Like everyone else I'll excited to hear that we are having a visitation from the North other than Santa and hope some may find their way to the south sound or Gray's Harbor area.??
Snowy owls are not nocturnal they are diurnal otherwise they wouldn't be able to eat in the nightless arctic summer.? When you see them they will be active and seem to take cat like naps but you aren't keeping them awake or keeping them from hunting.? During the last big outbreak and the following year echo the owls at Damon Pt. Ocean Shores were visited by hundreds of people, dozens a day even, and yet the flock stayed steady for the whole winter.? Dead gulls and ducks on the? beach testified that they were getting plenty to eat despite our human curiosity.?
For the best views take a scope or ask another birder to use theirs.? I've never had anyone say no.? Most people who got too close were trying to take pictures with dinky cameras or cell phone cameras and I think that generally they weren't birders who would ever read this anyway.? For good pics that don't get too close you need? a superzoom or a long lens DSLR and tripod.
I sincerely hope to see another owl or two this year.? With a roughly? 7 year breakout cycle you never know when will be your last time.?
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Ray Holden
Olympia, WA

Life is for the birds. ?