Indiana is having another good year for seeing snowy owls in the northern part of the state, though the owls are not likely to be as prevalent as last year.
The arctic birds travel as far south as central Indiana as part of their annual migration.
In 2013, the northern U.S. saw an unusually large number of snowy owls—one of the largest migration populations on record.
There have been several sightings near the Indiana Dunes, according to the website eBird, which tracks snowy owl sightings.
Keith Bond and Amy Lukas were hoping to catch a glimpse of the white bird at the Indiana Dunes State Park on a recent weekday.
"I'd never thought I'd actually see a snowy owl because they are so northern and so rare," Bond says. "When I heard that they were showing up here I had to come and check it out."
The snowy owl is more than just a favorite of bird enthusiasts, though. The owls also serve as an environmental indicator.
"[It's] important for us to track these owls because they are an indicator species of things going on up in the arctic," says Indiana Dunes State Park Interpretive Naturalist Brad Bumgardner. "It relates to climate change and how our winters go and also [provides insight into] food supplies. So there's a lot to learn by these snowy owls coming in."
The owls' migration season ends in February.