I decided to snowshoe into Fox Park at about 6:30am Thursday, 3/16/17.

Firstly, the forest sounded like it is in shock; dead quiet.  No crows or bluejays, only the odd cardinal or chickadee singing a questioning song to advertize its previous idea about making babies.  The snow is at least a foot deep, all powder, deadening sound as well as the attitudes the local animals were gearing up for the so-close-but-so-far spring.  I found no tracks- none, zero.  The mammals are sure to be down below the snow again, grudgingly re-entering the “subnivean” lifestyle.

My owl friend was not home either; as we know from the GHO talk from a previous post, the vertical depth challenge snow presents doesn’t deter the GHO from hunting, but plenty of other factors can cause an owl to take a vacation in a different tree.  Obviously, the clues I have been using with this “Strix” or “Bubo” buddy are way more annoying for the owl itself.  Imagine being mobbed by “idiot bird brains” day in and day out, especially when they tell their cronies where your house is…  Yes, sometimes it is time to take a break.

The snow was definitely the “highlight” of this morning’s sit spot, even as a snowshoed out of the park at 7:45….  For how long though?  When will the spanish-speaking warbler team from Panama touch down?

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