[mou] Snowy Owl at MSP Airport

[Alt, Mark]

Today at 2:00 PM Steve Novatney found the first year Snowy Owl due west =
of the de-icing area on Cargo Road at the MSP Airport. This bird is the =
darkest Snowy I have seen in years, and shows as a light grey form =
against the white snow to the naked eye. It was visible from the =
de-icing pumphouse area at a distance of approximately 400-500 yards. =
The birds was not sitting upright as I am accustomed to see them but was =
laying flat on its belly like a dusting pheasant, with its head raised =
up, looking very un-owl-like, assuming the lumpy form of Jabba the Hut =
from Star wars... Its turning of its head while in view helped quite a =
bit with the identification. I digiscoped it, with very poor results, =
yet I will probably post it on MOUmn.org in the video gallery until I =
get a better one. Great bird. Cold with the wind, numbed my face, must =
be owl filming weather! Good Birding!

Mark Alt