BIRDS OF THE ST. CROIX RIVER VALLEY 



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19 April 1975, St. Croix County). Peak abundance occurs 15-20 May and de- 

 parture by 25 May. Fall migrants arrive 25 July to 1 August and depart by 

 25 September. 



Habitat: Primarily a species of seasonally flooded wetlands, muddy edges of 

 man-made impoundments, and St. Croix River islands. 



Buff -breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis) 

 Status: Casual migrant. 



Records: There are five records from central St. Croix County: 10 May 1974, 

 31 July 1967, 11 August 1975, 1 September 1968, and 9 September 1975. 



Habitat: All St. Croix County records were obtained from the edge of a semi- 

 permanently flooded wetland in Sec. 11, T. 29 N., R. 18 W. 



FAMILY STERCORARIIDAE: Jaegers 



Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) 

 Status: Accidental, two records. 



Record: One adult was observed and photographed on 28 and 29 August 

 1957, on Phantom Lake at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, Burnett County 

 (Lound and Lound 1958a). D. D. Tessen observed an adult at Crex Meadows 

 on 28 May 1978 (Tessen 1979a). 



FAMILY LARIDAE: Gulls and Terns 



Herring Gull {Larus argentatus) 



Status: Regular migrant and casual summer resident. 



Migration: Common migrant throughout the inland areas, locally abundant 

 along the St. Croix River. Spring migrants return in late February and reach 

 peak abundance 25 March to 20 April. Most have departed by 15 May (lat- 

 est— 25 May 1969, Washington County). Fall migrants arrive during the 

 last 2 weeks of September. Peak abundance occurs 15 October to 1 No- 

 vember and birds depart by 15 December. 



Summer: A casual summer resident along the lower St. Croix River. Herring 

 gulls summered in Washington County in 1968 and were observed in Wash- 

 ington County from 14 to 19 July 1975 (Eckert 1976). 



Winter: A casual early winter resident in the lower St. Croix River Valley. 

 On 1 January 1972 and 1 January 1975, two herring gulls were observed 

 along the St. Croix River near Hudson (Afton CBC). 



Habitat: Largely restricted to larger water bodies, including permanent 

 lakes and the St. Croix River. 



