Hello, all,
We had a rare double citing in our yard today.  My husband was headed  
up to the barn and surprised (and was surprised himself!) a barred  
owl on the ground under one of our apple trees just a few feet from  
him.  It flew up into the tree long enough for me to come out and  
admire him, and then off to the edge of the woods.  We looked on the  
ground where the owl had been and found a small, beautiful (dead)  
ermine.  It remained there for the rest of the day in the snow but  
was gone this morning.  We figured the owl would remember.

On another note, I notice some of you call the Rock Dove "Rock  
Pigeon."  I realize that the Pigeons and the Rock Dove are in the  
Columbidae family, but I have never until now heard that elevated  
nomenclature.  Peterson, the Golden Book, National Geographic, and  
Sibley all call it a rock dove (though Peterson has "domestic  
pigeon"  and Sibley "feral pigeon" parenthetically.  I guess I ask  
all of this with a smirk, as I often have the reluctance to even add  
the creature to my lists!

Janet
Randolph Center