The distribution and timing of migrant geese across Minnesota were typical, with a preponderance of reports coming from the southwestern half of the state from mid March through April. The only first county record was a Ross's Goose discovered in Hubbard. Mute Swan numbers appear to be slowly increasing, primarily in the Southeast and South-central regions, but it's difficult to know which of these birds are truly wild, and which are widely ranging individuals that are repeatedly refound as they wander through the state.

Six Eurasian Wigeon seen this spring far exceeded the previous high total of two for any season, which was matched during spring 1949, 2005 and 2009. Making these records even more remarkable, there were no reports of this species to eBird in any of the states neighboring Minnesota (except Michigan, which shares a border with Minnesota in the middle of Lake Superior and which hosted a drake at Seney N.W.R.). Three Cinnamon Teal was an excellent showing for the state, especially as all were drakes with no signs of hybridization. Notable spring high counts were reported for several species of waterfowl, including Long-tailed Ducks on mostly frozen Lake Superior in mid March, and Greater Scaup in early May. All three scoter species were seen in St. Louis; away from Lake Superior there was a single Surf in Freeborn, Whited-wingeds scattered across seven counties, but, as is typical for spring, no Blacks. The most reliable places in the state for Barrow's Goldeneye are Duluth and the Mississippi below the St. Croix River. This season, a well-documented female in Winona was the only representative of this newly Regular species.

Likely overwintering was a Red-throated Loon in St. Louis in mid March. A tally of 85 migrating past Brighton Beach in early May was also notable. The only Pacific Loon was one in Duluth in late May. In early May Horned Grebes produced significant tallies in Duluth and the Twin Cities, and the count of Red-necked Grebes on Lake Superior almost doubled the prior single day record. While no Clark's Grebes were found, a probable Western X Clark's was well-documented in Stearns.

Over the last five years Minnesota has averaged about 5 Snowy Egret reports each spring, so this season's total of 12 reports—including three first county records—was exceptional. An adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was photographed in Hennepin. Spring 2013 saw the number of Glossy Ibis records for the state double from four to eight; that recent trend continued when the ninth state record was found this season in Lyon. White-faced Ibis were also well represented, with 10 reports comprising 44 individuals.

A Mississippi Kite was spotted flying from Blue Earth into Nicollet, providing a first record for each county. The first King Rail since 1992 was discovered in a residential garden in Zumbrota, Goodhue County. Though only seen for a day, many observers were able to see and photograph this stunning bird.

Black-necked Stilts provided first county records for Faribault and Yellow Medicine in mid May; a pair at the Herman W.T.P. in Grant at the end of the month was both a first county record and the first breeding record in Minnesota for this species. The only Piping Plover for the season was one on Park Point in Duluth. Away from Lake Superior, single Whimbrels were photographed in Rice and Douglas. The only report of multiple individuals was of 14 discovered in Duluth. Red Knots were restricted to the western third of the state; they were found in Grant and Roseau.

Jaegers were both earlier and more numerous than is typical for spring. Those that could be identified were all Parasitics, of which there were at least three. Little Gulls show up in Duluth during May about once every other year, so one there this spring was not surprising. Another in Dakota, however, was welcomed as a first county record. An adult California Gull in Anoka was also a first record for that county. The season saw only one Thayer's Gull, a first-cycle in late May in Duluth, and one Iceland Gull, a first-cycle in mid May in Wabasha. Lesser Black-backeds were located in four counties, all away from Lake Superior, while at least four different Great Black-backeds were seen in St. Louis and Lake.

White-winged Doves provided a first record for Grant and a second for Lake, both in the last week of May. Following the major invasion during the prior harsh winter, Snowy Owls lingered in unprecedented numbers into the spring, with reports from 37 of the 87 counties. Both Northern Hawk Owls and Great Gray Owls nested in the Sax-Zim Bog, while Great Grays were also noted to be nesting in Kittson.

The state's fourth Lewis's Woodpecker finally departed in May after a six-month visit to the state in Roseau and Lake of the Woods. American Three-toed Woodpeckers continue to be difficult to find; none were reported this season. Black-backeds are typically found in six or seven counties each spring, and this year was no exception.

Two Say's Phoebes made it seven consecutive spring seasons in which this species has been found. This year's individuals were both, as might be expected, on the western periphery of the state. The first Loggerhead Shrikes of the season arrived in late March — well before the last Northerns departed. Especially for shrikes found in late March through mid April we request identification details so we can better understand the arrivals and departures of these two species.

