I do not think GHOW numbers have much affect on wintering SEOW numbers. In some years when SEOW numbers are high are GHOW numbers low? SEOW are not a common prey item for GHOW. Jeff Hays ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Whan" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, January 18, 2010 8:24 AM Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Poor raptor winter in Ohio >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] ______________________________________________________________________ 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]