Have you spotted them? Some rare Arctic birds are creating a surge of fascination for many along the Jersey Shore.
Snowy owls have been showing up on sand dunes and rooftops in recent weeks along the coast and it's creating a flurry of excitement.
“I’ve never seen one before," Little Egg Harbor Township resident Ashley Scerbo said while out for a walk. “I know that they're around, and they're beautiful."
One snowy owl was spotted recently by a photographer on Long Beach Island which is where Alan and Bonnie Yuscavage, of Luzerne, Pennsylvania, saw one on Thursday, Jan. 2.
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“It's kind of a treat to see them, because you don't know where they're going to be and when they're going to show up," Alan Yuscavage explained.
These owls are far away from their breeding grounds in the Arctic Tundra and are most likely in search of food.
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“This is what we would call an eruption year, which happens often three to five every three to five years. There'll be a movement of snowy owls further south than they normally occur," Brett Ewald, of the Cape May Bird Observatory, told NBC10. “They're gonna do what they need to to survive, but they need to have that space to do it.”
At times, snowy owls can remain in New Jersey until late March or early April. Experts say a lot of that depends on available food and the level of interaction they have with people
“They don't need any more harassment. So keep your distance. See them from a distance. Use a pair of binoculars. That's close enough," Bonnie Yuscavage warned.
