Seasonal Report Archive for The Loon

	Seasonal Report Archive for The Loon
	The 1957-Spring Season 1 March through 31 May 1957 by Mary Lupient

Minnesota experienced exceptionally mild weather in February and March and, except for an occasional blizzard, there was little precipitation. The severest storm occurred March 14-15. Strong winds blocked highways and piled drifts as high as ten feet in the north. The first two weeks of April were cold, windy and disagreeable. On April 4 there was a heavy snowfall which varied from four inches in Duluth to ten inches in the west and south. Another snowstorm throughout the state, April 10-11, brought unseasonable record breaking cold. It was down to five above at Bemidji. The snow remained and the temperature dropped to far below freezing every night during the first half of April. The early migrants must have suffered from lack of food, especially American Robins. There were no insects and the ground was snow covered. There was a heavy migration of robins in the Twin Cities, March 25, and strangely enough there still were large concentrated flocks as late as April 27. Those that paired began nest building much later than usual. Movement of some of the early migrants was about two weeks behind schedule. There were very severe storms to the south of us which must have affected the migration of smaller birds. A few Myrtle ·warblers arrived in southern Minnesota April 16 and Dr. P. B. Hofslund reported ~eeing them in Duluth along with Fox Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Sapsuckers, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets the fourth week in April. This report covers observations dated to May 1 and no :;;izable waves of early migrants were reported so far, even though there were warm south winds and temperatures in the 80's during the last ten days of April. Although there was the usual number of species, there was a definite lack of individuals with the exception of robins and blackbirds. Possibly the birds by-passed this region, or June, 1957 can it be that spraying is depleting their number? All of the species of ducks arrived the third week in March while the lakes were still frozen. They concentrated in rivers and wherever there were patches of open water. Many Mallards did not migrate last fall. An interesting report regarding wintering Mallards were received from Whitney Eastman who sent the following letter, in part, from R. W. Stanford, Willmar, dated January 29: "Some 10,000 Mallards have been in Mud Lake just north of New London all fall and are still there, January 29. It is the latest we have known them to stay. The ice on Mud Lake is six inches thick. They keep it open by just sitting in the water and paddling around, flying out to feed and then coming back and settling down again. The place where they sit is about two or three acres in extent. We have had pretty wa1·m weather here until recently when it got below zero, but it does not stay cold very long." On April 11 Mr. Stanford reported as follows, "The Mallards are still in Mud Lake. There IS a man in the village of New London who has seen them every day. There has been very little snow and they fly many miles to cornfields to feed. They are very fat and evidently have had all (the food) they could possibly consume." Some hundreds of Mallards wintered in various localities in the south half of the state, especially along the Mississippi River. About 100 Mallards and 50 Pin-tailed Ducks wintered at the Izaak. \Valtou Bass Ponds where a spring-fed stream empties into the Minnesota River lowlands. Dr. vV. J. Breckenridge saw several " rood Ducks in his yard, where in other years they have nested. This spring at least one pair selected a nesting site on an island in the Mississippi not far from his home. A pair of Wood Ducks settled at the Izaak Walton Bass Ponds. April 29, the drake flew in a 77 high wide circle before me and landed on a branch two-thirds up in a very tall tree g A. C. Rosenwinkel reported that he, Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Olin, and others irlentified an Old Squaw Duck on a small lake in St. Paul. They observed it at a distance of 60 to 100 feet and noted the plumage and the pin-tail. There were long periods of diving and short pe1·iods on the surface. Observations were made April 20, 21 and 22. Mr. Rosenwinkel reported, too, that he saw a pair of Greater Scaup Ducks, and used a spot·· ting scope to identify them while they were swimming and in flight. They were in a small lake on the outskirts of Minneapolis.

There were several reports of Canada Geese from March 20 to the first week in April. George Ludeke reported that a large migration flew over Minneapolis, April 4. Harvey Gunderson and his class saw one lone Canada Goose in the Minnesota River lowlands, April 28. James Cummings and others spent March 30-31 at Wheaton. They saw several thousand Blue, Snow and Canada Geese, a very large number of Mallard and Pin-tailed Ducks and 106 Tundra Swans. In western Minnesota they observed several flocks of Lapland Longspurs. Apparently Lapland Longspurs were not very abundant in the south half of the state. A flock seen by John Testor near Gibbon in early March was the only record received.

The first report of Tundra Swans was received from R. E. Cole, March 23. There were 23 in the Minnesota River lowlands at that time, but their number increased until there were several flocks which altogether approximated about 200. In southeastern Minnesota Bruce Hayward saw about 200 in the Mississippi, April 4. According to Dr. P. B. Hofslund there were 40 in St. Louis Bay, April 28.

Grebes and Mergansers migrated on time, but Herons were late. Observation indicated that there was a decreased number of them and the Double-crested Cormorant was comparatively scarce. Two American Egrets appeared in the Minnesota River lowlands, April 24.

