The weather conditions in Minnesota during the winter season can be described in one word-nasty. Snow, snow, and more snow was dumped on the state; as was noted in the previous issue of The Loon, Duluth got its first snowfall in November. Beginning in mid-December (the 19th here in Freeborn County), heavy snowfalls came, and from then on increased in frequency; the greatest amount, at least in the extreme southern part of the state, fell in January.

Northeastern and western Minnesota were probably the hardest hit; despite the great amounts of precipitation, the temperatures didn't seem to drop as severely as in some years, and it wasn't an altogether bad winter for birds.

While some species were not observed as frequently as in other years, many others were seen, and some of these in greater nu;nbers -an "invasion year" for some species. For this compiler, at least, more new species were added to his life list than in many winters previous.

Each species listing is arranged similarly to that form used in The Fall Season: date, place, number, and observer.

When locations were referred to, county is given first, then in parentheses follows the city, refuge, river, etc.; Duluth and Minneapolis are also parenthesized for the sake of continuity.

If no number is given, it can be assumed that only one bird was observed.

Arrangement may differ in some cases.

It should be noted that any comments regarding range or number, or for that matter, an unusual species record, were made by Jan Green, who pre-edits all bird observation reports.

She was kind enough to allow this com piler to use a number of summaries she had previously prepared for the current issue of Audubon Field Notes.