After completing my owl survey in Beltrami county, (0 owls today) I headed north to Baudette just to see how far the Canadian border was from Bemidji. After lunch in town I headed back, south via Lake of the Woods cty rd 1 (Wilderness Drive?) At 2pm, reaching mile 7 with open field on both sides, I passed a raptor on an electrical pole and turned around to get a better look. I was able to view the bird in good light, (bright sun) from across the road for about 3 min. before it took flight heading northwest across a field. I'm not great at raptors, but all the markings I noted indicated gray morph Gyrfalcon (using Nat Geo Guide). Field marks observed include correct size and body type (sleek and tight, built like a jaguar), light cream breast and underparts evenly marked with vertical gray streaks, dark (not red) eye with distinct light orbital ring, head, back, wings and tail steel blue-gray, lighter ear patch under the eye, darker malar or submoustachial marking, and a distinct triangular patch of buff feathers above the cere. Most impressive was the beautiful pattern of the back and wing feathers, just like the pattern of the juv. gray morph illustrated in the book! Several miles later I saw a hen Ring-necked Pheasant picking at gravel along the road. Also saw at least a dozen Black-billed Magpie and twice as many Gray Jay between Lake of the Woods and Beltrami counties. Highlight of the day - a wolf (my first) traveling towards my on a snow covered forest road. (Rapid River Forest Road, Red Lake WMA)
Kelly Larson
