In Ohio, as far as I can tell, we have hardly been snowed under by
these arctic owls this winter, with a fairly normal number reported, but
areas to our north proclaim this an irruption year for snowy owls.
     Common knowledge has it (see Peterjohn's 'The Birds of Ohio,' for
example) that unusual numbers of these owls show up at our latitudes
because of crashes in prey populations up north, and that the owls
showing up here are famished.  This year, a Canadian researcher informs
us that their prey in the Arctic was actually exceptionally plentiful in
2008, and that the large numbers seen in the US represent an equally
exceptional production of healthy young owls as a result.
    An interesting article on this topic can be read at
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008812310312
Most of the snowies found thus far have proved to be young males--the
smaller of the juveniles--driven off territories as winter makes prey
more difficult to find. Local experts predict that as food supplies in
the north continue to shrink, young females and perhaps adults will
begin showing up this month. If you can't find this article, let me know
and I'll send a copy.
    Oh yes, the black-legged kittiwake was around at Hoover Res this
morning elevenish; before that, it had been absent for half an hour
while it forayed further north, but later returned to the spot earlier
described. Thanks to Doreene Linzell for flagging down several searchers
passing on the road to point  this out; helpfulness in the birding
community is a model for everyone else...
Bill Whan
Columbus




http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008812310312

______________________________________________________________________

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]