BIRDS OF THE ST. CROIX RIVER VALLEY 



87 



Spring migration begins in late February and departure occurs by 1 April 

 (latest— 9 April 1967, Crex Meadows and 18 April 1974, St. Croix County). 



Winter: Rare and local winter resident throughout the Valley. During years 

 of peak abundance, snowy owls are fairly common winter residents at Crex 

 Meadows, Burnett County; occasional concentrations range from six to 

 eight birds. 



Habitat: Wintering snowy owls regularly use open agricultural fields and 

 Northern Sedge Meadow or Shrub Carr. Occasionally found associated with 

 semipermanently flooded wetlands in the Western Upland and Central 

 Plain. At Crex Meadows, extensive use is made of restored tall grass prairie 

 and Northern Sedge Meadow. 



Barred Owl {Strix varia) 



Status: Regular permanent resident. 



Distribution: Fairly common (locally common) in the Central Plain and 

 Northern Highland, common in the Western Upland. There is apparently 

 httle difference in status between nesting and winter seasons. 



Habitat: Characteristic species of mature Northern Hardwood Forest in the 

 Central Plain and Northern Highland. Predominant vegetation of barred 

 owl habitat includes basswood, sugar maple, trembhng aspen, green ash, 

 and white pine. Lowland Coniferous Forest that contains mature yellow 

 birch and black spruce provides important breeding habitat in the Northern 

 Highland. In the Western Upland, the barred owl is characteristic of mature 

 Lowland Deciduous Forest and reaches greatest densities in large expanses 

 of this vegetation type associated with major streams that are tributary to 

 the St. Croix River. 



Great Gray Owl {Strix nebulosa) 



Status: Casual winter resident, one nest record. 



Records: One was found dead near Lake Elmo, Washington County, on 

 15 February 1969 (Green 1969). Another individual was observed at the 

 Northwoods Audubon Center, Pine County, on 27 January 1973. D. G. 

 FoUen (personal communication) reported a single great gray owl several 

 times in "early November" 1979, 16 km east of Moose Junction, Douglas 

 County (T. 44 N., R. 13 W.). FoUen also reported a great gray owl during No- 

 vember 1979 in extreme northwestern Washburn County, Wisconsin, near 

 the Douglas and Burnett County border. 



Nesting Season Distribution: FoUen (1979) provided the only evidence of 

 great gray owl nesting in the Valley. On 18 August 1978, he observed two 

 immature great gray owls 0.6 km north of Moose Junction, Douglas County 

 (Sec. 7, T. 44 N., R. 14 W.). The estimated age of these birds was 6-8 weeks. 

 During the observation, an adult was seen and heard nearby. On 19 August 

 1978, three immatures and one adult were observed at the same location and 

 a stick nest found. 



