Re: [mou-net] owl question
Hi Dave, thanks for the interesting question about the differences between the Great Gray and Northern Hawk Owls.While both owls in this part of the country live primerly on voles (Microtus, which include meadow voles & Clethrionomys, which include red-backed voles) during the summer, their winter diet and hunting patterns are completely different during the winter. The Great Gray is a vole specialist, hunting them year round. In the winter they can hunt them by located them under 30cm to 60cm (1 to 2 feet) by sound. One source said they can crash through crust on top that can support a man, although I have heard others say that the crust prevents their hunting. I believe their light weight supports the latter hypothesis. If so, the formation of crust on snow cover may force them to move to other locations to hunt. The Hawk Owl is a visual hunter and during the winter its prey is much more varied and includes mammals larger than the voles and birds including grouse. In northern Minnesota I find these guys in more open habitat than the Great Grays. Since I find some of the Hawk Owls at exactly the same location in successive years, I suspect that like Snowy Owls, some Hawk Owls migrate south each year drawn to locations that they have experienced before, rather than being pushed out of areas where prey is inadequate. In conclusion, different winter conditions and abundance of different prey may effect the two species differently to force them out of their breeding territories, while the southern vacation may be a greater pull to the Hawk Owl. Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN swest...@comcast.net - Original Message - From: "Dave Bartkey" To: Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 6:26 AM Subject: [mou-net] owl question Hi everyone, After experiencing the great owl irruption a few years back, and then seeing all of the Northern Hawk Owls this winter, I was wondering what the difference is in the diet of great grays versus hawk owls? And if there is not much difference, why the current irruption of only hawk owls? Thanks in advance for anyone knowledgeable and willing to share! Dave Bartkey Faribault,MN greathornedd...@hotmail.com _ Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469228/direct/01/ Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Great Gray Owl hooting, Saw-whets tooting
Thursday On a beautiful afternoon in a remote part of Aitkin County, I heard the territorial booming/hooting of a Great Gray. Gearing up for April breeding, I guess. It was about 4pm...well before dark. Shawn Zierman and I also found 4 Black-backed Woodpeckers (3males/1female) in the area. The area is a half mile walk in and it was heard another quarter mile into the woods so not much chance of seeing it. Also several N. Saw-whets singing in Carlton County (at my home and at Larry Weber's) this evening. Sparky Stensaas 2515 Garthus Road Wrenshall, MN 55797 218.341.3350 cell sparkystens...@hotmail.com http://www.photoshelter.com/c/sparkyphotos/ www.stoneridgepress.com www.kollathstensaas.com _ Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469230/direct/01/ Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Long-tailed Duck -- Dakota County
This afternoon I found a female Long-tailed Duck near Point Douglas. The bird was among a large flock of Common Goldeneye on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi River across from Prescott, Wisconsin, a short distance down river from the railroad bridge. I was not able to find the Harlequin Duck or Barrow's Goldeneye reported earlier. Douglas Mayo Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] [mou-rba] Duluth RBA 2/18/10
-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *February 18, 2010 *MNDU1002.18 -Birds mentioned Long-tailed Duck Barrow's Goldeneye Sharp-tailed Grouse Glaucous Gull Great Black-backed Gull Northern Hawk Owl Great Gray Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl American Three-toed Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore Date: February 18, 2010 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) Reports: (218) 834-2858 Compiler: Jim Lind (jsl...@frontiernet.net) This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, February 18th, 2010 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. The male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was relocated by Peder Svingen on the 18th at Leif Erikson Park in Duluth. Melissa Boyle found a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL on the 13th along the Lakewalk near Chester Creek. Craig Mandel and others saw a first-cycle GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL on the 14th at Canal Park. Craig's group also saw 12 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE in the Sax-Zim Bog along CR 28 at Cranberry Lane. Four first-cycle GLAUCOUS GULLS and a LONG-TAILED DUCK were seen on the 17th at Agate Bay in Two Harbors. An AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was found on the 17th by Norma Malinowski along the Spruce Road at the snowmobile trail about 3.5 miles east of MN Highway 1. She also saw a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER along the Gabbro Lake access road about 5 miles east of MN Highway 1. NORTHERN HAWK OWLS were seen over the weekend at several locations in the Sax-Zim Bog including CR 7, CR 133, the Admiral Road (CR 788), the Sax Road (CR 28), the Stone Lake Road, and US Highway 53 south of Cotton. The NORTHERN HAWK OWL east of Two Harbors along MN Highway 61 at Flood Bay was relocated on the 13th, and another was seen along CR 3, 0.4 mile north of MN Highway 61. The one at Gooseberry State Park was relocated on the 12th. David Alexander saw a NORTHERN HAWK OWL on the 16th in northern St. Louis County along MN Highway 65, 2.1 miles north of Silverdale. Michael Gordon and others saw a GREAT GRAY OWL on the 13th in Aitkin County along CR 18, 0.6 mile east of Pietz's Road. The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, February 25th. The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-834-2858. Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded message. The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum, e-mail us at m...@moumn.org, or visit the MOU web site at moumn.org. Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Great Gray Owl Aitkin County
My wife and I and Ann and Howard Rosenberg from Toledo, Ohio spent Presidents weekend in Duluth looking for winter birds. On Sunday, we found a very cooperative Great Gray Owl on CR 18 0.6 miles east of Pietz's road in Aitkin County at 5:00. It initially perched along the road and we then flew up to a limb directly across from our car and sat there for 15 minutes with fantastic views A life bird for the four of us. Other highlights from the weekend Northern Hawk Owls found along County road 133, County road 7 and Stone Lake roads in St Louis county and at the corner of CR 5 and CR 18 in Aitkin county. We found a total of 12 NHO over the weekend Black Billed magpie along Dart Road in Sax Zim Bog on 2/14 Bald Eagle along CR 5 in Aitkin County 2/14 Northern Shrike along Stone Lake road in St Louis county on 2/13 White Winged Crossbills along Tischer road in St Louis county on 2/16 Glaucous gull at the Superior Dump on 2/16 Boreal chickadees and Gray Jays at Admiral Road feeder Multiple purple finches at Little Whiteface feeders. Nice assortment of winter finches at the various Meadowlands feeders Michael Gordon Sylvania, Ohio Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] [mou-rba] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Thursday, February 18, 2010
-RBA *Minnesota *Detroit Lakes *February 18, 2010 *MNDL1002.18 -Birds mentioned Gray Partridge Sharp-tailed Grouse Mourning Dove Northern Hawk Owl Northern Flicker Northern Shrike Bohemian Waxwing Lapland Longspur Northern Cardinal Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill White-winged Crossbill Evening Grosbeak -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes Date: February 18, 2010 Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours) Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjop...@q.com) This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, February 18, 2010 sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. You may also hear this report by calling (218)847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888. We have had a very pleasant week in northwestern Minnesota with reasonable temperatures, calm winds, and sunshine prevailing. Bird sightings are picking up, as their activity picks up with lengthening days. Joel Claus found an AMERICAN 3-TOED WOODPECKER in Lake of the Woods County on the west side of the Faunce Road 0.8 miles south of the Bankton Trail on the weekend. Ron Erpelding, Herb Dingmann, and I saw five GRAY PARTRIDGES along CR 118 in far northwestern Roseau County. Two NORTHERN HAWK OWLS were seen - one along MN 310, and one beside the Sprague Creek road. There was a large flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in Warroad on Saturday, and the female NORTHERN CARDINAL is still visiting Carol Parker's feeder in Warroad. Also seen in Roseau County were SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, and several LAPLAND LONGSPURS. In Beltrami County, Katie Haws reported PINE GROSBEAKS at her feeder. Clearwater County sightings by Ron Erpelding and Herb Dingmann included three PINE GROSBEAKS at a feeder on the east side of CR 2 about two miles south of Shevlin on February 14. PINE GROSBEAKS were seen in Grygla, Marshall County on February 13. A male NORTHERN FLICKER, red-shafted form, was seen by Mel Bennefeld at the Ponderosa Golf Course on February 16. In Hubbard County on February 14, Ron and Herb found RED CROSSBILLS along CR 4 north of Lake George, and EVENING GROSBEAKS at a feeder on the west side of CR 4 in Lake George. 8 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen along CR 95 just east of CR 3. PINE GROSBEAKS were seen flying over MN 227 two miles east of Sebeka, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE was observed on the south side of CR 12 one mile east of Nimrod. Brad and Dee Ehlers saw a MOURNING DOVE along CR 1 in Otter Tail County near Walker and Otter Tail Lakes. Thanks to Brad and Dee Ehlers, Diana Morkassel, Joel Claus, Katie Haws, Mel Bennefeld, Ron Erpelding, and Herb Dingmann for their reports. Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjop...@q.com OR call the Detroit Lakes Chamber's toll free number: 1-800-542-3992. Detroit Lakes area birders please call 847-9202. Please include the county where the sighting took place. The next scheduled update of this report is Thursday, February 25, 2010. Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
