Hello, I must be going

A rare visitor to Shelter Island, a snowy owl, was spotted on Shell Beach Tuesday afternoon. But just for a moment.

Don Bindler, who captured the startling image of the bird for the Reporter, couldn’t miss the large, yellow-eyed creature, a member of one of the largest species of owls.

This female would usually be found in polar regions, but she and the rest of her wise brothers and sisters are a vagabond bunch who have been known to frequent locales as far south as the American gulf states.

She didn’t stay long, Mr. Bindler reported, but took flight south and east after resting for only a moment.