[mou] GreatGrayOwl-goal 4/10
Milton Blomberg
MJBFLWRMT@MSN.COM
Sun, 10 Apr 2005 15:55:19 -0500
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Drove from central MN (St. Cloud) with the goal to see a Great Grey Owl =
for my lifer list. Stopped at the Ripley Esker SNA (CrowWingCounty) at =
3:30pm. Hot and very windy...thus,no woodland birds observed as we =
walked the esker trail. The pond on the back side yielded pairs of =
woodducks, lesser scaups, and a pair of Common Goldeneye. (Also the =
Pasque Flower is in bloom there).
Went N on Hwy 6 out of Crosby, E on Cty11 to really begin the owl hunt. =
Entered Aitkin County road changes name to Cty22 amidst the sod farms by =
6:00pm. Turned N on CtyRd1 heading for CtyRd3 eastbound (we were =
attempting to make a loop through the county), but turned off instead on =
a gravel road, I think called Osprey Lane which links with the Great =
River Road that comes out just north of the Hwy169 bridge over the =
Mississippi. It was here we suddenly had the action. (7:00pm) Along =
the south side of Osprey Lane is a tamarak-black spruce bog, the north =
side has a drainage ditch and open sod farm fields. Three Great Gray =
Owls in the space of a couple hundred yards posted on aspen branches =
about shoulder heighth. I took many photographs an have been completely =
filled with aura of this bird's demeanor. I could say more, but the post =
is getting long. We traveled north to CtyRd18 then S on CtyRd5 to =
Palisade: no more owl sightings, but it was quite dark then. Several =
common birds sighted along the way, of note Sandhill Cranes, Flickers, =
E.Meadowlarks,Kestrals, Am.Tree Sparrows, Song Sparrows, E. Phoebe, =
N.Harrier (2), Pintails, Tundra Swans(3). sincerely, Milt Blomberg
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<DIV>Drove from central MN (St. Cloud) with the goal to see a Great Grey =
Owl for=20
my lifer list. Stopped at the Ripley Esker SNA (CrowWingCounty) at =
3:30pm. Hot and very windy...thus,no woodland birds observed as we =
walked=20
the esker trail. The pond on the back side yielded pairs of =
woodducks,=20
lesser scaups, and a pair of Common Goldeneye. (Also the Pasque Flower =
is in=20
bloom there).</DIV>
<DIV>Went N on Hwy 6 out of Crosby, E on Cty11 to really begin the =
owl=20
hunt. Entered Aitkin County road changes name to Cty22 amidst the =
sod farms=20
by 6:00pm. Turned N on CtyRd1 heading for CtyRd3 eastbound (we =
were=20
attempting to make a loop through the county), but turned off instead on =
a=20
gravel road, I think called Osprey Lane which links with the Great River =
Road=20
that comes out just north of the Hwy169 bridge over the =
Mississippi. It=20
was here we suddenly had the action. (7:00pm) Along the south =
side of=20
Osprey Lane is a tamarak-black spruce bog, the north side has a =
drainage=20
ditch and open sod farm fields. Three Great Gray Owls in the space =
of a=20
couple hundred yards posted on aspen branches about shoulder =
heighth. I=20
took many photographs an have been completely filled with aura of this =
bird's=20
demeanor. I could say more, but the post is getting long. We =
traveled=20
north to CtyRd18 then S on CtyRd5 to Palisade: no more owl =
sightings, but=20
it was quite dark then. Several common birds sighted along the =
way, of=20
note Sandhill Cranes, Flickers, E.Meadowlarks,Kestrals, Am.Tree =
Sparrows, Song=20
Sparrows, E. Phoebe, N.Harrier (2), Pintails, Tundra Swans(3). =
sincerely,=20
Milt Blomberg</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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