While driving home from doing errands, Betsy and I were surprised to see two SNOWY OWLS on Cambria-Lockport Townline Road (aka Junction Road and State Route 93), about one half mile south of Rt 104, on the west side of the road. We saw just one at first and stopped to check it out but it soon flew a little further back into the field and landed within seven feet of the other owl! We heard some calls coming from the owls but neither chased the other and we left them like that. The first bird, a very white owl, appears to be an adult male. The other lightly marked bird is either an adult female or immature male. There have been an inordinate number of adult male Snowys seen this fall. Seeing as last year's incredible incursion involved many young males, I wonder if these are the same birds returning as adults.
Good birding! Willie ------------------ Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Wilson, NY dannapotterATroadrunner.com http://www.betsypottersart.com <http://www.betsypottersart.com/> 2013 Big Year: http://www.betsypottersart.com/willie-s-photos/2013-big-year/ Big Year List: http://www.happtech.com/BigYearDanna/CurrentList/ShowCurrentListTable.aspx Odenates: http://www.betsypottersart.com/willie-s-photos/dragonflies -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --