Seasonal Report Archive for The Loon | ||
The 1946-Spring Season 1 March through 31 May 1946 By Mary Lupient |
Whistling swans were reprorted at Shakopee on ::VIarch 24 an.l at Duluth on April 7.
Near the Twin Cities fewer dueks were observed this year possibly due in part to the fact that the ice left the lowlands early and the Minnesota River flooded a larger area than usual so that the waterfowl wal'i iess concentrated.
The main migration of ducks appeared to be over by the end of the first week in April. A flock of eleven blue g-eese and another of about twenty-five Canada geese ·,vas seen flying over the Cedar Av·3nue bridge on March 25.
More than a dozen glaucous gulls were in Duluth Harbor during March and were last seen April 14. Much ol' April was warni also and h:t the latter part of the month, wild flowers were blooming three weeks earlier than normally in and about the Twin Cities.
A heavy snowstorm and hard freeze occurred in many parts of the state on May 11, killing blossoms on fruit trees and withering new leaves. Large concentrations of shore birds appeared on May 14 in the area adjoin~ng-the Minnesota River between Ft. Snelling and Lyndale Avenue. There were ruddy turnstones, long-billed dowitchers, Wilson's phalaropes, black-bellied plovers, and a knot, besides the other species more commonly seen. Of the rarer species of shore birds, two were reported May 19, Hudsonian godwits and buff-breasted sandpipers. Five of the gpdwits tarried for several days at a pond on highway 36, just beyond the University Farm campus and two buffbreasted sandpipers were seen along the roadside near Brownton. Piping plovers and a Hudsonian curlew were on Minnesota Point, Duluth, June 10.
American pipits were more in evidence than is usual in the spring. The first report was April 23, and they were seen at various places near the Twin Cities until May 17.
The peak of the w:ubler migration was May 18, date of tl:e MO U meet· ing in Minneapolis, and during the field trip members were able to check all species of warblers that usually pass through this territory. Even the rare black-throated blue warbler was on the list. Waves of any size were not reported throughout the season.
The erratic dickci1'sels appeared in goodly numbers this spring and were reported from several sectwns d the state.
It is interesting to note that a~ter a severe winter the chucker partridge is still being seen on the north shore nE,ar Duluth.
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