I have had many good days birding after I pull up behind Dave Cahlander's red Subaru. It means I am in the right place. On Tuesday,12/20/05, at 2:30 PM, Dave had located the Snowy Owl on Cargo road, accessible from the intersection of Hwy 62 (Crosstown) and Hwy 77 (Cedar Avenue). There are two tunnels that go under runways, then a rotary dead end. This day the Owl was between the two tunnels, on the northern side, perched atop a security fence, on a post top, at eye level, 120 yards away. I shot 20 minutes of video, (eat your heart out Peter Neubeck), and got the bird actively perusing its surroundings, then fluffing its feathers up, tilting its head back, gaping impossibly wide, appearing to be working up a pellet. It also did some preening, including cleaning of its foot with its beak, accessed by lifting and twisting its tail and diving its head down to its bottom area. Lots of feathers pushed around, I cannot be certain of what it was doing. This is one flexible bird! It was clearly a 1st year female, with very dark blackish marking on every feather edge on its back and breast, dark barring on the tail feathers, and a clear white small bib, that extended down the front of the bird equal to the height of its head. Its head was very darkly mottled on top as well. The nape of its neck had marking son it, but not as profuse or dark as the back. While watching the video, I realized I only have to get the size of the posts and I can closely estimate the height and width of the bird, I will try and do that. Maybe I can get mug shot backgrounds for each post at the airport? Parking alongside this road is in clear violation of the signage in the area, so if you do stop, please use precaution and use flashers and be careful not impede to traffic at all. I would hate to see us lose access to this area. We looked hard for another bird in the area, to no avail. I understand some birders have chased this bird 4 times at this location without seeing it. It certainly does match its surroundings. My wife remarked that the film could be black and white and it would make no difference. The only splash of color comes from the Snowy's amber eyes and the occasional red tail of the jets taking off. This is a really large bird, and when it gaped to cough up a pellet (it looked like a really big yawn), I was impressed by the size of its mouth. I will check it out; it may have the largest gape of any North American Raptor. I wonder what they are eating, perhaps some of the Jackrabbits that still inhabit the area, but more commonly, I would expect rodents - rats and mice. Has anyone witnessed predatory behavior from these birds? I have read that Snowy Owls are known for chasing down Arctic Hares, locking into them with their talons and then pumping their wings to slow and stop the Hare, then delivering the coup de grace with its beak. Kind of like parasailing except the boat is edible. This is the kind of mental imagery that will probably have me out there shooting hours of video again this year. I know, I know, I am using a tripod, even though I had to borrow one form Dave Cahlander yesterday. I recommend stopping for red Subaru's when you are out looking for birds. Good Birding.=20
Mark Alt Brooklyn Center, MN Hennepin County