L’oiseau emblématique, les ailes déployées, semble regarder pendant un instant une caméra de surveillance de l’autoroute 40, près du boulevard des Sources, dans l’ouest de Montréal, avant de poursuivre son vol à pleine vitesse. «Magnifique harfang des neiges capté par les caméras de surveillance du réseau routier sur l’A-40 dans l’ouest de MTL », a écrit le ministre Poëti dans un gazouillis.
I like “emblématique” way better than the annoying and ubiquitous “iconic” that we’re stuck with.
clamboy
I happened across a gathering of people at a corner on Capitol Hill, in Seattle, some years ago. There was a snowy owl of adultish proportions on top of a light pole, hanging out. I called the Audobon Society, and was informed that, though this is the far southern end of their reaches, snowy owls are still seen in Seattle fairly regularly, as their main food source, the lemming, gets low in numbers. As that prey builds up again, snowy owls stay further north until the next plunge in foodstuffs.
Really!? I’ve never seen one here (except in the zoo when I worked there – we had a pair). I would love that.
clamboy
It was at the intersection of 12th and Denny, on the NW corner. The owl sat there for, I believe, a few hours. And yes, it was an awesome sight to behold.
One explanation for its presence in that area is that the Montreal Trudeau Airport is nearby and a lot of the terrain has been cleared of brush making it easy to spot small rodents, the owl’s favourite prey.
iknklast
I have to drop by and look at this picture fairly regularly…whenever the news gets discouraging. It’s a great picture, and it makes me feel good.
Comments
14 responses to “Snowy Owl in snowy landscape”
Way cool. I love ‘found’ images like that.
Un harfang des neiges!
This little guy has been in the news here.
I haven’t been in Montreal in a good many years but if we’re guessing I’d say TransCanada at Boulevard des Sources?
@2
Good guess.
http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/national/201601/07/01-4937489-la-photo-dun-harfang-des-neiges-fait-un-tabac-sur-twitter.php
The snowy owl is apparently Quebec’s avian emblem (whatever that means).
Nice.
My kind of traffic.
@4
Looks like very early a.m. about a week-and-a-half ago during a very big snowfall (39 cm).
Totally gorgeous. Monochrome masterpiece.
I like “emblématique” way better than the annoying and ubiquitous “iconic” that we’re stuck with.
I happened across a gathering of people at a corner on Capitol Hill, in Seattle, some years ago. There was a snowy owl of adultish proportions on top of a light pole, hanging out. I called the Audobon Society, and was informed that, though this is the far southern end of their reaches, snowy owls are still seen in Seattle fairly regularly, as their main food source, the lemming, gets low in numbers. As that prey builds up again, snowy owls stay further north until the next plunge in foodstuffs.
Really!? I’ve never seen one here (except in the zoo when I worked there – we had a pair). I would love that.
It was at the intersection of 12th and Denny, on the NW corner. The owl sat there for, I believe, a few hours. And yes, it was an awesome sight to behold.
It’s not simply “iconic” (in fact the Nyctea scandiacaa is a pretty rare bird below the arctic tundra, though that may be changing), Ophelia, it’s an official “emblem”. http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch/telecharge.php?type=2&file=/E_4_1/E4_1.html
One explanation for its presence in that area is that the Montreal Trudeau Airport is nearby and a lot of the terrain has been cleared of brush making it easy to spot small rodents, the owl’s favourite prey.
I have to drop by and look at this picture fairly regularly…whenever the news gets discouraging. It’s a great picture, and it makes me feel good.
I keep returning to it too, for the same reasons.