After three mild winters, both snow and cold arrived early this season. December was the third coldest on record, with the average temperature about 11° F below normal. Snowfall during the month was 200% above the mean throughout much of the state. Although temperatures moderated somewhat in January, February was again colder than normal. In contrast to last winter when a huge surge of migrants took advantage of unseasonable weather beginning 24–25 February, this season saw a large snowstorm on these dates (as much as 23 inches of snow fell along the North Shore of Lake Superior), and the winter season closed with subzero lows, a snow depth of 12–24+ inches throughout the state (the most snow in late February since 1965), and no thaw in sight!

The continuous procession of birders into the Duluth–Two Harbors vicinity to observe a reliable, wintering Gyrfalcon and the numerous northern owls resulted in the discovery of several rare species, and also helped document the presence of several lingering or wintering species. Horned Grebe is casual in mid-winter on Lake Superior, and there are only two previous February reports in the last 40 years, so four individuals loitering from late December through mid-February was unusual. Except for an overwintering bird in 1977–78 in Big Stone County, the Western Grebe that lingered until 20 January at Two Harbors was the latest for the state. An adult male Harlequin Duck which hid along the rocky shoreline east of Duluth provided one of the few overwintering records for the North Shore. The King Eider at Two Harbors, Minnesota's fifteenth, furnished the latest date on record when it lingered until 15 January (the only previous January record was one collected on 13 January 1963). Intermittent reports of White-winged Scoters from December through early February indicated the possibility of overwintering, something suggested only once or twice previously, as indicated by dates reported in The Loon during the winters of 1963–64 and 1974–75.

The state's eleventh record of Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch was obtained when one was found feeding on spilled grain at the Port Terminal in Duluth by Gyrfalcon searchers. It was photographed and identified as representing the more expected Interior population (see Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds), unlike several previous records in the state which were (surprisingly) from the Coastal population, including a specimen collected in 1889. The parade of rarities along the North Shore concluded when an adult male Barrow's Goldeneye was found in February. Even though there are over 50 records of this Casual species in the state, there are only two previous sightings from Duluth, the last in 1977!

During a winter when few waterfowl were reported, most extraordinary were six reports of Greater Scaup, a number equal to that for Lesser Scaup! The last few years have seen a marked increase in reports of Greater Scaup, a species which was formerly considered quite rare in winter. Has there been an actual change in temporal distribution, or have birders become more or less proficient at scaup identification? A concentration of nearly 1000 Common Goldeneyes and about the same number of Common Mergansers on the Mississippi River near its confluence with the St. Croix River between Hastings, Minnesota and Prescott, Wisconsin attracted birds which are locally unusual as overwintering species, such as two Long-tailed Ducks, two Double-crested Cormorants, a Tundra Swan, and a male Red-breasted Merganser.

The numbers of accipiters were up. Northern Goshawk numbers increased due to their ten-year population cycle, Cooper's Hawks continued to be more prevalent than formerly, and Sharp-shinneds were reported almost as far north as the Canadian border! There was a corresponding increase in the number of claims of Cooper's Hawks in the north, despite the fact that this species has seldom been adequately documented in the north during the winter season. Among the sixteen Golden Eagle reports, one which spent several weeks along the Minnesota River near Black Dog Lake was noteworthy because there had been no previous winter reports from this area, and the bird was at a location where it could be enjoyed by many observers.

The Great Egret which lingered on the Minnesota River near Black Dog Lake was seen in both Hennepin and Dakota counties. The state's only other winter record was at Black Dog Lake in 1993. A Turkey Vulture was reportedly picked up injured near Forestville State Park and sent to the Raptor Rehabilitation Center. Although there have been reliable reports of early migrants in late February, there were no previous confirmed December records. A Virginia Rail found at Mound Springs Park in Hennepin County was approximately the ninth winter report. Lesser Black-backed and Great Black-backed Gulls from fall lingered into the winter season in the Twin Cities, but otherwise the number of gull reports was down from the previous three winters.

Record high numbers of Great Gray and Northern Hawk Owls were found between October and April, while significant numbers of Snowy, Boreal, and Northern Saw-whet Owls were seen. The unusually high number of Northern Saw-whet Owls in the north, mostly at feeders, resulted in widespread confusion with the concurrent irruption of Boreals. Details about the northern owl influx can be found elsewhere in this issue. In comparison to the number of northern owls, the number of Short-eared and Long-eared Owls was down considerably from the previous three winters.

Although still officially Accidental in the state, two Eurasian Collared-Doves overwintered at a Russell, Lyon County feeder — the second winter in a row that this species has overwintered. Among an above average seven Yellow-rumped Warblers was one which overwintered at Duluth, a most unusual and northerly wintering record. A Summer Tanager lingered from the fall season into early December at a feeder in Faribault, Rice County; the only previous winter record was furnished by one that lingered in Anoka County until 22 December 1988. There was another second-hand report of a Baltimore Oriole in mid-December. Why is it that nearly all of our winter oriole reports have been second-hand, often without adequate details? Note that the only accepted Bullock's Oriole record for Minnesota occurred in winter!

It was an excellent winter season for sparrows. The state was awash with at least seventeen towhees, including nine Easterns, six Spotteds, and two more not positively identified — certainly the best winter showing. There were two reliable reports of Clay-colored Sparrows, both from Hennepin County, even though there had been only one previous winter record (in 1984–85). A Vesper Sparrow described from Dakota County was the first of its kind to show up during winter since 1990 and represented the eleventh winter record for the state. Meanwhile, a Savannah Sparrow briefly caught and photographed at a banding station in Washington County provided the state's fourth winter record. There were also more than the usual numbers of Harris's and White-crowned Sparrows.

Northern finches did not stray south, and only Pine Grosbeak was reported in good numbers in the north. Redpolls were nearly absent statewide. It seems odd that the only redpoll reports from the south were on Christmas Bird Counts. Is it possible that something as ordinary as a Common Redpoll is being routinely misidentified by less experienced observers who often participate in CBCs?

Acknowledgments

I am indebted to Roger Schroeder for taking over the task of compiling and editing the Christmas Bird Counts. Betsy Beneke, Dave Benson, Kim Eckert, and Anthony Hertzel compiled sightings sent into the three rare bird reports, Paul Budde provided a summary of Seasonal Reports sent to him electronically, and Peder Svingen reviewed the manuscript.