[mou] Quick update from Aitkin County

[Warren Nelson]

   On Saturday, January 22, I birded around northern Aitkin County.
Timing seems to be really important in locating the northern owls.  At
noon, I went north on C.R.1 to C.R.3, then east on C.R.3 to Highway 169,
then north on 169 to C.R.18 and finally east on C.R. 18 to C.R.5.
During the middle of the day, I found only 2 GREAT GRAY OWLS and 1
NORTHERN HAWK OWL.  However, I headed back to Aitkin following the same
route in reverse and from about 4:00 P.M. to 5:15 P.M., I found 79 GREAT
GRAY OWLS, 6 NORTHERN HAWK OWLS  and 1 BARRED OWL. They seemed to be
everywhere.
    On Sunday, January 23, I only found 14 GREAT GRAY OWLS, 6 NORTHERN
HAWK OWLS, 1 BARRED OWL, GRAY JAYS, a few SNOW BUNTINGS.  The low
numbers of great grays might be do to a very steady wind.  Steve Millard
reported finding a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK  about 2 miles west of Aitkin on
highway 210.  I also got a report of 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS about 1 mile
east of Tamarack along highway 210 ---along with several Graet Gray
Owls.   Warren Nelson