 |
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can't say that I did....
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the meek shall inherit the earth. not many meek people on message boards. I'm just here to hone my communication skills, not looking to convert anyone. | |
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| Petunia | Dec 15 2011, 01:22 AM Post #5 |
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Ah, well. I live in a land of wild elk, and I've yet to see one in person. |
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