Why We Love Snowy Owls

It might be Michigans best kept secret but in the winter the state becomes the winter home for hundreds of snowy owls and we can't get enough of them. 

Thirty plus years ago when Bill and I were dating we traveled up and down I-75 a lot. I lived in Sault Ontario and Bill lived in the northern part of the lower peninsula. Occasionally we would see these beautiful big white birds hanging out on fence posts on the side of the highway. I always felt like it was a good omen to see one. 

After doing some research and talking to a ornithologist friend we learned that Michigan has some of the best wintering areas for Snowy Owls. So although we do not consider ourselves "birders" we do love to photograph these gorgeous raptors. 

We have logged many hours slowly driving slowly watching closely to see if we can find a white owl blending into a chunk of white snow, or tucked into a rusting piece of farm equipment, or high atop a utility pole. 

We have taken hundreds (maybe thousands) of photos of snowy owls. Just when we think we should maybe say we have enough, we see something we have never captured before. Recently we were able to capture something that is very unique to owls. 

Owls will eat their prey whole. They eat rodents, small birds, small mammals. During digestion the parts that can not be dissolved, bones, beaks, claws, etc will form a 'pellet' which the owl will regurgitate. 

We have seen this before but this past weekend we actually caught the moment that a real beauty 'hacked up' a pellet. You may not think this is pretty but we could not have been more excited! 

So, I don't think we will ever give up on seeking out and watching snowy owls. There is always going to be something interesting and beautiful to see.