Shortly before 4:00 this afternoon I saw a probable gray phase Gyrfalcon
near the intersection of 70th Avenue South and Minnesota Highway 9 (just
north of Downer). It was a massive gray falcon flying low crossing over
Highway 9 heading to the east-southeast. I pulled into a farm driveway to
watch it fly into the distance. It apparenlty flushed a bunch of prairie
chickens as a flock got up about 1 mile to the east-southeast. I was
unable to relocate the bird, but I didn't have much time to look. I've
seen Gyrfalcons maybe 8 times in the last few years in the Pierre South
Dakota area.