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Snow Owls

Tony Hisgett

Just a few weeks ago, I got some exciting news.

Some colleagues, all enthusiastic birders, I.D.’d a snowy owl sitting atop the Bay Bridge on the second to last lane signal on the eastbound span. It’s still early in the season, but this unusual visit could mean another year of these unmistakable, rare white owls visiting our shores.

You’d know a snowy owl if you saw one. Just imagine Hedwig, the famous owl from the Harry Potter movies. The mostly-ivory birds have smoothly rounded heads with no ear tufts, a dark bill and striking, yellow, cat-like eyes. The juveniles and the females have varied amounts of brown scalloping and spotting on their snow-colored feathers.    

W. Brooks Paternotte took the helm of Irvine Nature Center as executive director in July 2013 and immediately began building on the strong 35-year foundation. Brooks is a Baltimore native who was a teacher, coach, advisor, dean and Head of the Middle School during his 13 years at Boys’ Latin School in Baltimore. He is also an instructor and ambassador of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and is a Leave No Trace Master, as well as an avid outdoorsman and a features writer for FlyLife Magazine.