On The Look-out For The Great Northern Owl From Ohio To Birchwood Lodge, Sister Bay

Warren and Karen Leow are avid bird watchers. During many weekends they will take off spontaneously on a bird watching adventure at the first report of some of rare bird sightings all over the country. Recently the Leows were guests at Birchwood Lodge, having spent 81/2 hours to drive more than 520 miles from their home in Toledo, Ohio to Sister Bay to see a Great Northern Owl. Since Door County is known as a haven for many species of rare birds, it is common to find bird enthusiasts here all year long. “The Great Northern Owl normally resides in northern Canada” Karen Leow said. “These owls rarely venture this far south, but severe weather conditions in Canada may be the reason for this owl’s southern adventure stop here. An entry about the owl was a recently posted on a listserv of the American Birding Association website. This entry attracted us, so we decided we had to see it for ourselves.”  Once they got here, other birders told the Leows that the owl had been spotted along Highway 57 and Highway Q in Ephraim. Sure enough, they did spot the owl atop the antenna of a local business on Highway 57. Success! They saw what they were looking for and after an overnight visit, they departed for home to await the news of another rare bird sighting.  “We loved Birchwood Lodge.  It’s so nice and clean and we liked this area very much.  We hope to come back here again in season because there must be so much to see and do”, said Mrs. Leow. What a great compliment!  If you’re up here this winter, keep your eye out for the Great Northern Owl.  We’re just down the road from the most recent owl sightings, and we’d love to have you as a wintertime guest.