Chippewa County - Saturday

[pavlik at comcast.net]

Listers,

I'll been posting to the UofM d-list for so long that it didn't occur to me others may be interested.  Below is a report from my Saturday visit to Chippewa County.

I had my first Snowy Owl right along I-75 on the west side of the highway 1 mile 
south of the Rudyard exit.  There were two additional Snowy Owls along their 
common venue of Centerline Rd. south of Rudyard.  Also on Centerline were five 
Sharp-tailed Grouse on the west side of the road just south of M-48.  On Google 
Maps, they show 2 M-48s.  The northern one is the one that you exit off and goes 
into Rudyard.  The southern one is 3 miles south.  These grouse were just south 
of the southern one.

I talked with a gentleman from Illinois who was taking pictures of the owls.  He 
said he had a Great Gray Owl the previous day exactly 6 miles south of M-48 (the 
southern one).  I spent some time in the area but could not relocate it.  There 
is a path that goes off to the east and he said he saw it back off the road a little ways.  This area is 
heavily wooded and snow is at least knee deep.

The Northern Hawk Owl at M-48 and McCabe was an 
easy find.  I did not try for the second one.

Further east on M-48 and about 1/4 mile west of M-129 I had a single 
Sharp-tailed Grouse.

I continued east and connected with Riverside and headed north.  I had only two 
Pine Grosbeaks along this road and a single Northern Shrike.  The Soo Power 
Plant only had C. Mergs and C. Goldeneyes.

I headed to Ranger Rd. which is west of I-75 about 10 miles on M-28 then north 
on Ranger.  I was looking for the previously reported Evening Grosbeaks but I 
found none -- only a lonely looking Ruffed Grouse.

I then backtracked on M-28 and went south on Tilson Rd. which eventually gets 
you back into Rudyard.  My only Rough-legged Hawk of the day was on this road 
about a mile north of Rudyard.  The Snowy Owl was still along I-75 when I left 
the area mid-afternoon.

The number of Common Redpolls in the area is incredible.  I'm sure I saw well 
over a thousand for the day.  In spite of my efforts I could not pick out any 
Hoary Redpolls.

Take care,
Tom Pavlik