102 



Bird - Lore 



From the 21st to the 24th inclusive, intense 

 cold and high winds prevailed generally and 

 a heavy fall of snow occurred in the northern 

 part of the state. Snow and blizzards came 

 again on February 1 and 2, with the heaviest 

 fall of snow of the winter up north — 15 

 inches at Duluth. Milder days followed until, 

 on February n, 13, and 14, morning tem- 

 peratures at Minneapolis were 6 to 14 below, 

 28 below at Moorhead on the 14th, 18 below 

 at Duluth, and 8 below at La Crescent in the 

 southeastern corner of the state. So we have 

 had some real winter weather, but the intense 

 cold has never been of long duration. In the 

 southern part of the state there is only a 

 moderate amount of snow on the ground, 

 but in the north woods there is a heavy 

 blanket. Lake Superior is largely open, and 

 many Golden-eyed Ducks, Old Squaws and 

 Herring Gulls are wintering there. 



The last article contained a reference to 

 the unusual influx of Magpies this winter. 

 Additional records for the state have been 

 received as follows: Brainerd, 3 (Mrs. 

 Thabes); Le Sueur County, 2 (Warden 

 Olson); Fairmount, 9 (Dr. Luedtke), Crook- 

 ston, 3 (Dr. Langevin) — 17 since the last 

 report, making 51 in all. A number of these 

 birds have been accidentally caught in traps 

 set for fur-bearing animals. 



Evening Grosbeaks have continued to be 

 reported from the same and several additional 

 localities; Pine Grosbeaks from Fosston 

 (Miss Torgerson) and Pine County (Warden 

 Greig); Snow Buntings from the Red River 

 Valley (numerous, Dr. Langevin), Lake 

 Washington, Le Sueur County (Warden 

 Olson), and Pine County (Warden Greig); 

 and Bohemian Waxwings from many places 

 chiefly in the southern portion of the state. 



Dr. Langevin, of Crookston, writes: 

 "There seem to be more Arctic Owls (Snowy 

 Owls) here than usual. I have had several 

 brought in to me since January 1. It is too 

 bad that everyone seems to want to kill 

 this beautiful bird. I do wish there was some 

 way of stopping this unwarranted practice." 

 This Owl has also been reported from Pine 

 County (Greig) and Hutchinson (Eheim). 



But few Goshawks have been reported, 

 and only one or two additional Butcher- 

 birds. Redpolls continue abundant. 



Professor Hornbeck of Carlton College, 

 Northfleld, reports that Red-breasted Nut- 

 hatches remained there until late in December, 

 (iolden-crowned Kinglets were at Owatonna 

 until Christmas time (Jager). Under date of 

 January 21, Dr. Luedtke, of Fairmount, 

 writes: "Brown Creepers are safely wintering 

 so far. Temperature has been to 14 degrees 

 below only once this winter. The Meadow- 

 larks and Robins that were here in December 

 have not been seen this month. Thus far 

 the winter may be considered mild with only 

 a little snow." Fairmount is in Martin 

 County, not far north of the Iowa line. 



Wintering Robins have been reported from 

 several places: Hutchinson, December 25, 

 (Eheim); Red Wing (Densmore); Anoka 

 (Gillis, who writes under date of January 20: 

 "A Robin has come to be fed all winter at a 

 residence in the town, and a Red-headed 

 Woodpecker has been seen about a poultry 

 yard up to and including yesterday"). A 

 rather surprising record is of two Robins 

 away up at Duluth on December 26 (J. E. 

 Kraeger). 



Miss Densmore reports 4 or 5 Red-winged 

 Blackbirds wintering at Red Wing and they 

 have been seen elsewhere also. 



A flock of Mallard Ducks was seen at 

 South Heron Lake on January 28 by Warden 

 C. D. Gibbs. The Mallard will often remain 

 in the southern part of the state wherever 

 there is open water on which they can rest 

 at night and nearby corn-fields where they 

 can feed in the daytime. 



Mr. Alfred Peterson, of Pipestone, Pipe- 

 stone County, in the southwestern corner of 

 the state, wrote as follows under date of 

 December 21: "Was out on the 18th and 

 there were plenty of birds to be seen as this 

 list, named in the order of observed abun- 

 dance, will show: Many Crows, nearly 200 

 Horned Larks, about 150 Prairie Chickens, 

 20 Short-eared Owls, 12 Tree Sparrows, 7 

 Redpolls, 5 or 6 Lapland Longspurs, 1 male 

 Marsh Hawk, 1 Chickadee, and 1 Snowy 

 Owl." Mr. Peterson has previously indicated 

 the exceptional abundance of the Short- 

 eared Owl in that locality — far out in the 

 prairie portion of the state. In a subsequent 

 letter the same writer reported a Wilson's 

 Snipe seen on January 8 in a spring-hole near 



