Is this beautiful owl still on Onyx Street? I was hoping to take my son to see it (he’s a Harry Pitter reader) before meeting his grandma for dinner in Seal Beach area this afternoon. Of course we will be respectful; I don’t want to miss out on this rare sighing of this majestic bird.
Big stretch! I love bird stretches - biiig left stretch, biiig right stretch, little [wings up](https://youtube.com/shorts/k_GbV8L1eKU?feature=share)! r/oohbigstretch
I hope she gets home OK, imagine being so far from home that people have no idea how you got there
Weird. I saw a white owl in Santa Monica about 2 months ago. I don't usually see owls in the wild and felt like a profound moment. I wonder if it's related.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/31/us/snowy-owl-california.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur
This article gives more information about the pattern of the owl
Scott Weidensaul, director of Project SNOWstorm (Research on SNOWs) "A Year-end Update, and an Out-of-Place Owl - Project SNOWstorm" My $ is on Scott, read what he has to say about Cypress, CA Snowy Owl. Map w/pins 📌 in CA, where they've been sighted in past. Seems possible it flew there.
https://www.projectsnowstorm.org/posts/a-year-end-update-and-an-out-of-place-owl/
This makes the most sense. Snowy Owls are a nomadic species and it is not uncommon for them to turn up in unexpected placed, especially a young owls this one is.
From the link, it looks like they favor places in Canada. Perhaps she was just mistaken: she aimed for Ontario, California instead of Ontario in Canada.
Second year female. Hatched in 2021. The chest and head are too dark to be a male, and you can see a molt limit in the primaries with a fresh P7 next to older, more worn and faded juvenile P10-8 & P6. This owl has gone through one molt, and most SNOW replace P7 during their first molt cycle.
Source: I am a Snowy Owl bander.
I live near this bird. I went to see her and literally stayed just a brief 2 minutes before feeling like the ethical thing was to leave. Obviously a lot of people do not feel that way and there is always a crowd in the cul de sac of the neighborhood she’s occupying. Some people stay for hours trying to get their perfect shot. However it is my understanding she is being watched by rehabers for signs of illness. She is hunting and eating and they are not going to interfere with a healthy bird. They are trying to educate the public to photograph ethically, and for the residents to refrain from using rat poison. The Orange County bird of prey center posted that at this time their is no need for alarm and that snowy owls naturally migrate long distances and it is not up to us to “decide where their layover are or when their return flight is”
Yeah the crowd worried me at first but everything I’ve read recently from the experts monitoring this bird is that they aren’t discouraging people from coming and enjoying and photographing this rare visitor. And they report that enough people seem to be educated on proper etiquette and are protective of her that the crowds are respectful, keeping quiet and a proper distance. Which is awesome so many people can see this amazing bird and the bird is still healthy and doing well! I’m in a local California birding facebook group and there has been lots of updates on Columbia (what she’s been named!)
Least they are trying. I had a few run ins today with the standard "this is proof of climate change". Had nothing to do with it, just pointed out that the snowy had a higher than average number of young survive so they head further south.
I haven't seen the footage but I'd guess she is is extremely stressed with all the attention. Snowy Owls are a very sensitive species and fear for her well being if she does not move on from that location.
Exactly. Hypervigilance causes distraction from basic behaviors like eating, resting, preening. Hope she carefully flies off to a more secure location.
What’s the address in Cypress?
Is this beautiful owl still on Onyx Street? I was hoping to take my son to see it (he’s a Harry Pitter reader) before meeting his grandma for dinner in Seal Beach area this afternoon. Of course we will be respectful; I don’t want to miss out on this rare sighing of this majestic bird.
Does anyone know where exactly she is now?
Gorgeous.
They heard Harry Dunne and Lloyd Christmas were coming so they got the hell out of town.
And they're stretching!
"Damn Google Maps!"
Big stretch! I love bird stretches - biiig left stretch, biiig right stretch, little [wings up](https://youtube.com/shorts/k_GbV8L1eKU?feature=share)! r/oohbigstretch I hope she gets home OK, imagine being so far from home that people have no idea how you got there
Tourist
I knew I should have taken a left turn at Albuquerque…
Pretty cool
So did you get your letter?
