Lark Sparrow in St. Louis County
2012-07-21

Five or fewer records in St. Louis County for the Summer season

Lark Sparrow along Waseca Industrial Road, West Duluth, St. Louis County, 21 July 2012. This is the same area that hosted a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher last fall and at least two pairs of Dickcissels this summer. The habitat includes disturbed grassy fields with weedy edges, and sparse shrubs and small deciduous trees. Local birders have been checking this area on a regular basis this summer in hopes of documenting breeding success by the Dickcissels, so it's almost inconceivable that this Lark Sparrow summered here undetected. At the same time, the date doesn't fit our current understanding of this species' fall migration. As far as I know, this is the first summer record of Lark Sparrow for St. Louis County. There is a summer record of three singing male Lark Sparrows found by Bob Russell in Cook County, 23 June 2009, along Old Gunflint Trail (CR 92) just west of the road leading to the Iron Lake Campground (The Loon 82:30). Bob described the habitat there as potentially ideal for this species, but I am not aware of any follow up observations at the Cook County site.

Peder H. Svingen