ASSATEAGUE The frequency
and volume of snowy owl sightings
throughout the local area and a-
cross much of the northeast in re-
cent weeks have not abated and the
phenomena is now being consid-
ered a once in a lifetime event.
Through much of December and
the early weeks of 2014, local resi-
dents and visitors to beaches in
Maryland and Delaware have been
treated to rare opportunities to see
snowy owls up close and in person
as the arctic visitors have flocked to
the mid-Atlantic coastal areas. Their
visit is called an "irruption" in scien-
tific terms, and while irruptions are
fairly common for many species of
migratory birds, the ongoing irrup-
tion of snowy owls in the local area
has been especially noteworthy and
is being referred to now as a natural
history event.
A couple months in, the snowy
owl irruption has shown no signs of
abating, according to Carrie Samis,
education coordinator with the
Maryland Coastal Bays Program.
"The irruption isn't waning," she
said. "The birds are everywhere in
record numbers. This is the biggest
irruption in 40 to 50 years and likely
the largest in our lifetime. While ir-
ruptions occur in other years, it's
never been of this magnitude."
Samis said this week there is no
indication the snowy owl irruption
will cease until the magnificent birds
are ready to continue their migration
later this winter or early spring.
"It's likely that we'll continue to
see snowy owls through February,"
she said this week. "By March,
they'll probably start making their
way back to the Arctic."
Scientists are seeking answers
for the unusual irruption of snowy
owls and are trying to gain a better
understanding of the migration pat-
terns of the large, majestic birds. To
that end, an effort called Project
SNOWstorm has been started to re-
search the current irruption in the lo-
cal area and across much of the
U.S. Through Project SNOWstorm,
some of the birds have been briefly
captured and fitted with a solar-
powered transmitter allowing scien-
tists and bird-watching enthusiasts
to track their movements. The first
snow owl fitted with a transmitter
was tagged on Assateague in De-
cember and the bird has traveled
hundreds of miles since.
The first owl tagged in Maryland,
appropriately named "Assateague,"
has traveled great distances since
being fitted with the first transmitter
back on Dec. 17. "Assateague" left
the barrier island two days after be-
ing fitted with the transmitter and
flew north to Cape Henlopen where
it hung around for a day. The owl
then flew 38 miles across open wa-
ter to reach the north shore of the
Delaware Bay.
From there, the owl moved a-
cross the New Jersey coast to the
Snowy Owls Still
Dazzling Region
Page 8
January 17, 2014
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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By SHAWN J. SOPER
NEWS EDITOR