[mou] Aitkin County - The Owls are still there
Ron Green
rongreen@charter.net
Sun, 20 Feb 2005 07:57:12 -0600
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My wife and I decided to make a last minute trip to Aiktin on Friday =
2/18 and seek out some photo ops of GGO's eating. I have completed my =
perching and flying ones and I wanted a close up of a GGO with a vole. =
Anyway, after we arrived we had two separate instances where locals told =
us the owls were gone. We found that to be absolutely false!. In fact, =
as we were driving back last night, my wife and I both remarked that on =
this and my 2/9 trip we encountered more GGO's than we saw when went to =
Sax/Zim, Duluth, and Two Harbors in late December, and especially our =
mid January trip. Saturday (2/19), was a great day for both owls and =
weather. We saw an incredible number of birders out in Aitkin and those =
I talked to were ecstatic over what they were finding in terms of =
numbers. It may be of interest to note that a majority of them respected =
the owls hunting needs. But I will say, I was surprised by the number =
that did not. They drove up near the bird, left their car engine =
running, and then rushed up very close to the bird with their binoculars =
or camera. I will say that I initially did this out of ignorance. But I =
have to thank all the great education I have received from those on this =
forum that helped reshape my thinking and approach in this regard. After =
the inputs and further observation, I can see the importance of =
respecting the needs of the owl over a photo op. Anyway, here is what my =
wife and I found:
30 GGO's
1 North side of 210, about 1 mile east =
of McGregor
7 on 27 between 65 and Moose Lake
4 West side of 65 between 210 and 4
9 on 4 between 65 and 53
4 on 430th starting at 210 to 16
4 Rice Lake Wild Life Preserve
1 Finlay Sign heading South on I-35 (1 =
mile north of Sandstone)
=20
2 NHO's
1 Rice Lake Wild Life Preserve
1 on 27 between 65 and Moose Lake=20
We had a great trip and I got a number of images I was pleased to have =
captured. In fact, the one main shot I was interested in was a close up =
of a GGO capturing and eating a vole. It did not look like that was =
going to happen. Well, we were heading back on 4 to 65 to head to 27 to =
get to I-35 to head home to Rochester when we passed this owl sitting =
just off the road on 4. We stopped and I got out my long lens and it =
happened. I got the sequence and close up that I wanted. Definitely a =
profitable trip. For those who are interested in seeing the images, they =
are in the first album under "New Images". I have provided below a link =
to my site for those who would like to see them.=20
http://www.greensphotoimages.com/gallery/
Thanks again to all for the great inputs on where to find these =
magnificent creatures, as well as the great education on them.
Ron Green
http://www.greensphotoimages.com
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My wife and I decided to make a last =
minute trip to=20
Aiktin on Friday 2/18 and seek out some photo ops of GGO's eating. I =
have=20
completed my perching and flying ones and I wanted a close up of a GGO =
with a=20
vole. Anyway, after we arrived we had two separate instances where =
locals=20
told us the owls were gone. We found that to be absolutely false!. In =
fact, as=20
we were driving back last night, my wife and I both remarked that on =
this and my=20
2/9 trip we encountered more GGO's than we saw when went =
to=20
Sax/Zim, Duluth, and Two Harbors in late December, and especially our =
mid=20
January trip. Saturday (2/19), was a great day for both owls and =
weather.=20
We saw an incredible number of birders out in Aitkin and those I talked =
to were=20
ecstatic over what they were finding in terms of numbers. It may be of =
interest=20
to note that a majority of them respected the owls hunting needs. =
But I=20
will say, I was surprised by the number that did not. =
They drove=20
up near the bird, left their car engine running, and then rushed up very =
close=20
to the bird with their binoculars or camera. I will say that I initially =
did=20
this out of ignorance. But I have to thank all the great education I =
have=20
received from those on this forum that helped reshape my thinking =
and=20
approach in this regard. After the inputs and further observation, I can =
see the=20
importance of respecting the needs of the owl over a photo op. Anyway, =
here is=20
what my wife and I found:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>30 GGO's</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2> &nbs=
p; =20
=20
1 North =
side=20
of 210, about 1 mile east of McGregor</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> =20
=
=20
7 on 27 =
between=20
65 and Moose Lake</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> =20
=
=20
4 West =
side=20
of 65 between 210 and 4</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2> &nbs=
p;  =
; 9  =
;on=20
4 between 65 and 53</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> =20
=
=20
4 on=20
430th starting at 210 to 16</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2> &nbs=
p;  =
; 4  =
;Rice=20
Lake Wild Life Preserve</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> =20
=
=20
1 Finlay=
Sign=20
heading South on I-35 (1 mile north of Sandstone)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> =20
=
=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>2 NHO's</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> =20
=
=20
1 Rice Lake =
Wild Life=20
Preserve</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> =20
=
=20
1 on 27 =
between 65=20
and Moose Lake </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We had a great trip and I got a =
number of=20
images I was pleased to have captured. In fact, the one main shot I was=20
interested in was a close up of a GGO capturing and eating a vole. It =
did not=20
look like that was going to happen. Well, we were heading back on 4 to =
65 to=20
head to 27 to get to I-35 to head home to Rochester when we passed this =
owl=20
sitting just off the road on 4. We stopped and I got out my long lens =
and it=20
happened. I got the sequence and close up that I wanted. Definitely a =
profitable=20
trip. For those who are interested in seeing the images, they are in the =
first=20
album under "New Images". I have provided below a link to my site for =
those who=20
would like to see them. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.greensphotoimages.com/gallery/">http://www.greensphoto=
images.com/gallery/</A><A=20
href=3D"http://www.greensphotoimage"></A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thanks again to all for the great =
inputs on where=20
to find these magnificent creatures, as well as the great education on=20
them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Ron Green<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.greensphotoimages.com">http://www.greensphotoimages.co=
m</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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