I wasn’t sure if this information was post-worthy or not at first, but after thinking about it I have obviously decided to post it. I visited Fernwood State Forest in Jefferson County on Saturday March 20thin search of ravens. I spent one hour in the area of the Little Round Campground and did not hear or see any ravens. For anyone that does not know, Fernwood State Forest is the site of the first confirmed raven nest (someone correct me if I’m wrong, please) in Ohio in around 100 years. There have only been a handful of confirmed raven sightings in Ohio between the early 1900’s and January of 2006. Because I live relatively close to Fernwood and have worked on that block for the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas, I have encountered the ravens quite a few times. It’s likely that I have encountered those particular ravens more than anyone else in the state, starting with the initial sighting in January of 2006. My observations and encounters with the Fernwood ravens have on every occasion been very brief. I have never seen the birds twice in the same outing; and there have been a few occasions when I didn’t see them at all, but just heard a faint distant “croak.” It has been my experience that these birds are very wary and skittish. I realize that ravens have a quite different reputation, as they are often encountered in close proximity to areas occupied by humans. I’m not an expert on ravens and can only speculate on why these birds are so skittish. Last year in March I visited Fernwood to search for ravens. On that day I hiked the forest (the same forest that had hosted a family of ravens the year before) for 3 hours and heard only a single “croak.” I also saw the signs and the road that had been built for the logging of the forest. At that time I wondered what impact the logging would have on the ravens. The reason that I am posting this on the listserve is that I am occasionally contacted by birders for information on strategies for finding ravens in the Fernwood area. Based on my last visit to Fernwood two weeks ago, I’d venture to say that the status of the Fernwood ravens is questionable. Before the logging, I would often say with confidence that it was the most reliable spot in the state for ravens. I wouldn’t say that now. BUT, I also wouldn’t say that the Fernwood ravens are gone. They have proven in the past to be somewhat difficult to locate and one hour of searching is not enough time to close the curtain on them. I encourage birders to visit Fernwood in search of ravens so that we may discover whether or not the logging has impacted their presence in the area and potential nesting. My advice for anyone visiting the area is to come prepared to spend a few hours walking the main road and listening. The only way we will know if ravens are still in Fernwood is to spend some time looking and listening. It’s a task that is no doubt going to take some effort. And by the way…eastern Ohio is a cool place to bird. If you happen to visit during the breeding season feel free to stop by one of the many OBBA2 atlas blocks on page 63 in the old Delorme that is lacking in data. Any help is greatly appreciated. OK, yeah, that last part was a shameless cry for help. Scott Albaugh ______________________________________________________________________ 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]