[mou] Winona County GG OWL

[Jeff Dankert]

Saw the Winona County Great Gray Owl off and on from noon to 5 p.m. on
Monday. As others have reported, it is 4 miles south of Utica, at the
intersection of County Road 33 and a Gravel township road 14, signed as
"Fremont Drive" at this intersection.

I first saw the bird on the east side of the farmstead, by looking south
from Fremont Drive. It was perched on a fencepost quite close to
outbuildings but 130 yards from the road.

It then spent the bulk of the day in a grassy area and open woodlot to
the south of the farmstead, sometimes viewable from County Road 33 and
by looking east through the open woodlot. It perched on low tree
branches and some fence posts just barely visible on the other side of
the hill. Most of the time, it was not visible. There is a blind spot
here just up and over the hill, not viewable from any road vantage.

The farm owner came home around 430 pm and I met him. He was curious
about the owl and it was the first he had heard of it. He said he
wondered why all the vehicles were parked along the road Saturday. He
thought they might be coyote hunters.

He wanted to see the owl, so we walked from his home about 30 yards
south. As we passed through a fence and turned to look for it, we saw it
fly southwest, about 150 yards away, along a fence line. It perched
briefly on a fence stake then flew on southwest (toward County Road 33
and south of his farmhouse).

I looked down and noticed why the bird had spent a great deal of time
near the blind spot not visible from the road: Thick, matted tangled
clumps of dead grass, in little hummocks, the kind of place mice and
voles spend their time.

I went back to CR33 and caught up with Bill and Arlys Drazkowski of
Winona, and we parked and photographed the bird on the east side of
County Road 33, about a quarter mile from the farmstead. It perched and
hunted from the fence, occasionally hovering and hunting over the grassy
ditch. We got great looks and photos in the late afternoon sunglow.

At no time in the 5 hours I watched this bird did it hunt the
agricultural fields in the area. Instead, it focused on the remaining
thumbnail slivers of grassland.

Directions: 

>From Utica on U.S. Highway 14:
Drive 4 miles south on County Road 33 (County Road 33 is the boundary
between Saratoga and Fremont Townships) to the four-way intersection
with a gravel road. The farmstead is on the southeast corner of this
intersection, with spruces and pines as windbreaks. The gravel road
going east is signed "Fremont Drive."

>From Interstate 90, St. Charles exit:
Turn south on state Highway 74 and in about two-tenths of a mile, turn
left (east) on County Road 35 and travel 4.5 miles. During this 4.5-mile
stretch on CR35, it runs parallel to Interstate 90, heads south, east
then south again. After 4.5 miles from I-90, turn left (east) off of 35
and onto gravel Township Road 14. It may not be marked; I didn't travel
this route today. Travel east 2.2 miles to the GG Owl intersection.

>From Interstate 90, Lewiston exit:
Turn south on County Road 29, and after only about two- or three-tenths
of a mile, veer right at the Y-split to stay on CR29. Travel this
straight southwest without turning for 3 miles (it becomes CR6). After 3
miles, turn right (north) onto County Road 33. Travel 2 miles to the owl
intersection.

Regards,
Jeff Dankert
908 Parks Ave Apt 158
Winona MN 55987-5330
(507) 454-0033
renohawk@hbci.com