Assateague, an immature male, was banded Dec. 17, 2013, on Assateague Island National Seashore on Maryland\u2019s Eastern Shore, and was the first snowy owl fitted with a transmitter by Project SNOWstorm. He was\u00a0a wanderer, moving more than 150 miles in a few weeks — first circumnavigating the Delaware Bay, then crossing southern New Jersey and moving north along the coast. One of the most surprising findings from Assateague\u2019s movements were\u00a0the nocturnal hunting flights he made\u00a0over open water in Delaware and Barnegat bays, often using the same channel markers and buoys as nighttime hunting perches. He was last detected in mid-February, and may have suffered a transmitter failure.<\/p>\n
Thanks to support from hundreds of people, we put\u00a0GPS transmitters on 22\u00a0Snowy Owls during the winter of 2013-14 to study their ecology and movements while on the wintering grounds. Our work is ongoing, but we remain funded entirely by contributions from individuals and birding groups. Your\u00a0support\u00a0will allows us\u00a0to continue this\u00a0important research on these beautiful birds.\u00a0Please donate to this project to make it a success!<\/a><\/p>\n