A rendering of a drake red-breasted merganser, a familiar diving duck, by Hudson, Ohio, artist Joel Rogers has been awarded first place in this year's Ohio wetlands habitat stamp design competition.
Rogers' painting will appear on the Ohio wetlands habitat stamp (duck stamp) issued in the fall of 2011. The competition is sponsored annually by the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
The winning entry was selected from a field of 23 original paintings submitted by artists from 12 states, including 11 entries from Ohio. The competition was held Saturday at the Ohio Ducks Unlimited annual dinner in Sandusky.
"I've always thought that the red-breasted merganser was an unusual type of waterfowl and interesting to observe." said Rogers.
The red-breasted merganser is a large diver, about mallard-size, with a long thin, serrated bill suited to grasping such prey as small fish. It also dines on aquatic insects, crustaceans, and frogs. It is found in large lakes, rivers, and the ocean, preferring salt water more than its cousins, the hooded and common mergansers.
The species summers in the arctic. It is among the faster birds in level flight, reaching speeds of 80 mph.
In the stamp competition, Georgia artist Mike Brown took second place for his rendering of an American widgeon, and third place went to Douglas Walpus, a Tennessee painter, for his entry of hooded mergansers. Four other Ohio artists placed in the top 10.
Last year's winner, North Dakota resident Jeffery Hoff, will see his painting of ruddy ducks appear on the 2010 wetlands habitat stamp.
About 25,000 Ohio wetland habitat stamps were purchased last year, according to the wildlife division. Proceeds from stamp sales help fund wetland habitat restoration projects in the state, to benefit such species as state-endangered trumpeter swans and other waterfowl, wetland birds, amphibians, and numerous migratory species.
The judges for this year's event included Mona Rutger, of Back to the Wild Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Castalia; Robert Sweeney, wetlands conservationist from Port Clinton; Dawn Zinc, of Zinc Calls, Port Clinton; Jeff Basting, an illustrator with The Blade, and Larry Mixon, an Ohio Wildlife Council member.
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Lake Erie - Ice conditions have become more dangerous over the past week, says the Sandusky station of the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
The best remaining ice fishing for walleye continues to be west of South Bass Island, though the season is winding down.
Some walleye also has been caught off Metzger Marsh, but constantly changing ice conditions and strong northwest winds will most likely end ice fishing in the far western basin soon.
Panfish continue to be caught in some of the harbors. Check with local bait shops or guides before venturing out.
Coyote downtown - Joe Rutherford was on his way to his office at Four SeaGate downtown in the wee hours Wednesday and reports this eye-opening wild observation:
"I saw a coyote on my way to work at 4:15 this morning at the corner of Adams and Huron in downtown Toledo. It loped across Adams from the area of the Magic Wok, into the parking lot behind the Subway restaurant, stopped and looked at me as I slowly drove by, and then trotted off in the direction of the United Way building.
"The coyote was wet from this morning's snowfall, and was skinny, but otherwise appeared to be in good health. There was a Toledo police patrol car behind me on Adams. I don't know if the officer was following the animal, but as I went south on Adams he turned east on Superior which was the same direction in which the coyote was traveling."
Yes, Virginia, there are coyotes, just about everywhere.
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The Fremont Chapter, Ducks Unlimited, has set its annual fund-raising dinner for tonight at River Cliff Golf Course, 1313 Tiffin St., Fremont. Doors open at 5:30. Call Todd Williams on ticket availability, 419-355-8771.
Contact Steve Pollick at:
spollick@theblade.com
or 419-724-6068.
First Published February 26, 2010, 12:23 p.m.