On the usual dates a few hawks migrated in the area surrounding the Twin Cities, but no estimate of whether the number was normal compared to other years could be made due to the fact that they avoid areas that are air lanes. Dr. Hofslund recorded 28 Red-tailed Hawks, nine Sharp-shinned Hawks, one Northern Harrier and two Ospreys in the Duluth area, April 28. He stated that Pigeon Hawks are nesting on Minnesota Point. According to Robert Walsh, St. Paul, a pair of American Kestrels have lived for five years, winter and summer, high up on one of the buildings of the Schmidt Brewing Company, St. Paul. Mice and Sparrows abound so there is plenty of food. They probably nested somewhere in the vicinity, but no investigation of nesting was made. A pair of Red-tailed Hawks was seen many times in a forest adjacent to the Minnesota River near Minneapolis and probably nested.

Beth Doeringsfeld and others went to Fergus Falls, April 13, to see Sandhill Cranes. There was a small flock. Lakes and marshes were frozen and not much else was noted.

To date not many shore birds have arrived m the Twin City area. Small flocks of Greater and Lesser Yellow-legs, one Pectoral and a few Wilson's Snipes were seen. A rare record for Duluth reported by Dr. Hofslund was that of a Westem Willet, April 28, which he stated is the third bird of this species to be seen in that area. On the same date the Duluth Bird Club noted the following, 75 Bonaparte's Gulls, one Spotted Sandpiper, and two Least Flycatchers.

The migration of gulls and terns was about a week late. Migration for gulls in the Mississippi Valley was the week of April 4 to 9. Common Loons arrived as soon as the lakes opened. Flickers and Sapsuckers migrated April 15 to 20. Flickers were very abundant. There was a goodly number of Eastern Phoebes, April 16, and some of them claiming their old nesting sites at once.

A few of all species of swallows appeared in the Mississippi Valley, April 19. However a few Tree Swallows came in late March before the snowstorms and severe cold, and no doubt perished.

Eastern Bluebirds were reported in late March, and apparently the number of them had not diminished which is heartening. So far only a few Hermit Thrushes haYe arrived. No Winter Wrens were reported. The House Wren and Brown Thrasher were singing in the Twin City area, April 27.

The migration peak for Red-winged Blackbirds was April 10 to 15 in the Mississippi Valley. As usual they were very abundant. Rusty Blackbirds arrived with them, Yellow-headed Blackbirds in small numbers appeared in the last week of April, and Brewer's Blackbirds were seen at their usual nesting sites in the Ft. Snelling National Cemetery the third week in April.

The movement of Eastern and 'Vestern Meadowlarks was about a week late, although a few of the Western were singing in late March. However, several of the Western wintered in the south half of the state, so it is impossible to be certain that the early ones observed were migrants. The same is true of Mourning Doves. They were present in goodly numbers, April 9, so it is safe to say that that is the date of migration.

Tree Sparrows left the thi1·d week of April and Dark-eyed Dark-eyed Juncos passed on also at the same time. Although there were a few large flocks of juncos they were not as abundant in the Mississippi Valley as usual. Only a few White-throated Sparrows were observed on May 1, and also Fox Sparrows were small in numbers. The arrival of Song Sparrows was about ten days late. There was a heavy migration of Chipping Sparrows, April 25, and appearance of other sparrows was at the normal time.

The report for the March Flicker was written before February 1, too early for the Horned Lark records. Many of this species winter in southern Minnesota. A few migrants were reported by the Albert Lea Audubon Society and Rev. Forrest Strnad the last week in January. In the M1ssissippi and Minnesota River valleys there was a very large migration of Horned Larks February 12-13.

In a cage in thf: laboratory of the Museum of Natural History is one of the finest songsters I have ever heard. It is a Slate-colored Solitaire brought from Mexico by Dr. Dwain Warner. The tone of its song has the quality of a fine violin, very pure and clear.

The Minnesota Ornithologists Union and The Thunder Bay Naturalists from Canada held their annual meeting at Grand Marais the week end of February 22. Those of us from the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota were rewarded by the appearance of Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings and also the Pine and Evening Grosbeaks along the north shore of Lake Superior. This past winter these species were very scarce south of Duluth. Two Boreal Chickadees were recorded and a hardy White-throated Sparrow lived at a feeder on the Gunflint Trail. Lake Superior was frozen along the shore except in a few spots, particularly where streams emptied into it. At the mouth of the Cascade River Dr. W. J. Breckenridge, Dr. A. E. Allin and others saw a Harlequin Duck which is very rare in Minnesota. As usual Old Squaw Ducks, Mallards and Golden-eyes swam in patche:s of open water along the shore. Near fish houses concentrations. of hundreds of Herring Gulls stood about on the ice accompanied here and there by Glaucous Gulls.

Upon the Gunflint Trail one morning we walked in an unreal land. Freezing fog the night before had fastened unusual feathery crystals of frost on every bit of space on trees, shrubs and all vegetation. Silhouetted against a cloudy dark sky this landscape created a picture of rare and surpassing beauty.