Saw two Snowy Owls in Douglas County today. One was found by Ben Eckhoff, the Naturalist at Lake Carlos State Park and may be a bird that was seen earlier near Carlos (who really knows?) It was along MN 29 in the NW quadrant of the intersection of 29 with Buckskin Road, sitting on top of a hill behind a utility transformer. It was there early AM and again after 9AM when I saw it and was NOT there at 3:45PM today when I went back. The second Snowy Owl, probably a new bird, was sitting on top of a large stack of hay bales at a feedlot. Where Douglas County 24 (in the NW part of the county) terminates at Douglas County 7, the road that continues going east is called Gravel Pit Road. The bird was south of Gravel Pit Road at the point that the road jogs north. Saw Snow Buntings in groups of 4, 8, 8 and 95, One group of four Horned Larks, and one group of 3 Lapland Longspurs. Had 3 N. Shrikes, NO Rough-legs or Red Tailed Hawks. There were a few Am. Tree Sparrows around in multiple places but over all birds were scarce. The blowing snow and sculpted drifts were beautiful in the bright sunshine.
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