The Loon, journal of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
The last 2 years are available to MOU members.
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Seasonal Report Archive for The Loon - Towhees, Sparrows | Occurrence | |
| This is the 1930 to present seasonal report archive for The Loon, journal of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. The last 2 years are available to MOU members. |
Seasons |
| Species: Towhees, Sparrows |
| Spotted Towhee(Pipilo maculatus) | ||||
| Year | Season | N | S | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Fall | Three reports of western race 10-15 Hennepin SC, 11-19 Houston female EMF, 11-25 Houston male EMF. | ||
| 1995 | Fall | 8/18 Pine (St Croix S. P.) BSe. [Corrected] | ||
| 1996 | Spring | Early south 5/5 Lincoln JA, RgS, 5/7 Cottonwood ED (no details on either record). | ||
| 1996 | Fall | Only report 9/29–10/2 Murray ND. | ||
| 1996 | Winter | Overwintered in Rochester, Olmsted Co. mob. | ||
| 1997 | Spring | All reports: overwintered through mid-March at Assisi Heights Convent in Rochester, Olmsted Co. fide AH, 5/10 Lyon RbS, RgS, 5/14 Otter Tail SDM. | ||
| 1997 | Summer | One record: 7/7–8 Hennepin (New Hope) HH. | ||
| 1997 | Fall | All documented reports: 9/27 (female) Lyon RgS, 10/7–12 Moulton Twp., Murray Co. (male) ND, 10/13 Brown (male) JSp, 10/15 Iona Twp., Murray Co. (male) ND. | ||
| 1997 | Winter | Reported 12/21–1/3 Otter Tail (Fergus Falls) SDM (The Loon 70:171–172). | ||
| 1998 | Spring | Only documented report: 5/4 Rock (Blue Mounds S. P.) KE, PS. | ||
| 1998 | Fall | All reports: 10/3 Rock (1) and Pipestone (2) KE, WM, 10/10 Rock AH, 11/21 Ramsey JH. | ||
| 1999 | Spring | Reported 5/3 Cottonwood (male in Mountain Lake) ED. This was the only report from the southwest region, where this species is now expected during late April and early May. An undocumented report from Rice Co. was excluded since it fell outside this migration corridor and would have been a county first. | ||
| 1999 | Summer | Second summer record since the split three years ago; 7/10 Ramsey (St. Paul) VC. | ||
| 1999 | Fall | Only reports from the southwest region, where this species is most likely to be found during migration: 10/1 Lac qui Parle WM, 10/17–18 Murray ND. | ||
| 2000 | Spring | All reports: 4/30 Lac qui Parle (Louisburg Rd.) PS, 4/30 Otter Tail TJa, SDM. | ||
| 2000 | Summer | Only report: 6/3 Meeker (Litchfield Nature Center) †DMF. | ||
| 2000 | Fall | Record number of individuals since the split of Eastern Towhee! Two north reports: mid-October in Otter Tail (TJa) and early November in Becker (fide BAB). Seven or eight birds reported south: 9/27 Rock (Vienna Twp.) ND, 10/7–8 Carver (Lowery N.C.) BJM, DDM, †PEB, mob, 10/16–28 Freeborn (1–2 at Myre-Big Island S.P.) AEB, RBJ, 10/17 Murray (Moulton Twp.) ND, 10/23 Brown (two at Flandran S.P.; description of white at base of its primaries suggests the possibility of a hybrid) †JSS, 10/25+ Scott (photographed at a feeder in Shakopee; overwintered but hit window and died on 4/3/01) fide RBJ. Finally, what was initially presumed to be a hybrid Eastern X Spotted Towhee, on 11/23+ Lake †JWL, †KRE, †PHS, remains unidentified even though studied and photographed from close range. Note that two reports this season were potential hybrids, and most of the others lacked documentation. We request detailed plumage descriptions for all future reports as we try to distinguish presumably pure towhees from hybrids. | ||
