A pair of snowy owls, the latest celebrity visitors to the beach and pier near Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, have drawn hundreds for a glimpse at the Arctic birds of prey.<\/p>\n
Several dozen birdwatchers were still gathered at the pier at Montrose Beach just before sunset Tuesday afternoon. The city has closed a section of the pier for the black-and-white-feathered guests, and signs in the area advise spectators to keep at least 300 feet away as a \u201cwarm welcome\u201d for the birds.<\/p>\n
About 4:15 p.m., one snowy owl could be spotted perched atop a pole at the end of the concrete pier stretching into Lake Michigan, while the other was resting at the far side of the pier.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all a gamble,\u201d a birdwatcher was heard telling a group who arrived just in time for a peek at the owls.<\/p>\n
Snowy owls live north of the Arctic Circle during the summer. In some years, some of the owls stay north while others migrate to southern Canada and the northern half of the United States in the winter, experts told the Associated Press, which first reported<\/a> the owls\u2019 arrival in Chicago.<\/p>\n Snowy owls aren\u2019t rare in Chicago, but the frequency of their visits, usually in December, varies widely each winter. This year, the early visits have also prompted discussions of a boom migration.<\/p>\n A crowd of bird watchers has gathered for days at the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary to observe a pair of snowy owls. The park district asked visitors to keep 300 feet away from the owls for their safety.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere\/Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Chris Garbacz of Rogers Park said she had been at the pier since 2:30 p.m., observing and photographing the owls, who she said spent the afternoon mostly napping.<\/p>\n The 57-year-old photographer has been capturing shots of wildlife for more than a decade. <\/p>\n \u201cI dabble,\u201d Garbacz said she recently returned from a trip to Brazil, and she is leaving next week for the Falkland Islands off the eastern coast of South America to photograph penguins.<\/p>\n The snowy owls, though, remain one of Garbacz\u2019s favorite subjects. A photo on her phone shows the majestic bird atop a pile of wooden planks in a snowy field, which Garbacz captured in Hudson Bay in Canada in 2018.<\/p>\n She said the owls in Chicago make a special photography opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone wants the close-up obviously, but here you want to utilize the city skyline, which is a unique space for [the snowy owls] to be in,\u201d Garbacz said.<\/p>\n Mike Cahill arrived at Montrose Beach a few minutes after the owls appeared to have taken off for the night.<\/p>\n A snowy owl perches on a fence post Tuesday at Montrose Beach.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere\/Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Albany Park resident said he has been coming to the sanctuary to bird watch for 20 years, mostly in spring, summer and fall. \u201cThis is a perfect spot for watching migratory birds.\u201d<\/p>\n He recounted spotting many different species of warblers and the beloved piping plovers<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n Cahill said he first heard about the snowy owls in the news. He said he heard of another sighting of the owls at 31st Street Beach several years ago, but also wasn\u2019t able to catch a glimpse himself.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll keep coming back as long as they are here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/4df04b1\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3000x2000+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F13%2F30%2F8c872a954c6693b34c4d681a4543%2Fsnowyowls-122625-17.jpg\")
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