clear song. Secondly it is a large wren compared with House Wren, or Marsh or Sedge.

We had a Bewick's here earlier this summer, but the Carolina is larger, has an unstreaked

nape (Bewick's does also), however, the Carolina does not have white comers in its tail.

Both have a white stripe over the eye. The songs could not be confused, either. The Marsh

is 3f4 inch smaller, does have streaks on its nape, has a very different song, and wouldn't

logically be found in this habitat. The Rock Wren was a thought, but the song was different;

and it too has light huffy tail comers, and streaking on the breast; Carolina doesn't, and the

Rock is gray tones, Carolina is the brown tones (see description below). The Rock Wren is

about the same size, and has been seen in Minnesota.

Was I aware that the observation was unusual: Yes

References consulted: National Geographic Field guide and Peterson's

Applicable statements: Field guide not needed to make identification; Read Bent after I got

home, because of plumage variance I saw (see description below). Also recorded it singing

with tape recorder.

Description: It sounded lovely, but looked rather scruffy . The white eye stripe was not bold,

but prominent. The upperparts were mousey, not a warm-reddish. The underparts were

off-white, "dirty" white, with just a hint of buff. Its bill and tail looked strikingly long,

disproportionately. Only its song was "true to form ." If it hadn't been singing, it could

easily have been overlooked-not at all like those I had seen in the south. It was definitely

not in breeding plumage. Anne Marie Plunkett, 2918 S.W. 15th Ave., Rochester, MN

55902.

Editor's note: On July 26, 1986 Ray Glassel and I went to Rochester to look for the Carolina

Wren. We arrived at Bill Evans residence at 810- 8th Street S.W. about 6:00a.m. Almost

immediately we heard the song of a Carolina Wren. It was a beautiful clear, calm morning

with temperatures in the 60 ' s. A few minutes later we saw the Carolina Wren and almost

immediately it was joined by another Carolina Wren - a more drab looking bird which we

guessed might be a female. We watched the birds fly from tree to tree, rooftop to rooftop

in the residential area. One of the birds sang at infrequent intervals . After about 20 minutes

the birds disappeared and were not seen nor heard again. The pair remained in the same

area until mid-August.

LEAST TERNS IN OLMSTED COUNTY

Date: June 14, 1986

Location: Junction of County Roads 122 and 25 , Olmsted County, west of Rochester.

Reason observation is unusual: Casual status in state; most unusual location.

Light conditions ; bird/sun orientation: Good light, sunny at 4:30p.m. At first sighting, the

birds were ahead of me and to my left with the sun to my right. As I was coming down a

fairly steep hill, they were at eye level at this time. After I turned onto County 25, they

were to my left , in full sun, with the sun to my back.

Length of observation: Approximately five minutes.

Distance from birds: At first sighting, approximately a quarter of a mile; at the closest point

to them , about 100 yards.

Habitat: They were coming from the large gravel-pit pond ahead of me; and were flying

over wet fields when I was able to stop and get binoculars on them.

Optics used: Leitz Trinovids, 10 X 40B

Species similar to these birds, and how eliminated from consideration: In North America,

no other tern is as small. (If the term "cute" describes the Northern Saw-whet Owl, the term

"dainty" describes the Least Tern .) They also have distinctive manner of flight: active, sharp

turning, and lifting; they are often compared to swallows in this regard. As I got closer to

them, I could see their yellow legs , and tell-tale yellow bills. Common Terns have black

cape and napes, and a white forehead in juvenile plumage, but the forehead is not as clearly

defined nor do they have yellow bills in any plumage; and they are half again as big as the

Least with a flat-headed and somewhat chunky look - not these birds I was seeing. The

144 The Loon Vol. 58