Snowy owl heaven

POLSON, MONT. - We sat in the car under a setting sun, warming our frozen fingers, having all but given up on photographing the snowy owls that day.

Suddenly, as if on cue, two owls took flight from their perch on the edge of a water tank. They opened their wings and swooped south across the fields, quickly gaining altitude with each massive flap. After colliding in mid-air, the pair began tumbling in flight beneath the cotton candy sky.

I struggled to keep up with the action as my camera clicked madly and the auto focus jumped in and out of range. What a magical moment in nature where for those few fantastic seconds, it was as if nothing else mattered in the world.

The pictures from that night weren't nearly as spectacular as witnessing the event, but I returned three times in as many days to the site atop Polson Hill where these majestic animals seem to have taken root this winter. With each visit I felt as though we were all beginning to understand one another a little bit more.

No doubt, Montana is truly a wonderful place to live if one appreciates rugged wilderness and natural beauty. For me, the endless opportunities to witness the area's many resident animal species is reason enough, these particular birds being one of many that fall into that realm of both rare and relatively common in the Mission Valley.

World renowned owl expert and Charlo resident Denver Holt has studied snowy owls in the field for more than 20 years and earned credibility among the world's most prestigious research and educational outreach circles. Holt estimates there are 14 "snowys" living in the Mission Valley this winter, with concentrations near Charlo and south of Polson.

"It's just phenomenal, and it's across the nation," he said. "They're only here for the winter. They nest in the Arctic during the spring and summer. There's a lot of research that says they are highly nomadic, highly irruptive, but no one really knows the exact reasons for that. It's like anything - the more and more you learn the less you know."

Snowy owls aren't always around in the winter, they're somewhat unpredictable. However, the Mission Valley is very unique, in general, for birds of prey and is one of the best wintering areas in all of the United States.

"We are really known for the high concentration for wintering birds of prey," Holt said. "The lemmings are one of the owl's main food sources in the Arctic, but voles are the big wintering source of small mammals down here."

These small mammals are easy for the owls to catch and are plentiful in the valley. When there is a big influx of owls to an area like this, one of the circulating myths is that the animals are desperately fleeing the cold north in search of food. Not the case, Holt said.

"One of the main things to remember is that they just had a great breeding season, they had a lot of food up in the Arctic and each nest probably produced four or five birds per nest," he said. "That's why so many of them go south. They'll stop where food is plentiful and hang out there. Food is plentiful in the Mission Valley right now."

One site, Mission View Drive on the south end of Polson Hill, has been popular with birders this week. While the owls are fairly tolerant of people, it's best to keep your distance and resist the urge to chase the birds down for a picture.

"What's perfect there is that you're right on the road," Holt said. "Sometimes people get a little anxious and then of course if you flush a bird, you know you got too close."

One of the largest owl species, snowy owls have striking yellow eyes and fluffy white or speckled plumage. Unlike most owls, they hunt mainly during the day, so if you're in the right place you might actually get to see one catch its prey, Holt said.

This winter has been a real treat for birders across Northwest Montana, and right now is an exciting time for Holt, who has been sought after by news outlets nationwide. Still, he's been drawn to the field for hours of peaceful observance each day.

"No matter what it is, at some point you find something in life that is just really cool and you want to learn more about it. That's what happened to me 30 years ago."

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Snowy owl fun facts

• Snowy owls are the heaviest of all North American owls, and among the largest.

• During breeding season, the snowy owl resides in the northern-most regions of Alaska and Canada. In the winter, they can be spotted across the northern U.S.

• Unlike most owls, the snowy owl hunts mainly during the day.

• The owl's main food source in the Arctic are lemmings.

• There are about 14 snowy owls living in the Mission Valley this winter season.