[mou] MSP Snowy Owl

[John Kaplan]

I didn't see anyone with a camera out during the aerial show, and I 
didn't check out the other bird as closely as I should have.  I did note 
that it appeared uniformly dark, but while flying I could see stripes 
under the tail.  The breast may have been dark too.  I don't recall 
noting a contrast.  The bird had a slender look and was about the size 
of a peregrine, but that's a rough guess.

I'd better correct my original note: 
The towers are radio towers, not ratio towers.
When the hawk few away, it was the owl, not the hawk, that flew to the 
north-most light pole.
The show happened a little after noon... maybe from about 12:15 to 12:45.



Alt, Mark wrote:

>Can you ID the hawk?  Did anyone take pictures?
>
>________________________________
>
>From: mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu on behalf of John Kaplan
>Sent: Sat 1/7/2006 2:23 PM
>To: mou
>Subject: [mou] MSP Snowy Owl
>
>
>
>A male snowy put on a spectacular show for a few of us on Cargo Road
>just north of the glycol station and across from the 4 ratio antenna
>tower.  He stayed near or on the perimeter fence west of the road.  A
>hawk, that no one there identified, was on the fence nearby.  Every few
>minutes, the owl would chase the hawk away with the two going through
>beautiful maneuvers.  Then the owl would return to the fence with the
>hawk following.  They landed fairly close together ready to repeat the
>chase.  It looked like a game of tag.
>
>Eventually the hawk few away to the west.  That time the hawk landed on
>top of the north-most light post, where Cargo Road makes a right turn.
>
>A passing aircraft may have spooked the owl.  He flew to the ground near
>where the show began.  He stayed near the intersection of the perimeter
>fence and the glycol station's fence.
>
>Not seeming to like the company of a photographer who approached him,
>the owl few south.  He appeared to have landed in a depression parallel
>to the runway and out of our sight.  I expect to see some good photos on
>the web.  The photographer, with his rather long lens, must have gotten
>as close as 20' from the owl.
>
>During the show, two police cars stopped.  One of the officers had
>binoculars; I lent mine to the other.  They were as excited as the rest
>of us.
>
>
>John
>
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