Except for the first ten days of July when the temperature hovered around 100°, the weather in Minnesota has been mild up to date of th:s writing, August 10. Precipitation during the months of May and June was below normal. The weather bureau reported that it was the first time in the history of the state that there had been eighteen consecutive spring days without rain. except for showers June 4, the.severe drought that began in May was not broken until about the middle of June. The growth of crops was retarded and for a time, endangered. Also the nesting of ducks may have been affected to some extent as many sloughs m the southern half of the state dried up, leaving no sites for late nestings. However, reports in general are favorable as to the number of ducks.

Dates of the spring migrations were about as usual. No large warbler waves were reported from any part of the state. Observers who spent much time in the field saw only single individuals of some species. Mrs. Frances Davidson who made daily observations during May in Minneapolis stated that it was the poorest warbler year in lier experience. They must nave passed without stopping because durmg the first part of July 1 made extensive observations along the North Shore of Lake Superior as far as Lutsen a found as many nesting warblers as there have been normally other years. Reports from other areas in northern Minnesota are to the effect that bird life, including warblers, is as abundant as usual. Blue-winged warblers and yellow-breasted chats were found to be quite common in southeastern Minnesota by members of the staff of the Minnesota Museum of Natural History, who spent some time in that area during the spring season. They found a blue-winged warbler nest and several young of the yellow-breasted chat. The discovery of two Nashville warbler nests in Anoka County was reported by Harvey Gunderson June 11 and June 14 respectively. This is a far south nesting record for this bird. In this same area during June, Mr. Gunderson saw a pine warbler but no nest was found.

All of the species of shore birds that normally migrate through Minnesota were reported from various parts of the state. Flocks of the small "peeps" were still in the vicinity of Minneapolis June 2. By the latter part of July shore birds were returning southward and August 9 large flocks of them fed in the Minnesota River bottomlands.

Byron Harrell and Bruce Hayward made observations at Heron Lake June :l and found the usual colony of Franklin's gulls. There were thirty-eight nests from six to sixteen feet apart, all containing eggs or young. and eggs.

The Forster's tern nested this season east of its usual habitat. A. C. Rosenwinkel found nine birds sitting on nests June 12 in the Cedar Ave. slough near Minneapolis.

Between forty and fifty American egrets were seen at Shakopee during the latter part of July. At Tanners Lake near St. Paul there were five, August 1, and near the Isaac Walton Bass Pond there were two, August 8.

The first Minnesota nesting record of the Ameri~an egret was investigated by Dr. W. J. Breckenridge at Pelican Lake, Grant County, this season. Dr. Breckenridge found a nest with. three young in it and another young about fifteen feet away.

From all reports the dickcissel was not abundant in Minnesota this year, although it was found to be generally distributed throughout the eastern part of the state by members of the staff of the Museum of Natural History.

An interesting report is that of a male orchard oriole that came daily during the drought in June to the bird bath at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Willey in Southeast Minneapolis. There is the possibility that it nested in the vicinity though no nest was found.