Hi all,
For anyone interested in observing Snowy Owls in Ohio, the Cleveland lakefront and vicinity is the place to go. Jen Brumfield, Bob Lane, Jerry Talkington, John Pogacnik and others have done an excellent job of keeping us apprised of the whereabouts of the numerous birds up there. The lakefront birds tend to be far easier to locate and have greater site fidelity than most of the birds that show up in the interior.
Many of the reports from the interior have been after the fact, and often lack detailed directions. We try and run that stuff down, but it isn't always possible. Something else worth noting is that several reporters of owls made it quite clear that they did not want the locational specifics being made public. It's to the credit of media exposure and the charisma of Snowy Owls that even people who don't want visitors want to make sure their owls get noted for the record. A number of these owls have turned up on farms where public access would be difficult, and unwanted by the landowners. If a cooperative owl lingers in a location where public viewing is not a problem, I and I'm sure others would share that information.
Jim
Jim McCormac
Ohio Division of Wildlife
2045 Morse Rd., G-2
Columbus, OH 43229
614-265-6440
Keep Ohio Wild, learn how you can help @ Wildlife Legacy Stamp
Bird Lake Erie!: www.lakeerieohiobirding.info
-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Casey Tucker
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2013 8:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Snowy Owl update
Hi All,
It's great that we're getting so many reports of Snowy Owls in the state (52! Wow!). It would be great if these reports were shared publicly so that folks can go and observe these ambassadors of the north locally. Not everyone uses Facebook groups for bird reports (I personally don't find it user-friendly, and it isn't as convenient as checking this site for widespread reports: http://birding.aba.org/ ....I know I sound like some sort of curmudgeon). Only a handful of the Snowy Owls that have shown up have been reported to the listserv, and most of these seem to be from the Cleveland lakefront area.
If you have details about where birds have been observed, especially in Licking County or Wayne County, I'd appreciate knowing about those. I've been out driving back roads of Knox Co. in search of owls as well (fingers crossed).
So please share details about where Snowy Owls can be observed, even if they don't seem to hang around long in a specific area. Some searching may find them elsewhere nearby.
Thanks,
Casey Tucker
> Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2013 07:13:33 -0500
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [Ohio-birds] Snowy Owl update
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Hi all,
>
> This winter is shaping up to be one of the largest irruptions of Snowy Owls in the Great Lakes region, and along the east coast, in quite some time. To date, at least 52 owls have been reported in 23 counties in Ohio. Many of these birds have been short-term visitors, although most or at least many of them have been documented with photographs. Away from Lake Erie, where Snowy Owls will often remain in favorable hunting locales for extended periods, the birds often don't seem to linger, probably because of a lack of consistent hunting success.
>
> I've been keeping tabs on owl reports, and would appreciate hearing
> about any new reports. I have a map with county distribution and
> totals for each reported county on my blog:
> http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/
>
> I'll update the map later today. Just last night I learned of two additional records: Hocking County, and Licking County. Unfortunately, the Hocking County bird was found as an apparent roadkill, the second such kill I've heard about. Given the frequency and distribution of Snowy Owls to date this winter, they could turn up about anywhere. Keep a sharp eye out for big white lumps in the fields or atop poles as you drive about.
>
> Jim
>
> Jim McCormac
> Columbus, Ohio
> Like Nature? http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/ Like Birds?
> http://www.ohiobirds.org/
>
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______________________________________________________________________
Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
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Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
______________________________________________________________________
Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
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