[mou] MSP airport Snowy Owls

[eckma001]

Dear Mark,
Thanks for your very helpful message.  Here is information from my sighting
at MSP on December 27 from 2:00-3:30 pm.  Conditions were heavily overcast
and very dreary, light wind, very slight mist.

I spotted a large Snowy from the FedEx lot.  It was perched atop a huge
mound of dirt at the western edge of the airport.  It appeared to be almost
entirely white.  It moved its head around alot but never flew away.  Other
birders arrived, many with scopes.  One spotted a scond Snowy, an apparent
female, on a runway sign from a very far distance - I could hardly make it
out with my binoculars.  It flew toward the bulk tanks (the surface of
which are almost ground-level) and perched on a bright red runway post
(maybe 20' high) with an inverted U on top, directly to the west and on the
opposite side of the runway.  It remained there until I left.  This second
bird was heavily mottled, but I was too far away to make out any details. 
A large jet taxied right in front of it and it never moved.

FYI I saw a Pileated woodpecker on the corner of Carter and Como Avenues in
Saint Anthony Park (St. Paul) on December 24 about 4:00pm.  Today I found
some black wing feathers in Hampden Park (about 8" in length with large
white centers) presumably from a Pileated.  There are currently Cooper's,
Red-tailed and Broad-shouldered hawks in the neighborhood, which might
explain the feathers.  About two weeks ago I witnessed a Cooper's devouring
a Hairy woodpecker five feet from my kitchen window in St. Anthony Park.

Karlyn Eckman
651/649-1606

On 5 Jan 2006, Alt, Mark wrote:
> I have seen the Snowy Owls twice in the past 24 hours. A 2nd year male
> bird was visible from the FEDEX truck staging lot on Weds afternoon
> (1/4/06). Mark LaRose and Jim Otto and I saw the bird at a distance
> across the runways looking northwest. It was a very light bird with
> brownish markings and a nearly white crown. It was sitting on the ground
> atop a little snow pile. It was over a quarter mile distant, viewed
> through a scope. I saw it at about 4:15 pm.
> 
> I watched a female Snowy with many dark feather edges this morning
> (1/5/06) at 9:45 AM. It was visible from Cargo Rd ad you drive east out
> of the first tunnel and then look to you right. This is a large array of
> runways visible; this Snowy was perched atop a runway number sign (I
> forget the number).  It was about 300 yards away. It is so heavily
> marked that it looks grey to the naked eye (its back was to me). With
> binos the details come into focus and the patterning can be discerned.
=20
> 
> So, there are at least two birds still at the airport. I encourage all
> viewers to reveal their findings (or not findings) for these birds so we
> can determine if there is a pattern to their behaviors. Please post to
> MOU net with the time of day, exact position of your viewing, relative
> position of the bird, and what the patterning of the bird was. (very
> white on back and top of head, bib extended far down breast vs. very
> heavily patterned black markings on back and breast and cap of head. Bib
> extended only to chin of bird. Please relate if you looked and didn't
> find it , as well. Many people are looking to add this bird to their
> year and life list and more information will be better. Some parts of
> this area do not lend themselves to safe stopping and viewing. The Owl I
> saw today was viewed form an area that has no safe stopping area. Please
> relate how you arranged to see the birds, what your parking and viewing
> points were.
> 
> I am hoping to capture more video of these birds, but these distances
> are too great for quality filming, so I may be going back a lot. I will
> post my findings, please do the same. Good Birding.
> 
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