This afternoon I went to walk through Gustavus Adolphus College's
Coneflower Prairie, a 70-acre grassland making up the western side of
the college's Linnaeus Arboretum. Around 2:45 I flushed a bird at very
close range from the southern side of the hill in the center of the
prairie. The bird was clearly an adult male Smith's Longspur, with
vibrant yellow underparts, darker upperparts and wings with bright
white median coverts, a bold black-and-white facial pattern, and
obvious white outer rectrices. The bird called in flight as well; a
rattle somewhat slower and perhaps sweeter than that of Lapland
Longspurs, without any "dew" calls given (such calls are
characteristic of Laplands). The bird flew one tight circle around the
prairie hill and then opted to fly west a few hundred yards, seemingly
landing in the farm field across the gravel road to the west of the
prairie.
This is the second year in a row that I have found Smith's Longspur in
Nicollet County, and nearly on the same date (last year's four birds
at the Nicollet WMA were found on April 9 but remained until April
11). The location/habitat of today's bird is strikingly similar to
that of last year's birds: very short-length prairie grass (about
ankle high right now) and near/at the base of the highest point in the
immediate area. Other birds sharing the Coneflower Prairie this
afternoon included several Vesper Sparrows, a pair of Horned Larks,
and a silent meadowlark.
Bob Dunlap, Nicollet County
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