[mou] Dragonflies
Sorry to be off topic, but there was someone on this list that had a website with dragonflies. Does anyone remember that site location? Steve Estebo Avian Zoologist Minnesota Zoo (952)431-9321
[mou] Carlton County owls
We would like to reiterate the comments made by others about the owls in Pine and Carlton Counties. Yesterday we had nearly 30 Great Grays in Carlton County, most in a area bordered by County Road 1 and Hwy 23. County Road 1 in the Wrenshall area had more than 2-3 per mile. We had birded these same areas a month ago and struggled to find owls so there is no doubt that there is a southward movement. How far they go south will be determined by the food sources available. Specific locations are not needed to find birds but will be e-mailed to the compiler. Dennis and Barbara Martin dbmar...@skypoint.com
[mou] Cass Crow Wing County Northern Owls
I have a friend at work who lives on Gull Lake near Brainerd. Are there Owls being seen near there? If anyone has an area where there are GGOW's and it is within 40 miles of Brainerd, would you share this with me and the list server group?=20 Mark Alt=20 Brooklyn Center, MN=20 mark@bestbuy.com=20 I recalled that I had read somewhere that in the Middle Ages Hell was envisioned as a place without birds. Jim Harrison=20
[mou] Boreal Owl in Two Harbors
Mike Hendrickson just called to report at Boreal Owl found by Kent Nickell next to the lighthouse at Agate Bay in Two Harbors. It was on the the edge of the woods about 40 yards north of the southeast corner of the chain-link fence surrounding the lighthouse. It was at the top of a broken-off 10-foot tall, 3 inch diameter birch tree near a large clump of balsams. This is a few hundred yards south of the Boreal Owl location from yesterday afternoon, and could be the same bird. Mike also said he has not been able to relocate the Yellow-billed Loon, but the two Harlequin Ducks are still present. Jim Lind Two Harbors
[mou] Carlton County owls
Hey, all, I agree...the birds are moving south. The last two weeks the birds which were in Carlton county are now moving south and the farther south I went in Carlton towards Pine county, the more birds I saw. They are on any, and I do mean any, side road or county road off any major highway. The birds are also on major highways and even in towns and cities, sitting just off the roadside, sometimes just feet from right-of-ways and not very high up in the trees. Just go off any side road and watch...they are out and moving south as more and more birds invade. Good birding and keep all of us informed as they move south. You people in the southern parts of the state will soon have the owls in good numbers. Have fun and keep safe. Bruce I care to live, only to entice people to look at Nature's loveliness. -- John Muir - Original Message - From: Dennis/Barbara Martin dbmar...@skypoint.com To: mou-net mou-...@cbs.umn.edu Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 11:58 AM Subject: [mou] Carlton County owls We would like to reiterate the comments made by others about the owls in Pine and Carlton Counties. Yesterday we had nearly 30 Great Grays in Carlton County, most in a area bordered by County Road 1 and Hwy 23. County Road 1 in the Wrenshall area had more than 2-3 per mile. We had birded these same areas a month ago and struggled to find owls so there is no doubt that there is a southward movement. How far they go south will be determined by the food sources available. Specific locations are not needed to find birds but will be e-mailed to the compiler. Dennis and Barbara Martin dbmar...@skypoint.com ___ mou-net mailing list mou-...@cbs.umn.edu http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net
[mou] Re: Dragonflies
I found the site, thanks to Leslie Kottke. It belongs to Mike Hendrickson and the site is http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ A reporter had contacted the Zoo's PR department looking for dragonfly video. The PR department contacted me, as I do the butterfly exhibit here at the Zoo. I guess they figured dragonflies were close to butterflies. So I forwarded websites for Mike and Kurt Mead to the PR department so they could forward them to the reporter as possible leads. Mike, I hope you don't mind! Steve Estebo Avian Zoologist (and Butterflies) Minnesota Zoo (952)431-9321
[mou] yellow-billed loon
Hello all, As you probably all know myself along with several others were not able to re-locate the loon yesterday. The harlequins were both still their and we had wonderful views of a roosting boreal owl in the vicinity but didn't see the loon, even around 2:00 or 3:00 P.M. after Superior calmed almost glass still we weren't able to locate it. I suppose since it had been around since Tuesday that it could very well still be around and it could have moved a little way's up or down the shore and could have been way out on the horizon beyond vision. The boreal owl was roosting on the far end of the trail. If you hike the trail over to where you can view Burlington bay off a little bluff you can see the trail continues down along the bay towards the town of Two Harbors. At this spot there is another trail intersecting this heading back towards the lighthouse, the boreal owl was roosting about 30 yards from the section of the trail off the little bluff viewing Burlington Bay. It was in a cedar tree just off the trail on the left side on about the only wide open branch available. It was fun watching it trying to sleep as it began snowing as the snow would pile up on top of its head like a hat and every so often it would have to shake it off. That was about the only really exciting part for the day and made driving all the way down to look for the loon worth it even though we didn't see the loon. Good birding to all, Josh Watson Grand Marais -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.9 - Release Date: 1/6/05
