Block Island’s arctic visitors, the snowy owls, are back this winter. They are carnivores that eat lemmings, seabirds, deer mice, voles, and other rodents. They are crucial to controlling the number of rodents in the Arctic tundra, where they come from. Unlike other owls, snowy owls are active during the day and hunt mostly during dawn and dusk. Snowy owls have thick feathers that keep them warm in cold temperatures. Some snowy owls stay where they are native, while others migrate in winter. According to Kim Gaffett, The Nature Conservancy’s OVF naturalist, young snowy owls tend to travel to northern-tier states for food. “They’re an Arctic species. They’re not supposed to be here,” Gaffett said. “It makes you wonder what is happening in the Arctic.”Gaffett said that the snowy owls do not come every year and the number that do come depends on the year. According to Gaffett, there was one year with 25 owls while in other years there have only been a few. “It’s a mixed bag. You’re happy to see these majestic birds but wondering why they’re here,” Gaffett said. The owls are found anywhere on the island that is tundra-like, including places like open
