In the last few years we have seen an usual number of snowy owls migrating south, and further south than usual, too. One was even spotted in Bermuda last year. This year, biologists are surprised to see that the migration, or irruption as its called, has already started. Irruptions usually start in mid November, but, this year a number of snowy owls have been spotted in the Great Lakes in mid October. They don't expect the numbers to increase again this year, but who knows? After all, these beautiful white birds have been unpredictable lately. Sadly, it is said that when an irruption starts earlier than usual, it's because their Arctic food supply has become scarce, and that the migrating birds are in worse psychical shape than normal. Hopefully, they will find more food during the migration which will fatten them up and give them more energy to go on. Still, it is expected that many wildlife conservation facilities will be very busy with injured or starving snowy owls this year. Some of us will have the opportunity this year to enjoy their presence, but, keep in mind that getting too close to these birds can pose a threat to them. Enjoy them at a distance, perhaps through a long lens camera or binoculars.
It may have been the popularity of the the best-selling books and movies, Harry Potter, that rocketed owls into our pop culture, and, therefore, I think it only fitting that we give tribute to the story and the owls who play such a compelling part.
"Just then, the mail arrived. Harry had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they say their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps." --Excerpt from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Of course, we are all familiar with the owl star being Harry's Snowy Owl, Hedwig. In themovies, Hedwig is a female, but the actual owl 'actors' (there were 7 owls used to play the part of Hedwig) were males. Female owls are not as pure white as males. Also, female Snowy Owls are bigger and would have been much heavier for the young (at the time) actors to handle.
"Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he found in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice." --Excerpt from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Then, there is the Errol, the Weasley family's Great Gray Owl. In the movie, Errol seems to be pretty clumsy, which they're not. They most certainly can't crash around like that which would have actually harmed the bird. For the filming, they used owl dummies for the crashes and then added a shot of the real bird flying, as though flying away from the crash.
It is interesting to note that the Great Gray Owl is known as the biggest owl of all owls, yet weighs less than the Snowy Owl by half! There's another little owl in the first two or three movies of the series, named Pigwidgeon, nickname Pig, a Scops Owl who belongs to Harry's friend, Ron. Pig dosen't have much of a part, just showing once or twice in the background while Ron talked to others. Yet, little Pig has a big personality. He is portrayed as hyper, loud, and a bit of a nuisance with a love to show off. In reality, this species is pretty shy and have a low sounding call. The Scops owl is the second smallest of all owls, the first being the Elf Owl.
"I've got to keep him up here because he annoys Errol and Hermes. He annoys me, too, come to that." -- Ron Weasly, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
We also have Hermes, Percy's Screech Owl that was given to him as a reward and who used the owl to send letters to his girlfriend, Penelope. This is also a small size owl, but with a very spooky whinny and trilling call.
Even the wicked wizard, Draco Malfoy, has an Eurasian Eagle-Owl as a familiar. I would give you its name, but it was never mentioned. The Eurasian Eagle owl is one of the biggest owls, measuring up to 30 inches in length. They're also long lived, up to 20 years in the wild. In all respects, the owls in Harry Potter are in sync with the lore and myth of owls being messengers to witches and wizards. I'm sure that was the author's, J.K. Rowling, intention. I didn't read the books, but I saw all the movies and totally loved them, as I'm sure you did, too.
Yes, snowy owls are back! These beautiful white birds who used to travel South from the Arctic only every few years are again being sighted south for about the fourth year in a row, and it appears that we will be seeing even more of them this year. Experts are not sure why the number increased this year and whether or not it's connected to climate change. Snowy owls breed and hunt in the Arctic where their favorite food of lemmings, rabbit, fish, and rodents are usually plentiful. All we know is that people love them and want to take a peek at them, while photographers scramble to get good shots of them. I, for one, would love that opportunity. However, we must keep in mind that these actions can pose a threat to them. These special birds are easily stressed out and any harassment, regardless of the good intent or not, can weaken them by making them spend more energy they may have in the attempt to get away. Remember, they have traveled a long way from home. It can also cause their deaths if they are already weaken from starvation, or if causes them to miss out on their one potential meal. As such, it's best that we just admire and adore them from a distant and wish them well.
