Folks way up north are seeing unusual numbers of snowy owls. Laurie Larson passed on a recent report of 138 snowies in Newfoundland, and others are showing up in the Carolinas. Another Ross's gull has appeared, this time in central Iowa. Hawk owls are being seen at unaccustomed latitudes. An influx of northern raptors probably signals food shortages, and extra Ross's gulls could mean extra warmer open water in the north. Or not; at any rate, seekers of the unusual may want to seek unusually carefully in coming days. Bill Whan Cols ______________________________________________________________________ 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]