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

[Ron Green]

Hi Elijah,
If you head to my site under "New Images" you will see I captured some of
the fighting. My wife and I had observed at least 4 separate instances.

Ron Green
http://www.greensphotoimages.com/gallery


----- Original Message -----
From: "Elijah Parker" <elijahparker@tds.net>
To: "MOU Net" <mou-net@cbs.umn.edu>
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 1:57 PM
Subject: [mou] 3/9 Aitkin Co -- interesting owl behavior -- 2nd try


> 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
> _______________________________________________
> mou-net mailing list
> mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
> http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net
>