How To Find SNOWY OWLS

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Күн бұрын

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@SteveSSBB Ай бұрын

Mr. Duchesne. My feeling is that any video about owl observation should be accompanied by some talk regarding ethical behaviour and approach, so thank you. As a photographer I am often (usually) ashamed of what I see. The worst part of this lust for owl photographs is that for the most part people post these shots on social media for validation and praise from other people they often don’t even know. The reward for the photographer is fleeting, and the owls suffer. People don’t seem to realize that wild creatures must conserve energy for things other than dealing with people who approach disrespectfully or worse, attempt to provoke certain behaviours for a photograph. In photographic terms people generally want to get too close. The best shots are distant and show some environmental aspect of the scene and a comfortable, sleeping owl is far more pleasing than an owl whose eyes are wide open with fear. Thank you again.

@Bob_Duchesne Ай бұрын

Absolutely. So much money is spent on optics so that wildlife can be enjoyed at a distance. Then the birds get crowded anyway. Drives me nuts. I always watch the owl (actually, all wildlife) to gauge its reaction. In the case of the short-eared owl, a small crowd of photographers gathered, but they all kept their distance and the owl simply ignored the attention. Every now and then he would look our way just to make sure everyone was behaving, then go right back to watching the field. He was acomfortable little tyke.

@gcarmichael Ай бұрын

I've seen photography groups preach ethical behavior, only to turn around and gather in large numbers every day-all day-near a snowy owl, waiting for that "perfect shot" they don’t already have. Unfortunately, in many of these photos, you can see clear signs of stress in the owl’s eyes. This isn't limited to owls; we see it in other wildlife posts too-bulging eyes, laid-back ears, and other signs of distress. The problem is often exacerbated by repeat visitors from local groups who unintentionally reinforce negative stereotypes about photographers. This constant presence not only stresses the bird but also casts a shadow on the entire community of wildlife enthusiasts. Take your photos, then leave so others can enjoy the experience. Return occasionally, but give the owl a break-don't be there every single day, all day. Respect its space and well-being.

@jaurijantzi424 27 күн бұрын

There were two snowy owls that I saw today, the female was more skittish than the male, the male allowed myself and others to approach closer, I got photos of him sleeping, eyes closed, I tried to make sure that I didn’t appear threatening and cautiously approached, not wanting to get too close to either one

@jaurijantzi424 27 күн бұрын

@@gcarmichaeluhm, for the bulging eyes, what if the snowy owl’s eyes are open but they turn their head at you every so often, is that a sign of stress or not, if so then I feel bad for accidentally doing this to such a magnificent creature

@gcarmichael 27 күн бұрын

@@jaurijantzi424 In the owl’s eyes, we are an unknown presence and can easily be perceived as a threat. I also take photos of snowy owls-they are undeniably beautiful. However, the point I want to make is that the constant presence of any repeat group seems to cast a shadow over the entire wildlife enthusiast community. We should aim to take our photos and then leave, allowing others to enjoy the experience. Return occasionally, but give the owl a break. In my opinion, groups of people who constantly text each other about the owl’s every movement and show up every day, all day, are not respecting the owl’s space or well-being.

@lynnecliffe3056 24 күн бұрын

I appreciated how you used your sense of humour to make valid comments about birding mindfulness.

@theaveragenick5554 29 күн бұрын

I live in Wisconsin. Saw my first one in November. Was almost in tears. Since then, I've seen 4 more! Great year for them.

@finntowle3186 Ай бұрын

Happy you made the trip to Plum Island it’s a great place. Love you videos

@libertymedicalcommunicatio4908 Ай бұрын

Great stuff! There have been a few snowy sightings down on Cape Cod this year, none by me. BTW, the town of Barnstable was fined on July 4 of last year for parking the fireworks barge too close to piping plover nests.

