differently with a flap and glide pattern ; the bird I was watching did not, but rather wafted

with firmly held wings in a tilting fashion from side to side. Also this bird had no white/light

at the base of the primaries as does the Black Vulture. Immature or sub-adult Bald Eagles

also fly differently , with wings flat-out giving a broad flat look. This bird occassionally

held its wings in a slight " V" as it tilted side-to-side . The underwing pattern is also different ,

the eagle showing dark in the flight feathers, and the vulture showing light- the reverse.

Were you aware at the time that the sighting was unusual: Yes; in fact, I was specifically

looking for Turkey Vultures because of the sighting of 2-7-87.

References consulted: None ; at home, I rechecked the difference in adult vulture and sub-adult

eagle plumages to be sure .

Applicable statements: Field guide not needed to make identification

Description: A word or two about the weather conditions: 52 of the past 57 days have been

above normal in temperature in this unusual Minnesota winter. Two days prior to my sighting,

we had broken existing records with a high of 52 degrees . February 8, we had experienced

high winds (up to 35 mph) in southeast Minnesota; these decreased on the 9th in the morning

and by the time of this sighting they were still present at about 10115 mph but petering out

to gusts; the overcast was dispersing rapidly . Ten minutes after this sighting I checked the

wind sock at the Rushford Municipal Airport (less than 'lz mile from the sighting site) and

it was showing gusty, interrupted winds from the S.W ./S. Like the hawks and the vulture,

I was riding the ridges above the valleys of Pine Creek and the Root River. A Rough-legged

Hawk had just taken off from its tree perch atop the ridge I was cruising slowly; watching

him, a Turkey Vulture hove by and came very close to me overhead . One look with the

Trinovids to check out field marks- the small head , the dark wing linings with the lighter/gray

flight feathers , the large size of the wing span, the slight dihedral , the side-to-side tilting

flight , and the long tail were enough to make me feel certain I was looking at a Turkey

Vulture. Knowing this to be very early to be seeing this species, I reported to Robert Janssen

as soon as possible . Anne Marie Plunkett, 2918 S.W.15th Ave., Rochester, MN 55902.

Proceedings of the Minnesota Ornithological

Records Committee

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

The following records were voted on July-

December, 1986, and found Acceptable: -

Mute Swan, 4/28/85, Orwell W .M .A., Otter

Tail Co . (vote: 6 Cc , 3 wild , I escape). All

ten MORC members vote on questions of

wildness, with a majority in favor of "Cc"

status in this case (i.e. , wild or captive origin

of this record of a casual species unclear, but

record is Acceptable; see The Loon 58:43) .

- Painted Bunting, 5/ 18/86 , near Leota ,

Nobles Co . (vote 7-0; The Loon 58 : 129).

- Worm-eating Warbler, 5/8/86 , near

Kasota , Le Sueur Co . (vote 7-0; The Loon

58 :139).

-Henslow's Sparrow , 7/6/86 , Fren-

chman's Bluff, near Syre, Norman Co . (vote

Spring 1987

5-2; The Loon 58 : 130).

-Carolina Wren , 7/19/86, Rochester,

Olmsted Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon 58:143-

144) .

- Mountain Plover, 7/2-5/86, near

Huntley , Faribault Co. (vote 10-0; The Loon

58:154-158).

In the case of potential first state records,

all ten MORC members vote.

-Baird's Sparrow , 7/6/86 , Felton prairie,

Clay Co . (vote 5-2) .

- Snowy Plover, 6/30/86, near Glyndon ,

Clay Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon 58:142).

-Mississippi Kite , 8/19/86, York Twp.,

Fillmore Co. (vote 7-0; The Loon 58:192-

194).

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