Perth’s movements north to the icy edge of Georgian Bay. (©Project SNOWstorm and Google Earth)
After a false start last week, when she did a there-and-back-again loop away from her winter territory, Perth started what looks like serious migration north late last week. March 20 she left the area around West Monkton, ON, flying east and then north over the next two days, eventually moving out onto what little ice remains along the southeast shore of Georgian Bay, offshore of the towns of Oakview Beach, Wasaga Beach and Allenwood Beach, where she remained March 23.
Perth is taking advantage of what little ice remains on the edge of Georgian Bay. (©Project SNOWstorm and Google Earth)
We’ve noted many times how snowy owls gravitate to lake and river ice, but with the rapid thaw in recent weeks, the main body of Georgian Bay went from significantly ice-covered in early March to having only a thin rim of ice pushed down into the area where Perth was resting more recently. (Farther north, between Manitoulin Island and the mainland, satellite imagery shows the bay remains completely frozen.)
Otherwise it’s still pretty much status quo. Hochelaga is still hanging around the Montréal airport, Atwood was a last report still near West Monkton, ON, and Emblème, who had moved far to the west in mid-March, eventually returned to exactly where she’d started near Beloeil, QC, by March 21 – a 342-km (212-mile) loop. Fulgence is still pretty much where he’s been all winter outside Saint-Hyacinthe, QC. Otter has been out of touch since his last Argos position March 9, and his satellite transmitter has missed the last two Monday check-ins that should have given us at least a general location for him. Even if he moves north, the Argos connection is supposed to work. It may be that his now seven-year-old transmitter is getting glitchy.
Right back where she started — Emblème’s big loop. (©Project SNOWstorm and Google Earth)
2 Comments on “Perth on Ice”
Are Perth and Atwood presumed out of cell range now, or are their maps not updating? I see that the QC Snowys’ maps are still updating (~24 hrs behind as normal), but last report dates for Perth and Atwood are getting to be 3-5 days out. Thanks!
Yes, my guess is that Perth has gone north, and is at least for the moment out of cell range — though we sometimes get a hit or two as they fly north through the boreal forest, stopping in open areas near towns and highways. The Trans-Canada Highway corridor has been a spring hotspot in years past.
Atwood did check in last night, but remember two things: depending on duty cycle the transmitters either connect Sun/Tues/Thurs or Mon/Wed/Fri., so there’s often a gap. Also, the online maps are time-delayed by 24 hours to give the owls some cushion in case people are being a bit too pushy in trying to locate them. But Atwood, too, has been moving for the first time this winter, so I expect she’ll be out of there before long.