 |
Seasonal Report Archive for The Loon | |
|
The 1980-Winter Season 1 December 1980 through 28 February 1981 Kenneth J. La Fond |
During this season, most of Minnesota enjoyed weather that would be much more typical of northern Arkansas or southern Missouri. Snow cover was absent most of the period with the exception of the northeast (normal snow cover of 10"-20" north of a line from Duluth to Kittson County) and the temperatures were mild. In the Twin Cities area, December was above average and January had an average temperature of 18", well above normal.
From January 17th to the 25th the highs were nearly all above 40° with the highest a 5T reading on January 25th. Several Twin Cities area golf courses opened for limited play! Also on the 25th, Redwood Falls reached a high of 68°. Winter returned in February with some -20° readings, but this only lasted a short time and the last half of the month again saw temps well above normal.
The mild weather was beneficial to both birds and birders. A total of 94 individuals representing 36 counties, submitted 76 seasonal reports. These numbers are about the same as last year's but the species total of 138 was four above last year's. The warm weather was apparently conducive to travel since records were submitted from 81 of Minnesota's 87 counties. Only Red Lake in the north and Traverse, Lincoln, Renville, Sibley and Faribault in the south failed to show up in the reports.
Waterfowl and raptors were more abundant with many unusual overwintering records. Among the passerines, a Sedge Wren in Mower County provided the first state winter record. A Cape May Warbler lingered at Stoney Point until 12-2 and three Yellow-rumped Warblers successfully overwintered in the south.
The first documented House Finch appeared in Minnetonka and a Graycrowned Rosy Finch also frequented a Minnetonka feeder. Yellow-headed Blackbirds were present for the third year in a row.
The warm weather in late February triggered an unusually early migration, particularly among the waterfowl and blackbirds.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Species |
Information |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whistling-Ducks, Geese, Swans, Ducks | |||||
| Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens) | Many more reports than usual. Overwintered in Otter Tail (3), Anoka (1), Hennepin (1), and Olmsted (3). Also reported from Ramsey 1-1, Washington 1-15 until1-10 and Dakota 2-26. | ||||
| Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) | Reported from 30 counties throughout the state. Peak CBC numbers included Rochester 25,000, Lac qui Parle WMA 22,000 and Big Stone WMA 15,750. Early migrants throughout the state in mid to late February and in Clay 2-23 (LCF) and Marshall 2-21 (FS). | ||||
| Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) | Late migrants in Lake of the Woods 12-1, 12-3 (TD) and Wabasha 12-2 (250) and 12-4 (12) (WDM). Also a possible overwintering individual on the Mississippi River, Sherburne 2-18 (EH). | ||||
| Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) | Late migrants in Itasca 12-12 (MS). Overwintered in Crow Wing, Brainerd (TS). Early migrants in Rock 2-28 (BJ). Also reported from Hennepin, Olmsted and Martin. | ||||
| Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) | Late migrants on the St. Paul CBC, in Nicollet 12-12 (JCF), Waseca 1-1 (DJ) and 1-5 (JCF). | ||||
| Gadwall (Mareca strepera) | Four reports from Scott and Dakota counties. Also, Mower 12-14 (RRK) and early migrants in Pipestone on 2-28 (BJ). | ||||
| American Wigeon (Mareca americana) | Overwintered in Martin (EBK). A straggler in Otter Tail 1-1 (GMO) and early migrants in Winona 2-21 (JB), (JSD) and Rock 2-28 (BJ). | ||||
| Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) | Reported from 33 counties north to Cook, Lake, Itasca and Hubbard. | ||||
| American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) | Late migrants in ltasca1 on 12-1 (TL) and 12-13, Otter Tail (GMO). An early migrant in Rock on 2-28 (BJ). Also reported from Cook in the northeast and 10 counties in the southeast quarter of the state. | ||||
| Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) | Overwintered in Otter Tail 12-13 until 2-13 (GMO) and Ramsey, Sucker Creek 1-1 until 2-28 (REH). Also reported from Martin and early migrants in Rock and Nobles on 2-28 (BJ). | ||||
| Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) | Overwintered in Martin (EBK). A late migrant in Stearns on 12-6 (CM) and an early migrant in Rock on 2-28 (BJ). | ||||
| Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) | Stragglers on the Mpls. north CBC and in Wabasha 12-1 (WDM). | ||||
| Redhead (Aythya americana) | Overwintered at Silver Lake, St. Louis (LH). Late migrant in Nicollet 12-12 (JCF). Early migrants in Dakota 2-25 (KG) and Nobles 2-28 (BJ). | ||||
| Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) | A possible overwintering individual in Anoka, Rum River 12-24 and 2-21 (KL). Early migrants in Wabasha 2-24 (3) (WDM) and Rock 2-28 (BJ). | ||||
| Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) | Stragglers in Waseca 12-31 1-5 (JCF), (BJ) and an early migra'nt in Dakota 2-24 (KG). | ||||
| Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) | Reports from Ramsey 12-26 until 1-20 (mob), Dakota 1-1 (JD), 2-23 (GP) and 2-25 (SC); Nicollet until 12-19 (JCF); Olmsted 1-31 JB). An early migrant in Sherburne 2-18 (EH). | ||||
| Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) | Only report Lake 12-13 (2) (KE). | ||||
| Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) | Six Lake Superior reports. Peaks of 150, 1-4 and Lake (TS) and 120, 1-19 Grand Marais (KMH). | ||||
| Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) | Overwintered in Crow Wing (TS) and Otter Tail(BMO). Also reported in Lake 1/25, 1/31 (mob) and St. Louis 12/15 (JG) in the north. Only south report Nicollet 12/12 (JCF). | ||||
| Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) | Reported from 24 counties. | ||||
| Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) | A pair at Black Dog Lake, Dakota County 2-21 (ES) lingered into March (mob). Details in The Loon 53:110-111. | ||||
| Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) | Overwintered in Dakota 12-29 until 3-1 (mob). A straggler in Itasca 12-5 (TCS) and an early migrant in Nobles 2-28 (BJ). | ||||
| Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) | Overwintered in Crow Wing 1-14 until 2-28 (TS); also present in Otter Tail from 1-7 until 2-6 (GW). Reported from 14 additional counties. | ||||
| Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) | Two reports: Cook, 1 female 1-5, 6 (TS) and Dakota, no details given (GS). | ||||
| Partridge, Pheasants, Grouse, Turkeys | |||||
| Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) | Reported only from Houston (MEF). | ||||
| Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) | Reported from 25 counties west to Fillmore, Olmsted, Hennepin, Stearns, Otter Tail, Becker and Marshall. | ||||
| Spruce Grouse (Canachites canadensis) | Reported only from Lake of the Woods (TD) and Lake 12-29 (SS) and 2-17, 2-22 (KE). Absent from its usual area in Babbitt, St. Louis County (TH). | ||||
| Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) | Five reports from Pine, Aitkin, Pennington, Marshall and Lake of the Woods. | ||||
| Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) | Reported only from Pennington (KSS). | ||||
| Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix) | Reported from 19 counties east to Olmsted, Sherburne and Lake of the Woods. | ||||
| Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) | Reported from 31 counties north to St. Louis (Duluth Port Terminal), Mille Lacs, Otter Tail and Polk. | ||||
| Grebes | |||||
| Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) | Overwintered in Nicollet (JCF) and CROW WING (TS). A very late migrantin Itasca on 12-28 (TL). | ||||
| Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) | Reported on Lake Superior from Cook 12-26 (2) (KL) and Lake 1-25 (3) (mob). | ||||
| Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) | Two reports from Lake Superior: Cook 1-25 (5) (KMH) and Lake 1-19 (3) at Flood Bay (TS). | ||||
| Pigeons, Doves | |||||
| Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) | Reported from 33 counties throughout the state including 10,000 live trapped and removed from Duluth (KE). Mourning DoV~e Reported from 23 counties north to St. Louis, Itasca and Beltrami. | ||||
| Rails, Gallinules, Coots | |||||
| American Coot (Fulica americana) | Overwintered in Otter Tail (5) (mob), Scott (RA) and Waseca, Loon Lake (JCF). An early migrant in Dakota 2-25 (SC). | ||||
| Plovers | |||||
| Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) | Three reports: Dakota 12-17 (one heard) (TC) and 2-6 (RBA). Also Houston 1-17 (JM). | ||||
| Sandpipers | |||||
| Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) | Reported from Mower 12-15 (RJ), 12-22, 2-24 (RRK), Houston 12-21, 4 (JM) and 1-17 (FZL). Also on the St. Paul CBC. | ||||
| Gulls, Terns | |||||
| Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) | Late migrants in Anoka, Ramsey and Dakota. An unusual report from Lake Superior, Cook 1-25 needs details (ES). | ||||
| Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) | Reported from Cook, Lake, St. Louis (absent from Duluth from mid January to mid February. Reported also from Anoka, Ramsey, Dakota, Swift, Wabasha and Houston. | ||||
| Iceland Gull (Thayer's) (Larus g. thayeri) | Reported on the St. Paul CBC and from Dakota 1-2 (MW). | ||||
| Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) | More reports than last few years. Recorded in the north from St. Louis, Eagle Lake (11), 12-13, Duluth peak of (11) with (6) last seen on 1-3, all (KE) and Cook 1-24 (JSD). South reports from the Bloomington CBC (3) and the St. Paul CBC (7). | ||||
| Cormorants | |||||
| Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) | Reported on the Hastings CBC. A very late straggler in Ramsey 1-18 (FKB), details in The Loon 53:112, and a very early migrant (or a possible overwintering individual?) in Sherburne on 2-18 (EH). | ||||
| Bitterns, Herons, Egrets, Night-Herons | |||||
| Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) | Reported on the St. Paul CBC. | ||||
| Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) | Five reports: a late migrant in Redwood 12-27 (LJF); an early migrant in Mower 2-16 (RJ); January records from Willow River Township, Pine County (Mike Link) and Scott 1-25 (RBA); and one that overwintered in Otter Tail 12-13 until 2-24 (GMO). | ||||
| Osprey | |||||
| Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) | One over the Mississippi River in Goodhue 12-26 (K. Scherk). | ||||
| Kites, Accipiters, Hawks, Eagles | |||||
| Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) | Three reports, all in February: Winona 2-21 (JB, (JSD), Anoka 2-15 (KL) and Pennington 2-8 (KSS). | ||||
| Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) | Eleven reports: Mower, Swift, Nicollet, Olmsted, Anoka and Sherburne in the south and Lake of the Woods 12-4 (TD), Aitkin 1-24 (SC), Crow Wing, Crosby CBC, Marshall 122 (KSS) and 2-27 (FS) and Mahnomen 2-25 (OJ) from the north. | ||||
| Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) | Reports from 12 counties, all in the southeast one-quarter of the state and Lake of the Woods (Angle Inlet) 2-26 (TD) in the far north. Cooper's Ha,wk Four reports from Olmsted, Anoka, Hubbard and Beltrami. None of the reports included details to separate this species from the other two accipiters in the state. | ||||
| American Goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus) | Twelve reports from six north and eight south counties. | ||||
| Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) | Fewer reports than last year. Nine adults, only three immatures and 15 with no age given reported from 15 counties north to Lake, Itasca, Lake of the Woods and Beltrami. | ||||
| Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) | Three reports: Crow Wing 1-17 (JoB) in the north and two Anoka reports from the south. | ||||
| Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) | Reported from 29 counties north to Lake, St. Louis and Lake of the Woods. | ||||
| Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) | Reported from 37 counties north to Marshall, Beltrami, Koochiching, St. Louis and Lake. More widespread than last year, particularly in the north. | ||||
| Screech-Owls, Owls | |||||
| Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) | Reported from Otter Tail in the north and 10 counties in the south. | ||||
| Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) | Reported from 47 counties throughout the state including Roseau 2-27, nest with 3 eggs (FS). | ||||
| Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) | An invasion year with reports from 29 counties including an overwintering populaton of 25-30 in the Duluth Harbor (D. Evans). | ||||
| Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) | Lake of the Woods, Angle Inlet 1210 (TD) and Baudette 1-13 L. Bernhoft). St. Louis (Ely) 12-25 through 126 G. Floyd fide (JG). | ||||
| Barred Owl (Strix varia) | Reported from 25 counties. | ||||
| Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) | Six north reports: Angle Inlet, Lake of the Woods (TD), Lake 2-16 near Lake Lillian, Jan McColl, fide (JG), Cass 12-14 near Bena, Ruth Kuchle fide (JG), Aitkin, six banded early Feb., fide (WN), Itasca 2-6 (TCS) and Becker 1-23 (DJ). | ||||
| Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) | Reported from Anoka, S~ott (5) (2-13 (DB), Olmsted and Fillmore. | ||||
| Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) | A north report from Carlton 1-2 (RBA) and south reports from Stearns, Sherburne, Anoka, Dakota, Lyon, Dodge and Mower. | ||||
| Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) | Only report: Angle Inlet, Lake of the Woods (TD) needs details. | ||||
| Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) | Ten reports, all between 1-17 and 2-25. South reports from Houston, Olmsted, Dakota, Anoka (both Cedar Creek and Carlos Avery) and Sherburne. North reports from Crow Wing, Mahnomen, Beltrami and Cook. | ||||
| Kingfishers | |||||
| Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) | Reported from 12 counties in the south and Otter Tail in the north. | ||||
| Woodpeckers | |||||
| Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) | Reported from 13 counties north to Crow Wing and Otter Tail. | ||||
| Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) | Reported from 19 counties north to Pine and Crow Wing. | ||||
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) | Reported in January from Theodore Wirth Park, Minneapolis (mob). | ||||
| Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) | Nine reports from Cook, Lake, St. Louis, Itasca and Beltrami. Northern American Three-toed Woodpecker Reported from Poplar Lake, Cook County, eight sightings throughout the period (KMH), Isabella, Lake Co. 12-13 (RBA), no details given, and Babbitt, St. Louis County 12-12 and 2-5 (TH). | ||||
| Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) | Reported from 43 counties. | ||||
| Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus) | Reported from 42 counties. | ||||
| Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) | Reports from 14 counties including a Red-shafted subspecies in Mower 2-7 (RRK) and a hybrid in Pipestone 2-28 (BJ), details in The Loon 53:117. | ||||
| Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) | Reported from 31 counties. | ||||
| Caracaras, Falcons | |||||
| American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) | More reports than usual, 26 counties in the south and Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Wilkin, Clay, Norman, Polk 1-21 (KL), Pennington, Overwintered (KSS), Aitkin 1-25 (SC), Itasca and Mille Lacs in the north. | ||||
| Merlin (Falco columbarius) | Appears now to be regular in winter. Four reports: Clay 12-2 (LCF) from the north and Hennepin 12-20 (ES), Dakota 2-14 (JD) and Mower 12-15 (RJ) in the south. | ||||
| GYRFALCON (Falco rusticolus) | Again present in Duluth (mob) and a dark phase individual in Lake 12-24 J. Church, fide (JG). | ||||
| Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) | Overwintered (3-4) in the FargoMoorhead area, Clay Co. (D. Evans). Also see the article by Steve Millard, The Loon 53:104-107. | ||||
| Shrikes | |||||
| Northern Shrike (Lanius borealis) | Numbers down slightly for the third year in a row. Reports from 32 counties. Starling Reported from 34 counties including early migrants in Marshall 2-20 (FS) and Lake of the Woods 2-22 (TD). | ||||
| Jays, Nutcrackers, Magpies, Crows | |||||
| Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) | Reports from Cook, Lake, St. Louis, Aitkin, Itasca, Lake of the Woods and B&ker. | ||||
| Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) | Reported from 48 counties. | ||||
| Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) | Reports from Marshall; flocks of 1-8 all winter, Thief River WMA (FS) and Kittson (KSS) in the northwest. Also reports from Lake of the Woods, numbers up (TD), Koochiching 1-20 (MS), Itasca 2-27 (JC), Aitkin 1-13-2-26 (TS), (SC) and St. Louis, Sax-Zim 12-26 (KE) and Kelsey 1-25 T & J Hallet, fide (JG). | ||||
| American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) | Reported from 45 counties including an overwintering report from Pennington (KSS). Bla·ck-capped Chickadee Reported from 38 counties. | ||||
| Common Raven (Corvus corax) | Reported from 13 northern counties west to Marshall and Pennington. | ||||
| Chickadees, Titmice | |||||
| Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus) | Seven reports from Cook, Lake, St. Louis and Lake of the Woods. | ||||
| Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) | Present throughout the period in Wabasha (WDM) and Winnebago Township, Houston County (MEF). | ||||
| Larks | |||||
| Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) | Overwintered in Pennington (KSS). Also reported from 31 other counties with early south migrants in Le Sueur 1-15, Houston 1-17 and Hennepin 1-20. Early north in Wilkin 1-18, Aitkin 2-14 and Angle Inlet, Lake of the Woods 2-23. | ||||
| Kinglets | |||||
| Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) | Reported from Houston, Mower, Blue Earth, Olmsted and Le Sueur in the south. North reports from Cass and Otter Tail. | ||||
| Waxwings | |||||
| Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) | Reports from 22 counties south and west to Dakota (Hastings CBC), Hennepin, Wright, Douglas, Otter Tail and Wilkin. | ||||
| Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) | Reported from 31 counties north to Clay, Otter Tail, Todd and Chisago. It appears this species occupied roughly the southwesterly half of the state with the Bohemian Waxwing present throughout the remainder. | ||||
| Nuthatches | |||||
| Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) | Reported from 26 counties -more reports than last year. | ||||
| White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) | Reported from 36 counties. | ||||
| Creepers | |||||
| Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) | Reports from 25 counties. | ||||
| Wrens | |||||
| Sedge Wren (Cistothorus stellaris) | Near Lyle, Mower County 1-25 (RRK) first winter record. Details in The Loon 53:110. | ||||
| Thrashers, Mockingbirds | |||||
| Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) | Three reports: Cottonwood CBC, at Duluth feeders until 1-31 (KE) and Ramsey 12-11 until 1-25 (REH). | ||||
| Thrushes | |||||
| Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) | Three reports: Ramsey, Sucker Creek 1-1 (REH), Martin 1-23 (EBK) and Olmsted 1-8 until 2-28 (JF), (JSD). | ||||
| American Robin (Turdus migratorius) | Reported from 24 counties north to Lake, Itasca, Beltrami and Becker. | ||||
| Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) | Reports from Lake, Little Marais 1-24 (KE), St. Louis 1-24 (mob), Crow Wing and Aitkin (6+) from 12-1 until 1-10 (TS), Itasca, Marcel, early December, H. Rime, fide (JG) and Puposky, Beltrami County 12-7 until 1-3 (SY). Only south reports from Cedar Creek, Anoka 1-24 (JLH); and northern Anoka County 1-11 (J. Wolfe). | ||||
| Old World Sparrows | |||||
| House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) | Reported from 30 counties. Meadowlark Sp. Three February reports: Otter Tail 2-4 (SM), Cottonwood 2-20 (LAF) and Rock 2-28 (BJ). | ||||
| Finches | |||||
| Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus) | Reported from 27 counties, somewhat below normal with the exception of Crow Wing (75-150 throughout) (JoB). | ||||
| Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) | A near normal season with reports from 25 counties south to Washington, Anoka, Pope, Otter Tail and Clay. GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH Minnesota's eighth record. First seen on 12-19 and subsequently at the Lewis feeder in Minnetonka until1-23. Seen by many observers and details in The Loon 53:117. | ||||
| House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) | The first fully documented record for the state, 11-21 and 12-15, Minnetonka, David Bruggers, details in The Loon 53:109. | ||||
| Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) | Reported from 25 counties north to Cook, Lake of the Woods, Aitkin, Beltrami and Pennington. | ||||
| Redpoll (Common) (Acanthis f. flammea) | About near normal numbers with reports from 32 counties. | ||||
| Redpoll (Hoary) (Acanthis f. exilipes) | Reports up sharply from last year; reported from 12 counties south to Dakota. | ||||
| Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) | Reported only from St. Louis, Aitkin, Crow Wing, Sherburne, Anoka and Dakota. | ||||
| White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera) | More reports than last year. Nine northern counties, Hennepin, Anoka and Dakota in the central region and in the south, Olmsted 12-13 (JB). | ||||
| Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) | Also about normal numbers with reports from 29 counties. | ||||
| American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) | Reported from 21 counties, down from the last two years. North reports only from Crow Wing and Lake of the Woods. | ||||
