I thought people would be interested in knowing about this.
It's apparently a particularly hard winter up north (north?
I'll bet you thought *I* was in the Great White North.
Never mind ;-)
 
We're experiencing a "winter flight" of Great Grey Owls.
They've come south because they're having trouble finding
their normal food (lemmings, mice) in the arctic.
 
They're *huge*.  5 foot plus wingspans (Great Blue Heron size),
and a body that appears to be the size of a 2 year-old child in
a snowsuit.  (by the book, 25"+ body)
 
Neat thing is that they're daylight hunters.
 
They may make it down into the northern states (VT, NH,
NY, MI), so keep your eyes peeled.  Look for *large* birds
sitting in trees near open areas.  Or on telephone poles.
 
Patricia saw one last night on a pole and practically had
heart failure.  Just then the radio station issued a "teaser"
about big owls being spotted in the area.  The later
story on them was about one of the reporters going into the
woods with a MNR field person.  They lured one down out
of its tree with a mouse.  The reporter was flabbergasted
at the size (the tape recording had many excited noises ;-).
She said it was like standing on a runway and staring down
a landing 747.
 
They aren't particularly shy.  If you're quiet, you can
get moderately close - but they get annoyed if you drown
out the noises they're listening for (mice squeaking under
the snow).  We've been advised that you can stop and take
pictures, but not to leave the road.
 
Now's a really good time to keep your ferrets indoors ;-)
(Not that they'd like the 2'+ of snow, and -25C temperatures)
 
Gregory (2 1/2) and I are going off to see if we can see one on our
way into "work".  With camera and long lense.
 
[Posted in FML issue 0223]