[mou] Aitkin County today - Ruffed Grouse, amazing Barred Owl encounter and more.
Chris Fagyal
cfagyal@broadbandusa.cc
Sat, 14 Jun 2003 17:04:29 -0500
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Well I had an amazing day in Aitkin county today. Started out from
Burnsville this morning at 4:30am. Got to Millacs lake around 6:45 or
so, and was treated to hundreds of Purple Martins occupying all of the
houses along county rd 35 which tracks alongside the lake. Also had
Common Mergansers and Bonapartes gulls along the lake.
Once in Aitkin county I went over to Township Rd 380, arriving at around
8:30am. Too late for grouse, but did see lots of bobolinks, a singing
Wilson's Snipe on the top of a telephone pole which posed for me for 20+
minutes. Dozens of Savannah Sparrows as well. Also got wonderful looks
at a Northern Harrier as it hunted the fields on the left side of the
road.
>From there I went to Rice Lake NWR. This is where the "amazing Owl
encounter" happened. I was driving along heading towards the wildlife
drive when, about 50 feet past the 1939 CCC Camp sign, I see a big lump
in the road. I slow down and put my bins on it. It's a Barred Owl. I
was stunned. I slowly inched my vehicle forward, and got within about
12 feet of it, and it hadn't moved. At this point I snapped 4 or 5
shots off (grr I could have gotten a LOT more if I would have been
thinking). I was then starting to get concerned about the owl. The
pose it was in seemed to indicate a wing problem. So I got out of my
car and decided to try to approach closer on foot to see if the owl was
ok. Bad move. The owl was perfectly find an took flight into the
woods. What happened next was even more surprising. It landed on a
branch perfectly within view, and a SECOND Barred Owl jumped up to
another branch out of sight. A PAIR of Barred Owls. This was an
awesome experience.
After recovering from that experience, I headed on down the wildlife
drive. Bobolinks galore, along with Leconte's sparrows, Scarlet
Tanagers, and about half way through the drive, a Ruffed Grouse. Life
bird!
After leaving the wildlife drive, I headed back up Cty Rd 5 to get to
Cty Rd 18 and pietz's rd. On the way I got stunning looks (though not
close enough to take pictures) of a Black Billed Magpie, about 1 mile
south of Cty Rd 18. At this point it was late and I was tired, so I
decided to start heading home, and didn't bother stopping at Pietz's to
do the snowmobile trail. After all that I saw, I was pretty pleased
with the result of my day!
Chris
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<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Well I had an amazing day in Aitkin <span =
class=3DGramE>county</span>
today.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span =
class=3DGramE>Started
out from </span></span></font><st1:City><st1:place><span =
class=3DGramE><font
size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Burnsville</span></font></sp=
an></st1:place></st1:City><span
class=3DGramE><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial'> this morning at </span></font></span><st1:time Hour=3D"4" =
Minute=3D"30"><span
class=3DGramE><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial'>4:30am</span></font></span></st1:time><span class=3DGramE><font =
size=3D2
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>.</span></font></span><font
size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Got to <span =
class=3DSpellE>Millacs</span>
lake around </span></font><st1:time Hour=3D"18" Minute=3D"45"><font =
size=3D2
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>6:45</span></font></st1:time=
><font
size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> or so, and
was treated to hundreds of Purple Martins occupying all of the houses =
along
county rd 35 which tracks alongside the lake.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span class=3DGramE>Also had =
Common
Mergansers and <span class=3DSpellE>Bonapartes</span> gulls along the =
lake.</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Once in Aitkin <span class=3DGramE>county</span> I =
went over
to Township Rd 380, arriving at around </span></font><st1:time =
Hour=3D"8"
Minute=3D"30"><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial'>8:30am</span></font></st1:time><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Too late for grouse, but did =
see lots of
bobolinks, a singing <span class=3DGramE>Wilson’s Snipe</span> on =
the top
of a telephone pole which posed for me for 20+ minutes.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span class=3DGramE>Dozens of =
Savannah
Sparrows as well.</span><span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> =
</span><span
class=3DGramE>Also got wonderful looks at a Northern Harrier as it =
hunted the
fields on the left side of the road.</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>From there I went to Rice Lake NWR.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>This is where the =
“amazing Owl
encounter” happened.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> =
</span>I was
driving along heading towards the wildlife drive when, about 50 feet =
past the
1939 CCC Camp sign, I see a big lump in the road.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I slow down and put my bins on =
it.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>It’s a Barred Owl.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I was stunned.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I slowly inched my vehicle =
forward, and
got within about 12 feet of it, and it hadn’t moved.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>At this point I snapped 4 or 5 =
shots off
(<span class=3DSpellE>grr</span> I could have gotten a LOT more if I =
would have
been thinking).<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I was then =
starting
to get concerned about the owl.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> =
</span>The
pose it was in seemed to indicate a wing problem.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>So I got out of my car and =
decided to
try to approach closer on foot to see if the owl was ok.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Bad move.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>The owl was perfectly find =
<span
class=3DGramE>an</span> took flight into the woods.<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>What happened next was even =
more
surprising.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>It landed on a =
branch
perfectly within view, and a SECOND Barred Owl jumped up to another =
branch out
of sight.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span =
class=3DGramE>A PAIR
of Barred Owls.</span><span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> =
</span>This was an
awesome experience.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> =
</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>After recovering from that experience, I headed on =
down the
wildlife drive.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span =
class=3DGramE>Bobolinks
galore, along with <span class=3DSpellE>Leconte’s</span> sparrows, =
Scarlet
Tanagers, and about half way through the drive, a Ruffed =
Grouse.</span><span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Life =
bird!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>After leaving the wildlife drive, I headed back up =
<span
class=3DSpellE>Cty</span> Rd 5 to get to <span class=3DSpellE>Cty</span> =
Rd 18 and <span
class=3DSpellE>pietz’s</span> rd.<span =
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>On the way I got stunning looks (though not close enough to take
pictures) of a Black Billed Magpie, about 1 mile south of <span =
class=3DSpellE>Cty</span>
Rd 18. <span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>At this point =
it was
late and I was tired, so I decided to start heading home, and =
didn’t
bother stopping at <span class=3DSpellE>Pietz’s</span> to do the =
snowmobile
trail.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>After all that I =
saw, I was
pretty pleased with the result of my day!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Chris<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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