[mou] S-e Owls (long)

[Kelly Larson]

After reporting the possible sighting of Short-eared owls in Ramsey Cty,
I received a number of helpful responses and inquiries. Steve Weston
stopped by the store late last night before his frog survey and we
pulled up a map of the location on the web. It was then that Steve
informed me that it was Ramsey township, in Anoka Cty that we were
looking at. Much better habitat, but not good enough...
Steve enlisted a fellow birder who lives in the area to follow up on the
report. Erika Sitz and her husband went to the property last night and
had a few looks at the bird in question. The owl was found sitting on a
large tree limb, and photos were taken. The lighting was poor as it was
getting on to dusk. Flight/hunting behavior was not observed that
evening, nor did it vocalize. The photos were blurry. A positive ID
could not be made, though initial physical impressions allowed for the
possibility of S-e. Erika played various owl calls from a Stokes audio
field guide for the home owners. They ID'ed the S-e as what they had
been hearing.
A return visit this morning yielded better observation of the bird.
Unfortunately hopes of a record S-e owl have been dashed. Hunting
behavior (hugging the wooded edges) and better lighting revealed a
juvenile Great Horned owl. Maybe the vocalizations that were heard by
the home owners were made by the young owls begging. Even so, a family
of GHO in your back yard isn't exactly "chopped liver" as Erika pointed
out. Steve reminded us that GHO have been hit especially hard by West
Nile. We need to keep an eye on our local populations and appreciate
their presence regardless of how common and wide spread the species is.
Thank you to everyone who entertained the possibility and to those who
suffer my improbabilities with candor.

Kelly Larson
Feathered Friend Wild Bird Store
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Red Wing, MN
651-267-1001

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