Winter 2000-2001. The eight Boreal Owls

banded during Fall 1976 also appeared to

be in good health (Evans and Rosenfield

1977), but that influx was not followed

by a winter irruption of Boreal Owls.

There was a significant irruption one year

later, during Winter 1977-78 (Eckert

1978). Similarly, eight Boreal Owls were

banded during Fall 1987, but the next

major irruption apparently did not begin

until about one year later, during Winter

1988-89 (S. Wilson, unpub. data). Could

there be a predictive correlation between

high numbers of Boreal Owls captured at

banding stations and the apparent onset

of a major irruption 12-15 months later?

This pilot study points out the need

for more research on the migration of

Boreal Owls in northeastern Minnesota.

Timing of migration, age and sex ratios,

comparisons with data at Whitefish Point

and elsewhere in our region, and looking

for correlations with periodic irruptions

of these owls, are among the interesting

questions that can only be addressed

through further investigation. I would

like to expand the period of time during

which banding is conducted and thereby

determine whether this species migrates

through the Duluth area each fall, regard-

less of whether or not an irruption is

detected the following winter.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dave Alexander

and Kate Nicoletti for assistance with net

checks. Dave Carman reviewed an earlier

draft of this paper and made helpful

comments. Special thanks to Jeannette

Morse at Whitefish Point Bird Observa-

tory for providing data from that location,

and to Feder Svingen for editorial and

research assistance.

Literature Cited

Berigon, W., and S. Whitmore. 2000. Owl

banding at Whitefish Point Bird Obser-

vatory, Chippewa County, Michigan.

Unpublished report.

Eckert, K. R. 1978. Invasion of Great Gray

and Boreal Owls, winter 1977-78. The

Loon 50:63-68.

Evans, D. L. , and R. N. Rosenfield. 1977.

Fall migration of Boreal Owls. The

Loon 49:165-167.

5826 Morning Star Drive, Duluth,

MN 55804.

Proceedings of the Minnesota

Ornithological Records Committee

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

The following records were voted on

January -July 2001 and fo und to be

Acceptable; these include one re-

considered record previously voted on as

Unacceptable and another record whose

origin was reconsidered:

• Chipping Sparrow, 4 December

1995, Hoyt Lakes , St. Louis Co. (record

#96-30, vote 6-1). This record was origi-

nally found Acceptable (The Loon

68:166), but then reconsidered and found

Unacceptable (The Loon 69:151-152). It

168 The Loon Volume 73