This morning I hoped to finally catch up with the Snowy Owl that has been hanging around in some fields near Old Deerfield way up there in Franklin County but the owl was just not cooperative....perhaps the owl didn't realize how infrequently I travel up that way and that he should have made himself visible. The only birds of note during my time up in Deerfield were several hundred Canada Geese and at least 18 Horned Larks. I didn't run across any other birders while I was there but did have a guy in his pick up 'walking' his dog through the fields (by walking his dog I mean driving his pick up behind the dog beeping his horn). He stopped briefly and said the owl was present yesterday sitting on a dirt mound less than 50' from the road. He also said he has tried to get the owl to flush with his dog so he could see the bird fly but the dog had no interest...another example of the dog being smarter than the owner.
I also stopped briefly at the Honey Pot before dawn but no luck with a Short eared Owl either (think I may have been just a few minutes too late). The only owl I managed to find today was an Eastern Screech Owl in the Bashin area of Hatfield.
Admired the beautiful Snowy Owl, for over over an hour, at noon today, over the marsh just north of, Old Deerfield. It preened, flew from one branch to another, swooned and then napped, while I observed it. Was truly beautiful! Quite a common presence, I was told, but magnificent to see for myself..
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it is still around...has not been reported in weeks.
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