The severity of last winter brought on some new terms to most of us.  "Polar Vortex" and "Irruption" of Snowy Owls comes to mind.  Well, thank goodness the only time we heard Polar Vortex this year was last October when the meterologists were predicting another one.  We haven't seen it yet (knock on wood). 

Snowy Owl Range Map

As you can see on the range map from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Snowy Owls live their lives in the endless sunshine of the Arctic.  Every once in a while they come flooding the south which is known as an irruption.  Smaller irruptions happen every few years but once in a while a mega-irruption occurs.  The winter of 13-14 was one of those years.  Snowy Owls were spotted as far south as Florida.  Reasons are not certain but it is believed that in winter, when the population of their main source of food, a small rodent called a Lemming, is low, females and juveniles will travel farther south than normal for food. 

In North America, Snowy Owls, also known as Arctic Owl or the Great White Owl, are found during the breeding season from the western Aleutians in Alaska to northeastern Manitoba, northern Quebec and northern Labrador in Canada as indicated in orange on the map to the left.  During the winter they can be found as far south as the northern United States as indicated in blue.  

There is a place, at the very end of Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA, known as Gull Point, that Snowy Owls seem to like.  Perhaps the flat, windswept, treeless tip of the peninsula reminds them of home.  "Presque Isle" comes from the French word presqu'île, meaning "almost an island".  As a matter of fact, at one time is actually was an island.

I made two trips to Presque Isle this winter in search of a Snowy Owl.  The first was 12/26/14, the day after Christmas.  My wife, Elena, and I spent the cold, windy, snow free, day watching a sleepy owl on the beach.  My second trip, in which I went alone, was on 1/14/15 and I had to battle sub-zero temperatures and 8 to 10 inches of snow.

In this blog, I will take you on my trek to Gull Point in search of our Arctic friend.

Scene along Gull Point TrailPresque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

The Gull Point trail is a 3.5 mile round-trip walk.  When the beach is clear of ice, you can cut off some of the distance by venturing off the designated trail and walking the beach.  Either way, about 5 minutes into the walk, you will find the first of about four swampy areas you need to maneuver.  The first is pictured to the right. 

Of course, this was January 14th and the trail was frozen and covered with snow but in warmer weather, you have about two feet of muddy slope to walk on the far right side of this trail.  The trees on the right came in handy, for balance, on the December 26th walk.

As I walked along in freezing temperatures, it brought back memories of summertime reading how to prevent Lyme Disease.  Repellent is something I didn't need to worry about on this day.

Scene along Gull Point TrailPresque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

As I reached the part of the trail that allows you to walk the remainder of the way to Gull Point on the beach, I found it to be covered in Ice Dunes. You can see the trail continuing on the far right of the photo.  Part of the trail was covered with about 5 feet of ice and snow.

Lake Erie and Ice Dunes on Gull Point TrailIce Dune buildup on shore of Lake Erie. Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

The trail to Gull Point is a beautiful walk but it's not for everyone.  It can be challenging, especially in the winter.  As I walked along, I can see habitat that is perfect for the warbler population that resides here in the summer.

Scene along Gull Point TrailPresque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

As I reach the windswept land of Gull Point, there are numerous signs reminding us of how important this area is for migratory birds and summer breeding birds.  Other than a four foot wide marked trail to the observation tower, all the land is closed to human traffic from April 1 to November 30.

Gull PointPresque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

The next two photos are going to show you relatively the same scene from the two days I was there.  The first, on 12/26/14, was free of snow and the lake did not begin to freeze. Gull PointPresque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

This photo, made 1/14/15 shows winter at its best.  The ice dunes were building and the deep snow drifted around the landscape.

Gull Point Beach with Ice DunesGull Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

Nature is the best artist.

Driftwood @ Gull PointGull Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

I searched the landscape for the largest, by weight, North American owl, the Snowy Owl.  Finally, perched tightly between ice mounds, I saw the swiveling head of either a female or juvenile.  Adult, male Snowy owls are pure white.  I've read that they usually don't come this far south. The female and juvenile owls are white with sparse brown bars or spots.  Their bright, yellow eyes stand out in the white landscape.

Snowy OwlNorth Shore of Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

Taking you back to December, here is a photo of a Snowy perched on a piece of driftwood.

Snowy OwlNorth Shore of Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

To help illustrate the wind on Gull Point, here is a 29 second video of the above Snowy Owl while sitting on a driftwood perch.  Just listen to the wind as he surveys the landscape.

Snowy OwlNorth Shore of Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA
Made: 12/26/2014

Owls aren't the only wildlife running around Gull Point.  Coyote and Red Fox tracks are found everywhere.  Sorry, I wasn't lucky enough to see either of those animals.  However, I did find another visitor from the Arctic, the Snow Bunting.

Snow BuntingGull Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

Snow Bunting Range Map

The Snow Bunting is also a bird of the high Arctic and snowy winter fields.  The male Snow Bunting returns to it's breeding grounds in early April and the female follows four to six weeks later.  The breeding grounds are shown, in orange, on the range map to the left.  The blue section is their winter range.

I only found two Snow Buntings at Gull Point that day.  Last year, I had success finding a nice flock of Snow Buntings at Pymatuning State Park in northwest Pennsylvania near the Ohio border. 

When the male Snow Bunting arrives early to its breeding ground, he will set up and defend his nesting site.  They still come together in flocks to search for food and will roost in groups of 30 to 80 birds.

Let's get back to the Snowy Owl.  Snowy Owls are diurnal, meaning they hunt all hours during the day.  In the Arctic summer, it is daylight nearly 24 hours of the day.  Because of that, we get to enjoy Snowy Owl activity, during the day, here in the United States.

I mentioned earlier that the Snowy Owl is North America's largest owl.  Let me explain.  Because they live in the Arctic, they have thick feathers.  These thick feathers make the male weigh up to 5 1/2 pounds and the larger female up to 6 1/2 pounds.  They are 21 to 26 inches tall with wingspans of 4.2 to 4.8 feet.  So, they aren't really our largest owl but they are our heaviest owl. Snowy OwlNorth Shore of Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

Back on our December 26th visit, this Snowy was content just sitting on this driftwood perch.  It was very windy and the shape of the wood offered some protection.

Snowy OwlNorth Shore of Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

Some people think wildlife photographers are either very patient or crazy for the time spent on a project.  We watched this owl for five hours and it never left this piece of driftwood.  Here is another short video of what he did for five hours.

Snowy OwlNorth Shore of Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA
Made: 12/26/2014

Elena and I weren't the only ones at Gull Point that December day.  Below is a photo I grabbed as I was watching the sleepy owl.  Friends and fellow photographers Tom Dorsey, Jim McClelland, and Don McClelland are among the photographers.

Gull PointPark visitors photographing a Snowy Owl.
Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

Even though he didn't move that day, the time went fast, we had great company, and it was a great day all-in-all.  I made one more image before we began walking back to the vehicle for warmth and much needed food.

Snowy OwlNorth Shore of Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA

It's only the end of January so I may get back but as the lake freezes, the owls become more scarce.  Food source, like waterfowl, don't have open water so they move to another spot and the Snowy Owls aren't confined to land.  They have the entire lake to perch on when it's frozen making photography impossible. 

Well, I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of a day at Presque Isle's Gull Point.  The trek can be difficult so dress warm, wear appropriate footwear, and take lots to drink, even in the winter.

Until next time,

Dan