Every seven years (or so) a phenomenon known as an “eruption” occurs across the tundra of the Great White North. This eruption is a population explosion of lemmings, a rodent that sustain the snowy owl. During eruption years, the snowy owl chick survival rate is much higher due to the abundance of food.
 
Young owls move south for the winter into southern Canada and northern United States because the hunting is easier. In 2012 twenty-four snowys took up residence for the winter months in the Flathead Valley of Montana.  Snowy owls prefer to hunt in the absence of the sun therefore in-flight photographs take perseverance.