Night has fallen in Washington, but dozens of onlookers are watching with binoculars and pointing cameras at
an Arctic bird of prey with sumptuous white plumage,
perched on top of a statue, very close to the Capitol.
Rumors have been circulating for days that a snowy owl has arrived in town. "It's there!" shouts one of the amateur ornithologists. Then the tripods move in search of a better viewing angle to capture its beauty. "It's great!" enthuses Meleia Rose. "I've been birding for a long time and this is the first time I've seen a snowy owl. I'm going to add it to my list."
Many Americans are fond of
bird-watching
, and a week-long presence of this specimen from the Washington tundra has caused a sensation.
From here "you can see the Capitol... The contrast between wildlife and the city is striking, especially in Washington, with all these emblematic monuments," he adds with his partner, Alex.
They left their baby at home in the care of a nanny so they could enjoy the moment in peace.
Like many others, Rose found out through eBird, a network powered by amateur ornithologists that alerts the community to the presence of rare birds (290,000 enthusiasts made 200 million sightings in 2021 worldwide).
On this occasion, the photographers are not in a forest or on the shore of a lake, but
between the imposing facade of Washington's train station, Union Station, and a bustling avenue,
on an embankment populated by tents of homeless and infested with rats, potential prey for this snowy owl.
From
its plumage, mottled gray and white,
it is deduced that it is a young female.
Perched on top of a statue, she looks with her yellow eyes at the station esplanade in search of a rodent that will end up in her clutches.
Among the crowd of onlookers is the Swiss ambassador to the United States, Jacques Pitteloud, a fan of ornithology.
"Seeing the snowy owl in such an unlikely setting was a very special pleasure,
" the diplomat, who has had the snowy owl on his "list" told AFP.
With their huge white wings, these "birds of snow and ice"
are "like creatures from another world,"
says Kevin McGowan, a professor at Cornell University's Laboratory of Ornithology. The snowy owl nests in the arctic areas of the polar circle in the summer and most individuals migrate south to spend the winter, but they usually stop at the border between Canada and the United States.
Its presence in such an austral area "is like having a polar bear in the neighbourhood",
adds the ornithologist
"It is a fascinating bird, even more so for bird lovers in the Washington area, where its presence is really rare. It is something incredible!" Scott Weidensaul, co-director of the SnowStorm project, who keeps a record, confirms to AFP about its presence in North America.
Retiree Edward Eder, 71, prepares his camera for this "visitor from the Arctic."
According to him
, the number of bird watchers "has probably grown even more during the pandemic,
because it's a hobby where you can maintain social distancing, chart your own path..." Accompanied by their parents, a handful of children point with Point your finger at the statue and try to see the bird you may have already seen in Harry Potter:
the "owl" Hedwig,
faithful companion of the sorcerer's apprentice, is a snowy owl.
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