Ol’ Harry used to say, “Boy, when you see an owl in daytime, the weather’s gonna change and it’ll git worse.” As usual, Harry was right. Returning from Tuppers Plains one morning in mid-January, I made the turn into our drive and spotted a Barred Owl — dark eyes, no ear tufts — sitting in the maple tree. A day later, after I finished lunch, an owl flew across the meadow. On Jan. 21, down came the snow and winter has officially arrived. Turns out ol’ Harry was right.

• Several years ago, a Bald Eagle wandered over our farm. A pair attempted nesting in one of the massive sycamores on Blennerhasset Island and perhaps it was one of those that was flying over our part of the valley. Joe Turner has seen several along the Ohio River. I have also seen them flying over the Hocking River at Athens, but seeing one at home was especially rewarding.

• Eagles have made a significant comeback from 1963, when only 417 breeding pairs were sighted in the lower 48 states. The final tally for 2006 is expected to top 8,000, and they may be removed from the Federal Endangered Species List. The observers for the Ohio Bald Eagle Mid-Winter Survey tallied 480 birds during their recent event. None were listed for Athens or Meigs County, but three and four were tallied for Hocking and Washington counties,  respectively — not Route 7 territory, but close.

• Spring 2007 will be Ohio’s third of Ohio’s breeding bird atlas. The project needs volunteers and offers an exciting way to provide information that will aid in the conservation of birds in Ohio. While birds are not scarce in southeastern Ohio, volunteers to study them are. I am going to participate and have agreed to keep records and do surveys in an atlas block centered around our home. Visit www.ohiobirds.org for information about the project or contact the regional coordinator for our area, Janet Duerr, at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

 

Owls are nesting already and it won’t be long ‘til others start!