On Sunday, January 31st  Mark Gilsdorf, Jack Stenger and I decided to check out the large winter raptor populations that are annually attracted to Killdeer Plains and Big Island Wildlife Areas. Mark and I left Cincinnati at 8:30 am and picked up Jack in Delaware, Ohio around 10:30 am. From there we made a quick pass through Delaware WA to pick up a wintering Northern Shrike, that was cooperatively right where it usually is. We then made a quick pass through Big Island and arrived at Killdeer Plains after noon. At 5:00 pm. having the option of looking for Short-eared Owls at Killdeer or Big Island, we chose Big Island where we stayed until after dark. 

 

Our day's highlights included Northern Shrike, 3 Cackling Geese, a Greater White-fronted Goose, 32 Tundra Swans and lots of raptors. Keeping a strict and conservative count, our totals for the day included 48 Red-tailed Hawks, 5 Rough-legged Hawks, 24 Northern Harriers, 22 American Kestrels, 5 Bald Eagles, 3 Short-eared Owls and 2 Great Horned Owls. All of these birds were seen from or near our car.

 

Some of the species we found included:

Cincinnati to Columbus: Red-tailed Hawk 8, American Kestrel 5.

Delaware WA: Red-tailed Hawk 5, American Kestrel 2, Northern Shrike 1 (large field in area G, south of US 229).

Big Island WA: Red-tailed Hawk 14, American Kestrel 3, Northern Harrier 18 (5 adult males), Bald Eagle 4 (2 adult, 2 immature), Short-eared Owl 3, Great Horned Owl 2 (the owls were seen near last light). 

Killdeer Plains: Canada Goose 3000 (low estimate), Cackling Goose 3, Greater White Fronted Goose 1, Tundra Swan 32, Mallard 100+, Black Duck 30+, Northern Pintail 3 (most of the waterfowl were seen in the ponds along CH-68), Red-tailed Hawk 21, Rough-legged Hawk 5 (2 black morph, 3 light morph, including 1 immature), American Kestrel 12, Northern Harrier 6 (2 adult males), Bald Eagle 1 (adult), Red-headed Woodpecker 1, Eastern Meadowlark 1, Northern Mockingbird 1. Horned Larks were numerous everywhere we went.

 

Maps of these three sites and all Ohio Wildlife Areas can be found at:

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/wild_resourcessubhomepage/WildlifeAreaMaps/tabid/19694/Default.aspx

Jay Stenger
Cincinnati, Ohio

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