As of February 9th, the gray-morph GYRFALCON was still in Dakota County near the junction of Dakota County Road 42 and State Highway 55. It was last reported about one-quarter of a mile east of the irrigator in the nearby farm field. Another was seen on the 6th at the intersection of Aitkin County Roads 5 and 18, though the bird flew off to the south and was not relocated.

As many as six GREAT GRAY OWLS were seen on February 3rd, west of Wild River State Park in Chisago County. All were reported between the park entrance and town of Sunrise. In Hennepin County, a Great Gray Owl was reported on the 4th at Elm Creek Park Reserve near Champlin. The exact location was along Zachary Lane, just before Hayden Lake Road, in an elm tree in the field to the west.
John Ellis found a SNOWY OWL on February 5th at the Rothsay Wildlife Management Area in Wilkin County. The bird was at the intersection of County Road 176 and Township Road 234, along with at least two SHORT-EARED OWLS.

There was an interesting report of a SNOW GOOSE from February 7th. It was seen in the company of several CANADA GEESE on the Mississippi River beneath the Third Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis.

On February 4th, a TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE was seen outside Lori’s Coffee Shop along Cleveland Avenue in St. Paul. The coffee shop is just west of the St. Paul Campus. And the Townsend’s Solitaire was still present on the 4th along the road to the Ann Lake Campground in Sherburne County. To view this bird, take U.S. Highway 169 to Sherburne County Road 9. Travel west to County Road 5 and turn south, driving roughly five miles to the campground road.

Lyle Lessond, has two VARIED THRUSHES in his Lakeville backyard in Dakota County. Both birds were seen as recently as February 10th. Another Varied Thrush was reported on the 5th by Darrell Mortenson. This bird has been visiting his feeder along Wildwood Lane in Breezy Point, in Crow Wing County, for the past six weeks.

And finally, reports of NORTHERN SHRIKES have been increasing, and there have been recent observations from the counties of Dakota, Ramsey, Chisago, Anoka, Pine, Kanabec, and Mille Lacs.