Forecast calling for sunny skies today…so time to Giddy-Up n Go.
I’ve been kicking down the barn door as of late all due to snowy and windy conditions we’ve had recently.
With the current temps sitting at -30c and gloves may be required to keep the “Clicker Finger” warm…but it’s a dry cold.
Perhaps time to head to Bush Country in hopes of some different owls rather than the wind swept farmlands and Snowy Owls.
My wonderings out-n-about found me close to the location a week prior where a Snowy was found perched on a snag by some grain bins. Was the first sighting a one-off or had he set up a Winter Hunting Ground…sure enough he was again found on the snag.
Food source must be adequate or he would have moved on. Will have to see if this owl is hanging around when I do another Snowy Search.
I believe it’s safe to say Manitoba is seeing an irruption of Snowy Owls this year. From what I understand this occurs when there is boom in the lemming population and allows them to raise large clutches of eggs…then we get to see the evidence with many of these owls coming South in search of food.
Princess the Radisson Matriarch 2002-2022
She was hatched in Minneapolis Minnesota in 2002 and ended up in Winnipeg in 2004
My first encounter with her was in 2006 and a force to be reckoned with.
She had been the resident female at the Radisson since 2004. During that time she had 4 different mates…Trey (2004-2009) Ivy (2010-2013) Smiley (2014-2016)
Pip (2017-2018) and raised a whack of kids.
When Princess didn’t return in 2019 and we suspected the worse.
Then total shock when Wildlife Haven contacted the Project in July 2021…she was rehabbed and more than ready to be released.
We released her and off she flew to parts unknown.
Then only to be again found at the end of November in Winnipeg and back to Wild Life Haven…this time it wasn’t possible to rehab her and her quality of life needed to be considered.
She won’t be forgotten…as her children and grandchildren are found across the prairies and the states.
Farwell Princess.