The Daily Bucket is a place where we share our observations about the natural world. Whether we note the winter birds at our feeders or the dramatic weather events of the season, we are building a resource to learn more about the patterns of nature and how they may be changing. Everyone is welcome to contribute! Just tell us what you are seeing in your backyard or wherever you are roaming and approximately where your observations come from.
Tuesday, we went on an epic pursuit of Snowy Owls. Follow me beyond the soggy field stubble in NW WA state for more.
On our first fruitless trip to the area where many Snowy owls have been seen again this winter, we learned two important things. (1) We needed to get a "hunting permit" from the farmer whose field we had to cross (and we couldn't get one since it was a weekend day) and (2) we needed waterproof boots to slog through the wet fallow fields. So, we were prepared for our second trip.
It was amazing. We saw 5 Snowy owls! I've included 3 of my favorite photos of 3 different owls. As a bonus, we also saw Short-eared owls and Northern Harriers hunting in the field that we had to cross on the way to the Snowies.
Any snowy or owl or any other kind of excitement in your area?