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December 2013

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From:
Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 4 Dec 2013 09:39:43 -0500
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Someone pointed out the snowy owl account of Arthur Williams (author of
"Birds of Cleveland," 1950). He quotes Kirkpatrick, a mid-19th century
authority (p. 79): "Very common during the winter along the lake shore.
In the winter of 1858-59 a great many were shot in the neighborhood of
Cleveland, and this is the case almost every year." Williams points out
a four-year cycle in the abundance of arctic hares and lemmings,
estimating that in 1941-2 "100 to 150 reached our region that winter.
Again in the winter of 1945-6 there were many records of this species,
especially along the lakefront, where it seems to occur most frequently.
It was observed at both Gordon and Edgewater Parks, Richmond Beach, and
Fairport Harbor, and at the Willoughby Airport. Occasional birds may
appear during the winter months even in an "off' year."
        I see a thick-billed murre is being seen in Kingston, Ontario. It is
possible that its appearance, especially if it is accompanied by others,
may result from food shortages. That seems to have been the case with
the great invasion of this species in 1896 and subsequent years. Ohio
had dozens of specimen records--among the thousands tallied in the Great
Lakes at the time--in 1896, along the Erie shore but also in places as
far inland as Preble and Belmont counties; the invasion reached
Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana. An eight-page article in the Ohio
Cardinal (vol 27 #2, winter 2003-4, the one with the photo of the
Muskingum Co. prairie falcon on the cover) "Annals of Pelagic Birding in
Ohio: Thick-billed Murre," recounts these events of over a century ago.
The most recent Ohio report of this bird was a sight record by Milt
Trautman in 1950 during a blizzard off S. Bass Island.
Bill Whan
Columbus

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