For all those Burrowing Owl chasers near Greenville, Darke Co. earlier this year, we thought you might find the following news from The Raptor Center at the Glen Helen Ecology Institute (as quoted from an article by The Raptor Center Director, Betty Ross in the most recent "In the Glen", Fall 2008, page 7):
 
"The strangest arrival of all wasn't a youngster, but a burrowing owl, which shouldn't even be in Ohio!  Burrowing owls live in Florida or on the plains and deserts of Western states, so we had no idea what this one was doing here.  It was brought to us from a City of Dayton garage and welding shop, was rather grimy, and couldn't fly well.  We thought it must have hitchhiked on a delivery truck, as a roadrunner did several years ago in Northern Ohio.  However, we later found out one was seen in Darke County in a farm field for a week, shortly before this one turned up in Dayton.  So is it the same bird or another one?  It is now flying well, so we are working with the Division of Wildlife and others to determine where it came from, so we know where it should go for release.  The mystery isn't solved yet, so stay tuned."
 
A very nice photo is included in the newsletter, so if anyone is interested in comparing the photos from the Darke County bird to this one, just contact Betty Ross at the Glen Helen Ecology Institute and undoubtedly, she'd be happy to help you get a newsletter.  (937 769-1902).
 
John and Karen Shrader
Centerville, Ohio, USA
 
 

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]