SNOW at BVG

Posting to the our Portage County birders a week-and-a-half ago. Yes, I'm late. A couple of new county birds..now up to 105 or so for Portage County species...and counting.

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Snowy Owl at Buena Vista Grasslands Wednesday, 2/26. Heavily mottled back, so perhaps a first-year bird. Hunting from a fenceline west of Elm and half-mile south of County W at 5:30 p.m. Launched from fencepost and flew strongly about 200 meters north to pounce and ingest a large (almost fist-sized) rodent. Then back to perch.

On the way there (around 4:30) we saw a falcon. Along W going north where it closely parallels highway 39. A few seconds look at an all dark falcon-shaped bird flying along the power lines. A bit larger than a kestrel but didn’t fly at all like one. Straight, fast, determined flight with a few quick changes of direction. So had to be a Merlin, provided they're around. (Jerry confirmed that a Merlin has been wintering within a few miles of there).