[mou] yellow-billed loon
Again, if observing any owl that may be feeding, please stay as far back as possible and try to be silent. Boreal Owls are known to hunt an area actively about 50 feet in all directions, so if you stay back 75 feet or more, you likely would not be impeding its chances of feeding. They may look as if they are resting, yet according to Steve Wilson, Wildlife Specialist with the MN DNR, if these bird are out in the open during the day, they are likely starving and have to hunt during the day to survive. You must be very quiet, for any sound in the range of rustling movements of voles is likely to interfere with the owls prey detection. Bring a scope and help others to see it that way, from a distance, maybe these birds can survive both the winter and us.=20 Mark Alt=20 MOU President mark@bestbuy.com C/O J. F. Bell Museum of Natural History University of Minnesota 10 Church Street SE Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104 MOU.mn.org -Original Message- From: mou-net-ad...@cbs.umn.edu [mailto:mou-net-ad...@cbs.umn.edu] On Behalf Of Steve and Sherry Watson Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 3:54 PM To: mou-...@cbs.umn.edu Subject: [mou] yellow-billed loon Hello all, As you probably all know myself along with several others were not able to re-locate the loon yesterday. The harlequins were both still their and we had wonderful views of a roosting boreal owl in the vicinity but didn't see the loon, even around 2:00 or 3:00 P.M. after Superior calmed almost glass still we weren't able to locate it. I suppose since it had been around since Tuesday that it could very well still be around and it could have moved a little way's up or down the shore and could have been way out on the horizon beyond vision. The boreal owl was roosting on the far end of the trail. If you hike the trail over to where you can view Burlington bay off a little bluff you can see the trail continues down along the bay towards the town of Two Harbors. At this spot there is another trail intersecting this heading back towards the lighthouse, the boreal owl was roosting about 30 yards from the section of the trail off the little bluff viewing Burlington Bay. It was in a cedar tree just off the trail on the left side on about the only wide open branch available. It was fun watching it trying to sleep as it began snowing as the snow would pile up on top of its head like a hat and every so often it would have to shake it off. That was about the only really exciting part for the day and made driving all the way down to look for the loon worth it even though we didn't see the loon. Good birding to all, Josh Watson Grand Marais=20 --=20 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.9 - Release Date: 1/6/05 =20 ___ mou-net mailing list mou-...@cbs.umn.edu http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net
[mou] FW: To Those Interested in Documenting Owl Sightings
This is a memo Steve Wilson, a MN DNR Ecologist based in Tower, MN has sent to DNR Wildlife and Forestry associates in the northern part of the state. Steve is interested in handling personally all records of Saw-Whet and Boreal Owls seen or, sadly, found dead. He gave me permission to publish this to these list servers. FYI Mark Alt MOU President Subject: To Those Interested in Documenting Owl Sightings The largest irruption of northern owls ever documented is occurring in Minnesota this winter. Many of you no doubt have noticed the unusual numbers, and visibility, of great gray and Northern hawk-owls, and now increasingly, boreal owls. All these species become nomadic and/or shift to more daytime hunting when their prey base (small mammal populations) collapses, as has apparently happened across an unusually large swath of Canada and northern Minnesota. This phenomenon has brought large numbers of bird enthusiasts from all over the United States, and even other countries, to northern Minnesota, and attracted regional and national media attention (for example, NBC Nightly News is expected to broadcast a piece on it this week). =20 Some of you have asked if anyone is keeping track of sightings. The Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) is doing so, and will compile reports at the end of the season that will be published in their journal, The Loon. If any of you are interested in contributing your sightings of owls, the MOU would welcome them, as you folks often get back into areas where birds would otherwise go unreported. I've attached a spreadsheet you can use for this purpose, but any reporting format that includes the requested information is fine. If you decide to participate, please return your spreadsheet or report to me at least once-a-month.