Recently someone on the list mentioned that it was a "great year for Short-eared Owls". I'd argue that it is one of the lightest in three decades and has been getting lighter each year. It wasn't all that far back when we had an ongoing Short-eared owl count in the region with fantatstic numbers each season. I believe Ned Brinkley was the last to coordinate that.
When we arrived here in 1986, winter was wonderful with lots of snow , so much that a X-country ski center was active in Podunk, Rough-legged Hawks, Short-eared Owls and Northern Harriers in abundance and visitors like Snowy Owl and even Gyrfalcon more frequent and widespread. As the years have passed so have the raptors. I'm sure there are many overlapping reasons but I believe the basic one is lack of prey population due to massive changes in agricultural practices. When the farmer leaves nary a grain then we start losing from the bottom of the food chain thanks to gleaning efficiency and "economy of mass" farming. That was then and this is now a time when any concentration of these birds is to be quietly enjoyed and celebrated. My two cents. John -- John and Sue Gregoire Field Ornithologists Kestrel Haven Avian Migration Observatory 5373 Fitzgerald Road Burdett,NY 14818-9626 Website: http://www.empacc.net/~kestrelhaven/ "Conserve and Create Habitat" -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