| 2000 | Winter | Six birds reported. Two overwintered in Lyon (Russell) †RJS, mob (The Loon 73:184–185). Also seen 11/26 – 12/4 Hennepin (Minneapolis) fide AXH, 12/9–31 Dakota (Burnsville) TAT, ADS, †PEB, 1/31 – 2/28 Murray NED, and late January in Scott (south of Shakopee) fide AXH. | ||
| 2001 | Spring | Birds from winter season last reported 3/1 Scott (Shakopee) fide AXH, 3/17 Lyon (Russell) mob, 3/18 Murray (Moulton Twp.) NED. Also found during its usual spring migration period 4/26 Pipestone (Edgerton) NED, 5/6 Rock JJS. | ||
| 2001 | Fall | Only report: one at feeder in Olmsted (Rochester) during late October (RLE). | ||
| 2001 | Winter | No reports. | ||
| 2002 | Spring | Only documented report: 5/13 Steele (male at Rice Lake S.P.) ph. †PHS. | ||
| 2002 | Fall | Four undocumented reports from the western third of the state. All reports: 10/6 Otter Tail (Fergus Falls) SPM, mid-October Becker (2 at Detroit Lakes) fide JMJ, 10/14 Nobles (Indian Lake) RBJ. | ||
| 2003 | Spring | One male 5/17 Rock (near Luverne) †PHS, AXH. Also see undocumented reports. | ||
| 2003 | Fall | Only documented report: 10/9 Lac qui Parle (Boyd) †FAE. Also reported 9/27 Nicollet LWF, 10/5 Lac qui Parle (Arena Twp.) BJU, 11/1–2 St. Louis EDu, JJS, CRM. | ||
| 2004 | Spring | Single adult males 4/28 Lac qui Parle (sec. 25, Walter Twp.) †BJU, 4/30 Murray (Moulton Twp.) †NED, 5/1 Jackson (Roberston C.P.) †RMD et al., 5/1 Big Stone N.W.R. †PEJ, DFN, 5/2 Lac qui Parle (Freeland Twp.) †BJU. Adult female 5/2 Rock (Blue Mounds S.P.) †RMD et al. Also see undocumented reports. | ||
| 2004 | Fall | Only report: one at feeder 10/14–20 Hennepin (Excelsior) DDM, BJM, BWF †ADS. | ||
| 2005 | Spring | Only report: 5/8 Renville (Olivia) ph. CSH. An apparent hybrid 4/16 Pipestone RMD, MTA, CFa, delivered a Spotted Towhee song, but exhibited an extensive white patch at the base of its primaries. | ||
| 2005 | Fall | Two reports: 9/17 Cass (forest road 2/35) †BJU, 10/1 Rock (Blue Mounds S.P.) KRE. | ||
| 2005 | Winter | Overwintered St. Louis (Cook) CER, †MLH, ph. JWL, ph. †PHS, m.ob. Though its identity was first confirmed by RBJ in mid-February, it started visiting the Roivanen's feeder before Thanksgiving. | ||
| 2006 | Spring | South reports: 4/21 Chippewa (male) †BJU, 5/10–12 Martin (male at Fairmont) †JNB, 5/14 Cottonwood (Mountain Lake C.P.) HHD, JJS. North reports: overwintered through 3/8 St. Louis (female or immature male at Cook) ph. †DAC, m.ob., 5/9–11 Otter Tail (male at Fergus Falls) †SPM, 5/9–11 Polk (male near Climax) ph. DLT. | ||
| 2006 | Fall | Two north reports: 10/12 Otter Tail (Fergus Falls) SPM, 10/14 St. Louis (Hoyt Lakes) ALE, NAJ. Two south reports: 9/25 Lac qui Parle (Arena Twp.) †BJU, 10/8 Wright (Lake Maria S.P.) †DPG. | ||
| 2006 | Winter | 2 | All reports: 1/29–2/2 Scott JEB et al., 2/6–26 Mower (Austin) ph. †RNS, m.ob. | |
| 2007 | Spring | Adult male 4/24–29 Hennepin (Richardson N.C.) TMo, †CMB, ph. †JPM, m.ob. Two out of range and unseasonal reports from Scott and Dakota in late May were insufficiently documented. | ||
| 2007 | Fall | 1 | Only report: 9/28 Rock HHD. | |
| 2008 | Spring | No documented reports. | ||
| 2008 | Fall | 1 | Only report 9/24–27 Clay †RHO, m.ob. | |
| 2009 | Spring | 2 | All reports 5/13 Lac qui Parle NSc, BJU, 5/22 Lyon RJS. | |
| 2009 | Summer | 1 | New county record: 6/9 Kittson (singing male, Lake Bronson S.P.) ph. RMD. | |
| 2009 | Fall | No reports. | ||
