Spring 2004 migration was among the most spectacular in recent memory. Highlights included the largest influx of Snowy Egrets ever documented in the state, seven records of the still Casual White-faced Ibis, an invasion of Black-necked Stilts, thousands and thousands of shorebirds in western Minnesota, the first accepted record of the Arctic Tern away from Duluth, excellent warbler watching in most areas, six extralimital Hooded Warblers in western Minnesota as far north as Kittson County, another major influx of Summer Tanagers, and no fewer than three Painted Buntings. Rare species showed up in good numbers and many of them lingered long enough to be appreciated by many observers. The M.O.U. Records Committee accepted 29 records of Casual species and 9 records of Accidental species, including a second state record Curlew Sandpiper, a third state record Black Vulture, and Minnesota's fourth and fifth White-winged Dove! It was, in short, fantastic!

Karl Bardon's fourth (and final?) season at the Hastings-Prescott Bird Count produced the best results yet (165,660 individuals). This was due in part to increased hours of coverage, especially during the evening, but it also should be noted that the number of birds per hour was higher than any other year except 2001. Coverage began earlier in 2004 (27 February) compared to previous seasons, but also ended earlier than usual (14 April).

Frank Nicoletti and Dave Carman conducted the West Skyline Hawk Count in Duluth for the eighth consecutive spring. Highlights included 822 Bald Eagles on 23 March, reportedly the largest daily migration count for this species anywhere in North America.

Shorebird surveys in Big Stone and Lac Qui Parle counties began in April, and were extended to include Mud Lake in Traverse County as vast mudflats emerged following a scheduled draw down. Long term drought, reduced snow pack, and below normal spring precipitation created excellent conditions for shorebirds. More than 6,000 individuals were counted on two consecutive weekends in mid-May. One exception was Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge, where shorebird numbers were relatively low all year.

Passerines that primarily migrate in May arrived mostly on time in southern Minnesota, but were behind schedule in northern Minnesota. Among the vireos, vanguards of each species arrived within two days of recent medians south and north; this tendency held up for many other May migrants in southern regions, but at Duluth, unusually cold, wet, and windy conditions in late May persisted through the Memorial Day weekend and precipitated “fallouts” in some locations. Delayed leaf-out and reduced abundance of food forced warblers, tanagers, orioles, and buntings to feeders in many northern locations. Steve and Diane Millard had their “best year ever” for Magnolia and Cape May warblers in Fergus Falls; also in Otter Tail County, Dan and Sandy Thimgan fed jelly, oranges, and syrup to 10–12 Baltimore Orioles at once for about a week beginning 12 May in Battle Lake. Martin Kehoe reported that stores in Baudette ran out of grape jelly in May! In late May, Smiley Mehan's feeder in Duluth hosted a colorful cornucopia of up to 13 Cape May Warblers at a time, along with a Black-throated Blue Warbler, several Scarlet Tanagers, many Baltimore Orioles and a male Orchard Oriole.

Tom Boevers found 22+ species of warblers in Rice County on five mid-May dates, including 25 species on the 17^th. Most areas of the state enjoyed good warbler numbers and diversity; additional peaks included 19 species at St. John's University in Stearns County 16 May (DCZ), 25 species in St. Louis County 19 May (AXH, PHS), 22 species in Lac Qui Parle County 22 May (BJU), 24 species in Kittson County 28 May (AXH, PHS), and 24 species in St. Louis County 31 May (DOK).
Weather Summary: March was the 17^th wettest and 18^th warmest for the Midwest since 1895, but Minnesota experienced more moderate weather. Temperatures in the state averaged only slightly warmer than usual, and statewide precipitation was only 0.1 inch above normal. Very heavy snowfall mid-month in Iowa did not extend far into Minnesota. A fast-moving cold front on 22 March tumbled temperatures in northern Minnesota to well below zero, but two days later a warm front pushed in from the southwest and accelerated the snow melt, causing some flooding.
Temperatures continued to average slightly above normal during April, but precipitation totals fell to two-thirds of normal levels on a statewide basis. In fact, every region experienced below average levels of precipitation, with only the Northeast and East-central approaching customary levels. Fairly stable and dry weather during the first half of the month was followed by a series of low pressure systems and cold fronts that brought more stormy weather. At the end of the month, a low pressure system in the southeastern U.S. pulled warm, humid air into the state, causing 70 mph wind gusts in the Arrowhead and record-high temperatures in central Minnesota.

Temperature and precipitation trends both were reversed during May, when temperatures averaged 4º F below means, and statewide rainfall was double the norm. This was the fourth wettest May on record. Notable weather events included a line of strong thunderstorms with straightline winds in excess of 70 mph that struck the Twin Cities on the 9^th. By the 11^th, it was 89º F in Redwood Falls, but on the other side of a front bisecting the state there was snow and sleet in the Northwest. A series of cold fronts kept temperatures below normal and brought more rain through the last half of the month.
Escapes and exotics: Chukar 3/20 Anoka (Columbia Twp.) SG, GF.

Undocumented reports: Fulvous Whistling-Duck 4/18 (2 at Lewiston W.T.P.), Red-throated Loon 4/21 St. Louis (2 at Duluth), Clark's Grebe 4/28 Douglas (L. Osakis), Brown Pelican 4/16 Worthington (L. Bella), Ferruginous Hawk 4/24 Lac Qui Parle (Mehurin Twp.) and 5/29 Watonwan (SE of Butterfield), Gyrfalcon 3/9 Mille Lacs (south of Milaca), Black-necked Stilt 5/26 Faribault (2 at Rice L.), Eurasian Collared-Dove 4/14 Wright (Buffalo), Sprague's Pipit 4/30 Cottonwood (Red Rock Prairie), Summer Tanager 5/7 Goodhue (Hok-si-la Park), 5/11 Brown (imm. male near New Ulm), 5/15–16 Otter Tail (Big Pine L., near Perham), and 5/25 Hennepin (Medicine Lake); Western Tanager 5/7 Wright (Collinwood Park), Spotted Towhee 5/3 Lac Qui Parle (Boyd), Lark Bunting 5/6 Anoka (near Centerville), and Great-tailed Grackles 3/8 Murray, 3/13 & 3/27–30 Jackson.

Acknowledgments: We thank Karl Bardon for data from the Hastings-Prescott Bird Count, and Dave Carman and Frank Nicoletti for data from the West Skyline Hawk Count in Duluth. Dave Benson, Anthony Hertzel, and Jeanie Joppru sent transcripts of weekly birding reports. Medians of recent arrival and departure dates were calculated by Paul Budde from published and unpublished seasonal report data from 1985 through 2003. We are especially grateful to our contributors and to all who submit documentation for unusual sightings.