=20 =20 If you are aware of any dead owls turning up, they can be brought to the nearest DNR Area Wildlife or Nongame Wildlife office. I've attached a Word document that details how they should be handled in order to optimize their value to education institutions, like the University of Minnesota or Chicago Field Museum, that are receiving collected specimens. =20 =20 I will be focusing on the boreal owl irruption, and whether any of our other small, resident owl species, the Northern saw-whet owl, become involved. If you see either a boreal or Northern saw-whet owl, find a dead one, or know someone who found a dead one, I would appreciate if you could email or phone me as soon as possible with the relevant (see spreadsheet) information. In fact, if you've entered the information in the spreadsheet, just attach the whole spreadsheet to the email and send it; it's not a problem if other sightings on the spreadsheet were reported to me already. =20 Thanks in advance to those who choose to participate. Steve Wilson 218-753-2580 x 270 (day) 218-753-6110 (eve) w...@frontiernet.net=20
[mou] Fw: [wisb] Owl Invasion on Bird TV
Bruce I care to live, only to entice people to look at Nature's loveliness. -- John Muir - Original Message - From: b.pomeroy b.pome...@mchsi.com To: Steve Betchkal sbetch...@wqow.com Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 4:04 PM Subject: Re: [wisb] Owl Invasion on Bird TV I agree with the statement that this is a once-in a- lifetime opportunity for us. The birds are very easy to spot and it's worth the effort to try to get out and see these owls while they are here. If winter gets any harder they owls may have a tough go of it and so I suggest that people with an opportunity to get out and see the birds should do it soon...no telling what the rest of winter may bring, with the rain storms, ice storms and sleet we have had lately let alone the snow and cold we are in for this next few days. Get out while you can...you will not regret it. If you can't get out then this t.v. show will be the next best thing. Bruce I care to live, only to entice people to look at Nature's loveliness. -- John Muir - Original Message - From: Steve Betchkal sbetch...@wqow.com To: Wisconsin Birding Network wisbi...@lawrence.edu Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 3:32 PM Subject: [wisb] Owl Invasion on Bird TV Unprecedented is the word birders are consistently employing to describe the massive owl invasion taking place in Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Opportunity of a Lifetime is the way birders are consistently describing the tendency to hurriedly pack their bird books and optics before heading North. If you can't make the trip, join us this week for the next best thing -- the Invasion of the Rodent Snatchers -- this weekend on Northland Adventures. Northland Adventures airs in thirteen states, from Indiana to Montana. In Wisconsin, you can find it... in the Madison area (WKOW - TV 27) Sunday, 7:30 AM in the Milwaukee area (WISN -TV) Friday, 1:35 AM in the Wausau area (WAOW- TV 9) Sunday, 11:05 PM in the La Crosse area (WXOW - TV 19) Sunday, 10:35 PM in the Green Bay area (WFRV - TV) Saturday, 11:05 PM in the Superior/Duluth area (KDLH - TV) Sunday, 6:30 AM in the Beloit area (WREX - TV) Saturday, 6:00 AM in the Eau Claire area (WQOW - TV 18) Sunday, 10:35 PM in the Chicago area (WFBT -TV) Sunday, 5 :00 AM (Sorry, Northland Adventures does not air in the Twin Cities area...) Many More Birds to You, Steve Betchkal Eau Claire ## This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list wisbi...@lawrence.edu. To UNSUBSCRIBE, E-mail to wisbirdn-...@lawrence.edu To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to wisbirdn-dig...@lawrence.edu Send administrative QUERIES, E-mail to wisbirdn-requ...@lawrence.edu
[mou] Fwd: Owl Invasion on Bird TV
Begin forwarded message: From: Steve Betchkal sbetch...@wqow.com Date: January 10, 2005 3:32:17 PM CST To: Wisconsin Birding Network wisbi...@lawrence.edu Subject: [wisb] Owl Invasion on Bird TV Unprecedented is the word birders are consistently employing to describe the massive owl invasion taking place in Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Opportunity of a Lifetime is the way birders are consistently describing the tendency to hurriedly pack their bird books and optics before heading North. If you can't make the trip, join us this week for the next best thing -- the Invasion of the Rodent Snatchers -- this weekend on Northland Adventures. Northland Adventures airs in thirteen states, from Indiana to Montana. (but only in Duluth area in Minnesota) in the La Crosse area (WXOW - TV 19) Sunday, 10:35 PM in the Superior/Duluth area (KDLH - TV) Sunday, 6:30 AM in the Eau Claire area (WQOW - TV 18) Sunday, 10:35 PM Many More Birds to You, Steve Betchkal Eau Claire ## This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list wisbi...@lawrence.edu. To UNSUBSCRIBE, E-mail to wisbirdn-...@lawrence.edu To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to wisbirdn-dig...@lawrence.edu Send administrative QUERIES, E-mail to wisbirdn-requ...@lawrence.edu
[mou] (no subject)
