From: fullertk                                               
Subject: snowy owl sighted in Oregon                                      
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 14:43:09 -0800

A snowy owl is resting near the I-5N/205N split as you proceed on 205 it is on the right. It was first sighted this morning and students have gone and documented it. He/She is expected to rest there for the rest of the day. This is the only sighting in Oregon so far, there have been others in NY and Minnesota and BC.

Laura notes
Snowy owls' traditionally are found in the artic habitat. It is rare for them to be found so far south. The Conservation Centre mentions that "The Snowy owl being a polar species has a strictly circumpolar distribution, meaning that this species is found at the same polar latitudes right around the globe. During the short polar summer season this species remains confined to the high Arctic. It is only during winters when periodic ‘eruption years’ occur that the Snowy Owl is commonly seen south of the tree line. This phenomenon is mainly due to the cyclic ‘crash’ of the Snowy Owl’s main food source, namely the lemming, and to a lesser degree to severity of winter weather conditions. During these ‘invasion’ years the Snowy Owl can be seen as far south as the northern states and is even considered a regular visitor to the great plains states. Being a species of open spaces, the Snowy Owl can be found, when south of it’s treeless tundra habitat, in almost any open expanse, be it grassland, over frozen bodies of water or even in farmer’s fields!" In Oregon, records show that a fine adult female was documented (and shot) by a hunter in Oregon back in November 30, 1909 close Sheridan, Douglas county.

 Other parts of  their food chain include:

Lemmings are small mammalian creatures, herbivorous in nature, famous for their extreme population explosions and subsequent crashes. Their diet includes grasses, sedges, bearberry, and cottongrass in summer; twigs and buds of willow in winter.  Willows are extremely abundant in northern habitats.  Scientists argue over the proper classification of the different types into species. When I visited Alaska about 8 years ago, a book I read on the subject divided them out into about 32 different types!!

We are wondering if anyone managed to get a photo of this wonderful visitor? If so, post it up on The Dirt!