Will you see a snowy owl this winter? My introduction to snowy owls came, as a kid looking into a display case in a café and seeing a box of White Owls cigars. I did not see a real thing until I was in my twenties. I suspect that many kids these days see them first in a Harry Potter movie, but no doubt some North Dakota kids get to see the actual bird some winters. Snowy owls seem to elicit a sense of the faraway lands, although perhaps not as far away as those on a cigar box.
Snowy owls, of course, are species of the tundra. So are lemmings, which are mouse-like mammals that are the main food source for snowy owls. For decades this predator/prey relationship has been known to be closely linked, and a four-year population cycle been well documented. When the lemming population is high, the snowy owl population increases. Then when the lemming population drops, the snowy owls are forced to look elsewhere for food. As a result, large numbers of them are known to wander south into southern Canada and the northern states in search of food.
However, snowy owls are rather regular winter visitors to North Dakota, although their numbers can be quite variable. Biologists have recently discovered that snowy owls do not wander south — only when the lemming population is low. They may also move southward when their population is high and they must search for new territories elsewhere.
There is a good chance that at least a few snowy owls will show up in the state this winter. Look for them perching on utility poles, fence posts, or on the ground as well.
Plus: Upcoming Meteor Showers
When the sun goes down over the next few days be on the lookout for falling stars. The peak viewing period for the Leonids Meteor Shower is coming up this coming Monday night (November 17). Astronomers are predicting up to 15 meteors per hour during the peak viewing period. Plus, the Leonids are known for occasional bursts of meteors.
And although the peak viewing period is past, the Taurids Meteor Shower is overlapping with the Leonids, and will continue through December 10. A thin crescent moon should make for good viewing if the sky is clear. So, make a point of checking it out.
