MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 12, 2023
Folks are reporting that many of our winter visitors are now coming south. One species that we’ve been getting asked about recently is the snowy owl. This denizen of the arctic tundra often shows up in Maine at least in small numbers. Some years we see large flights of them coming south. So, what can we expect to see for snowy owl numbers in Maine this winter? This winter will mark 10 years since we experienced one of the largest flights ever recorded. Irruptions do tend to be cyclical. It is important to remember that snowy owls generally only come to Maine as part of an irruption. Whether it is a large irruption or not, I want to take this opportunity to remind about proper owl-viewing ethics. as soon as your actions change the behavior of the bird, this is a sure sign that you are too close and need to move back immediately. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox