Author: Sharon Swaney

Hardy Birds – Horned Lark
Photo by Matt Valencic

Horned Larks inhabit most of the continental US all year round!  Because they prefer to forage for seeds and insects on the ground we see them better in winter, especially on bare, agricultural fields.  In spring, females will make a nest in a depression on...

Hardy Birds – Lapland Longspur
Photo by Matt Valencic

In winter, Lapland Longspurs could be overlooked as just another LBJ (little brown job – aka, sparrow), except that most of our sparrows don’t inhabit open fields during winter.  They nest in the high tundra where it is estimated they eat over 3,000 seeds and...

Hardy Birds – American Pipit
Photo by Matt Valencic

Because they eat mostly insects, American Pipits go all the way to the southern US to spend the winter. That means we have to enjoy them in late fall and early spring during migration. They can be hard to see because they blend in well...

Short-eared Owl
Photo by Matt Valencic

Winter Raptors. The five featured species for this season: Merlin, Snowy Owl, Northern Harrier, Rough-legged Hawk, and Short-eared Owl eat other birds (Merlin) and small mammals. They are only in NE Ohio during the winter months. When the weather warms in March they head north...

Rough-legged Hawk, light morph
Photo by Matt Valencic

Winter Raptors. The five featured species for this season: Merlin, Snowy Owl, Northern Harrier, Rough-legged Hawk, and Short-eared Owl eat other birds (Merlin) and small mammals. They are only in NE Ohio during the winter months. When the weather warms in March they head north...

Male Northern Harrier
Photo by Matt Valencic

Winter Raptors. The five featured species for this season: Merlin, Snowy Owl, Northern Harrier, Rough-legged Hawk, and Short-eared Owl eat other birds (Merlin) and small mammals. They are only in NE Ohio during the winter months. When the weather warms in March they head north...

Snowy Owl near Painesville, OH
Photo by Matt Valencic

Winter Raptors. The five featured species for this season: Merlin, Snowy Owl, Northern Harrier, Rough-legged Hawk, and Short-eared Owl eat other birds (Merlin) and small mammals. They are only in NE Ohio during the winter months. When the weather warms in March they head north...

Merlin, seen at Pekin Marsh
Photo by Matt Valencic

Winter Raptors. The five featured species for this season: Merlin, Snowy Owl, Northern Harrier, Rough-legged Hawk, and Short-eared Owl eat other birds (Merlin) and small mammals. They are only in NE Ohio during the winter months. When the weather warms in March they head north...