-Carolina Wren, 31 March-4 April 1990, near Brownsville, Houston Co. (vote 7-0; The

Loon 62: 156).

-Rock Wren, 29April 1990, Bloomington, Hennepin Co. (vote 7-0; TheLoon62 : 116-117).

-Carolina Wren , 25 April 1990, Minneapolis, Hennepin Co. (vote 6-1 ).

-Long-billed Curlew, 23-26 April 1990, near Faribault, Rice Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon

62: 167-168).

-Ross' Goose, 15 April 1990 , Lewiston, Winona Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon 62:117-118).

-Worm-eating Warbler, 30 April 1990, Sakatah Lake S .P., Rice Co . (vote 7-0; The Loon

62: 118) .

-Yellow-breasted Chat, 3 May 1990, Plymouth, Hennepin Co. (vote 7-0).

-White-faced Ibis, 23-27 Aprill990 Gun Club Lake, Dakota Co. & Bloomington, Hennepin

Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon 62:154-156).

-Say's Phoebe, 5 May 1990, Big Stone N .W.R., Lac Qui Parle Co. (vote 6-1; The Loon

62: 164).

-Green-tailed Towhee, 13 May 1990, Moorhead, Clay Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon62:152-153).

-Western Tanager, 16 May 1990, Fergus Falls, OtterTail Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon62: 154).

-Lesser Black-backed Gull, 29 April 1990, Goose Lake, Carver Co . (vote 7-0; The Loon

62:119).

-White-faced Ibis, 8-12 May 1990, New Ulm, Brown Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon62: 159-160).

The following records were voted on January-June 1990 , and found to be Unacceptable:

-Lesser Black-backed Gull , I December 1989, Minneapolis, Hennepin Co. (vote 0-7).

Although the concensus was that the careful and experienced observer may well have seen

this species, the circumstances at the time of the observation made the record difficult to

accept. The identification was based on a darker mantle color and the "slightly smaller" size

when compared to adjacent Herring Gulls. However, the gull was observed just after sunset

and at a distance of 1/4 mile , so that mantle color would have been difficult, if not impossible ,

to accurately determine. Also the size description is suspect since the head of the sleeping

gull was never seen, nor was it ever seen standing up, so that it is unknown if the bird's

head, bill and overall height were actually smaller.

-Lesser Black-backed Gull, 19 November 1989, Black Dog Lake, Dakota Co. (vote 0-7) .

This identification may also have been correct, but it was based only on the gull being

"noticeably darker on its back" and "approximately the same size as nearby Herring Gulls."

However, such a brief description does not preclude the possibilities of Thayer's or California

or female Great Black-backed Gulls, all of which have darker mantles than Herring Gulls

and which are about the same size.

-Forster's Tern, 29 October 1989, Lake Vadnais, Ramsey Co. (vote 3-4). While it was

agreed that a small tern was actually seen, and while the sketch of the head pattern seems

to suggest a Forster's more than Common or Arctic, there is nothing about the wing, bill or

tail patterns in the brief description to eliminate other species. The head sketch is also

ambiguous, making it unclear how much darkness there was on the nape .

-American Woodcock, 28 February 1990, Eden Prairie, Hennepin Co . (vote 3-4) . This

identification by an observer experienced with this species may well have been correct, but

the sketchy description only mentions "short, stubby wings" and "peculiar flight antics,"

with nothing said about the bird's plumage or bill length . In addition, the observation was

made without binoculars at about a half hour before official sunrise so that the bird could

not have been seen all that clearly.

-Swainson's Hawk, 7 April 1990, Minneapolis, Hennepin Co. (vote 0-7) . The description,

while lengthy, is unfortunately too vague about chest and tail patterns to eliminate other

buteos like Red-tailed and Rough-legged . Also , even though the hawk circled directly over-

head, no mention was made of the Swainson's Hawk 's diagnostic pale wing linings/dark

flight feathers underwing pattern .

-Great Crested Flycatcher, 8 April 1990, Woodbury, Washington Co. (vote 1-6). The vague

description leaves out too many details; e.g., nothing is said about any rusty coloration in

the wings or tail. Also the yellow on the underparts is described as being on the breast rather

than the belly.

Fall 1990

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