*310th Road & Carroll Ave* *Northern Shrike*, 1 flushed from roadside, carrying a small rodent with its feet!
*Owego Wetlands* *Short-eared Owl*, 1 on gravel road shoulder Rough-legged Hawk, 4-5 Hovering hunting technique over grasslands Northern Harrier, 1 male, 4 females, coursing the grasslands at low altitude
*West of Luton along D-51 or 250th St.* *Snow Bunting*, 2 foraging alone on roadside
*Note: many of these sightings have one thing in common: extensive snow cover forcing birds to forage near plowed roads where feed and gravel (for their crop) are more readily accessed. Other open ground species such as* *Horned Lark, Lapland Longspur, Ring-necked Pheasants, Am. Tree Sparrow, Red-winged and Rusty Blackbirds can be found by patrolling plowed gravel roads.* *Also, while doing this keep your eyes open for Snowy Owls which have been reported in IA, NE and SD already this winter. These owls avoid trees but can be seen perched on hay bales, irrigators, roof lines, utility poles and roadside signs in open areas. *
Kayla Sheehan, Sioux City, IA Jerry Probst, South Sioux City, NE Bill Huser, South Sioux City, NE
