Things might be beginning to wind down for the Northern Harriers and the
Short-eared Owls. The harriers arrived the end of October the past 4 years and
there were as many as at least 3 to 4 females and a single male as best that I
have been able to ascertain this season. I am not certain when the owls
arrived, but the first date that I photographed them was on December third.
Usually 4 would fly up together and then split off three and one. Two of them
always seemed to team up. There were a few times that 2 others would appear a
little bit later. On Saturday a friend and I were observing a harrier when 5
owls flew up at the same time from the field. Last evening three people
stayed at the fields on Bennett Lane in Oldham County until 6:15 and never saw
the owls. This evening I was the only one on site from 3:30 until 6:30 and I
saw no harriers and no owls. It was very unusual not to see a single harrier
and they have been very active. That being said this morning on my way to a Dr
appointment I did see a single owl flying across the lane in front of me and go
towards the roosting field of choice. It could be that they are still there
and just flying up with the sun staying up later. For most of the past 2
months their pattern was to fly between 4:30 and 5:45. It has been such a
wonderful time observing these birds and meeting so many great people.
Everyone has been respectful to each other as well as to the birds and the land
on Bennett Lane and many of the neighbors have been quite interested in
learning about the birds. The fields are now a flutter with more and more
Red-winged Blackbirds and Eastern Meadowlarks returning every day. The
Savannah Sparrows have thinned out a bit. This is my fourth year of birding
just down the lane from where I live and it is always very rewarding. The
fields also provide Ironweed and Joe pye weed for hundreds of Monarch
butterflies in August as well. Mary Howell CromerOldham County, Kentucky
