Snow print suggests abrupt end for critter in suburban Chicago

A very subtle sign of spring is seen in a suburban Chicago snow print, reports CBS station WBBM.

Naturalist Margaret Gazdacka was leading some fourth graders on a snow shoe hike at Red Oak Nature Center when they came across the trail of tiny feet, bisected by the line of a tail dragging, a trail ending abruptly in the snow angel-like print of a raptor with wings outstretched.

Gazdacka believes it's the snow print of an owl, not a hawk, snagging a mouse.

"It would be more likely that the owl would be more active even if it was cold out, which it was, hunting because it had babies to feed versus the red-tailed hawk which maybe on a colder day would probably be like, 'you know what, I'm good. I don't need to hunt tonight,'" she said.

Gazdacka says she's looking for other spring signs in the snow, but says so far all she's found is the sound of spring bird songs at the Red Oak Nature Center in Batavia.