Peder Svingen has asked me to post some other suggestions for Owl viewing behavior and etiquette in addition to the ones I offered earlier. Please consider these as guidelines. I believe if you take any action with the benefit of the Owl in mind, you will be doing the right thing. * When an owl is sighted while driving, stop 75 feet or more away from a bird and turn off the engine. Avoid disturbing the bird as it feeds by being closer than that * If the bird is looking at you it is not paying attention to hunting, leave it alone so it has a chance to feed. * Do not post a Boreal Owl sighting on the Mnbird or MOU-net. I am not sure all the birding pressure directed at a single bird will be a survivable incident. Please report it directly to the MOU rare bird alert and, if possible to Steve Wilson, who specializes in this species. Looking to discover the birds yourself may be challenging, but may reduce the pressure on an individual bird. * Start looking for the dead birds as well as the live birds. Look for the wing tips peeking out of the snow, not a pleasant task , yet it is important to know if starvation is setting in. We will have to check out the dead birds to determine their conditions. * Stick to the uninhabited areas or to feeder homes where you know you are welcome.=20 * Do not drive less than 45 mph when on the main roads, if you have to stop, pull off where there is a place to do so. Walk to a better viewing area. * Use a scope when a closer proximity is not available * Go out of your way to be friendly. Wave and smile at all passing motorists.=20 * If you have to stop and see birds at someone's home, please go knock and talk with the person first, this may flush the birds, but it is more important for you to gain permission than to see the birds.=20 * Carry calling cards or business cards to give to people you meet or to leave at local businesses. * Show respect to EVERY ONE. Trappers and people with aggressive trespassing signs should all be able to go on with their normal lives without us disrupting them in any way. Good Birding! Mark Alt MOU president
[mou] Yellow-billed Loon relocated
The Yellow-billed Loon was relocated this afternoon again at Agate Bay, east of the lighthouse by Mark Stensaas. He first saw it at about 3:00 pm to the north and east of the lighthouse, near the exposed bluff along the gravel portion of the walking trail. This is just south of the water pumping station (white building at the corner of 1st St. and South Ave). It then swam south and west along the shoreline until it got to the east side of the breakwall at dusk (which is when I arrived). It apparently was much closer to shore (50-200 yards out) than it was mid-day on Saturday. Who knows where it was on Sunday. Jim Lind Two Harbors
[mou] Owl stress question
I would like to thank Mark Alt Jim Williams for sharing considering the owls first, and Peder Svingen for originally penning the suggestions. Many excellent thoughts there. However, I would like to further explore (through questions) one thought expressed about not posting Boreal Owls due to potential stress, possibly leading to further owl fatalities. I believe I understand the rationale, but wonder if it can be validated. Does posting a rare bird generally or inevitably lead to increased stress on the bird being observed, or is this specific to certain owls (since information on Barn Long-eared is also withheld on some lists)? Does this stress indeed heighten the mortality rate? Do we withhold posting because of the 1-2% that may act poorly? In a related thought, should we always think of the bird first - or is there a human factor that also needs to be considered (ie, has the pendulum swung too far the other direction)? Perhaps all these questions need to be answered yes, but I would love to see further (courteous!) dialogue on the issue. Great birding to all! Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs Sherburne Counties
[mou] Bog Owls Today
I left my house for the Sax-Zim bog at 1 pm, so didn't get there until after 2, and couldn't cover some of the roads I usually do and had to go a little quicker than I like and stay in the car to finish up before dark. But in the time I was there I counted 47 Great Gray Owls and 8 Northern Hawk Owls--these were all close enough to the road that I could see them easily as I drove without anyone else with me. One Great Gray flew at another and the two had something of a fight, but both ended up staying in that area. I was in my Prius, and just have to say it's the perfect birding car. Not only did I average 44 mpg (the mileage is significantly lower than normal when temperatures are low like this, but 44 isn't too bad!), but every time I stop for a bird, the gas engine automatically cuts out as the car switches to just the electric motor, so the car is wonderfully silent--and then there's no ignition to start up when I go again. (Disclaimer--I'm not related to and don't personally know any Toyota dealers, employees, etc., and have no connections whatsoever to the company. I just think they've made the perfect car for birding.) Laura Erickson Duluth, MN Producer, For the Birds radio program http://www.lauraerickson.com/ There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature--the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. --Rachel Carson
[mou] 54 Great Grey Owls, Crow Wing and Aitkin Co 01/10/05
