Every day Roy Rausch heads out in what he’s called his “Owl Mobile” to look for a lost bird that has called a quarter mile of suburban houses in Cypress home for about a month.
The bird, suspected to be a young female, is at least 3,000 miles from her home in the Arctic tundra. The visitor became a sensation after news that she was spotted in the Orange County neighborhood and the birding community started flocking to Cypress. The sighting, first made in Cypresss on Dec. 26, is the first of its kind in Southern California, experts believe.
But the owl, nicknamed Snowy by some, has not been seen since Monday. She had been roosting on the roofs of various houses in the small neighborhood, and those who’ve observed her, like Rausch, said she had a pretty regular schedule.
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, takes flight from a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, takes flight from a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A backseat passenger of a car takes photos of a snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bird enthusiasts view through binoculars the snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
As some bird enthusiasts take photos of the snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, others view it through binoculars as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A backseat passenger of a car takes photos of a snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, preens its feathers as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
About two dozen bird enthusiasts take photos of a snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, shakes its feathers as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Rose Hamilton of Long Beach takes photos of a snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, keeps an eye out on its surroundings as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Charlie Hamilton of Long Beach takes photos of a snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Some of the two dozen bird enthusiasts on hand take photos of a snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, keeps an eye out on its surroundings as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, watches as a crow passes by as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, avoids an attack by a crow as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, preens its feathers as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, is approached by a crow as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, preens its feathers as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, avoids an attack by a crow as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, shakes its feathers as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, looks up as a crow makes a pass as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra of Alaska or northern Canada, is approached by a crow as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, takes flight from a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, takes flight from a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, takes flight from a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, takes flight from a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, preens its feathers as it sits on a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, takes flight from a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, takes flight from a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, takes flight from a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, takes flight from a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl that found its way from the Arctic tundra in Alaska or northern Canada, takes flight from a rooftop of a home in Cypress during its second week of living in the Southern California neighborhood, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Birders check out a snowy owl as it sits on a rooftop in the 6500 block of Reefton Avenue in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Birders check out a snowy owl as it sits on a rooftop in the 6500 block of Reefton Avenue in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl sits on a rooftop in the 6500 block of Reefton Avenue in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Birders check out a snowy owl as it sits on a rooftop in the 6500 block of Reefton Avenue in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl sits on a rooftop in the 6500 block of Reefton Avenue in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Photographers and birders from around Southern California have been gather in a neighborhood near Holder street in Cypress, CA to view a snowy owl Saturday, December 31, 2022. The birds are common in Canada and northern latitudes, but are rarely seen as far south as Southern California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A snowy owl perches on the top of a chimney of a home in Cypress on Tuesday afternoon, December 27, 2022, as bird watchers and photographers gather on the street below to see the very unusual sight. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Two women view a snowy owl as it perches on the top of a chimney of a home in Cypress on Tuesday afternoon, December 27, 2022, They and many others came to see the rare sight in this part of the country. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A woman walks into a home in Cypress as a snowy owl perches on the top of the chimney on Tuesday afternoon, December 27, 2022. It is very rare to see a snowy owl this far south in the United States. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Young bird enthusiast Riley Daniels, 11, of Palos Verdes Estates, takes photos of a snowy owl as it perches on the top of a chimney of a home in Cypress on Tuesday afternoon, December 27, 2022, Daniels came with his parents to see the rare sight in this part of the country. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl perches on the top of a chimney of a home in Cypress on Tuesday afternoon, December 27, 2022, as bird watchers and photographers gather on the street below to see the very unusual sight. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bird watchers and photographers gather on a street in Cypress to see a snowy owl as it perches on the top of a chimney of a home on Tuesday afternoon, December 27, 2022. It is very rare to see a snowy owl this far south in the United States. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl stretches out its wing as it perches on the top of a chimney of a home in Cypress on Tuesday afternoon, December 27, 2022, as bird watchers and photographers gather on the street below to see the very unusual sight this far south. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bird enthusiast Harriet Bennish of Long Beach takes a photo of a snowy owl as it perches on the top of a chimney of a home in Cypress on Tuesday afternoon, December 27, 2022, Bennish and many others came to see the rare sight in this part of the United States. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bird watchers and photographers gather on a street in Cypress to see a snowy owl as it perches on the top of a chimney of a home on Tuesday afternoon, December 27, 2022. It is very rare to see a snowy owl this far south in the United States. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl preens its feathers as it perches on the top of a chimney of a home in Cypress on Tuesday afternoon, December 27, 2022, as bird watchers and photographers gather on the street below to see the very unusual sight this far south. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A snowy owl perches on the top of a chimney of a home in Cypress on Tuesday afternoon, December 27, 2022, as bird watchers and photographers gather on the street below to see the very unusual sight. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“She has been seen during the day, every day on rooftops and chimneys, never in a tree or on the ground,” said Rausch, who is retired and in the past was general manager for the Belmont Brewing Company. “I believe the first time the (owl) was seen on anything other than a rooftop was on Jan.15, when I photographed it on a telephone pole. The owl departs every evening around sunset, to the west every time, and goes hunting.”
Officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are also monitoring for new reports of the bird being spotted. A planned “Owl Talk” at the Cypress Community Center had already been scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight, Jan. 19.
Experts said the owl has been feeding off rodents, gophers and small animals – the owl watchers photographed her eating an American coot recently – and she likely hunted at the nearby military bases with their large undeveloped lands, including the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station and Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos.
But Monday night was the last time anyone in Cypress saw the owl fly off. The experience that night, Rausch said, was her “most spectacular flyover,” where about 100 people captured photos of her exquisite white and brown-speckled wingspan as she flew into the sunset. Rausch was there with his “Owl Mobile,” a Toyota Highlander outfitted with tripods, spotting scopes, binoculars, camera and an owl cam.
When Rausch and others didn’t see her Tuesday, worry set in, and the owl fans on the Cypress Snowy Owl Facebook page created by Rausch began to post their concern.
Among them is Maria Cominis, a resident in the Cypress neighborhood who was the first to spot the owl in December on her neighbor’s home.
“I got some flack from neighbors because they knew what was coming,” she said about notifying folks in the birding community about the owl and the flood of people who arrived to see her. “But in the end, most everybody was really respectful.”
The number of spectators varied each day. At first, it was just a few; then it grew to dozens as word spread nationwide. One day, there were at least 100 people out there, said Cominis, a Cal State Fullerton theater professor.
“The last two days where she’s been gone, I realize the impact she made,” Cominis said Thursday morning. “She brought us so much joy.
“A year ago, we were dodging each other for fear of getting COVID, but she’s brought the community together in a special, almost mystical way. It made us turn our focus to the skies and away from our phones.”
“It’s like something beautiful is present, and you know it won’t last forever, and when it’s gone, there is a vacant spot,” she added. “Thank goodness for the Facebook page because we all know her impact on our hearts.”
Rausch and others in the community are hopeful the owl might turn up again.
Wildlife officials are also continuing to keep watch.
“At this time, we’ve not received any reports of the snowy owl,” said Melissa Borde, a raptor expert and environmental scientist who works for the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and has been monitoring the owl with officials from the state agency. “But we will continue to monitor reports closely.”
