Snowy Owl, Napatree

I hadn't expected to have to take this much time off, but my recovery from my latest heart surgery was much more consuming than I imagined. And there was a lot more to deal with in addition to healing. But I've mostly gotten through the worse of it, and in celebration of recovery and a new year, I pressed my photographer son Noah to accompany me for a walk down Napatree to see what was out there. Our target was that lone American Oystercatcher said to still be hanging around the lagoon, and I had some hopes of spotting Purple Sandpipers. While we didn't locate the former, the latter species was cooperative. Elated, we decided to continue our trek around the headland, and in the Osprey nesting platform in the upper reaches of the pond, we noticed something large and whitish. "Probably a gull," I said, "but I'd best check it out." Probably NOT a gull, I soon added excitedly, as we hurried towards an amazing discovery: the first SNOWY OWL in the area in 2021!