This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --=_NextPart_000_0018_01C4F74C.25EB2880 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Actually only three were in Crow Wing County:- 1/1 mile South of Co Rd 1 on Co Rd 106 2/2 miles East of Co Rd 106 on Co Rd 1 3/2.7 miles East of Co Rd 106 on Co Rd 1 Aitkin County:- 4/3.1 miles East of Crow Wing border on Aitkin Co Rd 3 5/1.7 miles West of Hwy 169 on Co Rd 3 6/1.2 miles West of Hwy 169 on Co Rd 3 7/0.9 miles West of Hwy 169 on Co Rd 3 8/1.2 miles East of Hwy 169 on Co Rd 3 9/5.4 miles East of Hwy 169 on Co Rd 3 10/ 3.5 miles South of Hwy 200 on Hwy 65 11/ 2.6 miles South of Hwy 200 on Hwy 65=20 12/ 1.9 miles South of Hwy 200 on Hwy 65=20 13/ 0.5 miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10 14/ 2.6 miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10 15+16/ 4.8 miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10 17+18/ 5.6 miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10 19/5.8 miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10 20/6 miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10 21+22/ miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10 23/miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10 24/4.5 miles North of Co Rd 3 on Hwy 169 The other 30 were all on Co Rd 18. It seems silly to list all the = locations on Co Rd 18 as it is a relatively short road and there always = seemed to be at least one or two in sight. There is no way you could not = see one.=20 There was also 1 Hawk Owl on Co Rd 18 at the juction of Co Rd 5 on a = telephone pole.=20 Much closer than the North Shore and much less chance of bothering the = public. I did not have to stop near anyone's house. I felt very = comfortable and safe and did not bother anyone.=20 All seen between 1pm and 5pm. I was on Co Rd 18 for 12 mins up till = 5:12. Is 30 Great Greys a record for 12 minutes? John Richardson, Brainerd, MN --=_NextPart_000_0018_01C4F74C.25EB2880 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable !DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC -//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN HTMLHEAD META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3Dtext/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1 META content=3DMSHTML 6.00.2900.2523 name=3DGENERATOR STYLE/STYLE /HEAD BODY bgColor=3D#ff DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D2 DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D2Actually only three were in Crow Wing=20 County:-/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D2/FONTnbsp;/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D21/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 1 mile South of Co = Rd 1 on Co=20 Rd 106/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D22/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 2 miles East of Co = Rd 106 on=20 Co Rd 1/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D23/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 2.7 miles East of = Co Rd 106 on=20 Co Rd 1/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D2/FONTnbsp;/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D2Aitkin County:-/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D2/FONTnbsp;/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D24/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 3.1 miles East of = Crow Wing=20 border on Aitkin Co Rd 3/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D25/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 1.7 miles West of = Hwy 169 on=20 Co Rd 3/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D26/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 1.2 miles West of = Hwy 169 on=20 Co Rd 3/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D27/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 0.9 miles West of = Hwy 169 on=20 Co Rd 3/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D28/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 1.2 miles East of = Hwy 169 on=20 Co Rd 3/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D29/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 5.4 miles East of = Hwy 169 on=20 Co Rd 3/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D210/nbsp;nbsp;3.5 miles South of Hwy = 200 on Hwy=20 65/FONT/DIV DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D211/nbsp;nbsp;2.6 miles South of Hwy = 200 on Hwy 65=20 DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D212/nbsp; 1.9 miles South of Hwy 200 on = Hwy 65=20 DIVFONT face=3DArial size=3D213/nbsp; 0.5 miles South of Hwy 200 on = Co Rd=20 10/FONT/DIV DIV14/nbsp; 2.6 miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10/DIV DIV15+16/nbsp; 4.8 miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10/DIV DIV17+18/nbsp;nbsp; 5.6 miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10/DIV DIV19/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 5.8 miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10/DIV DIV20/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 6 miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10/DIV DIV21+22/ miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10/DIV DIV23/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; miles South of Hwy 200 on Co Rd 10/DIV DIV24/nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 4.5 miles North of Co Rd 3 on Hwy 169/DIV DIVnbsp;/DIV DIVThe othernbsp;30 were all on Conbsp;Rd 18. It seems silly to list = all the=20 locations on Co Rd 18 as it is anbsp;relatively short roadnbsp;and = there=20 always seemed to be at least one or two in sight. There is no way you = could not=20 see one. /DIV DIVnbsp;/DIV DIVThere was alsonbsp;1 Hawk Owl on Conbsp;Rd 18 at the juction of = Co Rd 5=20 on a telephone pole.nbsp;/DIV DIVnbsp;/DIV DIVMuch closer than the North Shore and much less chance of bothering = the=20 public. I did not have to stop near anyone's house. I felt very = comfortable and=20 safe and did not bother anyone. /DIV DIVnbsp;/DIV DIVAll seen between 1pm and 5pm. I was on Co Rd 18 for 12 mins up till = 5:12.=20 Is 30 Great Greys a record
