[mou] MSP airport Snowy Owls

[eckma001]

Correction -- omit the "Broad-shouldered" hawk.  Oops.

On 5 Jan 2006, eckma001 wrote:
> 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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> > http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net
> > 
> 
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