Snowy owl makes home in Seattle’s Queen Anne

This snowy owl has been wowing residents and birders in Queen Anne. It is rare for the owls to be seen in this region, and the owls always create a stir in Seattle, where with their striking appearance they can hardly be missed. Their color evokes their usual home in the Arctic. Snowies are the largest of owls, with a wingspan that can reach nearly 5 feet. They also are among the heaviest, weighing in at about 5 pounds. Large numbers of snowy owls sometimes come south in events called irruptions; in 2011 snowies were frequently seen in Seattle on rooftops, at Discovery Park, even at the Paccar truck plant in Renton. So far only the Queen Anne (Queen Owl?) sighting has been reported.