Seasonal Report Archive for The Loon - Gulls, Terns Occurrence
This is the 1930 to present seasonal report archive for
The Loon, journal of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
The last 2 years are available to MOU members.
Seasons
Families
Whistling-Ducks, Geese, Swans, Ducks
New World Quail
Partridge, Pheasants, Grouse, Turkeys
Grebes
Pigeons, Doves
Cuckoos
Nightjars
Swifts
Hummingbirds
Rails, Gallinules, Coots
Limpkin
Cranes
Stilts, Avocets
Plovers
Sandpipers
Jaegers
Alcids
Gulls, Terns
Loons
Shearwaters and Petrels
Storks
Frigatebirds
Boobies and Gannets
Cormorants
Pelicans
Bitterns, Herons, Egrets, Night-Herons
Ibises
New World Vultures
Osprey
Kites, Accipiters, Hawks, Eagles
Barn Owls
Screech-Owls, Owls
Kingfishers
Woodpeckers
Caracaras, Falcons
Flycatchers
Vireos
Shrikes
Jays, Nutcrackers, Magpies, Crows
Chickadees, Titmice
Larks
Martins, Swallows
Kinglets
Waxwings
Silky-flycatchers
Nuthatches
Creepers
Gnatcatchers
Wrens
Thrashers, Mockingbirds
Starlings
Dippers
Thrushes
Old World Flycatchers
Old World Sparrows
Pipits
Finches
Longspurs and Snow Buntings
Towhees, Sparrows
Yellow-breasted Chat
Blackbirds, Orioles
Warblers
Tanagers, Cardinals, Grosbeaks

Seasons
Species: Gulls, Terns
Black-legged Kittiwake
Ivory Gull
Sabine's Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Black-headed Gull
Little Gull
Ross's Gull
Laughing Gull
Franklin's Gull
Short-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
[Herring Gull (American)]
[Herring Gull (Vega)]
Iceland Gull
[Iceland Gull (Thayer's)]
[Iceland Gull (Kumlien's)]
[Iceland Gull (Iceland)]
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Slaty-backed Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous Gull
[Herring Gull X Glaucous Gull]
Great Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Black Tern
Common Tern
Arctic Tern
Forster's Tern
[Sterna tern]
[Royal Tern]
Sandwich Tern
Elegant Tern