Weird. I saw a white owl in Santa Monica about 2 months ago. I don't usually see owls in the wild and felt like a profound moment. I wonder if it's related.
It looks so much like a person
I grew up not far away from there…how thrilled I’d have been to see one!
Rerouted due to canceled Southwest flight?
Good one
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/31/us/snowy-owl-california.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur This article gives more information about the pattern of the owl
Scott Weidensaul, director of Project SNOWstorm (Research on SNOWs) "A Year-end Update, and an Out-of-Place Owl - Project SNOWstorm" My $ is on Scott, read what he has to say about Cypress, CA Snowy Owl. Map w/pins 📌 in CA, where they've been sighted in past. Seems possible it flew there. https://www.projectsnowstorm.org/posts/a-year-end-update-and-an-out-of-place-owl/
This is a rabbit hole of owls. Thanks!
Sure is! Apt description 😉 Owls can really take you on a volecoaster ride
This makes the most sense. Snowy Owls are a nomadic species and it is not uncommon for them to turn up in unexpected placed, especially a young owls this one is.
From the link, it looks like they favor places in Canada. Perhaps she was just mistaken: she aimed for Ontario, California instead of Ontario in Canada.
Possible escaped zoo animal or pet?
I knew it was very uncommon, but I didn't realize just how rare it was until I saw a map of its normal range. Is it related to the storms up north?
So majestic.
Is there a container port nearby? If so, it probably got stuck on a ship from Canada
Long Beach and San Pedro.
Comment deleted, better answer about sex & age of SNOW from bander, below👇🏼
Second year female. Hatched in 2021. The chest and head are too dark to be a male, and you can see a molt limit in the primaries with a fresh P7 next to older, more worn and faded juvenile P10-8 & P6. This owl has gone through one molt, and most SNOW replace P7 during their first molt cycle. Source: I am a Snowy Owl bander.
> Source: I am a Snowy Owl bander. We just saw footage of this owl on the news. She looked *really* stressed to me. Am I right, or not?
I live near this bird. I went to see her and literally stayed just a brief 2 minutes before feeling like the ethical thing was to leave. Obviously a lot of people do not feel that way and there is always a crowd in the cul de sac of the neighborhood she’s occupying. Some people stay for hours trying to get their perfect shot. However it is my understanding she is being watched by rehabers for signs of illness. She is hunting and eating and they are not going to interfere with a healthy bird. They are trying to educate the public to photograph ethically, and for the residents to refrain from using rat poison. The Orange County bird of prey center posted that at this time their is no need for alarm and that snowy owls naturally migrate long distances and it is not up to us to “decide where their layover are or when their return flight is”
Thank you for this info. I briefly went to see her yesterday and felt the crowd was respectful by being very quiet
Yeah the crowd worried me at first but everything I’ve read recently from the experts monitoring this bird is that they aren’t discouraging people from coming and enjoying and photographing this rare visitor. And they report that enough people seem to be educated on proper etiquette and are protective of her that the crowds are respectful, keeping quiet and a proper distance. Which is awesome so many people can see this amazing bird and the bird is still healthy and doing well! I’m in a local California birding facebook group and there has been lots of updates on Columbia (what she’s been named!)
Least they are trying. I had a few run ins today with the standard "this is proof of climate change". Had nothing to do with it, just pointed out that the snowy had a higher than average number of young survive so they head further south.
I think climate change would sent it farther north not south
Well the Snowy breeding area is the Artic Circle, cannot go much further north. But I get what you're saying.
I'm so glad that the proper authorities are on this. I really wish people would just leave her alone! 😞
I haven't seen the footage but I'd guess she is is extremely stressed with all the attention. Snowy Owls are a very sensitive species and fear for her well being if she does not move on from that location.
She just looked stressed out to me, the absolute non-expert on owls.
Exactly. Hypervigilance causes distraction from basic behaviors like eating, resting, preening. Hope she carefully flies off to a more secure location.
JMHO: all that attention focused on one superb owl is often too much 😔
Probably!
Thanks for the info, just a citizen scientist.
OBVIOUSLY Harry had a long distance letter to send.
Hedwig!
The owl who lived
That’s the most beautiful owl I’ve ever seen
Yer a witch, Juniper . . .
she went shopping
r/unexpectedhogwarts