camera and binocular (which I wish now I

would have anyway) for fear that the moisture

would ruin the film and since the fog was so

close , I don't think a person could focus prop-

erly anyhow. The area around their place is

perfect Red-tailed country with its open fields

and scattered woods. The thought of actually

sighting a Swainson's Hawk had crossed my

mind a great deal lately because I had seen

many Red-taileds migrating through , over a

hundred of them just the day before. I could

only identify about half as being Red-taileds,

the rest as unknown buteos . Though I really

didn't expect to see a Swainson's today, the

thought was still there in the back of my

mind. The three of us were walking along

quietly, so not to startle any bird in the area;

nothing! On the way back we were ... well. ..

pretty discouraged ; all we had seen were a

couple of House Sparrows, so unless you're

some kind of nut, you'll have to agree that

this was not the sort of outing that dreams

are made of! Then through the fog (it was

like those fantastic birding experiences "Big-

shot" birders have, the kind you wish you

would have- only better) we saw a perched

hawk. My heart pounded with excitement,

the adrenalin flowed . Could it be? I mean ...

ah . .. a... no it couldn't be, could it? We crept

closer to get a better look through the fog.

Obviously it hadn't detected our presence yet.

Then, only a few feet away, it stood in all its

glory, every single detail of the bird 's feathers

was now quite clear, an adult Swainson's

Hawk. It had a ruffled , wild, windblown

look, even though there was no wind. Its

head was turned away from us, but you could

plainly see the dark brown breast patch so

typical of the Swainson's; a picture right out

of a field guide. "Don't go!" I thought; I

wondered if this ever happened to Janssen or

Eckert. Then it slowly turned its head to look

directly at us; a chill ran down my back and

it wasn't the fog. With its head in view, it

was easy to see the white patch above the

bill and on the throat. Then with one more

look around and wave of a wing, it disap-

peared into the fog, just as mysteriously as

it had greeted us. But before it was out of

sight, it displayed itself in flight . You know,

I couldn't sleep a wink that night. All I kept

thinking - could this be just an odd coinci-

dence that seeing the Swainson's happened

to fall on Easter, or was it something more

than that? Whatever the answer, I can't wait

until Christmas- imagine the possibilities!

Paul Hetland, Rt. 2, Box U7, Browerville,

MN 56349.

Editors Note: This was not only an unusual

observation for Paul Hetland, but it also rep-

resents the earliest spring migration date for

the northern half of the state and is one of

the few records for Todd County.

Proceedings of the Minnesota

Ornithological Records Committee

Kim R. Eckert

The following records were voted on, Jan-

uary-June 1989, and found to be Acceptable:

-House Finch, 6/28-12/13/88, Faribault,

Rice Co. (vote 7-0) .

-Iceland Gull, 12/ 18-23/88, St. Paul , Ram-

sey Co. (vote 7-0).

-Black-legged Kittiwake , 12/3-5/88, Black

Dog L., Dakota Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon

61 :45-46) .

-Indigo Bunting, 11126-27/88, near Buf-

falo, Wright Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon 61:43).

-Lesser Black-backed Gull , 11 /30-12/9/88,

Black Dog L. , Dakota Co. (vote 7-0; The

Loon 61 :45) .

-Ross ' Goose , 11 /22/88, Rochester, Olm-

sted Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon 61:50).

-Great Black-backed Gull, 12/2-11 /88,

Black Dog L. , Dakota Co. (vote 7-0; The

Loon 61:39).

-Black-headed Grosbeak , 11/18-26/88, Ait-

Fall 1989

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