Today’s Photo of the Day is brought to you by my first Snowy Owl sighting of the season. Spotted this guy on Center Road just north of the Old Mission Tavern.
I’ve been checking this area since my photographer pal Darlene Pope said she saw him there a while back. I was finally rewarded today, as Tim and I were heading to the Old Mission Post Office to get some stamps.
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He was perched on the small cement block building that sits next to where the Holmes family’s “Poverty Heights” barn used to be. Below is a photo I took of the barn in 2017, shortly before it was demolished.
The barn has a long history, which I’ll write more about separately. The sign over the door says “Poverty Heights Farm” (also part of the story). The little building on the left is where the owl was perched today.
Other local photographers have been posting pics of Snowy Owls from around the Grand Traverse area (if you’re on Facebook, there’s a Michigan Snowy Owl Watchers group here), but this is my first sighting on the Old Mission Peninsula.
Interestingly, my first sighting last year was right around this time, as well, and in the same location. Check out that photo here. In previous years, I’ve also spotted them on Blue Water Road and on Winery Hill, near Chateau Grand Traverse.
As always, it’s best to keep a good distance from these sweet creatures, as they’re somewhat shy and perfer not to be disturbed.
Have you seen any Snowy Owls on the OMP yet this winter? Let us know in the comments section below.
[…] Photo of the Day: Snowy Owl on Center Road – First Sighting This Winter […]
[…] last year we spotted our first owl of the season in this same spot on Jan. 13, 2020 (see photo here). The previous year, we spotted our first owl, again in this same spot, on Jan. 29, 2019 (see photo […]