It hardly seems possible, but for some species of birds Michigan is down
right balmy. For those hardy individuals who venture outdoors, winter can
provide a unique opportunity to see some of our state's northern visitors.
Michigan's northwest Lower Peninsula received an early
Christmas present during the 1995 Audubon Christmas Bird Count. A rare snowy owl
(Nyctea scandiaca) was counted by volunteers in Leelanau County. They
observed it for several minutes as it sat on a pole in the Suttons Bay area of
northeastern Leelanau County. It was the only "snowy" sighted during
the count.
This summer arctic nester has a clutch size of four to
nine eggs. Fledging occurs in 50 to 60 days. Voles and lemmings are preferred
food. Winter irruptions (movement) of large numbers of snowy owls to lower 48
states are unpredictable; these occurrences may be set off by food shortages in
their breeding areas.
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