And a favorite stand of white birch will arch over a gurgling creek silhouetted against a clear cerulean winter sky. As winter deepens, a majestic white visitor will arrive on silent wings from the arctic, the sleepy-eyed snowy owl, Nyctea scandiaca . A few snowy owls spend each winter in Wisconsin, usually arriving in mid- November and staying as late as April. They take up temporary residence in areas similar to the treeless expanse of their arctic home. The Superior harbor, bay of Green Bay, the Lake Michigan coast, the Lake Winnebago area, and extensive flat, open fields and marshes are likely places to find these elusive wanderers.
Some years bring more snowies than others.
Unlike our resident owls, snowy owls are diurnal, that is, they are active during the day. Given their white plumage, snowy owls blend in very well with the wintery background. As you walk near owl country, any basketball-sized white lump on the ground is worth a second look. The perching snowy owl seems docile and deceptively disinterested in its surroundings. Its soulful, lemon-yellow eyes seem only half open, which only enhances its peaceful image.