Following a relatively mild spring, June temperatures and precipitation were very close to normal in all regions of the state. This was certainly in sharp contrast to a notably warm, wet, and stormy July! Some of the hottest weather in ten years settled in over the state, spawning a series of storms, one of which destroyed a large tract of boreal forest in northeastern Minnesota. Heavy rains and high winds pounded the northern regions of Minnesota on 4 and 5 July — literally millions of trees were blown down and extensive flooding occurred.

July concluded with two of the most humid days in Minnesota history. Heat index values (temperature combined with humidity) on 29 and 30 July climbed over 110 degrees in many parts of southern Minnesota.

Seasonal Highlights

An exceptional total of 275 species was observed for the season, an all-time record high (the previous record of 273 was set in 1991) and well above the past ten-year average of 266 species. Seasonal reports and/or breeding information were submitted by no fewer than 138 individuals, also a record total. Contributors sent in 946 nest or brood cards, a slight decline in comparison to the past five years; breeding data were collected for 159 species (about average). Top contributors of breeding information included Jean Segerstrom & Mark Newstrom (191 nest/brood cards), Jon Little & Jacob Langeslag (156), and Michael R. North (128). A very hearty thanks to all contributors for your outstanding time and effort!

For the third consecutive summer, late migrant Red-throated Loons were found on Lake Superior in early June; an amazing 26 individuals were counted from Park Point on 2 June, most likely the largest number ever seen in Minnesota! Other late migrants on Lake Superior included Greater Scaup (only four or so summer reports have been documented in the past ten years), White-winged Scoter, and Long-tailed Duck. Away from Lake Superior, reports for several species of waterbirds were down, such as Pied-billed and Eared Grebes, Least Bittern, Great Egret, and Gadwall. There were no Snow Goose reports at all, breaking a streak of 11 consecutive summers. In contrast, the three separate reports of Little Blue Heron represent the highest number of summer reports since the 1970s, and the appearance of both Mute and Tundra Swans was unexpected.

Perhaps benefiting from the recent mild winters, Ring-necked Pheasant and Wild Turkey both were reported more commonly. Surprisingly (given that conditions were good for pheasants), Gray Partridge reports declined again, a trend that has continued for almost ten years.

Similar to the previous year, shorebird migration extended into early June, but the most impressive concentrations were found in mid-to-late July. At least 1,000 shorebirds (15 species) were counted along a Big Stone County shorebird survey route on 26 July. Several species were reported more than usual, including Piping Plover (apparent migrants observed in St. Louis, Becker, and Lac Qui Parle counties; summer reports away from the last remaining breeding location in Lake of the Woods County have been virtually nonexistent since the mid-1980s), Lesser Yellowlegs, Buff-breasted Sandpiper (for a couple of days, many birders were able to enjoy the 100+ concentrated at a sod farm in Dakota County!), and Short-billed Dowitcher. Capping off the parade of shorebirds was the appearance of an adult female Ruff in Big Stone County on 15 June, representing the seventh summer occurrence of this Casual species.

Thanks to the efforts of the Minnesota County Biological Survey and especially Karl Bardon, new ideas about the timing of shorebird migration are emerging. Field work documenting the waxing and waning of shorebird numbers has provided evidence that may help determine what direction those mid-summer birds are heading. For those of you who observe shorebirds on a regular basis, we encourage the reporting of exact numbers and dates!

Common Terns were reported nesting at their traditional site in Lake of the Woods County (300 adults with many eggs and young), but there were very few other reports of this species, raising concern about its precarious status in the state. More positive was the late June report of a Least Tern in Marshall County, a species for which only a handful of summer records exists.

Three Eurasian Collared-Doves, originally discovered in the winter, were relocated in extreme southwestern Minnesota on 25 July. This represents the first summer record for this species, which first appeared in the state in April of 1998 (The Loon 70:199–200; also see The Loon 71:236–237 for a late spring record of this species in Mower County). The rapid expansion of this species in the U.S. suggests more records will surely follow. Another Accidental species was documented in July when a Rufous Hummingbird was discovered and photographed in Cook County (the first summer record since 1990).

Also photographed was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on 2 June (presumably a late migrant) in St. Louis County. This casual species is more likely to be discovered during the spring or fall season. A White-eyed Vireo was observed singing in Brown County from late June through early July, providing circumstantial evidence that this Casual visitor to southeastern Minnesota may, on rare occasion, breed in the state. Not too surprising was the presence of a Carolina Wren through 8 July at Rochester. This bird had been seen regularly at a feeder since the previous fall.

An exceptionally early fall migration of warblers was noted in the Twin Cities area. Ten species of warblers were observed in Hennepin County on 10 July. At roughly the same time, a large number of migrant warblers and Swainson's Thrushes was observed in Anoka County. Of note was the reappearance of at least one Yellow-throated Warbler in Kandiyohi County, where the species was recorded for four consecutive years (1994–97). Also documented were two separate records of Yellow-breasted Chat, a species that has become very scarce in the summer over the past couple of decades. Disturbing was the lack of any Kentucky Warbler reports. Although rare in the state, this species had been regularly seen at Seven Mile Creek County Park in Nicollet County for several years running, but now has been absent for three consecutive summers.

Also of interest was the late June Summer Tanager in Hennepin County. There are few summer records for this species, but this one was not too surprising considering the unprecedented number of individuals found during spring (see The Loon 71:216–220). Other records of interest included a very late migrant American Tree Sparrow at Duluth, and a Rusty Blackbird in Lake County. Despite evidence suggesting that Rusty Blackbirds breed regularly in extreme northeastern Minnesota, this was only the second summer record in the past 11 years.

And finally, we mustn't forget the third state record for Eurasian Tree Sparrow. A single bird, originally found in late May and seen into early June, was present at a feeder in Clay County. Most likely this was the same individual seen at the same feeder the previous year. It is remarkable how differently birders regard the third appearance of this species, in comparison to the first state record in 1990 (The Loon 62:175–177); the more recent record was documented by only two observers!

Format, Maps, and Acknowledgments

The format for the species accounts is similar to that of recent years. The key to the Seasonal Report is located below.

Breeding records are classified based on the criteria found in The Loon 58:22 or in Minnesota Birds, p. 7 (Green and Janssen 1975). Each species having at least one nesting record in 1999 has an accompanying map indicating the counties in which the records occurred: positive nesting records are indicated by black shading, probable nesting records are indicated by gray shading. Counties for which positive breeding is documented for the first time since 1970 are listed in italics in the species accounts, and are identified as such according to updated versions of County Nesting Records of Minnesota Birds (Hertzel and Janssen, M.O.U. Occasional Papers: Number 2, 1998).

Divisions of the state into regions (e.g. west central, southeast) are based on those delineated in Birds in Minnesota, p. 25 (Janssen 1987).

A final thanks to all of the summer season reporters who make it possible to document avian distribution and migration. Thanks also to Anthony Hertzel for producing the breeding maps, and to Peder Svingen and Kim Eckert for their assistance in preparing this report.