In contrast to last fall's five, only one Red-throated Loon was found, but at least three Pacific Loons were noteworthy. The juvenile Yellow-billed Loon found by a Minnesota Birding Weekends tour group was the fourth for the state but the first to be easily refound after discovery; its grisly demise in the talons of an eagle reminds us that vagrancy is risky for the individual bird. Yet another Clark's Grebe was found in western Minnesota and one to two others were refound at Agassiz N.W.R. Thirteen of approximately seventeen acceptable records have occurred during the past five years!

Numbers of “southern” colonial waterbirds were disappointing. The two Snowy Egrets from summer lingered into early August. Only one Little Blue Heron and only four Cattle Egrets were found. No Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were reported.

Early freeze-up pushed waterfowl out of western Minnesota by early November. The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Roseau W.M.A. was unusually far north but this species should be looked for again in Minnesota since its populations are expanding dramatically in Arizona and the Gulf States. Two Greater White-fronted Geese in Roseau County on 7 September were record early. Numbers of all three scoter species were down on Lake Superior but all were detected elsewhere. It appears that the Surf Scoter has become the “default” species when scoters are detected away from Lake Superior, although the White–winged Scoter must still be carefully eliminated. Most interesting was the male Barrow's Goldeneye seen briefly in Ramsey County; probably the same that individual subsequently overwintered in Scott County.

Less favorable winds and fewer days of counting (98 as compared to 107 in 1994 and 103 in 1993) accounted in part for lower counts of diurnal raptors at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve (H.R.N.R.) in Duluth. The composite total of Sharp-shinned Hawks declined for the third straight year to 17,897 but still compares well to the all-time record of 21,974 set in 1976; as cited last fall in the foreword to The Season, numbers migrating along the East Coast have been depressed. Recent migration of this accipiter at H.R.N.R. appears stable when number/hour of counting/year is calculated. As always, these data are courtesy of Molly Evans and H.R.N.R.

Many observers comment on the apparent scarcity of Gray Partridge and Sharp-tailed Grouse but most do not provide data. Observers are hereby requested to do so each season, with a reminder that number of individuals should always be listed on the seasonal report form for species marked with an asterisk.

Similar to last fall, shorebird migration was uneventful. Three Red Knots were found in three widely scattered locations, including Duluth which may be the best place to search for this rare wader in both spring and fall migration. Buff-breasted Sandpipers were reported from at least nine counties but numbers were modest.

In contrast to last fall, jaegers were scarce with only seven reports. The adult Little Gull on Mille Lacs Lake in early November was unusual compared to other Minnesota records but the species may be overlooked in fall (The Loon 64:232–233). No fewer than three Lesser Black-backed Gulls frequented metro area lakes; a disturbing trend of decreasing numbers of observers providing any documentation for Casual species continues. Not so with the first state and regional record of Glaucous-winged Gull! This well-watched adult was carefully documented by Karl Bardon, Bruce Fall and others, with numerous photographs and detailed sketches. This season's gathering of rare larids concluded with three Great Black-backed Gulls, two Black-legged Kittiwakes, and three Sabine's Gulls! All were juveniles with both kittiwakes in first-winter plumage and all three Sabine's in juvenal plumage, as expected.

Snowy Owls were scarce, but unusual numbers of Northern Hawk, Great Gray, and Boreal Owls arrived as harbingers of the invasions to follow. A record number (1430+) of Northern Saw-whet Owls was banded at H.R.N.R.; the previous high was 1102 in 1989!

Unprecedented in anyone's memory were the large flocks of Black-capped Chickadees, sometimes high overhead, migrating along the North Shore of Lake Superior in October. The Northern Wheatear in Duluth was appreciated for its upright stance, endearing behavior, and pastel plumage that offset its black-and-white tail pattern in flight. This is another species that should be looked for again in Minnesota. The eight Town-send's Solitaires were only one shy of last fall's total; as usual, most (seven) were along the North Shore of Lake Superior while the eighth was “inland” at Hoyt Lakes. Swainson's Thrushes in the north-central and northeast regions from early September through early October were unusually conspicuous and apparently increased in numbers. The total of thirteen records of Varied Thrush was the most for any fall season in Minnesota.

The consensus on warbler migration was more unified than in past seasons. Numbers of Chestnut-sided and Magnolia Warblers were up from last fall in the Twin Cities. Our most active observers agreed that Cape May, Blackburnian, and Bay-breasted Warblers were especially scarce. Steve Carlson counted an alarming 52 Bay-breasteds, his lowest fall count ever; although his data are not strictly controlled for observer hours or other variables, this total is even lower than last fall's 63 and can be contrasted to the fall average of 149 between 1988 and 1993. Similar to last fall, more Black-throated Blue Warblers than usual were detected as migrants and overall numbers of Blackpoll Warblers were up. Migration of warblers peaked in late August and early September, with 22 species present on Park Point in Duluth on 3 September. The Lakewood Pumping Station census of fall migration (The Loon 67:47–49) tallied 75,050 migrants during 56 hours of counting on 28 dates between 21 August and 20 October. The average of 1340 migrants/hour can be compared to 1400/hour during daily coverage in 1988–1990.

As recently noted by Robert Janssen (The Loon 68:66–67) the status of Spotted Towhee in Minnesota is unclear and observers have a unique opportunity to contribute data. All records of “Eastern Towhee” are referred to Eastern Towhee in The Season unless documented as the western species. Documentation was received for several unusual occurrences of sparrows, most notably the late Henslow's Sparrow in Red Lake County and the small group of Nelson's Sparrows at Carlos Avery W.M.A. in Anoka County. Among the Regular species not reported this fall, the absence of Smith's Longspurs was most noteworthy.

Weather Summary: August was hot throughout Minnesota but especially in the southeast region which was more than six degrees above average for the month. Precipitation there was close to average but central Minnesota was more than an inch above average during August. The cities of Duluth, Grand Rapids, Morris, and St. Cloud were hot and wet in August; all were three to four degrees above normal and approximately three inches of rain above normal. September was cool and dry in southern regions and close to average elsewhere. An abrupt transition to autumn occurred on 22–23 September as high pressure surged into the Great Plains and the Midwest, dropping temperatures and shattering previous record lows for many cities to the south of Minnesota. October was relatively unremarkable despite a succession of cold fronts. However, everyone remarked on the cold temperatures in November, presaging the bitter winter of 1995–96. Warroad was more than ten degrees below the monthly November average while statewide it was seven below the average! Minnesota's west-central region was the “warmest” with temperatures 5.8 degrees below the monthly average! November precipitation was close to average.

Acknowledgments: Since the Fall 1983 Season, Steve Carlson has helped compile the spring and fall seasonal reports. He has decided to “retire” and continue birding! His insightful analyses and careful attention to detail have contributed greatly to The Season. Special thanks to Steve for continuing to report his data on warbler migration through the Twin Cities. Kim Eckert and Anthony Hertzel consistently report data called in to the Duluth and statewide hotlines. Carol Schumacher summarized sightings posted on the Minnesota Birding Network. Kim Eckert also provided data from the Lakewood Pumping Station census. Data from Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve in Duluth was provided by Molly Evans.