Released

A couple of weeks ago, during our visit to Bentleyville and our new Part Point beach house, we read in the local paper about the Coffee Roaster Snowy  that had been found in a roaster at Alakef Coffee in Duluth. Recovered by Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, the article reported that a volunteer had taken it to the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul.

Last week, during my weekly Thursday flight session at that Raptor Center, I had the chance to fly the very same owl. The staff wanted to do a release evaluation, during which they video the flight to observe confirmation during flight, landings, and attitude. This snowy had eight strong, high flights with plenty of attitude in between. She was ready to go.

Since Bonnie and I were planning a trip to Duluth the following Monday, I volunteered to bring it back to Duluth for a release. When we arrived at the Center at 9:30 a.m., allowing the clinic time to prepare, the Snowy was being poked and prodded, sandwiched between cold packs. Bonnie watched as the assistant in leather protection placed the owl in a transportation box for the long trip. The box allows very little if any light in, but still ventilated, which calms the birds.

I received my instructions from the clinic supervisor:

• Get there with as few stops as possible.
• No music or loud chatter.
• If possible, keep the heat off.
• Release the owl in the area of 2600-2700 Winter Street in Superior, Wisconsin.

The first two points are standard practice with raptors, who are easily stressed, not just by a capture, but by loud, unfamiliar or continuous noises. The third and last points surprised me a bit. The matter of keeping the heat off in the car relates to the reason we found them working with ice packs in preparation. Snowy owls overheat very easily. Our normal room temperature stresses them, which is why their natural habitat is in the arctic. A few can be found in the area in winter, but usually they're quite uncommon in our neck of the woods. About every four years, however, they have an irruption (not eruption) as much greater numbers seek food further south in Canada and the northern U.S.. Quite a few have been received by the Raptor Center so far this year, but not many with this favorable an outcome.

They gave us directions to the spot they wanted her released. As we turned off U.S. 2, having crossed the Bong bridge, we turned left into an industrial area. Warehouses, railroad yards, and unloading docks are surrounded by patches of woods and fields. It didn't look at all inviting to us. As we traveled down one road, in search of a more isolated surrounding, we saw signs saying, "Authorized vehicles only - no trespassing." Foreboding as it was, we forged on to the entrance of the Midwest Energy Resources coal dock, pulling up to the security guard at the gate. Gaining permission to release near the entrance, we found a nice small field surrounded by protective stands of trees. Greeted by nearly a dozen deer that stood, unmoved, just feet from where I placed the box for release, Bonnie set up both of our phones, one to take a video, and the other to take a burst of photos.

As you can see from the video, after a moments hesitation and disbelief, the Snowy spread her wings and took flight, quickly ascending to a thin branch near the top of a young poplar tree. There she sat while we watched her sway back and forth in the wind, maintaining balance but not leaving. She watched all around, trying to get her bearings, not venturing off. We finally left her there after about 10 minutes, knowing at least that she was capable and in good health.