| 2009 | Winter | 1 | Only report: female at feeder 12/28 – 1/14 Pine (near Bruno) ph. LSc, SWe, JFR, RBJ. | |
| 2010 | Spring | 1 | Only report 5/23 Rock (Blue Mounds S.P.) CLW. Another mid-May record from Lac qui Parle County was photographed, but key plumage features to preclude the possibility of a hybrid were not visible and no description was included. | |
| 2010 | Fall | Only report 10/9 Lyon ph. †KRE, LS. | ||
| 2010 | Winter | See Undocumented Reports. | ||
| 2011 | Spring | 1 | 3 | Reported in expected range 5/9 Lac qui Parle (Colbert W.P.A.) ph. BJU, 5/11 Lac qui Parle (female, Hantho Beach) ph. BJU, 5/13 Big Stone (male, Ortonville) ph. BJU. Also unexpected 5/1 Dakota (Gun Club Lake) PEJ and far out-of-range 4/30 St. Louis (male, Duluth) ph. MLH, ph. †PHS, m.ob. One report 5/11 Hennepin (T. S. Roberts Bird Sanctuary) TAT was a female towhee with heavy spotting on shoulder, but not seen well enough to distinguish as a Spotted Towhee or a hybrid. |
| 2011 | Fall | 1 | 1 | Male found 9/30 in Steele (Saco Farm) ph. PSu. Another male found 11/9–11 was a first county record for Crow Wing ph. JDB. |
| 2011 | Winter | 1 | Only report was of an individual first found in October and seen through 1/29 in Mower (Austin) JSG, ph. TDo, ph. RNS, ph.RTe, ph. ANy, †DAB, m.ob. | |
| 2012 | Spring | 1 | 2 | All south 4/20 Ramsey (Lauderdale) CCh, 5/16 Lyon (Camden S.P.) BWF, JWH. All north 4/22 Otter Tail (2) SPM. |
| 2012 | Summer | 1 | Seen 6/24 Clay (Buffalo River S.P.) ph. BCS, MO. | |
| 2012 | Fall | No reports. | ||
| 2012 | Winter | 1 | Two different individuals provided first records for Rice: 12/29–1/6 (immature) †DAB, ph. GHo, 1/13–2/27 (adult male, south of Faribault) ph. JLn, m.ob. | |
| 2013 | Spring | 2 | One that overwintered in Rice (Faribault) lingered until 4/19 JLn. Two were also seen in Pipestone (Pipestone N.M.) 5/9 CRM. | |
| 2013 | Summer | 1 | Observed 7/7 Clay (Buffalo River S.P.) MO. | |
| 2013 | Fall | 2 | Two reports: 10/9 Anoka (Springbrook Nature Center) ph. PJM, 10/22 Carver (Minnesota Landscape Arboreteum) JCy. | |
| 2014 | Spring | 1 | 2 | All reports 4/2–8 Kandiyohi (Yohi W.M.A.) ph. †JWd, SGa, JoS, 5/9 Lyon (3 males, School Grove Lake) PME, 5/5 Clay (Moorhead) RHO, 5/30+ Clay (Buffalo River S.P.) MO, m.ob. |
| 2014 | Summer | 1 | Continuing from spring, seen 6/1–7/5 Clay (Buffalo River S.P.) MO, ph. ALD, m.ob. | |
| 2014 | Fall | No reports. | ||
| 2015 | Spring | 1 | Only report 5/22 Clay (Buffalo River S.P.) MO. | |
| 2015 | Fall | 1 | Only report from downtown Two Harbors, 9/24 Lake ph. JWL ph. JPR. | |
| 2016 | Spring | 1 | Only report 4/28 Lac qui Parle (Big Stone N.W.R.) DLP | |
| 2016 | Summer | 1 | Observed 6/4, 6/5, 7/2, 7/10 Clay (Buffalo River S.P.) MO, fide JMJ. | |
| 2016 | Fall | 1 | Only report 10/15 Lac qui Parle (Lac qui Parle C.P.) WCM. | |
| 2017 | Spring | 1 | Only one report of this infrequent spring visitor: 4/30–5/2 Lyon ph. NMe, m.ob. | |
| 2017 | Fall | 4 | Five individuals reported south: 10/5–8 Hennepin (Plymouth) ph. † PRH, m.ob., 10/11 Rock (Blue Mounds S.P.) KnM, ASu, 10/13 Cottonwood KnM, ASu, Hennepin (Lake Harriet Rose Garden) TAT, m.ob., 11/18–27 Ramsey (Lauderdale) ph. JuW, m.ob. | |
| 2017 | Winter | 2 | All reports: 2/14 Lac qui Parle CBC (Watson, Chippewa Co.) PME, 12/14 Lac qui Parle CBC, 12/16 St. Paul (North) CBC, 1/6–2/17 Ramsey (present from November at private feeder in Lauderdale, same bird as CBC), †ALw, JeT, ph. LiH, m.ob. | |
