Even with the freezing weather, Marion County Naturalist Marla Mertz says it’s a great time to get outside and observe nature–just be sure to bundle up. Eagles are beginning to build their nests, and great horned owls are early nesters as well. She says the great horned is Iowa’s largest and most adaptable owl, commonly laying two to three eggs in late January or early February. Iowa is also getting visitors from the Arctic Tundra–Snowy Owls. Snowy owls are active during the day and can be spotted in large open areas, such as fields, on fence posts and telephone poles, or just “sitting” on the ground. Snowy owls have been seen this year near the Marion/Jasper County line. Mertz says getting outside for even only fifteen minutes a day can relieve us from the winter “blahs.”