BIRDS:
Owl incursion
January 20, 2005
By
E. Vernon Laux
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Snowy owl. Photo by Julian K. Robinson
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The nomadic
wanderings of hawks and owls in winter has been well documented
over the past 150 years. Sporadically and unpredictably, large numbers
of these birds appear hundreds, even thousands, of miles from where
the species typically is found. These temporary invasions are called
“irruptions.” Currently, the biggest irruption of owls
since records have been kept is occurring in the middle of the country.
The reason you are reading this here is twofold. First and foremost,
this atypical migration of northern owls southward is very interesting,
in and of itself, to birders. Second, some of these birds might
actually make it all the way east to Massachusetts and in the best
of all worlds all the way to Martha's Vineyard. That they have not
yet - ever, that is - made an appearance here means little. Good
things come to those who wait!
An irruption of epic proportions of three species of northern owls
continues to build in Minnesota. This very cold place in winter
has great numbers of owls that normally reside in the boreal forest,
the spruce belt, that ranges across not only North America but the
entire top of the planet in Europe and Asia as well. The plants
and animals that occur in this area are said to have Holarctic ranges.
Currently in Minnesota, there is a staggering number of northern
owls. More than 1,300 great grey owls, 300 hawk owls, and 200 boreal
owls are being reported, as well as a fair number of snowy owls.
This is so “off the charts” that it is hard to comprehend.
A few of these owls occur every winter, but if there are more than
a dozen birds it would be called a good year by birders. The above
totals cause the eyes to glaze over and the mind to shut down.
People love owls
Owls, perhaps the most charismatic birds on the planet, and certainly
a favorite for human observers, are very high on the list of birds
that people most want to see. The incursion of these birds into
Minnesota has brought lots of birders from all over the country
and even the world to view these most pleasing of birds. As residents
of a part of the planet with little human presence, these birds
are generally quite tame and unconcerned about humans as they have
not come in contact with us before. This allows for remarkable views
of these feathered wonders.
The birds are hardly limited by state or country lines. The incursion
is growing and the birds are steadily moving east. In southern Ontario
(not that far from here) there are currently hundreds of great grey
owls. These truly awesome owls are leading this irruption with heretofore
unheard-of numbers. They are truly amazing looking; if you have
a field guide handy, pull it out and look at how shockingly beautiful
these magnificent owls are to behold.
The flip side of this wondrous incursion is that the reason this
is happening is a complete crash in the birds' food supply in the
boreal forest. Rodent populations are cyclical and prone to booms
and busts. For example, the lemming, a small rodent of the north
woods, as well as several species of voles, are at low population
in much of that area. As a result, the birds are starving and stressed.
Forced to either move to find food or starve, they are moving south
in search of small mammals, rodents of any kind, their staple food.
And they are continuing east. In all likelihood, in the next couple
of weeks, it seems likely that the first birds should reach New
England and Massachusetts. There will be more on this flight of
owls as the winter progresses.
Quiet on the Island
Back on the Vineyard, things have been fairly quiet, although quiet
here would be a dull roar almost anywhere else in the state at this
time of year. The Cape and especially Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard
offer far and away the best winter birding in all of New England.
Tufted titmice and pine warblers continue to be reported from many
bird feeders on the Vineyard. This has never happened before as
the titmice have reached some kind of threshold and pine warblers
are over-wintering in exceptional numbers all across the northeast.
This is a good time of year to view lots of different waterfowl
at relatively close range. Loons, grebes, various sea and puddle
ducks, all may be viewed easily from various locations and harbors.
Binoculars are most useful and bring the birds closer, revealing
patterns and shapes that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Armed
with a reasonably good pair of binoculars and a field guide, a new
observer can work out the identification of any bird that is clearly
seen.
If you have not tried this, give it a go. It has a way of becoming
very interesting very quickly.
It also gives anyone with a fondness for getting out of doors, another
reason to do so. Until next week - keep your eyes to the sky!
To contribute news
about your birding activities or sightings, call The Times Birdline,
508-693-6100, extension 33; or e-mail birds@mvtimes.com.
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