GOOD EATS

The word “pileated” is pronounced PILE-e-ated

meaning “capped,” referring to the bird’s crest.

And waited. For weeks no pileated woodpecker appeared. The smaller, more common woodpeckers frequenting my birdfeeders loved all that beef fat, but they were not what I was after.

I tried that experiment during late winter of 2020 before taking the feeder down in the spring. Undaunted, I hung the feeder again in November of 2020, and guess what? A male pileated arrived about a month later! He’s been a regular visitor ever since, readily posing for photo after photo. He even brought along his mate late last winter. I believe the large feeder made the difference because it provides not only abundant food but a large surface for the pileateds to land on. Pileated woodpeckers are found across the state but are most prevalent in the larger forests of southern and eastern Ohio. A mated pair requires as much 100 acres of mature woodland habitat, so it may take a while for them to find your feeder, as it did with mine. But once they do, they’ll remember your generous offering of suet or beef fat and return often. Pileated woodpeckers were all but extirpated from Ohio by 1900, due to the extensive deforestation that took place as the state was being settled. The good news is that Ohio forests are expanding once again, now covering about a third of the state, which provides new woodpecker habitat. As a result, the pileated population in the Buckeye State is on the increase. You’ll know there are pileated woodpeckers in your area by the large holes they chisel in rotting trees with their stout bill while searching for insects. The holes are generally ovalshaped, measuring as much as a foot wide and 2 feet long, with woodchips scattered at the base of the tree. A pileated woodpecker’s call is also telling — a repeated, very loud and raucous woika, woika, woika that carries long distances.

Ask chip!

Email Chip Gross with your outdoors questions at whchipgross@ gmail.com. Be sure to include “Ask Chip” in the subject of the email. Your question may be answered on www.ohiocoopliving.com! www.ohiocoopliving.com

Whooo’s there?

Readers help owl study yield surprising results.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY W. H. “CHIP” GROSS

Regular readers of Ohio Cooperative Living may recall a story that ran exactly a year ago titled “Give a hoot,” describing a statewide wintering-owl study to be conducted by Blake Mathys, an Ohio Dominican University associate professor and Union Rural Electric Cooperative member. Mathys asked for readers’ participation in the study, and co-op members responded in droves.

“More than 1,600 owl sightings were reported to the project,” says Mathys. “Of those submitted, about half were able to be assigned to species with some certainty, based on a submitted photo, recording, or description.”

He says he received reports from 87 of Ohio’s 88 counties, with only Jefferson County in eastern Ohio lacking. The top five counties for reported submissions were Hamilton (19.4%), Franklin (7.6%), Butler (6.1%), Warren (5.4%), and Clermont (4.8%).

Two of the more exciting reports were from rural residents who had long-eared owls roosting literally right outside their windows. “I visited both locations,” Mathys says. “One was in Union County and the other in Allen County. It was quite an experience to stand in a bedroom and look out the window at longeared owls perched just a few feet away.”

Overall, eight species of owls were recorded: barred owl, barn owl, Eastern screech owl, great horned owl, long-eared owl, Northern saw-whet owl, short-eared owl, and snowy owl.

While Mathys had not finished his analysis as of early November, the data seem to support his hypothesis that there are a lot more owls around than previously thought. “For instance, Union County had only two longeared owls ever reported to eBird before this study, but between submitted reports and targeted searches, five long-eared owls were found there during last winter alone,” he says. “Overall, it was a very successful project, and I really want to thank all my fellow co-op members who participated by sending me sighting information.”

For more details of the winteringowl study, contact Blake Mathys at mathysb@ohiodominican.edu.

Olive my love People either love ’em or hate ’em — but here are some mouthwatering dishes to tempt even the most ardent olive-bashers.

RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY CATHERINE MURRAY

VALENCIA ORANGE AND OLIVE SALAD

Prep: 20 minutes | Servings: 6 5 Valencia oranges 16 ounces black olives, drained 1 small red onion

10 to 20 sprigs fresh thyme ¼ cup high-quality olive oil fresh ground black pepper Cut the Valencia oranges crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Place on a round platter, overlapping each slice. Slice the red onion into thin rings, then cut the rings in half. Layer onion sections on top of the orange slices. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sprigs of thyme, then add pepper to taste. Cover entire dish with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 8 hours to let the flavors meld. Salad can be eaten with or without utensils, removing the orange peel before eating.

Per serving: 237 calories, 17 grams fat (2 grams saturated fat), 0 milligrams cholesterol, 660 milligrams sodium, 24 grams total carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 2 grams protein.

MEATLOAF ITALIANO

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 45 to 50 minutes | Servings: 6 1½ pounds lean ground beef 1 small onion, finely diced 1 cup old fashioned oats 15 ounces tomato sauce, divided 6.5 ounces chopped black olives, divided 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion, oats, half of the tomato sauce, about three-fourths of the black olives, and 1 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning. Shape into a loaf and bake in an oven-safe dish covered with aluminum foil for 45 to 50 minutes. In a small saucepan, combine remaining tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook over low heat, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Spoon sauce over meatloaf and sprinkle with cheese and remaining olives. Return to oven for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Slice and serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, or your favorite vegetables.

Per serving: 394 calories, 13.5 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat), 105 milligrams cholesterol, 744 milligrams sodium, 26 grams total carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 41 grams protein.

BAKED KALAMATA AND FETA PASTA

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 50 minutes | Servings: 5 16 ounces grape tomatoes 1 shallot, sliced vertically 3 to 5 cloves garlic, smashed 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained ¼ cup olive oil 8-ounce block of feta cheese ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 10 ounces rotini pasta fresh parsley for garnishing (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large ovenproof baking dish, toss together the tomatoes, shallot, garlic, olives, artichoke hearts, and most of the olive oil. Place feta into the center of tomato mixture and drizzle top with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle entire dish with crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until tomatoes are bursting and feta is golden on top. Let cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some of the pasta water before draining. When feta and olive mixture has cooled down a little, stir together with a bit of the pasta water to make a sauce. Toss pasta with feta/olive sauce, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Per serving: 467 calories, 24 grams fat (9 grams saturated fat), 82 milligrams cholesterol, 958 milligrams sodium, 50 grams total carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 17 grams protein.