Cleveland-At that time of the year again, the lakefront began to turn into an Arctic tundra, and the noise of cruise ships was replaced by the sound of camera shutters masked by violent winds, as bird watchers and tourists paid close attention when they arrived. The majestic arctic bird of the snowy owl.

When a Sunday morning (December) showed good conditions along the lake-mild temperature and breeze, a local photographer ushered in this opportunity.

Gabe Leidy is a local photographer. His photos of wildlife and everything in Cleveland have won him more than 38,000 Instagram followers. He is no stranger to highlighting elements to take good photos. He also got a snowy owl. No exception.

After careful planning, understanding the dangers and rich experience of this long journey, he took the kayak to the lake near the Burke Lakeside Airport, where he saw not one but four different snow owls roosting On the breakwater. It is their mysterious behavior that makes him look forward to this time of year.

"My favorite part of capturing them is the mystery. It was so cool to meet a creature from the Arctic Circle in northeastern Ohio. It's like seeing a polar bear with wings. It makes you wonder, "Am I the first human you have ever seen? "Also, they are so beautiful," Leddy said.

Post shared by Gabe Leidy (@gabe_leidyphoto)

Naturalists such as Marty Calabrese of Cleveland City Park regard the north as a warning sign of their anticipated arrival. According to reports, during the weekend of November 20-21, they appeared near the southern end of Lake Huron on the Canadian side and the western side of Lake Ontario.

"Just the weekend before Thanksgiving, I think people started paying attention to [their coming soon]," Calabrese said.

On Sunday, November 21, someone photographed a snowy owl sitting on the crash wall of the Lakeside Bike Park in Buffalo, New York. Soon after, I saw a snowy owl by the lake in Cleveland. That day did come on November 27. A local bird watcher used an observation mirror to spot a snowy owl at Burke Lakeside Airport, and then another snowy owl on the breakwater visible at the East 9th Street Pier. .

From north pole to land

When snowy owls arrive in Cleveland, they usually tend to stick to the wall and airport habitats because they usually resemble their native open tundra habitat.

Although their existence year after year is predictable, the size of the outbreak—a phenomenon that occurs when snowy owls flood into certain areas (such as Cleveland) from the north—is unpredictable.

One of Calabrese's assumptions is that they have sufficient food when they reproduce in the Arctic. They eventually had more young people, and they overflowed Lake Erie.

Calabrese said: "Therefore, we believe that in our latitude, the current Cleveland latitude, these large storms in winter are due to good breeding conditions that have led to more migration of young birds."

According to data from Project SNOWStorm, an organization dedicated to tracking snow owls, the largest volcanic eruption in the Northeast and the Great Lakes region in a century occurred in the winter of 2013-14. On average, smaller volcanic eruptions occur every four to five years, while large volcanic eruptions occur once or twice in a lifetime.

This year, only a few snowy owls were found by the lake. Calabrese said that when calculating the number of snowy owls, it is important to remember that the same snowy owl or two can be photographed from different locations.

Considered to be his favorite and best shot of a snowy owl, Calabrese photographed a snowy owl in Wendy Park in Cleveland City Park in early 2021.

Snowy owl is known for its sharp yellow eyes and white face, whether it is male, female or juvenile.

Calabrese said that one of the key ways to determine whether it is a male, female or juvenile is through black spots on its body. On females and young birds, there are black and brown spots, they are very dense, making the birds look like pepper. With age, men tend to be whiter.

Calabrese said that before you go out and bravely look for these majestic Arctic tourists, visitors need to remember the three W layers-wicking layer, warming layer and weathering layer.

If you want to see these birds, Calabrese said he will take his children to find a good vantage point near the Burke Lakeside Airport. Those who are interested can drive along the North Marginal Road, enter from East 9th Street, and reach gate 11 or 12, and have the opportunity to see the snowy owls living on the coastline.

"Looking north from Burke Runway, you are very likely to spot a two-foot-tall owl beast on the ground," Calabrese said. "This open habitat reflects their Arctic tundra breeding and hunting grounds. If your owl fails to wander, the occasional plane take-off and landing will also be impressive for young and adult children."

When observing wild animals in their natural habitat, another rule of thumb is to keep a proper distance so as not to disturb their presence.

In order to get the best viewing effect, visitors need to bring binoculars, because the owl is integrated with the snow and ice. Visitors should look at the top of the harbour waterway signs, broken walls, piers, and pier signs.

"Edgewater Marina is one of the best attractions, East 9th Street Pier and East 55th Street Marina. They choose different places to sit during the day, so we have to go out and try to relocate them every day. This is the classic'Where's Waldo' Owl mission," naturalist Jen Brumfield said in an interview with News 5 last year.

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