Snowy Owl at Merrill Creek Reservoir, NJ

It appears that this winter is shaping up to be an irruption year for Snowy Owls along the East Coast with numerous owls beeing seen in the north east.

I went to visit the Snowy Owl sighted closest to Philadelphia, this being the one at Merrill Creek Reservoir, in Harmony Twp, Warren County, New Jersey first found on November 8. It has been regularily seen on the south slope of the main dam, best accessed from the end of Reservoir Road, off of Low’s Landing Road.

Of note, is that the immature Merrill Creek bird is one of the few that is being seen away from large bodies of inland water, or along the coast, as shown in this eBird map