A Snowy Owl was not seen at National Airport for the second consecutive
day. My friend Bob Beard had driven up from Richmond, and we did not find
the bird from Gravelly Tundra between 4:30 and 5:15. The temperature was
low, and the wind was strong. The wings of some of the planes wobbled as
they tried to fly into the wind. Ring-billed Gulls were flapping their
wings and making little forward progress. Before I arrived, Bob had seen a
flock of 25+ Redheads circle at Gravelly and then fly south down the river.
He also saw a kestrel eating a mouse.
Regarding the likelihood for seeing a Snowy Owl at the airport in the
coming days, there are three main possibilities: (1) the owl has left the
DC area for whiter pastures; (2) the owl has left the airport area and has
moved to Hains Point or another nearby area; or (3) the owl is staying at
the far south end of the airport that is not visible from Gravelly Point.
An argument for item 3 is that last time the owl was seen on Monday night,
it flew to an area behind a fence at the south of the airport and was no
longer visible. That area is about a mile from Gravelly Point, and the bird
would be difficult to see there. An argument for item 2 is that on
Saturday, the bird flew in from the direction of the river, and it might
have been hunting in an area across the river. DC and Maryland birders
should be alert for possible Snowy Owl sightings, as should birders in
Northern Virginia. As for item 1, if the owl has left the DC area, my final
memory would be the view I got through my telescope of it hovering like a
kestrel, which is my favorite memory of all of the sightings I have had
this winter of this magnificent bird.
Best
Bill Young
Arlington, VA
