enced observer - should not include

any ambiguities.

• Sage Thrasher, 4 May 1997, Prior

Lake Scott Co. (recirculated record #97-

76, vote 1-6). The majority first voted to

accept this record of two individuals, but

after being reconsidered and discussed

the description of both birds was found

to be inadequate. Since bill shape and

eye color were not described, and the

underparts streaks are described as gray,

the possibility of Curve-billed Thrasher is

not precluded. Also, there is mention of

"white outer feathers on their tails", al-

though a Sage Thrasher's tail only has

white corners. It was also felt very un-

likely that two such individual vagrants

would appear simultaneously at the same

location during migration.

• Great Black-backed Gull (ad.), 6

Februaty 1998, Duluth Twp., St. Louis Co.

(recirculated record #98-20, vote 0-7). Af-

ter reconsideration, the Committee felt

the record was in doubt for several rea-

sons: e.g., the observer had incorrectly

assumed others had seen this bird and,

therefore, did not carefully study it; it is

unclear if other gulls were present for

direct size comparison, which leaves the

overall size of the gull in doubt; and the

description is only written from memory

nearly three months after the sighting.

There was one record among the 16

discussed at the meeting for which voting

has not yet been completed; however,

the documentation was sent to an author-

ity on the species who recommended the

record should be found Unacceptable:

Broad-tailed Hummingbird, 30 May 1998,

Winona, Winona Co. (potential first state

record #98-60).

The following records were voted on

by mail January -July 1998 and found to

be Acceptable:

• Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, 17

May 1997, Winona, Winona Co. (record

#98-02, vote 5-2).

• Ferruginous Hawk, 10 August 1997,

McKinley Twp. , Kittson Co. (record #98-

03, vote 7-0).

• Laughing Gull, 29-30 November

1997, Grand Marais , Cook Co. (record

#98-07, vote 7-0).

• Gyrfalcon, 21-27 November 1997,

Minneapolis, Hennepin Co. (record #98-

08, vote 5-2).

• Iceland Gull (ad.), 14 December

1997 - 5 January 1998, Black Dog L.,

Dakota Co. (record #98-09, vote 7-0).

• Great Black-backed Gull (imm.), 20

December 1997, Duluth, St. Louis Co.

(record #98-10, vote 7-0).

• Iceland Gull (imm.), 22 December

1997 - 5 January 1998, Black Dog L. and

Pine Bend landfill, Dakota Co. (record

#98-11, vote 7-0).

• Sabine's Gull, 5 October 1996, near

Frontenac, Goodhue Co. (record #98-12,

vote 5-2).

• Pacific Loon, 6 September 1997, Du-

luth, St. Louis Co. (record #98-13, vote 6-1).

• American Woodcock, 28 February

1998, Wiscoy Twp., Winona Co. (record

#98-14, vote 7-0).

• Iceland Gull, 18 February 1998,

Point Douglas Park, Washington Co.

(record #98-15, vote 6-1).

• Barrow's Goldeneye, 22-23 February

1998, Black Dog L., Dakota Co. (record

#98-17, vote 7-0).

• Chipping Sparrow, 18 December

1997 - 11 January 1998, St. Louis Park,

Hennepin Co. (record #98-18, vote 7-0).

• Chipping Sparrow, 20 December

1997 - 29 March 1998, Fergus Falls, Otter

Tail Co. (record #98-19, vote 7-0).

• Gyrfalcon, 22 March 1998, Norway

Twp., Kittson Co. (record #98-22, vote 7-0).

• California Gull, 5 April 1998, Thief

River Falls, Pennington Co. (record #98-

23, vote 7-0).

• Blue-winged Warbler, 20 April 1998,

Northfield, Rice Co. (record #98-26, vote

7-0).

• Barrow's Goldeneye, 7 December

1997 - February 1998, Blue Lake sewage

ponds, Scott Co. (record #98-31, vote 7-0).

• Iceland Gull (ad.), 13 March - 9

April 1998, various locations , Dakota Co.

(record #98-35, vote 7-0) .

• Iceland Gull, 13 March 1998, Red

Wing, Goodhue Co. (record #98-36, vote

156 The Loon Volume 70