[mou] Great Grays and Hawk Owls in Aitkin County

[Alex Rothman]

My wife, two boys, and I were in northern Aitkin County this afternoon 
(primarily South on Cty Rd 10 and West on Cty Rd 18) and were able to spot 
nearly 40 GGOWs and 6 Northern Hawk Owls (plus a bald eagle).  The 
overwhelming majority of the GGOWs were in the relatively open fields over 
the last 2-3 miles before CO 18 runs into 169.

As my boys were eagerly counting away, the question arose as to how many 
GGOWs have likely come south in this irruption?  Does anyone know what the 
size of the population might be?  Thanks.

Alex Rothman
Minneapolis
At 09:46 PM 1/15/05 -0600, b.pomeroy wrote:
>The owls in Carlton County are now harder to find.  The snow and the cold 
>may have pushed them farther south.  On Tuesday I counted 48 GGOWs and on 
>Thursday, none...then today I had only 10 Great Grays and 1 Hawk 
>Owl.  They were a lot farther from the roadside and a lot deeper into the 
>fields and meadows, with the ditches having fairly hard packed snow along 
>the right-of-ways form the plowing.  Some of the snow crust in ditches 
>supported my 165 # weight and I was able to walk quite well on the crust 
>along the road side ditches.  The farther south I went the more birds I 
>found, like around Holyoke area and Nickerson and points south.
>Winter has struck a good blow to the critters.
>Saw lots of Common Red Polls and a few hoaries, lots of siskens and many 
>pine grosbeaks.
>Bruce
>
>"I care to live, only to entice people to
>look at Nature's loveliness."
>-- John Muir
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Lind" <jslind@frontiernet.net>
>To: <mou-net@cbs.umn.edu>
>Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2005 9:02 PM
>Subject: [mou] northbound Great Grays
>
>
>>This afternoon I talked to some birders from Colorado at Lighthouse
>>Point in Two Harbors, who said they saw 21 Great Gray Owls flying UP
>>the shore across Agate Bay yesterday evening.  This was very
>>surprising to hear, since just 12 days ago, on January 3, at least 16
>>Great Grays were seen flying DOWN the shore (southwest) over
>>Lighthouse Point and Agate Bay, with many more birds seen in
>>subsequent days flying over the treetops in and near Duluth, all
>>headed southwest.  Large numbers of Great Grays have subsequently
>>been seen in Carlton, Pine, and Aitkin counties in MN, and Douglas
>>Co. in WI.
>>
>>So this evening Sharon and I went to Lighthouse Point from 4:55 to
>>6:00 pm, and we counted 27 Great Gray Owls flying northeast across
>>Agate Bay and up the shore.  Many were seen perched in the treetops
>>at the crest of Port City Hill on the western shore of Agate Bay,
>>then flying over the bay and over our heads.  This was really an
>>amazing thing to see.
>>
>>With the bitter cold of the last few days, and 10" of additional snow
>>on the North Shore Wednesday, it is hard to imagine why birds would
>>suddenly be moving north.  I have heard recent reports from people in
>>Cook County who continue to see Great Grays along the shore, and I
>>assumed these were birds continuing to head south from Canada.  It
>>seems too early for birds to be headed back to breeding areas, but
>>who knows?
>>
>>I know where I'll be tomorrow night.
>>
>>Jim Lind
>>Two Harbors
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