Snowy owls venture far south of the Arctic to thrill area birders
By Theodore Decker | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH January 12, 2012
PHOTO COURTESY OF NINA HARFMANN This snowy owl perched on a power pole in Hardin County for several hours in late December.
A bird of prey that most people know only from the adventures of Harry Potter is showing up with increasing frequency this winter in frozen fields across Ohio. Sightings of snowy owls, which typically call the Arctic tundra home, have spiked throughout the United States in recent weeks as the large predators with gorgeous white plumage drop far south of their usual turf, likely in search of better hunting grounds.
“Every year we see at least a few in Ohio,” said Jim McCormac, a naturalist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife. “They draw a lot of attention when they do come down.” This year, McCormac said, sightings have put the numbers closer to 12 to 15 birds. The regular sightings closest to Columbus appear to be in Hardin County, he said. More sightings are expected. “They’re still showing up,” he said.
The snowy owl, recognized by Potter fans as his beloved letter- carrying pet, Hedwig, is an infrequent but not endangered visitor to Ohio. Naturalists say they think the periodic irruptions of the owls in relatively warmer climes might be tied to population explosions of their primary food source. “They’re driven by lemmings,” McCormac said. Lemmings “go in boom and bust population cycles. Every four years or so, the lemmings reach a crescendo.” When they do, the owls eat more and tend to lay more eggs in response. But come winter, the glut of owls spells more competition for food.
That likely forces younger snowy owls farther south in search of rodents and other morsels. Snowy owls tend to be spotted on the ground, far out in farm fields or other wide-open areas that must feel to them like the tundra. “They don’t want to be around trees,” McCormac said. Most often they appear in northern Ohio near Lake Erie, but in years past they have turned up around Columbus and other points south. Unlike most owls, these birds don’t mind being out during daylight hours. “They’re used to the land of the midnight sun,” McCormac said.
The appearance of the “snowies” has been a hoot for serious birders. “I’d never seen a snowy owl before, and it was a magnificent bird,” said Nina Harfmann, an Ohio-certified volunteer naturalist who lives in Warren County. Harfmann went to Hardin County on Dec. 29 and watched an owl perched on a power pole for several hours. “He was absolutely beauti ful,” she said. The experience allowed her to cross a “life bird” off her list of rare birds she’d love to see at least once.
“For so many people, a snowy owl is a life bird,” she said. That was part of the fun for members of the Avid Birders, a group affiliated with Columbus Audubon. The Avid Birders went on the hunt for a number of species including the snowy during a trip on Saturday. They drove to several locations where snowies were seen in Wood and Hancock counties but came up empty-handed. But in Hardin County, just as the sun was sinking, a snowy owl swooped into view and settled on a plowed field not more than 100 yards away. “Just as we were almost despairing, it came flying across the field,” said birder Bill Heck, 62, of Genoa Township. “It saved the day, so to speak.” It wasn’t Heck’s first sighting, but he was happy to relive that feeling of discovery through some of his companions. “There were several people on the trip who had never seen one before,” he said. “It’s almost as much fun to find somebody else a life bird. That was pretty neat.”
tdecker@dispatch.com
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Nyctea scandiaca Average lifespan: 9.5 years Size: Body, 20 to 28 inches; wingspan, 4.2 to 4.8 feet Weight: 3.5 to 6.5 pounds Habits: Unlike most owls, which are nocturnal, snowy owls hunt and are active both day and night. Where they live: The owl lives in the Arctic tundra and is the northernmost and heaviest owl of North America. Breeding: They breed in the Arctic, and females lay a clutch of three to 11 eggs, depending on the availability of food. Coloring: Young owls, especially males, get whiter as they get older. Females are darker than males, with dusky spotting. Hunting: This is one patient owl that waits to identify its prey before soaring off in pursuit. Snowy owls have keen eyesight and remarkable hearing, which help them find prey that is invisible under vegetation or snow. Preferred meal: They love lemmings. An adult might eat more than 1,600 lemmings a year, or three to five every day. The birds supplement their diet with rabbits, rodents, birds and fish. Travel: They sometimes remain in their northern breeding grounds, but frequently migrate to Canada, the northern United States, Europe and Asia. Sources: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Geographic
Snowy owl starved to death, bird expert says
By Theodore Decker THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH January-13-12
A snowy owl that drew birdwatchers to Hardin County from throughout Ohio in recent weeks was found dead yesterday morning.
The bird, whose photo was on the cover of The Dispatch yesterday, appears to have starved to death, said a bird expert who examined the body.
Jacqueline Augustine, an assistant professor of biology at Ohio State University’s Lima campus, said she was alerted to the dead owl by birders who found it in the same general area where it has been spotted for several weeks.
It had been seen alive as recently as Saturday. The photo was taken last month.
Augustine, who specializes in ornithology, said an external exam revealed clear signs of starvation. “It didn’t have much muscle left,” Augustine said. Jim McCormac, a naturalist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, said: “Probably more birds than we’d like to think suffer that fate.”
This winter has seen an in- crease in the number of snowy owl sightings across the United States. Typically denizens of the far north tundra, the birds periodically drift south and spend the winter in warmer climes. Naturalists say the phenomenon has nothing to do with temperatures — the owls are quite comfortable in Arctic subzero temperatures — but with their food supply.
Naturalists believe that population explosions of lemmings occasionally lead to a corresponding increase in the owls. The more they eat, the more owlets are hatched. When winter sets in and food sources grow scarce, younger birds tend to venture far from home in search of better hunting grounds. The Hardin County bird became something of a celebrity since its arrival just north of the hamlet of Roundhead, as birders directed one another to the area in hopes of a glimpse of the uncommon visitor.
Twelve to 15 snowy owls have been reported throughout the state so far this winter. Typically there are only one or two, McCormac said. Even as birders lamented the loss of the Hardin County owl, Internet reports of others are surfacing closer to Columbus. Reports are trickling in that a pair of owls might be in the area of Kenny and Ackerman roads, and at least one possible sighting has occurred off Rt. 104 at the Pickaway-Franklin County line.
