Minnesota Statewide RBA
Minnesota Statewide RBA
Minnesota Statewide RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *December 14, 2000 *MNST0012.14 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: December 14, 2000
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://biosci.umn.edu/~mou/
Reports: (763) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (ahertzel@uswest.net)
This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday December 14th, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Most of the reports this week are of Snowy, Great Gray, and Northern Hawk Owls. I'll start in the southern part of the state:
On the 8th, Mark Ochs reported a SNOWY OWL in the southeast corner of the intersection of Fischer Avenue and 200th St. in Dakota County.
In the central part of the state, a Snowy Owl was seen in Todd County at the junction of county roads 25 and 14, and one was in Wilkin County on the 12th along county road 19 near the town of Foxhome. In Aitkin county a NORTHERN HAWK OWL was found on county road 18, one mile east of U.S. Highway 169. I also have reports of three GREAT GRAY OWLS. The first one was on Aitkin County road 18 a half mile west of Pietz's Road; the second was along Pietz's Road, a tenth of a mile north of county road 18; and the third was on county road 4 about two miles east of state highway 47. And a SHORT-EARED OWL was seen near Rush City in Chisago County on the 8th. It was found on the south side of county road 3 about three miles east of highway 361.
And in the northern regions, six Great Gray Owls were reported December 9th along Lake County road 2 between Two Harbors and the Sand River. Another was along state highway 1, and two were along the Spruce Road, which turns east off highway 1 about fourteen miles west of county road 2. In addition, five Northern Hawk Owls were also seen in Lake County: two were along county road 2, two more were along the Stoney River Forest Road, and one was along Forest Road 377.
A total of eight Great Grays were seen in the Sax-Zim bog area of St, Louis County on the 9th. Four were along state highway 7 and four more were seen along county road 133. Five Hawk Owls were also in the bog, three along the Stone Lake Road and two along county road 133.
Hawk Owls are also being seen in Beltrami County where up to four were found along state highway 72 just south of the Lake of the Woods County line. A Great Gray Owl was also reported along this road just north of the town of Kelliher.
These are certainly not all the owls being reported, but time limitations prohibit me from mentioning every record. Additional Great Grays have been reported from the towns of Virginia, Duluth, and elsewhere in St. Louis County, and their southward invasion is also quite apparent in the Northwest Angle of Lake of the Woods County and in northern Roseau County where as many as 14 have been counted in an afternoon.
Steve Millard reports that a BROWN THRASHER is being seen in Fergus Falls in Otter Tail County, and an immature GOLDEN EAGLE was seen on the 12th near the town of Foxhome in WIlkin County.
A SONG SPARROW has been visiting the feeders of Dan & Sandy Thimgan who live near Battle Lake, Otter Tail County. On the 9th, another Song Sparrow was found in Como Park in Ramsey County.
As many as 2500 gulls roosted on Black Dog Lake in Dakota County on the evening of December 9th, including a first winter GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL and at least four GLAUCOUS GULLS.
On December 11th, two male EASTERN TOWHEES were at the feeders of the Eagle Ridge Resort in Lutsen, Cook County. And a SPOTTED TOWHEE was seen December 8th at Diane Rowse's feeder in Burnsville, Dakota County, but the bird has not been seen since its initial discovery.
In cooperation with the Minnesota Office of Tourism, highlights of this hotline can be heard at a toll free number which is available to callers outside the Twin Cities area. That number is 1-800-657-3700.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday December 21st.
Send your rare and unusual Minnesota sightings to our electronic hotline: MOU-net@biosci.umn.edu. To learn more, send a message (the message being these two words: info mou-net) to majordomo@biosci.umn.edu.
