From: Wildlife Rehab Center [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 11:51 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Red-throated Loon Makes A First Winter Appearance
Every now and then something arrives at the Center that creates a bit of a stir. Either something that we don't see often or some animal with an interesting story behind it.
This year we've seen blonde raccoons, a bear cub, a fisher, porcupines and now? A Red-throated Loon: A state bird record.
According to the records of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), there's never been a Red-throated Loon sighted in Minnesota from late November through early April. Pretty exciting!
It's even more exciting because the bird isn't badly injured - it's merely thin and had grounded itself (and in the process damaged some primaries).
These loons are seen throughout Lake Michigan in the winter and we'd surmise that with the Great Lakes freezing up this year, many waterfowl are being displaced.
Red-throated Loons are the smallest of all loons and nest in the Arctic Circle, migrating to the east and west coasts.