Saw the Winona County Great Gray Owl off and on from noon to 5 p.m. on Monday. As others have reported, it is 4 miles south of Utica, at the intersection of County Road 33 and a Gravel township road 14, signed as "Fremont Drive" at this intersection.
I first saw the bird on the east side of the farmstead, by looking south from Fremont Drive. It was perched on a fencepost quite close to outbuildings but 130 yards from the road. It then spent the bulk of the day in a grassy area and open woodlot to the south of the farmstead, sometimes viewable from County Road 33 and by looking east through the open woodlot. It perched on low tree branches and some fence posts just barely visible on the other side of the hill. Most of the time, it was not visible. There is a blind spot here just up and over the hill, not viewable from any road vantage. The farm owner came home around 430 pm and I met him. He was curious about the owl and it was the first he had heard of it. He said he wondered why all the vehicles were parked along the road Saturday. He thought they might be coyote hunters. He wanted to see the owl, so we walked from his home about 30 yards south. As we passed through a fence and turned to look for it, we saw it fly southwest, about 150 yards away, along a fence line. It perched briefly on a fence stake then flew on southwest (toward County Road 33 and south of his farmhouse). I looked down and noticed why the bird had spent a great deal of time near the blind spot not visible from the road: Thick, matted tangled clumps of dead grass, in little hummocks, the kind of place mice and voles spend their time. I went back to CR33 and caught up with Bill and Arlys Drazkowski of Winona, and we parked and photographed the bird on the east side of County Road 33, about a quarter mile from the farmstead. It perched and hunted from the fence, occasionally hovering and hunting over the grassy ditch. We got great looks and photos in the late afternoon sunglow. At no time in the 5 hours I watched this bird did it hunt the agricultural fields in the area. Instead, it focused on the remaining thumbnail slivers of grassland. Directions: >From Utica on U.S. Highway 14: Drive 4 miles south on County Road 33 (County Road 33 is the boundary between Saratoga and Fremont Townships) to the four-way intersection with a gravel road. The farmstead is on the southeast corner of this intersection, with spruces and pines as windbreaks. The gravel road going east is signed "Fremont Drive." >From Interstate 90, St. Charles exit: Turn south on state Highway 74 and in about two-tenths of a mile, turn left (east) on County Road 35 and travel 4.5 miles. During this 4.5-mile stretch on CR35, it runs parallel to Interstate 90, heads south, east then south again. After 4.5 miles from I-90, turn left (east) off of 35 and onto gravel Township Road 14. It may not be marked; I didn't travel this route today. Travel east 2.2 miles to the GG Owl intersection. >From Interstate 90, Lewiston exit: Turn south on County Road 29, and after only about two- or three-tenths of a mile, veer right at the Y-split to stay on CR29. Travel this straight southwest without turning for 3 miles (it becomes CR6). After 3 miles, turn right (north) onto County Road 33. Travel 2 miles to the owl intersection. Regards, Jeff Dankert 908 Parks Ave Apt 158 Winona MN 55987-5330 (507) 454-0033 [email protected]