| Longspurs and Snow Buntings | |||||
| Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) | Reported on the Lamberton CBC. Also reported from Mower, Steele, Rice, Waseca, Nicollet, Blue Earth and Grant 2-28 (GMO). | ||||
| Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) | Reported from 29 counties throughout the state. | ||||
| Towhees, Sparrows | |||||
| Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) | Overwintered in Crosby, Crow Wing County (TS). Also reported on the Cottonwood and St. Paul CBC's. | ||||
| Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) | Reported on the St. Paul CBC. | ||||
| Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) | Only report: Nicollet 12-5 (JCF). | ||||
| Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) | Reported from 28 counties north to Cook, Lake of the Woods, Crow Wing and Otter Tail. Tree Sparrow Reported from 26 counties north to Cook 1-6 (TS) and Lake 1-24 (KG). | ||||
| White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) | One report of an overwintering individual in Foley Benton County (S. Loch). | ||||
| Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) | Two reports: Cottonwood 2-6 (LAF) and Foley, Benton County, overwintered (S. Loch). | ||||
| White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) | Overwintered at Isabella, Lake County (SS), Olmsted (JF) and Houston (EMF). Additional reports from Hennepin until 1-19 (SC), Sucker Creek, Ramsey County until1-5 (REH), (BJ), Nicollet 12-12 (JCF), Dodge 2-1 (BJ) and Mower until12-15 (RJ). | ||||
| Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) | Reported at the Fenstad's feeder, Little Marais (Lake Co.) until 1-18 (KE), (TS). Song' Sparrow Overwintered in Houston (MEF). January reports from Grand Marais, Cook County (JG), Anoka 1-24 (TW), Hennepin 1-26 (DB) and Mower 1-13 (RRK). February reports from Dakota 2-23 (CP) and Hennepin 2-18 (DB). | ||||
| Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) | Two reports: Owatonna CBC and Camp Wilder, Washington County, overwintered (D. Oehlenschlager). | ||||
| Blackbirds, Orioles | |||||
| Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) | Present for the third year in a row. Three reports: La Crosse CBC (20), Otter Tail (2) 12-20 (GW) and Nicollet, Swan Lake (4) on 12-5 and 12-12 and (2) on 1-2 and 2-20 (JCF). | ||||
| Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) | Two reports: A female at the Harrel's in Edina intermittently in December and twice in January, 1-11 and last seen on 1-15, fide (BJ). The second report of a male, Lake Minnewashta, Carver County seen on 2-12 and 2-14. During the second observation the individual was singing (John Ferm). The Loon' Vol. 53 | ||||
| Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) | Reported from 16 counties north to Cook, overwintered (MLS), Crow Wing and Otter Tail. Peak of 25,000 on the LaCrosse CBC. Early south migrants include Scott 2-14, Redwood 2-19, Nicollet (1500) 2-20 and Pipestone 2-28. | ||||
| Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) | Late migrants in Dakota, until 12-30 (MW), Nicollet, from 1-30 on (JCF), early migrants in Redwood 2-24 (LGF) and Pipestone 2-28 (BJ). | ||||
| Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) | Overwintered in Redwood. December report from Houston 12-12. February reports from Pipestone 2-28, Le Sueur 2-22, Nicollet 2-28, Houston 2-23 and Otter Tail 2-5. Early migrants in Pipestone on 2-28 (BJ). | ||||
| Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) | Early migrants in Nicollet 2-28 (JCF), only report. | ||||
| Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) | Reported from 21 counties north to Lake 1-25 (mob), Lake of the Woods 12-20, injured (TD), Aitkin (2) until 2-1 (SC), Otter Tail and Clay. | ||||
| Warblers | |||||
| Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) | A straggler until 12-2 at Stoney Point, St. Louis (KE). Latest date on record and first December date. | ||||
| Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) | No less than three individuals overwintered, one at the Halvorsen's feeder in Bloomington, intermittent in January and a daily appearance after Feb. 6 (BJ) and two at the Mahle's feeder in Wabasha, details in The Loon 53:114-115. | ||||
| Tanagers, Cardinals, Grosbeaks | |||||
| Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) | Reported from 21 counties north to Crow Wing and Otter Tail. | ||||