1ST EGG & info on name choices

The first egg has FINALLY appeared! It was first observed by some viewers as early as 6:47 a.m. when the nestbox was still very dark, but the egg was barely visible. Additional daylight a few minutes later brightened the box to reveal the egg for sure! Thanks to Ethel for this photo of the male with the egg early in the day:Eggs are laid every 2-3 days so we can expect the 2nd egg over the weekend.

The voting continues for the name for the male. Several of the finalists were submitted by more than one individual. If a name wins that was suggested by more than one person we will pick the final winner at random, just like we do with the childrens' naming contest for the chicks. Here are a few comments submitted with the name choices:
Astro: "came flying in like an astro (star)"
Drifter: "drifted into town," "no leg bands, no way to know where he came from"
Flint: "Ohio's state stone," "feathers are flint colored, strong powerful name"
Mystery: too many people submitted this choice to list all the comments but most remarks referred to the fact that he is not banded therefore it is a "mystery" as to where he came from
Trooper: "embarking on a bold new phase of his life, which requires a lot of bravery, tenacity, and commitment," "a real "trooper" and came through when we needed him," "correlates well with Scout"

Many suggested "Wilbur" to complement Orville, however, the name "Wilbur" was already used for a nestmate of Orville's in Dayton in 2003. Names playing on a "new" theme were not chosen as finalists because we genuinely hope he sticks around in which case the "new" would not apply in subsequent years.

We thank each and every person who took the time to submit name suggestions. There were SO many wonderful choices and it was very apparent that everyone put a lot of thought into their choice. Regardless of what we call him, we are glad he has claimed the Columbus territory!!