This morning I made my first attempt to see the Snowy Owl @ Dulles Airport. It
had arrived the day before brfore I left for an Elderhostel birding trip to
Florida (where I picked up the Red-cockaded Woodpecker & Florida Scrub Jay as
well as my 2nd look ever at a Limpkin). Recent reports of the owl being far
from the parking garage discouraged me from giving it a try until this morning.
I arrived at Dulles about 9:45 a.m. & walked toward the southwest corner of
the roof to get myself oriented. The second spot of white I scanned was the
bird sitting on the ground near a runway sign that said "Y" (I was by the
southwest-most set of exit stairs & the owl was directly to the west about 300
hundred yards? out). I got my car & drove to that spot on the roof (could see
the owl sitting in the car out of the wind) & got out my scope & viewed the
bird for about 15 minutes. Watched it sit still on the ground, rotating its
head periodically. Had the garage roof to myself except for
one airport employee picking up luggage carts. Also saw a House Sparrow and
at the airport lake: 12 Canada Geese, 30+ Ring-billed Gulls, & 2 Hooded
Mergansers (as I drove by).
My first legitimate sighting of a Snowy Owl. I was at an Elderhostel in
Churchill, Manitoba last June when a rehabilitative group released 3 Owls.
William E. Parkin
wparkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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