Snowy Owl on Driftwood

The snowy owl is a bird of the Arctic, however, very few of us are privileged to visit his breeding grounds on the tundra. Even if it was possible to do this, one would be very lucky to see a breeding pair. The area is so vast that the population spreads out and all but disappears. In addition, transportation is difficult so that the traveller can cover only a tiny percentage of suitable habitat.

The opposite holds true for the winter range. The snowy owl is a bird of open country. This eliminates the huge area of forested North America and brings him to agricultural land that has a normal winter snow cover. It is here that the owls congregate feeding on the mice that are common in such country. It also happens that much of this land borders the Great Lakes or seashore where the water is open. Weakened waterfowl or gulls provide an easier quantity of protein than the small, elusive mice.

This owl is perched on some driftwood along the edge of a winter lake. The tree has been trimmed with a saw and then eroded away by water action along the bank where it grew. I enjoy speculating on the original resting place and and the adventures it has had to bring it to this spot, thus becoming a lowly perch for an elegant bird.