SMS a Hot Spot for Bird Watchers This Winter
By Rick Flaherty, Principal, Superior Middle School
Superior Middle School has been a hot spot this winter for bird watchers of all ages. A number of snowy owls, maybe as many as four, have taken up residence in Superior, and the softball scoreboards, lamp posts, fences, and trees around Superior Middle School seem to be some of the favorite perching locations for the birds.
Sixth grade students have taken a special interest in the owls and have been watching them all winter long. The Red Wing sixth grade science students have combined literacy and science efforts to research and write reports about the birds.
Snowy Owl Perched Atop Softball Scoreboard at Superior Middle School. (Photo credit to Rich Hoeg, 365DaysOfBirds.com)
In addition to the students keeping an eye on the owls, it is not uncommon to see people in cars with both Wisconsin and out-of-state license plates in the parking lots with high powered cameras snapping shots of these birds. Rich Hoeg, a local photographer, captured the above picture of one of the snowy owls perched on the Superior Spartan softball scoreboard outside of the Middle School.
The snowy owl display pictured above is located outside of Mrs. Reckinger’s science classroom.
Sixth grade students Jared Nelson and Lily Marynik are quickly becoming two local experts regarding these particular owls. Jared has documented his sightings of the owls on www.ebird.org, and reports seeing the birds multiple times a week. Jared knows there are multiple birds because of the distinctive markings he has been able to observe and photograph. Lily can explain many of the characteristics of the birds; she has nicknamed one of them Phantom because of the dark markings on the side of its head that look like a mask. Lily checks for the birds each morning as she is getting off the bus and heading in to school. Lily knows where to look for the birds and spots at least one owl most days.
Snowy owls are certainly seen south of Superior, but Superior Middle School would definitely be considered to fall within the southern range for this beautiful bird. According to National Geographic’s website, unlike other owls, snowy owls are diurnal, meaning that they actively feed both during the day and the night. The fact that the birds are active during the day explains the frequent sightings of the birds.
If you have some time this spring, head over to Superior Middle School and check out the snowy owls. The fence line between the school and the airport, about 30 minutes before dark, is a good place to start your search. If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of the owls, just ask a Superior Middle School sixth grader, and you might just be surprised how much you learn.