[mou] About stress on the Great Grey and other owls
Greetings birders: Your comments interest me concerning the stress on Great Grey Owls and other owls. How comes no one mentions the persons who keep going again and again and again to look at the Great Grey and other Owls. It seems to me that once you see so many owls you could give the owls a break by not returning so many times to look for more and more owls. What with so many Minnesota birders and many from other states birders wanting to see the incursion of owls, Minnesota birders ought to consider spending less time going again and again to look for the Great Grey and other owls. Forest Strnad Faribault, MN
[mou] Re: [mnbird] About stress on the Great Grey and other owls
This has been a concern of mine from the start and I am glad Forest brought it up. I do go look for the owls every few days, but I do go to a different location each time. I have never wanted to stress them out, and I do notice that a lot of times when someone pulls over to watch the birds, they fly off. I have wondered if they have just missed a meal and now they have to go else where to hunt...have they been interrupted to the point of stressing? The owls seem to feeding in the daylight hours and to me that indicates they may be having a hard time eating enough, and may be they are starving right in front of us. That is why the only time I do stop near the owl is when I am on my owl survey route. I leave as soon as I have recorded the location. Bruce I care to live, only to entice people to look at Nature's loveliness. -- John Muir - Original Message - From: Forest Strnad fkstr...@ll.net To: MnBird mnb...@lists.mnbird.net; MOU m...@biosci.cbs.umn.edu Cc: Strnad, Forest fkstr...@ll.net Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 8:08 PM Subject: [mnbird] About stress on the Great Grey and other owls Greetings birders: Your comments interest me concerning the stress on Great Grey Owls and other owls. How comes no one mentions the persons who keep going again and again and again to look at the Great Grey and other Owls. It seems to me that once you see so many owls you could give the owls a break by not returning so many times to look for more and more owls. What with so many Minnesota birders and many from other states birders wanting to see the incursion of owls, Minnesota birders ought to consider spending less time going again and again to look for the Great Grey and other owls. Forest Strnad Faribault, MN ___ mnbird mailing list mnb...@lists.mnbird.net http://www.mnbird.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mnbird
[mou] Re: [mnbird] About stress on the Great Grey and other owls
I'm not sure it's a good idea to question how many times each birder goes to a given place. Some of the people going most frequently to see owls are actually leading groups to see them each time, and as far as I have seen this year are being pretty darned conscientious about limiting stress to the birds and to the locals. There are certain ethical considerations when viewing or photographing any bird, and I think it's wise and ethical to err on the side of caution to protect the bird, rather than to make it easier for birders, but overall people seem to be doing their best in this difficult time. I saw one car stop a few times on 133 today, which is a no-no even when it's not so dangerously slippery, but overall people seem to have calmed down from the initial excitement of all these owls and seem to be following ethical considerations really well. When I posted about how many owls I saw today, should I have added that this was the first time I've been to the bog in 2005, that I didn't stop or even slow down for hardly any of the owls I saw, and that I didn't flush a single one? This could make posts pretty unwieldy and defensive, and make us feel like we need to justify every element of our birding behavior from the moment we step out the door. Let's have a little faith in our fellow birders, and focus on minimizing our own impacts rather than questioning one another's right to be out there at all. That said, I think keeping Boreal Owl locations quiet isn't a bad idea in a year like this, and squeaking and pishing to distract any owl to get it to look at us is unwarranted. Peder's suggestions and the ABA code of ethics are excellent guidelines, and perhaps we do need to at least think about where we go to ensure that the same birds aren't over-stressed, but let's try to remember that we're all in this together, and that we're all doing the best we can. Laura Erickson Duluth, MN Producer, For the Birds radio program http://www.lauraerickson.com/ There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature--the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. --Rachel Carson
