December 4, 2006 I was happy to read Glen Crippen's report from The Wilds, which mentioned calling meadowlarks on a crisp frosty morning this past weekend. I also have been hearing their distinctive voices on my farm in western Muskingum County, consistently on clear mornings through November. I am usually skeptical of "out of season" bird song, because of the number of starlings present, some of whose mimicry can really throw one for a loop. I particularly find that out of season "pewee" voices usually can be attributed to starlings. I haven't seen any meadowlarks on the farm lately, but one can still hear them. Our usual one over-wintering mockingbird, seasonally silent, is feeding on rose hips, bittersweet, etc. around the edge of our successional field on the back ridge. Bob Evans Geologist, etc. Hopewell Township, Muskingum County DeLorme 70 A1 (Currently in southern California, where I unsuccessfully sought my lifer ferruginous hawk this morning. There is one that has been hanging out at an abandoned Marine airbase nearby.) ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. 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]