length to the right, apparently to help

maintain its balance. This happened three

times while I was watching. I was told that

in the evening the bird was still on the

same branch (some came back to look

again), but it had turned again, giving ob-

servers on the main path a front view.

During the period from 8:30 to 3:30

p.m. while I watched the owl I

documented the names of over fifty birders

who saw the owl. No person , to my

knowledge, expressed any doubt as to the

identification of the bird as a Bam Owl. I

was told that from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. many

other birders saw the owl. We estimate

that between 100 to 150 people (birders,

Nature Center staff, school classes, and ca-

sual passersby) saw their first Minnesota

Bam Owl that day .

Comments made during the day related

to the fact that the light was so good it was

possible to see the most minute detail, par-

ticularly with spotting scopes. My 10 X

40 Trinovids provided excellent details,

and many brands and powers of binoculars

were used by others. The sun was behind

and above the viewers during the entire

day, with good light, but photographers

were having some difficulty because of the

wind and the leaves. The temperature

ranged from 48° to 69° and a very strong

NW wind blew all day, with gusts from 25

mph to 40 mph.

Another comment made was that be-

cause the owl seemed so large it was prob-

ably a female . Dimensions given in the

various new field guides range from 14" to

20", with a 44" wingspan. Whether male or

female, this Barn Owl provided a delight-

ful day of good fellowship and an aware-

ness of the willingness on the part of a

great many people to share an exciting bird

with the rest of the birding community .

5935 Columbus Avenue, Minneapolis,

MN 55417

PROCEEDINGS OF THE

MINNESOTA ORNITHOLOGICAL

RECORDS COMMITTEE

Kim R. Eckert, M.O.R.C. Secretary

The following records were voted on

January-June, 1984 and found Acceptable:

-

Worm-eating Warbler, 5/8/84, Court-

house Co. Park, Waseca Co. (vote 7-0

- Barrow's Goldeneye, 117/84, Black

The Loon 56:193-194).

Dog L., Dakota Co. (vote 7-0).

- Brant, 4/21/84, Grand Marais, Cook

- Barrow's Goldeneye, 2/4/84, Elk

Co. (vote 5- 2; The Loon 56:194).

River, Sherburne Co. (vote 7-0).

- California Gull, 4/12/84, Agassiz

- House Finch, 12/3/83, Mankato, Blue

N.W .R., Marshall Co. (vote 7-0; The

Earth Co. (vote 6-1; The Loon

Loon 56:194).

56: 130-131).

- Arctic Tern, 5/27/84, Carlos Avery

- Osprey, 2/25/84, Black Dog L.,

W.M.A., Anoka Co. (vote 6-1; The

Dakota Co. (vote 6-1).

Loon 56: 194).

- House Finch, 3/18/84, St. Cloud, - Black-headed Grosbeak, 5/24/84, St.

Steams Co. (vote 6-1; The Loon

Paul, Ramsey Co . (vote 7-0; The Loon

56: 194).

56 : 196).

- House Finch, 4/25/84, Austin, Mower - Chuck-will's-widow, 6/9/84, Nicollet

Co. (vote 6-1; The Loon 56:198-199) .

Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon 56:200).

160 The Loon Vol. 56