Little Gull(Hydrocoloeus minutus)
YearSeasonNS
1974Summer For the second year in a row showed up at Duluth in late spring; four seen on 6-17 at Park Point (JG); this species has been increasing in recent years on the Great Lakes and may become regular on L. Superior.
1975Spring 2 reports: 5-22 St. Louis (2 imm) MMC; 5-29 St. Louis (1 ad, 1 imm) BDC, RBJ.
1975Summer One immature still at Duluth on 6-1 (BDC).
1975Fall10-19 Lyon HK.
1976Spring 2 reports both St. Louis: 5-18 (2 ad) JCG; 5-29 (2 imm) BL.
1977Spring 1 report: 5-21 St. Louis (1 ad) RJ, TS, KE, see Loon 49:178.
1977Fall 11-8 Mille Lacs Lake 1 adult (KE, JG). Forster,s Tern Late south 10-9 Meeker (4) (RJ).
1978Spring 5-20 St. Louis (1 ad) KE, RBJ.
1979Summer One adult, Duluth, 6-6 (KRE), 6-9 (KRE; JCG).
1981Spring 5-9 St. Louis KE (1a), 5-23 RR, Bill Pieper.
1981Fall Only report 9-29 Duluth KE (1 im.).
1982Spring 5-19 Park Point, Duluth KE (2).
1984Spring 5/13 Kanabec (3) KL, 5/26 Port Terminal , Duluth (one ad.) T. Lamey.
1984Fall 8/14 to 8/19 Worthington, Nobles Co. J. Schladweiler, m.ob., 10/24 Lake of the Woods AJ (The Loon 56: 265.)
1985Spring 5/11 St. Louis (2 ad.) KE, MH.
1985Summer Single bird, 7/2 Jackson (WT, The Loon 57:177,178).
1986Spring5/12 - 5/28 to July, Heron Lake, Jackson Co. (nesting) J. Schladweiler, m.ob.
1986SummerNested at North Heron Lake, Jackson Co. (JS, et al., The Loon 58: 166/170; first state nesting record). Little Gull, North Heron Lake, Jackson County, June 5, 1986. Photo by Gary Swanson.
1987Spring All reports: 5/5-18 Duluth (2 ad.) KE, B. Penning, 5/19 Lake Osakis, Todd Co. NH. 
1987Fall All reports: 9/28 - 10/3 Mille Lacs Lake, Aitkin and Crow Wing Cos. TS, m.ob., 8/24 Lower Red Lake, Beltrami Co. RG.
1988Spring 5/7-20 Duluth (2 ad.) m.ob. ; only report.
1990Spring Only report: 5/25 Duluth PB.
1991Spring All reports: 5/16 Karlstad, Kittson Co. KB (The Loon 63:209-210.), 5/17 Duluth PB, 5/20 Duluth DBe.
1992Spring Only report: 5/11 Duluth KE.
1992Fall One report: 10/8–10 Lake Cameron, Polk County (1 adult) PS et al (The Loon 64:232–233).
1993Spring All reports: 5/14 Marshall AE, KSS, 5/21 St. Louis (2) fide KE, 5/25 St. Louis AH, 5/27 St. Louis KR.
1993Summer First summer report since 1986. One adult photographed on 7/23–24 with Bonaparte's Gulls at Rainy Lake, Koochiching Co. WJB.
1994Spring Only report 5/15 Hennepin ES,PB et al.
1995Spring Only report 5/10 Lake Calhoun, Hennepin SC (The Loon 67:175–176).
1995Fall Only report: 11/4–14 Mille Lacs Lake, Crow Wing County and Aitkin County BL, TT, mob.
1996Spring No reports this spring.
1996Fall Only report 9/30 Pennington PS (The Loon 69:44).
1997Spring All reports: 5/15 on Blue Earth/Faribault county line (adult at Minnesota Lake) RJ, 5/19 Big Stone (immature on Louisburg Road, The Loon 69:227–228) LE, 5/30–6/2 Wright (Pelican Lake) ABo, mob.
1997Summer First summer report since 1993. Immature bird (originally found in late May and erroneously reported as an adult in the spring seasonal report) observed through 6/2 at Pelican L. in Wright Co. mob.
1998Spring Only report: 5/7 Faribault (adult at Minnesota Lake) RG. An adult was seen at this same location the previous May!
1998Fall Only report: 9/14–21 Aitkin (adult on Mille Lacs Lake) TJ, mob.
1999Spring Only report: 5/17–20 St. Louis (adult off Park Point in Duluth) PS et al.
1999Fall Only report: 10/3–4 Cass/Itasca (one in juvenal plumage on L. Winnibigoshish) †PS, AH (The Loon 72:10–13).
2000Spring Only report: 5/13 St. Louis (two adults in Duluth) PS, one relocated 5/14 (AH).
2000Fall Reported 8/21 St. Louis (Hearding Island, Duluth) †PHS, SCB, and 8/31 – 9/2 Hennepin (French L.) †SLC et al. Both were in juvenal plumage.
2001Spring Single adults reported at Duluth, St. Louis County, 5/9 (Hearding Is.) †PHS and 5/19 (Interstate Is.) DRB.
2001Fall Only report: 9/16 St. Louis (Hearding Is., Duluth) †CRG, JWH.
2002Spring One adult at Moose Lake lagoons 5/18 Carlton MSS, GL.
2002Fall Second county record 10/7 Itasca (juvenile at Haubrich's Bay, Lake Winnibigoshish) †PHS.
2003Spring All reports: first-year birds 5/10 Meeker (Goose L., ties second earliest south date) †DMF, 5/18 St. Louis (Duluth) BCM, ph. BH.
2003Fall No fall reports for the first time since 1997.
2004Spring No reports.
2004Fall Two reports at Superior Entry, St. Louis County: 9/24–27 (juvenile) SP, RJ, †MTA, †MH et al., 10/10–15 (first-winter) †MH, †PHS.
2005Spring Only report: adult at Park Point, Duluth 5/13 St. Louis KRE, ph. JWL.
2005Fall Single adults documented 9/2–4 St. Louis (Duluth) †PHS, 9/13 Beltrami (L. Bemidji) †BJU.
2006Spring No reports.
2006Fall High count of three juveniles and one adult at Duluth 9/18–20 St. Louis †JWL, †KRE, †SLF, †PHS; presumably the same adult was on the Minnesota side of the Superior Entry 9/24 †JWH et al. The adult was last seen 9/29 and at least one juvenile lingered through 10/7 m.ob. Documented away from Duluth 10/15 Cass (adult at Richard's Townsite, Lake Winnibigoshish) †BAW, 10/17–27 Crow Wing (first-year at Ironton W.T.P., third latest north) JSB, †BAW, †DTT, †SMT. Two additional reports lacked details.
2007Spring1 All reports: 5/23 St. Louis (adult at Park Point, Duluth) KRE, 5/27 St. Louis (first-cycle) TCL, ph. CLW, FKB.
2007Summer1 New county record: 7/12 Stearns (Paynesville W.T.P.) †PCC, RPR. The single individual observed was with about 12 Franklin's Gulls.
2007Fall2 All north reports: 9/23–28 St. Louis (winter-plumaged adult at Park Point and Superior Entry) †DRB, LBe, †JPE, 10/16 Cass (2 birds, one at Walker W.T.P. and another at Cass Lake W.T.P. which lingered to 10/20) ph. †BAW, BJU.
2008Spring11 First county record 4/26 Chippewa/Lac qui Parle (Lac qui Parle dam) LGa, †RBW, BJU. Also observed 5/6 St. Louis (adult in flock of 625 Bonaparte's Gulls, Park Point, Duluth) PHS, KRE.
2008Fall1 All documented reports: 9/14–15 Beltrami (Lake Bemidji) DPJ.
2009Spring1 All reports from St. Louis (Duluth): 5/14 (2 adults in large flock of Bonaparte's Gulls at Canal Park) KJB, 5/17 (40th Ave. West Erie Pier) DAG, SG, 5/18 (ad. at 27th Ave. West/Miller Creek mouth) PHS.
2009Summer1 Only report: 6/4 St. Louis (adult in Duluth Harbor) LBe.
2010Spring No reports.
2010Fall1 Only report: 9/19 Crow Wing (Ironton W.T.P.) JSB, LS.
2011Spring1 Adult photographed 5/29 Lac qui Parle (Section 4, Walter Twp.) ph. BJU.
2011Fall No reports.
2012Spring1 First-year bird observed 5/28 St. Louis on Minnesota side of Superior Entry after being photographed on the Wisconsin side ph. TKe, TPr.
2012Fall No reports.
2013Spring1 One (or more?) adults seen in Duluth, St. Louis at various locations 5/16 Hearding Island †ALo, 5/20 Park Point KJB, 5/21 Sky Harbor Airport MLH, 5/25 Superior Entry †JLK. First-cycle also found in St. Louis (Superior Entry) 5/21–25 †PHS, †JLK.
2013Fall No reports.
2014Spring11All reports: 5/12 St. Louis (adult, Brighton Beach, Duluth) KJB, 5/13 St. Louis (2 adults, Brighton Beach) ph. KJB, 5/16 Dakota (adult, Lake Byllesby) †BAF, ph. SHF, ph. ANy, m.ob.
2014SummerNo reports.
2015Spring No reports.
2015Fall1 Only report was of a juvenile 9/5–9 Roseau (Warroad W.T.P.) ph. KRE, ph. CRM, †BMu, m.ob.
2016Spring1 All reports: 5/2 St. Louis (Superior Entry) BMu, 5/18 St. Louis (2 adults, Park Point) †PHS, †JLK, ph. JPR, m.ob.
2016Summer No reports.
2016Fall No reports.
2017Spring1 One individual 5/22–23 St. Louis (adult, Park Point R.A.) StK, JIf, ClN, m.ob.
2017Summer No reports.
2017Fall No reports.
2018Spring1 All reports were of adults from Duluth in St. Louis County: 5/4 (Park Point R.A.) TRd, 5/7 (Leif Erikson Park) ClN, JDx, 5/12 (2, Park Point R.A.) LiH, ClN, ASu, 5/13 (W.S.H.C.) JPR, m.ob., 5/16 (Western Waterfront Trail) JLK.
2018Summer No reports.
2018Fall1 Only report was of two juveniles 10/10 St. Louis (mouth of Lester River) KnM, ASu, ph. JPR.
2019Spring1 One individual 5/13–14 St. Louis (adult, Park Point R.A.) PHS, JLK.
2019Fall1 All north 10/2–3 Cass (juvenile, Walker W.T.P.) BMu, RZi, ph. REn.
2020Spring No reports.
2020SummerNo reports.
2020Fall No reports.
2021Spring No reports for the second consecutive spring.
2021Fall No reports.
 
 Rare migrant, mostly at Duluth in spring. One breeding record (1986).

Notes:

Click on the bird name to see a photographic image of the bird.
Column N  Number of counties where the bird was seen in the North.
Column S  Number of counties where the bird was seen in the South.