There was a snowy owl sighting Thursday at Gull Point at Presque Isle State Park.

Jerry McWilliams, birds record chairman for the Presque Isle Audubon Society, said the owl was spotted around 1:15 p.m. by a woman sitting on an ice-floe just off the east end of the point.

McWilliams said the most recent snowy owl spotting since Thursday was actually in Yorktown Plaza in Erie around two weeks ago.

He said there have been a number of reports for February that have come from Presque Isle, North East and Harborcreek, but estimated there were three confirmed sightings throughout the month.

He had not heard whether yesterday's Gull Point sighting was still around yet today.

There were two snowy owl sightings in January -- one the 20th that was captured inside a building at GE Transportation and the other on Jan. 21 on Beach 11 at Presque Isle State Park, making the yearly total at five.

1. Snowy owls can be between 20 to 27 inches long with a wingspan of 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet.

2. They can weigh anywhere from 2 1/2 pounds to just over 4 pounds.

3. Males are traditionally smaller than females and males are generally whiter than females.

4. The oldest snowy owl living in the wild was 9 years and 5 months. A captive snowy owl lived for at least 28 years.

5. Their population normally varies with the lemming population -- what they normally prey on.

6. They're extremely nomadic and movements are tied to the lemming population.

7. Unlike most other owls, they hunt mainly in the daytime.

8. Snowy owls are known to aggressively defend their nests and will attack those that disturb them.

9. Snowy owl pairs normally mate for life.

10. They normally travel at speeds around 50 mph.

Source(s): National Geographic, Defenders of Wildlife