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-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *February 8, 1996 *MNST9602.08 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide/Twin Cities
Date: February 8, 1996
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (tony@mill2.MillComm.COM)
This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday February 8th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. At any time you can bypass this recording to leave a message by pressing 5 on your touch tone phone.
The warmer weather has brought many more birding reports than what I had received over the past couple weeks. So much so, that I must limit this update to the more unusual or interesting species. However, I would like to thank all callers for their birding reports, and encourage them to continue to call in, as all reports, whether mentioned here or not, are compiled for the permanent record.
The real news of the last week has been GREAT GRAY OWLS, which are making an unprecedented showing in the central parts of the state. On February 3rd a GREAT GRAY OWL was in a backyard in Vadnais Heights in Ramsey County. Another GREAT GRAY OWL was reported by Walter Popp five miles south of Lake City, Wabasha County on February 4 and 5th. This is extremely far south for this species and would represent a first County record. On February 4th a probable GREAT GRAY OWL was seen briefly in the town of Plymouth, Hennepin County, west of 494 and north of County Road 9. Most unusual was the GREAT GRAY OWL seen by Doris Rubenstein on February 6th near the southbound on-ramp to interstate 35W at Washington Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Craig Menze reports finding a GREAT GRAY OWL in Kanabec County on Feb 7th at the intersection of County Roads 11 and 72. A GREAT GRAY OWL was in Aitkin County on February 7th along MN highway 65 at mile marker 92. Yet another GREAT GRAY was seen in St. Louis County along County Road 7, 1.6 miles north of County Road 756, also on the 7th. And a GREAT GRAY OWL has been seen by Shelly Steva for the past several weeks along the Middle River in Marshall County, west of the town of Newfolden.
Perhaps the most interesting sighting of GREAT GRAY OWL yet to date is the report of a bird in Mower County near the town of Lansing. The bird was seen along a dirt road, one mile north of County Road 2 and two miles east of U.S. Highway 218. Look in a nearby field just northwest of this location.
And GREAT GRAYS aren't the only owls being reported. On February 2nd, Drew Smith found an adult SNOWY OWL in Dakota County between 170th and 180 streets along Emery Ave. This bird has since been both elusive and conspicuous, being found by some and missed by others. A SNOWY OWL was also reported from just east of the town of Warren in Marshall County on the 8th. Steve Millard called in with reports of four SNOWY OWLS seen in western Minnesota. One bird is in Clay County along Interstate 94 just west of the town of Barnesville; two SNOWYS have been found near the town of Rothsay; and a fourth bird is in Otter Tail County near Western township. And a NORTHERN HAWK OWL was seen by Ken LaFond on Koochiching County road 8, 7.5 miles south of highway 17 on February 7th.
In other birding news, A HARLEQUIN DUCK was seen by Ken LaFond on the Rainy River near the town of Ranier in northern St. Louis County. On February 7th the bird was just south of the railroad bridge at the Rainy Lake outlet. The BARROW'S GOLDENEYE is still at the Blue Lake sewage ponds in Scott County. Other waterfowl being seen here include GADWALL, WOOD DUCK, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED MERGANSER, MALLARD, BLACK DUCK and AMERICAN COOT.
GRAY PARTRIDGE were seen by Mark Ochs and Paul Budde just north of 180th Ave South off of Fisher Street on February 3rd.
Mike Hendrickson reports that birders have a good chance of finding that GYRFALCON in the Duluth harbor by checking atop the Cargil Grain elevator in the port terminal. For updates on this and other birds in the Duluth area you can call the Duluth Hotline at 218-525-5952. Another possible GYRFALCON was seen along state highway 36 between Stillwater and Lake Elmo on February 5th.
John Rabine had a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW at his birdbath on Feb 2nd, and Ron Selbitschka observed two WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS near St. Joseph's Hospital in downtown St. Paul on the 5th.
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were three miles north of the Carpenter Nature Center in Washington County on the 6th. WHITE- WINGED CROSSBILLS have also been reported from Roseau, Kittson, Pennington and Polk Counties. And RED CROSSBILLS were seen on highway 65 in extreme northern Itasca County on February 7th.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday February 15th. If you have birds to report, please leave your name, location, phone number and a brief but specific message