[mou] 27 Great Gray Owls

[Jim Lind]

Through the course of today I saw 27 different Great Gray Owls and 
one Northern Hawk-Owl in St. Louis County.  Most birds were seen this 
evening along Forest Highway 11 (a.k.a Hwy 16) and Hwy 110 south of 
Hoyt Lakes.  At least 11 of these birds have been reported 
previously.  I saw at least 3 instances where there were two birds 
within 100 yards of each other.

This morning near Duluth:
CR 10 (W. Tischer Rd) 0.6mi W of CR 37 (Jean-Duluth Rd) - 1 bird
Swan Lake Rd & Kruger Jct Rd (0.4 mi NW of Arrowhead Rd) - 1 bird

This evening:
Forest Highway 11:  15 birds along the 11-mile stretch between the 
Whiteface campground road and the Ahola Road (CR 355)

Hwy 110:  7 birds between FH 11 and the Skibo Rd (FR 113)

CR 4 (3.3 mi N of CR49 (3 Lakes Rd)) - 1 bird
CR 44 (0.3 mi E of CR 353) - 1 bird
CR 44 (Brimson Fire Hall) - 1 bird

The only Hawk-Owl I saw was 0.2 mi E of the Whiteface campground road 
on FH 11 (probably the same bird present since late-Oct.).

I also drove the Camp 26 Truck Trail (FR 118), the Moose Line Road 
(FR 130), and some roads around Palo, but didn't see any owls.  There 
don't seem to be as many owls between Duluth and Two Harbors as there 
have been the past two weeks, but I guess that could change.

Most of the owls seemed rather skittish when I would pull over to get 
GPS coordinates, and I even watched one catch a large vole.  
Hopefully these are signs that they are finding food.

Jim Lind
Two Harbors