Terrible time in Southeastern Ontario for the Snowy owls

It's been a terrible time in southern Ontario for the Snowy owls. They have been sighted in huge 

Great horned owl in fall

numbers. There is much speculation on why, overpopulation, lack of lemmings in their northern habitat, and the like.

Either way, they are hungry, and are being followed by avid photographers, and getting maimed and killed.

Many are being hit by cars, while being attracted to mice going after food garbage at the side of the road. We get a lot of that in our ditches, despite my effort in picking up the trash.

In the last 2 weeks the Owl Foundation has received the 5 injured snowy owls, one has died. The other 4 are being monitored as they recover from their injuries.
It is such a shame. The foundation takes in 100 per year.


Snowy Owls move in to Ottawa area (Ottawa Citizen article)

Beautiful barred owl, smucked by a car last January

The Snowy Owl irruption arrived in the Ottawa area on Dec. 15, with 25 individuals counted east and west of the city. This is one of our largest southward movements in the past decade.
Food is connected to the movement of these birds. Snowys are irrupting because they had an unusually high amount of breeding success due to food abundance. There aren't enough hunting territories to support the youngsters, who have been pushed south.

Horned owl on nest in April, 2012