@msmary126 21 күн бұрын

I love all of your videos. We homeschool and enjoy learning your birding lessons! We are in Limerick, Maine ❤

@Bob_Duchesne 21 күн бұрын

Thanks. Let me know if you have any suggestions that homeschoolers would like. It's all fun for me.

@leobachand8408 Ай бұрын

Excellent video!!! Parker River is one of our favorites spots!!! Love it done there!!

@stevensaunders4982 28 күн бұрын

Thanks for another great video and ethical talk on observing them. Did you see the post last week of a Snowy taking a Surf Scoter in the south shore area of Boston?

@Bob_Duchesne 28 күн бұрын

No, I didn't see that post. I would have wagered a snowy owl wouldn't do that. I would think they'd avoid water. I learn something new every day.

@darylbernard2616 Ай бұрын

Really enjoy your videos, Bob. Thank you for sharing your love for and knowledge of birds.

@louisswaim7024 Ай бұрын

I harbor no hopes of seeing a Snowy Owl here on the west coast, but who knows? We recently had a vagrant Snow Bunting show up for an extended engagement in the Bay Area. Loved this video!

@Bob_Duchesne Ай бұрын

I am reminded that snowy owls appeared in Hawaii and Bermuda during the last big irruption. There's hope. Faint hope, admittedly.

@JonoFreedrixWildlife 15 күн бұрын

I saw on once on the west coast, in Delta, near Vancouver British Columbia

@StephenJStephen_Photography Ай бұрын

Bob, thank you for another great video. I have been fortunate to have seen, and photographed, many beautiful Snowy Owls here in Ontario, Canada over the years. Sadly, in recent years, there has been increased pressure on these owls by too many photographers. Now, I generally avoid going to see them despite my love for these wonderful birds.

@Bob_Duchesne Ай бұрын

Yes, we had a very cooperative, lingering northern hawk-owl 45 minutes from my home last winter. Everyone went to see it. I didn't, for the same reason.

@Rad_Radster_Experience 45 минут бұрын

Awesome! My only Snowy Owl encounter was by accident. Traveling late one night down a very dark secluded road in central California and smack in the middle of the road was this huge white owl on top of some dead things. It freaked us out because we had just come out of a bend on the road and POOF there it was looking right at us. We had to stop while it took it's time to carry on

@johnniewelbornjr.8940 27 күн бұрын

A nicely-presented video that popped up at random in my feed. I've yet to spot any here in northwestern North Dakota but they are sighted according to the app/online map. I, too, am always amazed by how some crowd wildlife (of any sort), especially with the focal lengths one has available today. It's why I don't often visit the most visited parks or public lands in the northern Plains/Rockies regions, for I'd rather be away from such people. If one has affected an animal's behavior, they're simply too close. I'm thankful to have Theodore Roosevelt NP, Little Missouri National Grasslands and any number of small wildlife refuges near at hand here, for they don't get the pressure that many of the most visited lands suffer. I invested in such long glass for my photography for these very reasons. :)

@Bob_Duchesne 27 күн бұрын

Yup. It was pricey, but I got a video camera with lots of zoom, and it's 4K so I can crop and still get good KZbin resolution. No need to get close.

@enixxe Ай бұрын

Funny you should mention the harrier and short-eared owl interaction. I drove a bit on Christmas Eve to get a look at a short-eared owl and a pair of harriers happened to show up and, yep, the owl did not approve of their existence. It chased them relentlessly until they decided to leave.

@cliftonwhittaker260 Ай бұрын

Another informative and entertaining video, Bob.

@bonblue4993 28 күн бұрын

I was driving on the island of Kuaui and I saw a huge snowy owl sitting on a fence. I couldn't believe it!

@deadfdr Ай бұрын

Bob is one the best ! Clearly.

@Bitternbirdwatching Ай бұрын

I go to Parker river all the time and I would definitely suggest going in spring. The warblers are usually at about eye level and there’s a ton of them so you can get really nice views

@timolheiser7874 29 күн бұрын

Southeast Saskatchewan in winter between Estevan and Regina on the prairies.

