Barn Owl

 

May 5^th (posted May 6^th)

          We had a very long and adventurous day.  We met Ann and Howard at the Magee Marsh boardwalk in the morning.  This was the first time we had birded together since the infamous stomach flu episode at Shawnee.  Things were slow on the boardwalk, but we did see our first of the year Gray-cheeked Thrush.  After eating our picnic lunches together, we parted ways and Mike and I headed east.

          After a couple of unsuccessful stops, we arrived at the Huron Harbor impoundment which is a pier and wetland area in Huron, Ohio.  We were fortunate to see a Piping Plover on a sand spit with distant scope views.  We ran into Jen Brumfield, one of the top Ohio birders, leading a group from Cleveland (also there to see the plover).

          Next, we stopped at Vermilion River Reservation, a county park south of Vermilion to search for a Clay-colored Sparrow.  We didn’t find the sparrow, but we did get close looks at a female Summer Tanager that was perched very close to the trail.

At this point, it was time to continue south for a scheduled rendezvous with a Barn Owl.  A Barn Owl is difficult to find in Ohio, but they are known to nest in some of the big old barns found in Holmes County which is Amish country.  I contacted a guy who owns an optics shop in the area to see if he knew where to find a Barn Owl.  He was so gracious and friendly and said, “Look no further, I have a Barn Owl nesting in my barn.”  We made arrangements to meet at his home around 8:00pm. 

           Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate.  There was a steady light rain when we arrived.  Our host, Robert, was concerned about whether the female owl would leave the nest at dusk to hunt in the rain.  Robert had installed a nest box inside the peak of his barn with a hole for the owls to go in and out. He sat with us in the rain on folding chairs he had provided and said to keep our eyes on the hole at the top of the barn. 

          As the daylight faded, Robert grew more pessimistic. We could faintly hear the baby owls crying for food inside the nest.  Robert said that he didn’t think the mother was in the nest.  As baby owls get older, the mother starts roosting outside the nest and hunts and brings food to the babies at night.  It was getting so dark, I could barely see the hole with my binoculars. I was just looking around when suddenly an owl flew by and called.  This was a far less satisfying encounter than we had hoped for, but it’s all that we got.  It was a long and somewhat disappointing drive home in the rain, but we were so appreciative of Robert’s hospitality.  He went out of his way to welcome us.

(4 new species, total 232)

Piping Plover (rare)

Barn Owl (rare)

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Summer Tanager  

                                         Baltimore Oriole

                                         Great Crested Flycatcher

                                        White-eyed Vireo

                                     Piping Plover (distant view)

                                       Summer Tanager (female)