Birders,
While conducting habitat work on the north side of John Martin Reservoir
Reservoir this morning, I rounded a corner on a peninsula and came
face-to-face with a Snowy Owl on the beach on the edge of the water. I
only looked for a couple of seconds before retreating, and thought it
was either an adult female or immature male. The bird seemed not to
notice me, and I was confident it would stick around. I made calls to
the Rangers at John Martin Reservoir and local birders and walked to a
bluff where I could look again at a distance. I never relocated the bird.
There was a Snowy Owl in similar plumage on private property within ten
miles of today's location on February 5th and 6th. I respected the
landowners request not to post that bird. This could be the same bird,
or, with the magnitude of the invasion this year, an entirely different
individual.
I don't know where to suggest looking, as there is a lot of suitable
prairie and lakeshore habitat in the area. I did get a consolation prize
while trying to locate the Snowy Owl, a group of seven returning
American Avocets.
Duane Nelson
Las Animas, Bent County, CO
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