@marthahealy3392 Ай бұрын

Excellent video, great content! Saw my first Snowy and Short Eared Owl at Parker River. Snowy Owls trapped at Logan are released here too. Another reason for higher numbers here. Joppa Flats Audubon center is just down the road and a good place to find out about recent winter sitings. Thanks Bob.

@barryspruce7397 Ай бұрын

Great video as usual Bob. If you are still there you should get video of the resident Rough-legged Hawk and Peregrine Falcon. Most years there are also King Eider as well. Happy birding and New Year!

@Jps3bs Ай бұрын

Another great video Bob 😊👍 Some great lessons in OWLGY..Like you would say, "Is that a word."😂😂😂 Love your channel 😊

@matt.m504 Ай бұрын

Parker River is one of my favorite places I've birded. The shorebirds in late summer are spectacular, and the strong community of birders there means having local experts readily available to give tips on finding birds!

@Bob_Duchesne 29 күн бұрын

It was noticeable. Many birders were clearly local, and frequent visitors. You can tell a lot from bumper stickers.

@PixelAquarium Ай бұрын

Great video!

@yekhtikianfilms5448 Ай бұрын

There are 2 frequently seen snowy owls at Duxbury Beach in Plymouth along with a short eared owl if you wanted to see them.

@Bob_Duchesne Ай бұрын

I thought about running down the coast a little farther, but I think I'm getting over that way in late winter anyway.

@yekhtikianfilms5448 Ай бұрын

@ Great such a cool area and would love to see a video on it. I ended up seeing the snowy owls last Saturday for the first time.

@masspatriot5409 4 күн бұрын

I’ve heard they have had to periodically close the area because of the people disturbing the owls 🦉 😢

@ShaynaCossetteBirding 25 күн бұрын

We are blessed in the prairie provinces to have ample opportunities to view Snowy Owls, the majority of which are spotted on telephone poles along the highways or along snow rows (man-made snow drifts to control where natural snow drifts form)

@Bob_Duchesne 25 күн бұрын

I was just watching your latest, and thought how cool it would be to have willow ptarmigans in the backyard.

@ShaynaCossetteBirding 25 күн бұрын

@Bob_Duchesne the closest ive seen them is about 3 blocks away on the edge of town, but that could almost still be considered one's backyard. It appears to be a great year for them with high numbers along the roadways

@Dashbshots 26 күн бұрын

I've been photographing short eared owls at different locations the last couple days. Today, they were visible at 4:10 pm. Poor lighting. Last Spring I photographed a harrier chasing a seo with a vole. The harrier won in the end. One image showed the seo on top, the harrier down to the left looking back at the vole falling down to the right. Love triangle? The harrier got it on the ground as the seo flew in for one more attack. Seo's are fun to photograph if the lighting is good. I've never seen a Snowy owl in person.

@MaineSWH Ай бұрын

Bob is a Maine treasure. Maybe a New England treasure. Actually, he’s a North American treasure!! 🦉📻

@wildbillgreen Ай бұрын

The absolute best way to find a snowy owl at Parker River is look for the crowd of people with giant lenses and tripods 😊

@kndvolk Ай бұрын

The best NWR in the US, Forsythe aka Brigantine, has had its fair share of Snowy Owls, too.

@Bob_Duchesne Ай бұрын

I got one at Bombay Hook years ago, but none at Brig so far.

@Islander2112 Ай бұрын

They come down to the south shore of Long Island too.

@gerryfedde3040 Ай бұрын

A good place to see snowy owls when they come down in large numbers is a municipal airport. Have been regulary reported at Syracuse, NY and I've seen them at the Albany, NY airport.

@dvan7117 23 күн бұрын

I've seen one in 2018 in eastern Kansas and unless I travel to the far north I hope I never see another one. I'm sure the one I saw, although it was exciting, probably never made it back to it's natural range. most of these owls seen this far south are young owls and they usually starve or die by several other means.