Storm forces great gray owls out of the high country

Finally, the last big snowstorm not only gave us plenty of water for crops and our lawns, but also forced the great gray owls into the low country. Last Friday four showed up along the Henrys Fork of the Snake River while two returned to the banks of the South Fork of the Teton. All six of them appear to be finding plenty of rodents to fill their bellies.

Friday, I watched from a distance, and was happy to see them and waited until Monday to begin photographing the ones on the Henrys Fork. I watched as four of them collected and ate nine voles as the snow in that area was not very deep and were easy captures for them. By the time other vehicles showed up with owl-lovers, they were full and moved into the thick brush to rest for the day. Evening time all four of them showed up and put on a show for the cameras.

With temperatures almost reaching 50 degrees Tuesday a lot of the snow melted making it easier for them to harvest the rodents. By noon all four were back in the thick cover and were almost non-existent in the evening, leaving a lot of disappointed watchers.

Great grays are rare and birders across the nation wait for sightings and then try to see and photograph them. This week we have had people from the Boise area and Jackson, Wyoming come to photograph them. But the birds are late from moving out of the mountains in Island Park and the Moody Creek area and appear to be very skittish.

Last year due to the early snows, the great grays arrived along the area rivers in December and observers had three months to travel here to see them. This year I saw one in the Chester area in January, but it only was visible for one day. My next sighting was on March 8 and with the temperatures predicted to be in the 50s next week, they could be gone quickly.

On Wednesday and Thursday morning, two or three of the owls showed up early in the morning, only to disappear in the thick brush by 10 a.m. But Wednesday between snow squalls, they put on a show. I got some pictures of a male northern harrier attacking one of the great grays, probably because the harrier was not happy to have the owl invading its chosen nesting territory. After the harrier left, the owl continued hunting in a heavy snow before finally heading for cover.

They are equipped to harvest rodents two feet under the snow with a high success rate. So as soon as they can move back to the mountains to get enough food, they will head back because it will soon be time to start nesting.

“Next week will traditionally be the week I start listening for them at my home in Island Park,” said Adam Brubaker, an expert birder while he was waiting for them to show up Tuesday evening. “This morning, they really put on a show for us, maybe they ate so much that they aren’t going to come out tonight.” He did find one on Wednesday evening still tucked into heavy brush.

Thursday evening several people saw two Great grays out in the brush and when I went out Friday morning, I found one dead on the road that had been hit by a car during the night. The other three were on the fence posts and the power poles along the road, but as soon as other vehicles showed up with people getting out, all three left for the deep brush. One was finally pushed out to give me some good shots of it as it harvest a vole.

With temperatures predicted to be in the 50s the next few days, the owls may leave soon, but the other birds are enjoying it. Thursday night from early evening to dark, hundreds of Tunda swans along with some sandhill cranes dropped into Deer Parks west of the Menan Buttes.

I will also be watching for the snow geese to show up in the Osgood and Mud Lake areas. Ducks are coming into Deer Parks and the ice is starting to breakup on Market Lake. On Wednesday evening I photographed a lone coot and a lesser scaup on some open water at Market Lake.

Thursday evening, I enjoyed three hours of watching thousands of waterfowl playing their mix-master game at Deer Parks. The eagles are starting to have fun with them and that keeps them moving from one field or water to another. It is a time for a lot of enjoyment for those who love the great outdoors.