| 2018 | Spring | 1 | 2 | One from winter continued south through 4/3 in Ramsey (Lauderdale) ph. LiH, ASu. One more south report 5/2–4 Steele (Somerset Twp.) ph. PSu. Only north report 5/8–10 Polk (East Grand Forks) ph. SAu, m.ob. |
| 2018 | Fall | 1 | 2 |  One north report 10/13 Becker ph. RAb; two south reports 10/13 Lac qui Parle (Big Stone N.W.R.) DLP, 11/18 Chippewa ph. fide EzH. |
| 2018 | Winter | 1 | Reported for third consecutive winter: 12/14 Mower ph. † TDo. | |
| 2019 | Spring | 1 | This infrequent spring visitor was reported only once this season 5/4, 5/9 Lyon (S.M.S.U.) ph. NMe, m.ob. | |
| 2019 | Fall | 1 | 1 | Two reports: 10/13–19 St. Louis (male, Eveleth) ph. ECo, 11/30 Dakota (male, Hastings) ph. † KDS. |
| 2019 | Winter | 1 | Â Reported for fourth consecutive winter 12/3 – 2/16 Morrison ph. † SEm, m.ob. | |
| 2020 | Spring | 1 | 1 | Two individuals: 4/28–29 Lyon (male) ph. MOs, m.ob.; one continuing from winter last reported 4/22 Morrison (male) SEm, MEm. |
| 2020 | Fall | 2 | 9 | Best season for this species ever. All north 9/29 Clay (Glyndon) ph. CBm, 10/2 Lake (Silver Bay) ABm. All south 9/22 Swift (male and female) DLP, 9/23–24 Big Stone/Lac qui Parle (Big Stone N.W.R.) DLP, ph. ASu, m.ob., 9/25 Chippewa (Shakopee Lake) †CRM, ph. RMS, m.ob., 9/28–29 Hennepin (Minnetonka) ph. RuS, m.ob., 9/29 Lyon (Lone Tree Lake) GWe, 10/3–7 Ramsey (by Vadnais Lake) †LiH, EzH, Ish, 10/24 Le Sueur (Ney N.C.) †DBz, ph. †DWK, m.ob., 11/3–23 Ramsey (Maplewood) JGl, 11/10–11 Mower (Austin) PMM, ph. JPr, JmP, 10/5 – 11/13 Lyon (Cottonwood) ph. GWe. |
| 2020 | Winter | 6 | Observed for fifth consecutive winter in an unprecedented six counties (previous season-high two). All reports: 12/28, 1/11 Jackson (Christiania Twp.) ph. †KEm, JWH, 12/3 Ramsey (Maplewood) JGl, 12/26 – 2/17 Dakota (Marshan Twp.) MwT, ph. DWK, ph. TGi, m.ob., 1/2 Mountain Lake-Windom CBC, 1/15 Anoka (Blaine) ph. JoW, 2/23 Hennepin (Bloomington) ph. †RBW, ph. RDv. All reports of single individuals. | |
| 2021 | Spring | 3 | Two overwintering individuals still present south: 3/12–17 Hennepin (East Marsh Lake) RDa, MZa, 3/17–18 Dakota (180th St.) JHa, REn, RLF. Only spring migrant was 5/5 Kandiyohi (Spicer) ph. JiA, ebd. | |
| 2021 | Fall | 2 | 2 | All north 11/14–18 Aitkin (female type, Aitkin) ebd, ph. LBa, m.ob., 11/13 St. Louis (Park Point R.A.) †APi, JPR. All south 9/26 Hennepin (Hyland Lake P.R.) RBW, 10/20 Hennepin (female type, Clifton French R.P.) ph. ebd, 10/9 Lac qui Parle (male, Lac qui Parle S.P.) †DLP. |
| 2021 | Winter | 2 | Observed for the sixth consecutive winter, this season from two counties: 12/21 Sherburne (Becker Twp.) †MJB, 12/14 – 2/21 Goodhue ph. MGe, ph. †KEm (continuing into spring season). | |
| 2022 | Spring | 2 | Overwintering bird in Goodhue (Zumbrota) continued through 4/22 MGe, m.ob. Only other bird 5/8 Kandiyohi (female, Willmar) JHa, ph. JWd, JoS. | |
| 2022 | Fall | 2 | 3 | Scattered reports across the state. All north 10/4 Otter Tail RBW, 11/20–21 Lake (Two Harbors) MLH, JWL, LiH, JGW. All south 10/6 Rock (Blue Mounds S.P.) PRH, 11/13–30+ Meeker (Collinwood Twp.) ph. PKF, m.ob., 11/30+ Faribault (Dunbar Twp.) ph. fide ChH (median 10/15). Also see winter report. |
| Migrant throughout and rare summer and winter visitant. | ||||
| Click on the bird name to see a photographic image of the bird. | |
| Column N | Number of counties where the bird was seen in the North. |
| Column S | Number of counties where the bird was seen in the South. |