The Short-eared Owls of Wilkin County put on an astounding aerial display for us on Wednesday (12/13) late afternoon. We saw at least 19 between the optimal hours of 4:00 - 5:00 pm. They were seen in a number of locations in the Rothsay Wildlife Management area, most notably at the traditional Prairie Chicken area. Go west of Rothsay on CR 26, turn north on what is now known at 300th Ave which magically turns into 190th St when the road jogs west. The fields north and south of this stretch of 190th was the best spot. Other owls were also seen over fields off CR 15 as it wends its way north and east toward the town of Lawndale. Our first, in fact, was seen down the road marked by the Pine to Prairie Birding Trail sign.
Earlier, many Prairie Chickens were distantly seen out by the rock piles off the minimum maintenance road which deadends south off of 15 (near that old concrete silo with the missing top). Those minimum maintenance roads, incidentally, are in great shape right now -- solid with no snow. Other notables seen earlier in the same general area: Rough-legged Hawk (4), American Kestrel (2), Northern Harrier (2), Northern Shrike, good numbers of Ring-necked Pheasants and Prairie Chickens. Earlier in the day, we had a pair of Rusty Blackbirds stop at our home feeders. Thanks to Steve Millard for the initial tip on the Short-ears. Dan & Sandy Thimgan, Jeff Schultz Otter Tail County