A White-eyed Vireo was seen in Carver for several days in mid May. Common Ravens continue to push southwards into the state, as they are doing elsewhere in the eastern U.S. This season's extra-limital reports were from Douglas, Benton and Wright. The only Carolina Wren of the season was found in Crow Wing, near where one had been present three months earlier. Four Townsend's Solitaires was a typical spring total, but the absence of any Varied Thrushes was unusual. There were actually more north reports (4) of Northern Mockingbirds than south (3) this season; one in Martin provided a first county record. Two reports of Smith's Longspurs were both in early May from wastewater treatment plants in the West-Central region. One of them consisted of a flock of 36, which is a notable spring tally for this species.

Seven apparent Golden-winged X Blue-winged Warblers was a very high (unprecedented?) total for this season. Hooded Warblers are expanding their range near the Twin Cities away from their traditional locations in Dakota and Scott. As many as five were in Washington this season, and there were scattered reports from other neighboring counties. Cerulean Warblers showed well in southern Minnesota, where they were found in 19 counties; an additional report from Tamarac N.W.R. in Becker was especially welcomed, as this species had been found with some regularity in Becker during the 1990s, but then only in 2001 and 2004. Five Yellow-throated Warblers equaled the total number of spring reports of this species over the period 2001–2013. A Black-throated Gray Warbler near Austin was the eighth for the state; since 1990 Minnesota has averaged about one of this species every five years. The only report of a Yellow-breasted Chat was from Jackson.

While reports of Spotted Towhees from three western counties were not unusual, a "flock" of 3 together in Lyon was! Fourteen Summer Tanagers was an excellent total; almost all were first-year males. Eleven Western Tanagers was the most reported since spring 2002, though at that time this species was considered Casual and so reporting requirements for records to be published were more stringent. Following on the prior spring's record number of reports of Lazuli Bunting, three this season was another above-average total.

Given the paucity of winter finches found during the winter, it was to be expected that few would be reported this spring. Though Evening Grosbeaks were somewhat reliable, Pine Grosbeaks, crossbills and redpolls were scarce or absent. Still, we can end this overview on a positive note as the state's tenth Eurasian Tree Sparrow was seen on the University of Minnesota's Crookston campus for a week in April.

Weather summary: Average monthly temperatures for March were 6 to 10° (F) below normal in much of the state. April continued this trend as temperatures were generally 3 to 6° below historical averages, marking the sixth consecutive month of below-average temperatures. In May, temperatures were near the historical average as cool weather during the first half of the month was offset by warm weather later in May. The colder than average season led to lake ice-out dates about nine days later than their long-term medians. March precipitation totals were slightly below historical averages across much of the southern half of the state and slightly above average in its northern half. April totals were quite variable, with totals over six inches in many parts of the East-central, South-central and Southeast regions, while other parts of the state saw less than two inches. One to two feet of snow fell during April in the northern two-thirds of the state. May precipitation totals ranged from less than three inches in southeastern counties, to well over five inches in many parts of the East-central, Central and North-central regions.

Undocumented or insufficiently documented reports: Greater Prairie-Chicken 5/18 Chisago (5) (out of range); Say's Phoebe 4/26 Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine (no details on this recently Casual species); Gray Jay 5/18 Pine (8) (reported from southern Pine; out of range in mid May); House Wren 4/1 Otter Tail (2), 4/16 Otter Tail (3) (both early dates); Swainson's Thrush 4/9 Ramsey (early date; Hermit Thrush?); Hermit Thrush 5/5 Clay (80) (very high count for this late date); Pine Grosbeak 5/25 Cass (late date, out of range).

Acknowledgments We thank Anthony Hertzel, Jeanie Joppru, and Jim Lind for compiling and providing transcripts of Minnesota's three weekly birding reports. Special thanks to Dave Cahlander for building and maintaining the seasonal reports submission and production web pages (http://moumn.org/moureports/season.php) through which most of this data is collected and organized. In addition to the data collected through this MOU website, we are grateful for the data provided for the creation of this report by eBird (http://www.ebird.org, accessed June 2014). Medians of recent arrivals and departures are based on published and unpublished seasonal report data from 1985 through 2011. Finally and most importantly, our appreciation goes out to all our contributors. We are especially grateful to those who respond to our requests for details and who submit observations online.