Spent the morning yesterday in Aitkin County - interesting mix of spring migrants and boreal birds (just short of 70 total).
Along so-called "Pietz" Road off Aitkin CR 18 observed a dark brown raptor in a tree - not an unusual phenomenon except, the more I observed it, the more I thought of the dark brown morph Gyrfalcon (a ringer for the Sibley illustration). The initial impression was buteo, than falcon - the head, body and tail were a very consistent dark brown - only some very light tail bands broke up the effect. Unfortunately the bird only faced two directions during my observation of it at 20 yards - 90 & 180 degrees - so have no observations of chest or abdomen. The head was particularly distinctive, or perhaps distinctive because it wasn't - no eyelines, coloration changes, caps or other observable differences. In addition the habitat bothered me a bit for a Gyr. I think of them over open fields, or pestering pigeons in Duluth/Superior among grain elevators - but on the edge of a woods 70+ yards from open fields (closest would be the Pietz farm)? Commentary welcome - since this is only my third potential observation of a Gyrfalcon, and frankly have discounted the first two from my records. Other than this bird, only new year birds were four Bonapartes on Mille Lacs Lake while heading north. Horned Grebes have taken over the west side of the lake, however. Good birding to all! Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties
