[mou] Short-eared Owls, etc - Carlos Avery, Crex Meadows
Erika Sitz
esitz@goldengate.net
Tue, 26 Dec 2006 21:55:22 -0600
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A summary of sightings over the past few days -
For those who haven't yet made it over to Carlos Avery, the Short-eared Owls
and Rough-legged Hawks are still there. For owls, I would suggest that you
want to be at Carlos Avery by 3:15pm to 3:30pm; come earlier and you have a
better chance at hawks also. However, don't lose patience, because on Sun,
12/24, we didn't see owl action until 4:24pm. The easiest best place is
probably along Pool 10 Rd at or near the gated road north of Pool 9. They
seem to rise from the grass and start hunting here, although later they will
sometimes move northward and cross Pool 10 Rd between Pools 5 and 4.
On Sun, 12/24, we saw 5 Short-eared Owls, 7 Rough-legged Hawks, a Great
Horned Owl, 2 Harriers and misc other birds. The owls were in the areas
described above, the hawks were on the roads north and west of there towards
the northwest entrance off Anoka County Road 17.
Today, starting around 3:40pm, we began seeing Short-eared Owls from Pool 10
Rd. There were quite a few other observers. After watching there for
awhile we went north on Pool 10 Rd, saw a couple there, turned right on a
side road, and then right again to be on a road parallel to and to the east
of Pool 10 Rd. At one point we saw a maximum of 8 Short-eared Owls, 5
relatively low and close and 3 more higher in the distance. We also saw a
couple Harriers, one Rough-legged Hawk, and two Bald Eagles flying across
Pool 9.
Yesterday, at Crex Meadows, we saw a total of 8 sure, possibly 10,
Short-eared Owls, 6 Rough-legged Hawks, and one Great Horned Owl. We didn't
see the first owl until 4:40pm. The first thee were along East Refuge Rd
between the area where Main Dike Road jogs there. The rest were along Main
Dike Rd on the south side of the sanctuary by Refuge Extension Flowage and
further west by Dike 4. We watched three Short-eared Owls spend four
minutes buzzing the Great Horned Owl, the latter visibly flinching at each
pass, along here near the eagles' nest platform.
The Rough-legged Hawks were earlier and mainly along the west boundary and
the northwest corner. Also in the northwest corner, along North Refuge Rd
we saw three Sharp-tailed Grouse in an aspen tree and a Raven. We also saw
a Raven along MN70 near MM15 about 3 min east of the Pine County border.
Erika Sitz,
Ramsey, north Anoka County
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>A summary of sightings over the past =
few days=20
-</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>For those who haven't yet made it over =
to Carlos=20
Avery, the Short-eared Owls and Rough-legged Hawks are still =
there. For=20
owls, I would suggest that you want to be at Carlos Avery by 3:15pm to =
3:30pm;=20
come earlier and you have a better chance at hawks also. However, =
don't=20
lose patience, because on Sun, 12/24, we didn't see owl action until=20
4:24pm. The easiest best place is probably along Pool =
10 Rd at=20
or near the gated road north of Pool 9. They seem to rise from the =
grass=20
and start hunting here, although later they will sometimes move =
northward=20
and cross Pool 10 Rd between Pools 5 and 4.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>On Sun, 12/24, we saw 5 Short-eared =
Owls, 7=20
Rough-legged Hawks, a Great Horned Owl, 2 Harriers and misc other =
birds. =20
The owls were in the areas described above, the hawks were on the roads =
north=20
and west of there towards the northwest entrance off Anoka County Road=20
17.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Today, starting around 3:40pm, we began =
seeing=20
Short-eared Owls from Pool 10 Rd. There were quite a few =
other=20
observers. After watching there for awhile we went north on Pool =
10 Rd,=20
saw a couple there, turned right on a side road, and then right =
again to be=20
on a road parallel to and to the east of Pool 10 Rd. At one point =
we saw a=20
maximum of 8 Short-eared Owls, 5 relatively low and close and 3 more =
higher in=20
the distance. We also saw a couple Harriers, one Rough-legged =
Hawk, and=20
two Bald Eagles flying across Pool 9.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Yesterday, at Crex Meadows, we saw a =
total of 8=20
sure, possibly 10, Short-eared Owls, 6 Rough-legged Hawks, and one Great =
Horned=20
Owl. We didn't see the first owl until 4:40pm. The first =
thee were=20
along East Refuge Rd between the area where Main Dike Road jogs =
there. The=20
rest were along Main Dike Rd on the south side of the sanctuary by =
Refuge=20
Extension Flowage and further west by Dike 4. We watched three =
Short-eared=20
Owls spend four minutes buzzing the Great Horned Owl, the latter =
visibly=20
flinching at each pass, along here near the eagles' nest =
platform.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The Rough-legged Hawks were earlier and =
mainly=20
along the west boundary and the northwest corner. Also in the =
northwest=20
corner, along North Refuge Rd we saw three Sharp-tailed Grouse in an =
aspen tree=20
and a Raven. We also saw a Raven along MN70 near MM15 about 3 min =
east of=20
the Pine County border.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Erika Sitz,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Ramsey, north Anoka=20
County</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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