Birding in Lake and St. Louis counties this weekend, I found two Great Gray Owls along Lake County Road 4 out of Silver Bay, the first 14 miles from SB, the second 7 miles out. Between those birds, 12 miles out, was a Northern Hawk-Owl. A Great Gray Owl was seen at Tom's Logging Camp along Highway 61 this morning at about 6:30. Another Great Gray was seen two hours later near the Sucker River bridge on Highway 61. Two hours after that, two Great Grays were seen in a yard near the mile 14 marker on Highway 61, just west of the river. The owners of this property say they have had daily visits (just before sunrise and late afternoon, sometimes both in the same day) by a Great Gray Owl for the past week. The owls have been hunting rodents beneath several bird feeders on the property. Another Great Gray was found in a meadow at 1839 Lake County Road 12 (distance from Highway 61 unknown). The bird methodically hunted in the meadow for about an hour.
A photographer from Iowa told me of seeing three Great Grays along St. Louis County Road 7 through the Sax-Zim area early Saturday morning. He did not have specific locations. Several hawk-owls were seen in the Sax-Zim area on Saturday. I suspect they are among those previously reported. Jim Williams Wayzata
