Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Trumpeter Swans and Snowy Owls in Darke County

On March 5, a member of the Darke County Birders found 2 Trumpeter Swans at a wetland near Elroy. This is the first recorded sighting of wild Trumpeter Swans in Darke County in modern times. Swans were hunted in earlier times for food and skins. Loss of habitat also led to their decline. In 1996, Ohio became involved in their reintroduction. In 2016, there were a high of 74 breeding pairs in Ohio. The closest places to see nesting “trumpeters” are Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area in Wyandot County and Big Island in Marion County.

Recently, there also have been two different reports of Snowy Owls in Darke County this winter. These owls typically reside further north, but some winters journey this far south. There were many sightings all over Ohio this winter. There was a deceased Snowy found at the Greenville Industrial Park near Jaysville-St. John’s Road. Another owl was photographed on Young Road near the intersection of Washington Road on March 2, 2018. It was not relocated. The Darke County Birders would love to have a copy of the photo if the person who has the picture would forward it to reginasch@embarqmail.com or to info@darkecountyparks.org.

The Darke County Birders is a focus group of the Friends of the Darke County Parks. Any bird questions or reports can be sent to reginasch@embarqmail.com or to the park district office at 548-0165.

The Darke County Birders is a club for people interested in watching birds. The club has monthly fieldtrips and a monthly meeting the 4th Tuesday of each month.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Featured Posts

/* Track outbound links in Google Analytics */