I agree with Rick Counts's estimation of the raptor numbers, at least in
that part of the state. I have not seen a rough-legged hawk at Killdeer,
this year and several veteran Killdeer observers have reported likewise.
On Sat, six of us spent close to two hours there (including pre-dawn
vigil at a usually productive spot) and heard and saw no short-eared
owls. The great horneds were doing well, as we heard males and females
to the north and the south of that spot....which may explain the dearth
of short-ears. I recall Rick's reporting a GHO devastating the
short-eared population at the Hardin wetland a couple of years back,
too. So this could be a combination of good rodent populations to our
north, and a spike in horned-owl populations here.
Bill Whan
Columbus

Richard Counts wrote:
> A trip last night to the Hardin Co. wetlands turned out a very low
> numbers of raptors. Only a single Red-Tailed Hawk, 2 Harriers, and
> for the first time in 6 years no Short-Eared Owls. I believe there is
> a real scarcity of rodents in this part of Ohio this winter.
>
> Rick Counts Wyandot Co.

______________________________________________________________________

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]