Although some potent storms swept through the state, this winter period was characterized more by mild temperatures well above the long-term average. The season was rather lackluster in terms of rarities, but a number of lingering and overwintering species kept birders afield and their interest piqued. Several species set records for the statewide Christmas Bird Count (CBC) and one new species was added to the count (can you guess which one?).

The only reports of migrant geese potentially overwintering were two Snow Geese in Otter Tail and one in Olmsted. A record-high count of Trumpeter Swans at Monticello reflected that species' impressive comeback in the state. Early ice cover in the Southeast due to a late November winter storm probably explained the nearly total lack of Tundra Swans there (as well as diving ducks) during the period. Ducks lingering north well into January included Gadwall in St. Louis, and Redhead, Ring-necked Duck and Lesser Scaup in Otter Tail. Up to five Greater Scaup overwintered in St. Louis. Otter Tail also hosted a male and female Harlequin Duck through late February to the enjoyment of many. In the A-Little-Luck-Never-Hurts category, a male Barrow's Goldeneye serendipitously was identified from a photo taken of a large flock of mostly Common Goldeneyes in Wabasha. Sea ducks away from Lake Superior included Long-tailed Duck in Washington, Dakota, Benton, Stearns, and Wright, and a Surf Scoter in Washington.

Sharp-tailed Grouse in four west-central border counties were presumably wintering birds from adjacent South Dakota. Ruffed Grouse continued to be at or near the ebb of their population cycle, whereas steadily increasing numbers of Wild Turkeys continued their gradual expansion as far west and north as Kittson County.

Late grebes included a very unusual Horned Grebe through mid-January at Black Dog Lake in Dakota and a mid-January Red-necked Grebe in Lake. Up to three American White Pelicans lingered into January at the usual location at Black Dog Lake; another was at Spring Lake Regional Park near Hastings.

Reports of Rough-legged Hawks, including many dark morphs, were up considerably over last winter's meager showing. Gyrfalcon reports included presumably the same gray-morph adult photographed on the same power pole for the second consecutive year near Hastings in Dakota. Unusual was a single Sandhill Crane in Lac Qui Parle in late December.

Larophiles were treated to many Thayer's Gulls, a veritable “irruption” of Iceland Gulls, and a very photogenic immature Black-legged Kittiwake for a record 18 days; the latter also provided a first Minnesota CBC record. Only one lucky soul got to see and photograph a Great Black-backed Gull near Hardman Avenue in Dakota/Ramsey.

After an 11-year hiatus, the bird of the season was a Barn Owl, unfortunately found dead 20 January after striking a window at a North Oaks residence in Ramsey. Following last winter's epic northern owl invasion, the predicted “echo” irruption of Great Gray Owls was barely audible. However, high numbers of Northern Hawk Owls were found for the second consecutive year and Snowy Owls, which were conspicuously few in number last winter, were much more numerous throughout the state.

Interesting were a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that apparently overwintered in Fillmore County, and a Carolina Wren through early January in Pine County. Among the thrushes, Eastern Bluebird numbers were most impressive as evidenced by their highest-ever cumulative CBC tally (total of 59 for 10 counts). Compared to last year, Townsend's Solitare was scarce, but one was found in the same location as last year in Sherburne. Unusually far south in early December was a Varied Thrush in Redwood. A Gray Catbird in early January in Cook was probably wishing it was much farther south.

Other species setting record-high CBC totals for Minnesota were Pine Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, and American Goldfinch. Although moderate numbers of Red Crossbills were reported, White-wingeds were almost non-existent. Common Redpoll and Evening Grosbeak numbers on CBCs continued the trend of being lower than the 20-year average. Finally, the CBC total for the enigmatic House Finch was the second highest on record.

Weather Summary: A significant winter storm 28–29 November brought freezing rain and snow to much of Minnesota. A coating of ice and snow, accompanied by high winds, led to power outages, school cancellations, and road closures in many western Minnesota counties. This set the stage for above normal precipitation for December in many locations of the state. Precipitation in northeastern, west-central, central, and southwestern counties topped historical averages by more than half an inch. Well over two feet of December snow fell in many northeastern Minnesota locales. Two major winter storms affected Minnesota during the month of December. On 13–14 December, a storm system dropped four to eight inches of snow in many areas, and deposited more than 20 inches of snow in the Lake Superior highlands of northeastern Minnesota. Another winter storm swept through the state on the 29^th and 30^th, dropping a swath of snow across much of the state. The highest snowfall for this event was 11 inches in Madison, Lac Qui Parle County. The warming trend of recent winters continued this December with temperatures much above average in northern Minnesota; for some northern locations, the mean temperature topped the historical average by six to eight degrees. Cold temperatures early in the month were more than counterbalanced by warm weather later in the month. Temperatures during the last ten days of December were consistently 15 to 25 degrees (!) above average.
January precipitation was one-third to one-half inch below average in most Minnesota locations. Snowfall was light nearly everywhere in the state. Only in the far northern reaches of Minnesota, along the Canadian border and the Lake Superior highlands, did monthly snowfall totals top ten inches. Some southern Minnesota communities set records for the least amount of January snowfall ever. Historical data show that this was Minnesota's warmest January of the modern era. The state-averaged mean monthly temperature for January was approximately 25ºF, an astounding 17 degrees above the long-term average — the largest positive monthly temperature departure in the data set for any month!

Precipitation for February similarly was one-third to one-half inch below average in most Minnesota locations. However, along an 80 mile-wide swath centered on a line from Moorhead to Duluth, February precipitation totals reached or somewhat exceeded historical averages. A large snow-maker on 16 February dropped nearly ten inches of snow on far-southeastern Minnesota. Rochester reported a daily snowfall total of 6.6 inches, a record for the date. Another storm system dropped 6–12 inches of snow along a narrow corridor from Bemidji to Duluth 24 February. A warm start to the month was counterbalanced by a mid-month cold snap. The arctic outbreak on 17–18 February led to dangerous windchill temperatures in many areas. The temperature extremes for the month ranged from 53 degrees at Winona on 2 February, to -36 degrees at Embarrass (St. Louis County) on the 18^th. As of 28 February, the National Drought Mitigation Center indicated that all Minnesota counties were free of drought designations. Unfortunately, this did not persist as drought conditions became severe during the ensuing months.
Undocumented reports: Cooper's Hawk 1/26 Kittson, 2/5 Clay; Gyrfalcon 2/15 Polk (near Mentor); Prairie Falcon 2/23 Rock; Brewer's Blackbird 1/16 Steele; White-winged Crossbill 2/2 Lac Qui Parle; Evening Grosbeak 1/2 Hennepin (8).

Acknowledgments: Thanks to all of you who submitted seasonal reports and especially to the growing numbers who made the transition to the MOU's new on-line seasonal reporting form. And thanks to Dave Cahlander for making it simple for AviSys software users to quickly download data into the MOU's system. Special thanks to Paul Budde for his continued dedication and enthusiasm for compiling the raw data into a user-friendly format. Roger Schroeder continues to do an amazing job of compiling and summarizing the voluminous CBC data. Thanks also to Anthony Hertzel, Jeanie Joppru, and Jim Lind for their tireless compilations of weekly RBAs.