[mou] Snowy Owl at MSP Airport

[Erika Sitz]

This afternoon, after an unsuccessful attempt to see the Gyrfalcon west of
Hastings, we headed for the airport.  We made one trip on Cargo Rd in and
back from the turnaround, stopping each time at the places which had been
mentioned in previous posts - no birds and only two birders, also skunked.
When we got to Longfellow, we decided that since we were there, may as well
try another swing through.  No luck at the UPS lot, but as soon as we turned
around the back corner of the glycol processing facility, we had no problem
spotting a Snowy on the fence by the runway, this was about 3:45pm.  We
watched it for awhile, got out the scope and tried to take pictures.  It had
the dark markings described in previous posts and looked like the ones on
the MOU site and Terry Brashear's.

Then began the part when we wished Mark Alt was there with his video camera.
The bird started moving around flying from post to post and going down once
or twice.  We spotted some movement along the fence, and eventually figured
out what we were seeing was the top of rabbit ears.  Then the owl started
seriously making passes at it, but its movement was impeded by the fence
which the rabbit hung close to.  Watched this for a few minutes, then the
rabbit (when it got in the open we could see that it was a huge jackrabbit)
took off fast along the fence with the owl trailing above it.  We got in the
car and followed them, eventually to the start of the second tunnel.  There
we had a ringside seat as the rabbit got to the junction of the fence and
the tunnel structure.  The owl would make passes at it and as soon as it got
close the rabbit would duck through a hole under the fence and the owl would
have to sweep up abruptly and light on the fence top.  We tried to take some
pictures.  Three most interesting scenes were the owl looking at the rabbit
slightly behind it by lifting a wing and peeping "under its shoulder" at it;
a vertical with the owl atop the last fence post directly above the rabbit
standing under the fence in the hole; and when once the owl landed on the
ground just before the fence instead of sweeping up the rabbit turned around
after ducking through and they were facing each other no more than a yard
apart.  We watched them until almost 4:30pm.

My husband just emailed me pictures of the last two scenes.  Not calendar
(or Cahlender) quality, but you can clearly see the participants.  He's
still reviewing all that he took.  Anyone who wants to see the pictures,
email me directly.

Erika Sitz
Ramsey, north Anoka County