Snowy owl seen in Central Park after 130 years, a rare spotting of an 'unpredictable' Arctic bird

[douglas9]

NEW YORK – Becky DePorte was about 45 minutes outside of the city when she got the text from a friend last Wednesday: A snowy owl was in Central Park.

DePorte — an avid bird watcher — was then unaware a sighting of the owl hadn't been reported in Central Park in 130 years. At the time, she was in Rockefeller State Park Preserve with a friend who was looking for a pileated woodpecker, a bird she had seen plenty of times growing up in rural Pennsylvania.

"I really didn't care about a pileated woodpecker," she said. So she hopped in an Uber, and "$60 and 45 minutes later, I was back in Central Park running to the ballfield with my camera."


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/snowy-owl-seen-in-central-park-after-130-years-a-rare-spotting-of-an-unpredictable-arctic-bird/ar-BB1dlDx2?ICID=ref_fark&ocid=BingNews

[randr]

1. One of these magnificent creatures lived in a tree on my property back in the 70's

I would see him perched in the same juniper tree every morning while I fed the cattle. It returned to the the same tree every year for the time I lived on the property. On snowy days he would stick out as the tree he chose would be the only dark object in the field. Sure wish I had the photographic capability I have today then. The image is hard wired in my memory.

[nam78_two]

2. Very cool

Neat looking bird:



I heard a pileated woodpecker once in some woods in North Carolina. It was pretty cool even if it was no snowy owl.

[Stuart G]

3. Wonderful Post...K and R

[live love laugh]

4. I saw one in Chicago on the lakefront about two years ago while walking.

I’m not a bird watcher but seeing this magnificent creature is a captivating experience.

First of all the size...I was surprised at how big it was-- not giant, like turkeys, but big enough. As I walked toward it get a closer look and take a picture it turned its head 180° with ... those eyes looking straight at me.

I even googled it then and it was indeed a snowy owl exactly like the one in this picture.

Apparently, it made its home here for a short while because I saw it two more times--each time at the same place. The last time I saw it there was a photographer with a long lens taking photos from afar. After that it disappeared never to be seen again.

Maybe that’s the same bird and now he's living in New York.

It is a beautiful bird.