Hello All, I went up to Duluth over the past weekend for the Owl Symposium and had a great time.
I want to congratulate everyone who helped with the Owl Symposium. I learned more about northern owls and the irruption than I needed to know but I enjoyed every minute of it. I have a new respect for Snowy Owls. Of course, my weekend would not be complete without some time spent birding. I birded Sax-Zim, Aitkin County, and the north shore up to Two Harbors. I saw a lot of birds and quite a few "lifers" but I did not see any owls. Zero. Oh well, I can save the thrill of my first northern owl for next year. Some hightlights: - The weather - mid 30's and lots of sun - Northern Shrike (3/19) Just north of Duluth on Old North Shore Road - Northern Harrier (3/20) Beautiful female Harrier hunting the fields along county road 7, just south of Stone Lake Road in the Sax-Zim bog area. - Rough-legged Hawks (everyday) They were a lot of fun to watch hunting the fields - Black-billed Magpies (4) (3/17) Flew over my car while I was driving on county road 52 (Arkola Road) just east of county road 7 (exactly where Mike Hendrickson's map says they should be) - Ravens everywhere - Common Redpolls - Large flocks located along county road 29, just north of county road 133 (3/17) and along Stone Lake Road (3/20) I got back Monday night, went to sleep, and woke up early to go birding today ----Black Dog Lake (Dakota Cty)---- No Gyrfalcon today Great Blue Heron (1) - Along the water near the bridge just east of 35W Red-winged Blackbirds - singing their hearts out Peregrine Falcon - sitting on the railing near the nest box Bald Eagles (2) Immatures practicing fishing http://www.flickr.com/photos/dobak/116195587/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/dobak/116195588 -----Lake Byllesby (everything seen on western side of lake - by the bridge and in the fields)------ Greater White-fronted Geese (4) mixed in with hundreds of Canada Geese Sandhill Cranes (11) Red-winged Blackbirds (100+) Lesser Scaup (1) Eastern Bluebird (2) Robins (30+) Cedar Waxwing (1) Horned Larks (150+ but only in groups of 1-3) Common Grackle (3) Bald Eagle Rough-legged Hawks Mergansers and Goldeneyes -----Along the Mississippi River------ Bald Eagles (21 at Colvill Park, 19 in Wabasha County) Sandhill Cranes (2) Houston County, just south of Reno along hwy 26 Robins (50+) About 30 in a field and trees just north of Reno Red-winged Blackbirds (800+) 2 flocks with at least 300-400 birds each seen near Reno. Mallards, Megansers and Goldeneyes everywhere Lots of swans, but they were too far away to ID with binoculars Spring has sprung, Derek Bakken St. Paul, MN
