The Owl in the Attic

An Overwintering Sora

Johan C. Hvoslef

Johan C. Hvoslef, a doctor and well-regarded naturalist living in Fillmore County from 1879 to 1920,

wrote in his personal diary of a record late and overwintering Sora (Porzana carolina) during the

winter of 1893–1894. Minnesota has had two other winter Sora reports, one each from the counties of

Hennepin (10 December 2015) and Otter Tail (2 January 2000), but this remains the first and only

over-wintering Sora record for the state. Hvoslef’s observation is noted in Roberts (Birds of Minnesota,

Vol 1, pp 445), but the last date he gives is 25 January 1894. Since Hvoslef’s journals were private, writ-

ten entirely in Norwegian, never translated, and never published, Roberts could not have known the full

extent of the record without Hvoslef directly informing him, which he apparently neglected to do. The

full record with complete dates and details from Hvoslef’s diary and which were not a part of Roberts’

brief, dry mention are published here, translated from the original Norwegian for the first time. — AXH

“30 November 1893. Thanksgiving Day. A cold

night, heavy snow today; very dark. Was called

out early and had to go in the drifting snow

and bitter cold. We traveled over North Prairie

through the Bottolf Valley to Sigmund Berg,

down the valley past Toomey, past Horner,

around Pilot Mound to Andr. Gjertsen. The

roads were good, except where the snowdrifts

were too deep. But the cold was biting and I

was very cold, even with all my fur gear. So

— yes! — just imagine a Porzana carolina by

the spring house at Aaretun. Seemingly unper-

turbed by the strong wind with biting cold and

drifting snow, it ran around in the open water

of the spring with lifted tail, picking up food.”

“5 December 1893. Strong storm last night,

so the house was shaking. Strong wind today

as well. Was called out early. Went to Sam

Berg. Very cold, strong wind. A lot of drifting

snow on the prairies. Porzana carolina is still

staying by the Ola Bendiksen spring. It was

running around, collecting food in the open

channel between the snow and ice.”

“25 January 1894. -27°F. I have already been

called out to Jo Dale and have to travel across

the entire North Prairie. It is almost daylight.

We drove by sled even if there was just a little

snow on the roads. But the horses were very

good and we went like the wind. The cold was

so great that I didn’t expect to see any birds,

but by Jo Dale there was a Junco hyemalis;

and on the way back I saw — imagine!! — a

Porzana carolina in the spring by Ole Bendik-

sen. I didn’t see it on the way up. It seemed

to be perfectly comfortable in the strong cold,

ran around in the mud in the open channels,

looking for food and dipping its tail.”

“11 February 1894. -4°F, nice weather. Put more

coal in the office. Sat over there for a long

time this morning and looked in Stielers Hand

Atlas. Went to Amdal (near Stumdalen). Went

by sled. Weather comfortable. Saw a couple

of chickadees; a Dryobates pubescens; a large,

dark raptor (without doubt an Aquila chrysae-

tos); and again Porzana carolina in the spring

by Bendiksen. This time it was in the spring

house and seemed as chipper and happy as

always.”

“24 February 1894. -11F° (-19 2/9°R). Calm,

clear, nice. Worked in the office all day until

after midday. Traveled then to the scarlet fever

patients at Julius Knæmand (the “knee man”)

on the old Snyt Anfind’s land. Ice almost

everywhere in the roads, and made for good

travel by wagon. A strong, ice cold wind from

the south. Very cold all day, even in the sun

at midday. Porzana carolina was still by the

Bendiksen spring.”

Summer 2019

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