"Snowy owls have left the arctic en masse this year, flocking south to B.C., delighting bird enthusiasts across the province but worrying biologists."

"he birds typically nest north of the treeline, in the tundra and high arctic, and are usually a rare sight in B.C.

But every couple of years, changes in the arctic food supply forces snowy owls south, explains provincial wildlife biologist Doug Wilson."

CBC News had the story December 5, 2012. [2]