[mou] 3/9 Aitkin Co -- interesting owl behavior -- 2nd try

[Elijah Parker]

I have no idea why the first came through empty -- but here it is again...

I took my first trip to Aitkin Co yesterday.  It was very fulfilling -- while 
I missed all the good Great Gray photos I was hoping for, I found the Boreal 
Owl where previously mentioned -- the north side of 210 in the jack pines 
just west of 62.  I found it actively hunting at 2:30 and continued hunting 
until about 3, when I left it.  A good place to park it off to the right just 
after turning on to 62.  When I came back to check on it after warming up 
(around 3:30, I think), there were several cars parked by it and as I was 
leaving, a hwy patrol pulled up along them with his lights on.  Does anyone 
who was there know what the problem was?  Parking on 210 (no shoulders) 
maybe?  I'm curious to know what to avoid!

One of the hightlights was observing some very interesting GGOW behavior.  In 
what I assume was "owl field" (a field on the south side of CR 4 with lots of 
owls), I was watching one particular owl (there were 5 present), when another 
came and perched about 20 feet away and began making soft yet authoritative 
cooing sounds.  After some time, it left with no further interaction.  Later, 
I observed an owl make a catch in the field.  While I was watching it in my 
camera (too far away for a good shot), suddenly without warning another 
great gray attacked it!  The first (the one with the vole), met the attacker 
mid-air upside-down!  The first fared well, and the attacker left it.  
Unfortunately, my pictures of this event are very poor, small and out of 
focus, but I'm attaching them anyway.  I assume that this is not common 
behavior.  Has anyone else witnessed such a thing?

Here are the photos:
http://www.elijahparker.com/temp/owls1.jpg
http://www.elijahparker.com/temp/owls2.jpg
http://www.elijahparker.com/temp/owls3.jpg

Also, it's a late report, but I went to Sax-Zim last Sat, and had an 
impressive list of 27 species, including the Northern Three-toed (in the 
woodpecker spot on McDavitt) and a Magpie.  Also of note were Red Crossbills 
and Evening Grosbeaks.

I'll post again when I have the photos online.  I got some great ones of the 
Three-toed!

Elijah Parker
St Paul, MN
http://www.elijahparker.com