A rare treat for Ohio residents is to see a snowy owl, also known as the Arctic, great white, and ghost owl. A shortage of lemmings and voles in the owl’s arctic home can drive these nomad hunters as far south as Ohio in search of food. Snowy owls can be seen in the dead of winter mostly along the Lake Erie shorelines such as Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland. If you make you way to Burke Lakefront this winter, be sure to keep an eye out for these beautiful migrants!
Young male Snowy Owls are barred with dark brown and get whiter as they get older. Females keep some dark markings throughout their lives. Young males tend to have a white bib, a white back of the head, and fewer rows of bars on the tail than females. Although the darkest males and the palest females are nearly alike in color, the whitest birds are always males and the most heavily barred ones are always females. Some old males can be nearly pure white.
Cool Fact: The Snowy Owl can be found represented in cave paintings in Europe!
Listen to the Snowy Owl on Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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With an ever-growing to-do list, the Effort-Less Birdfeeder makes one task simple and painless. Built to withstand every type of weather, the Effort-Less is a unique birdfeeding system designed to last. “The Effort-Less Birdfeeder features a free-standing base, allowing it to be placed virtually anywhere – on patios or decks, in gardens or grass. When filled with 30 pounds of dry sand, the base is designed to keep the feeder stable and straight in all kinds of weather.” Good news for our Ohio winters!
Water is one of the most important things birders can add to their backyard to attract birds. All bird species need water, and adding one or more water features to your yard will quickly attract feathered friends. Birds need water for two reasons: drinking and preening. Water helps keep a bird’s body cool both from the inside and outside. Water baths can also remove dust, loose feathers, parasites and other debris from a bird’s plumage. Offering water in your backyard will attract more birds than just food sources, since birds that would not normally visit feeders can be tempted by water features. Any water is an improvement on a dry backyard, but moving water will attract more birds because the motion catches their eye and they can hear any dripping, sprinkles or splashes. Adding a Water Wiggler dripper, or mister accessory to a standing birdbath adds motion easily. Birdbaths are the fastest, easiest way to add water to your backyard bird habitat. The Rock Pile offers different sizes and styles. Birdbaths come in three basic designs:
