Seasonal Report Archive for The Loon
The 1948-Spring Season
1 March through 31 May 1948
by Mary Lupient

The weather during February, 1948, was about average with intermittent spells of cold and mild weather, bul the first part of March was marked by extreme cold. On March 11, the temperature dropped to 26° below zero in the Twin Cities and to so• below at International Falls. This record cold spell followed severe storms that occurred throughout the state during early March. The weather moderated during the last part of the month and the spring migration began at about the usual time.

Rusty and red-winged blackbirds were migrating in great flocks by March 19; bluebirds, robins, meadowlarks, killdeer, and gulls were reported by several observers from March 17 to 20. At the same time hawks in numbers were passing through the area around the Twin Cities. Species of hawks observed were: sparrow hawk, marsh hawk, red-tailed hawk, American rough-legged hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, broad-winged hawk, and redshouldered hawk. Dr. Olga Lakela reported that the red-tailed hawk, sharpshinned hawk, and marsh hawk were observed by the Duluth Bird Club on April 11. An adult male duck was banded on March 24 by Byron Harrell, Dana Struthers, an d Harvey Gunderson.

March 27, two Merlins were seen at Marietta by Franklin Willis who also reported about 1,000 pintails and mallards feeding in a cornfield on March 23. That the duck migration occurred at about the usual time was evidenced by the fact that A. C. Rosen winkel reported the following ducks at the Tzaak Walton Bass Pond 011 March 25: mallard 50, black duck 2, lesser scaup 12, baldpate 2, bufTle-head 6, golden-eye 10, American merganser 16, red-breasted merganser 2 (with the ducks were 2 coots). Other species of ducks had arrived by April 3. Each year wood ducks nest in the old trees at the home of Dr. and Mrs. W. J. Breckenridge. This year they came 011 March 31.

An eared grebe was observed on April 11 in Lac qui Parle County by Franklin Willis. Several horned grebes and one Hoelbell's grebe were on the lakes in Minneapolis, April 18, and on April 24 I saw a Western grebe on Lake Nokomis.

A flock of about 400 Canada geese tarried at Rochester for several days. Dr. W. J. Breckenridge, who took motion pictures of them, said they lived in the open water in one of the city parks and at Mayowood about five miles up the river. He saw them on March 22. The migration of waterfowl at Wheaton was about normal. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace E. Peterson were there on April 15, and stated that besides the ducks there were about 500 white pelicans.

Near Willmar they saw great flocks of Lapland longspurs, The earliest date this season for the whistling swans was on March 28. Eight• were seen by A. C. Rosenwinkle at the Cedar Avenue bridge near Minneapolis. March 30, Mrs. C. E. Peterson and Frankin Willis observed about 100 in a small slough near Marietta. Four large flocks were found along the Minnesota River from Shakopee northward by Mr. and Mrs. Wallace E. Peterson on~pril 4. They numbered about 400 in all. By April 10 the whistling swans had arrived at Superior Bay, Duluth. Eighteen were reported by Dr. Olga Lakela.

Pectoral sandpipers and both the greater and lesser yellow-legs had arrived by April 7, upland plover were observed May 4 by Dr. W. J. Breckenridge, and on May 5 I saw willets at the Izaak Walton Bass Pond. Eleven Wilson's phalaropes also were feeding in a pond south of Minneapolis on this date.

The various species of swallows, sparrows, thrushes, and rails arrived in ordinary numbers and on the usual dates. In the Twin City area the first myrtle warbler was reported an April 18, and by May 9, date of this writing, there were flocks of them; also, a few yellow, palm, orange-crowned, pine, and black and white warblers, as well as the Grinnell's and Louisiana waterthrushes, and the oven-bird. The blueheaded vireo and least flycatcher were here also.

Interesting observations include one by the Minneapolis Bird Club. They saw a Franklin's gull at the Izaak Walton Bass Pond on April 18. The following interesting note was taken from a report dated March 28, and sent to the Museum of Natural History by Franklin Willis, Marietta: "Returning home just before dusk I noticed a flock of Eastern bluebirds in the trees along our dive. I called my mother and we walked out to look at them. They wer£ quite wary and all but two flew at our approach; they remained perched on a fence. It was my mother who noticed that one of the bird's breast was light blue, nearly the same shade as its back. The other, supposedly the female, was a light brown color and not streaked." Mr. Willis identified them as mountain bluebirds.

The following arrival dates published by the Thunder Bay Fiela Naturalists' Club, Port Arthur, Canada, may be of interest to those who observe the migration: March 24, robin; April 4, Canada geese at Kaministiquia; April 7, killdeer; April 10, flicker; April 11, Western meadowlark; April 15, bronzed grackle.

Key to the Seasonal Report
1.Upper case (LEAST TERN) indicates a Casual or Accidental species in the state.
2.Species are listed in brackets [Whooping Crane] when there is a reasonable doubt as to its origin or wildness.
3.Bracketed text following a species’ name indicates the total number of north and south counties.
4.Dates listed in bold (10/9) indicate an occurrence either earlier, later, or within the three earliest or latest dates on file.
5.Counties listed in bold (Aitkin) indicate an unusual occurrence for that county.
6.Counties listed in bold and with an underline (Becker) indicate a first county record.
7.Counties listed in italics (Crow Wing) indicate a first county breeding record.
8.Totals in bold (150) indicate a total within or exceeding the top three high counts for that species.
9.Totals in bold-italic (55) indicate a CBC total within or exceeding the top three high counts for that species.
10.Dagger “†” preceding observer’s initials denotes written documentation was submitted.
11“ph.” denotes a species documented with a photograph.
12.“v.t.” denotes a species documented by video.
13.“a.t.” denotes a species documented by audio.
14.High counts that are multiples of 100 are assumed or known to be estimates, unless otherwide noted.
The Seasonal Report  is a compilation of seasonal bird sightings from throughout Minnesota. We particularly invite reports from parts of the state that have been neglected or covered lightly in past reports. To become a contributor, contact the Editor of The Loon (editor AT moumn.org).

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