A pair of snowy owls is spending the winter at Orient Beach State Park – and the typically elusive birds have been captured on camera.
Park manager Susanne Wuehler was able to photograph both the male and the female birds early last month. The owls are very shy, which usually makes it difficult to get close enough for a photo.
The pair has been spotted around Orient Beach State Park since December, according to park supervisor Bill Bohach, who was with Wuehler when she took the photos.
“They’re beautiful,” Bohach said today. “It’s a real treat when we see them. They’ll take off if you try to approach them.”
The park is usually visited by a handful of snowy owls every winter, he said. “You don’t get to see them in other places, but because it’s quieter out here – there’s not a lot of traffic, not a lot of people – it gives you the opportunity.”
Snowy owls are not considered endangered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, but they are still a rare sight due to their aversion to humans. And with a wingspan that can reach up to 60 inches, they are quite a sight to behold, Bohach said.
“Owls are pretty cool birds to begin with, and these are so large,” he said.
Snowy owls are one of the largest – and heaviest – owls in North America, weighing up to 6.6 pounds. They nest in the Arctic tundra, but they spend their winters further south – usually in Canada and Eurasia, but they have been spotted as far south as Texas. They are easily distinguishable by their thick white feathers and yellow eyes. The male is almost completely white, while the female’s feathers are spotted to help it blend in with the tundra.
The park encourages visitors to keep their distance from the birds if they should stumble across them, Bohach said. “You’re better off staying in your car and being very quiet trying to view them,” he said. “We don’t want to upset them.”
