Except for Canadas, the only report after December of any goose species was one Cackling Goose in Rice. A family group of three Mute Swans (adults, one juvenile) in Dakota in February was most likely wild; possibly the same group was reported in December in Wabasha. Trumpeter Swan numbers at the swan viewing area in Monticello (Wright) were much lower than those of the previous winter. There were only a few reports of Tundra Swans and none after early January.

Gadwalls overwintered in larger-than-usual numbers at the Blue Lake W.T.P. (Scott). Other ducks overwintering at Blue Lake included many Ring-necked, small numbers of Northern Shoveler and Lesser Scaup, and a Redhead. A small group of Northern Pintails (up to eight) overwintered in Duluth. A male Greater Scaup on 2 February in Cook was unusual; this species was also reported in January in Duluth.

One of the two female Common Eiders discovered in November in Duluth overwintered in Canal Park through mid-February, then moved to neighboring Superior, WI, for the duration of the month and into late March. There were scattered Harlequin Duck reports of at least five individuals from the North Shore counties, but none away from Lake Superior. Single White-winged Scoters were seen in February in Cook and Lake. Only two Long-tailed Ducks were reported away from Lake Superior (Wright, Washington).

The only loon reported was a Pacific in Duluth, which continued from fall into December and provided the third latest date for the state (11 December). Bald Eagles were reported from a season-record 80 counties.

Two shorebird species were found in midwinter: Killdeer (Houston) and Wilson's Snipe (Hennepin, Nicollet).

A late Bonaparte's Gull was in Itasca on 11 December. The first-cycle California Gull that was present in Duluth for four days in October reappeared after a two-month absence on 21 December, which is the latest date for the state. Photos confirmed it was the same individual. Away from Lake Superior, no gull species (except Herring) were reported after very early January. In the Twin Cities, a few Herring Gulls lingered until mid-January but as is typical, did not overwinter. A few Thayer's, Iceland, Glaucous, and Great Black-backed gulls remained in Duluth into early to mid-February. A count of 29 Glaucous Gulls in Duluth in December tied the state's second highest. The only Lesser Black-backed Gull reported was a third-cycle in Hennepin on 25 December.

Snowy Owls had another strong presence this winter. Following the 2013 invasion that included reports from 66 counties, reports were filed from 44 counties this year and were widely dispersed throughout all regions of the state. Typically, major invasion years are followed by years with lower numbers, so it will be interesting to see whether this is a new trend or an anomaly. By contrast, Great Gray and Northern Hawk owls were found in relatively low numbers and only from within their typical range in the northern third of the state. No reports of Boreal Owls were recorded for the first winter since 2010.

Only two Red-headed Woodpeckers were found on the Cedar Creek Bog CBC, which typically has >20 overwintering birds (although none were recorded in 2012). American Three-toed Woodpeckers continued to be scarce with only three reports, a pattern consistent with the past several years.

Black-billed Magpies were reported from 22 counties in the northern half of the state, the highest number of recording counties in any season in MOU records. A well-documented Common Raven in Olmsted represented an unusual county record for this northern species. An overwintering Winter Wren was found at Old Cedar Avenue Bridge in Hennepin, the only one reported this season. A very late Ruby-crowned Kinglet at T. S. Roberts Sanctuary on 10 January was the second latest date on record for this species.

Over 50 birders observed a Townsend's Solitaire found on 13 December and present throughout the winter at Resurrection Cemetery in Dakota County, one of at least ten solitaires reported this season. Other more unusual sightings occurred in Todd, Redwood, and Blue Earth counties. Hermit Thrushes had a strong showing from nine counties, including one report from as far north as Crow Wing. Varied Thrushes were found in six widely scattered counties, including Watonwan and Blue Earth, with most reports coming from January and February.

A Gray Catbird found on the Grand Marais CBC represented the fourth winter in a row with a record for this species. A short visit by a Northern Mockingbird to a feeder in Beltrami provided a photograph and the first winter record since 2008. Bohemian Waxwings were well represented across the northern third of the state, but none wandered farther south than Crow Wing. Only two reports of Yellow-rumped Warblers were recorded, the lowest number in five years, with one in Lyon remaining until 11 January. No other lingering warblers were reported during this winter.

A Golden-crowned Sparrow first seen in the Duluth Lakeside neighborhood on 22 November continued throughout the season until at least 15 February, providing an opportunity for many birders to add this Casual species to their Minnesota lists. The sole report of Eastern Towhee was a single bird visiting a feeder in Olmsted. Four reports of Chipping Sparrows were received, although only two provided documentation. Reporters are encouraged to document winter Chipping Sparrows. January reports of Fox, Song, and Swamp sparrow suggested overwintering birds.

A photographed Western Meadowlark from Kandiyohi in January was the first winter report for this species since 2012. There was also a single report of a Yellow-headed Blackbird from Brown in December. The only report after December for Rusty Blackbird was of four birds seen in Murray. Flocks of 50 Brown-headed Cowbirds were reported from both Winona and Dakota in January.

Winter finches were relatively scarce this year and for the most part restricted to the Northwest and North-central regions. Pine Grosbeaks were seen in the fewest counties since 2002. Crossbill reports in the south were sparse, with no Reds and only a single White-winged from Anoka. Similarly, only a single south report of Hoary Redpoll from Dakota was recorded. Evening Grosbeaks were reported from only six counties, the second lowest total in 50 years following five reports in 2013, although a single flock of 126 birds from the Sax-Zim Bog represented the record high winter count for this species.

Weather Summary: Though the month began and ended colder than normal, average temperatures for December were five to seven degrees (F) above normal. This warmth continued in January, when average temperatures were 2º – 5º above normal, but the trend ended in February when averages dropped to 8º – 13º below the norm. Precipitation in December was near normal levels, though mostly in the form of rain. In both January and February, precipitation levels were about half of what these months usually bring. Both December and January were notable for the unusually persistent cloud cover. There were no major winter storms during the season.

Insufficiently Documented Reports: Blue-winged Teal 12/19, 1/2 Itasca (late date); Barrow's Goldeneye 2/27 Otter Tail (female, Rare Regular species); Common Loon 12/7 St. Louis (late date, a well-documented Pacific Loon was present here at the same time); Ring-billed Gull various midwinter reports from the North Shore (late dates; more difficult winter ID than is generally appreciated); Iceland Gull 2/18 Lake (unusual midwinter location).

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 March 2015). Steve Weston, serving as Minnesota CBC coordinator, compiled vast amounts of data from 76 counts. Medians of recent arrivals and departures are based on published and unpublished seasonal report data from 1985 through 2013. Our appreciation goes out to all our contributors, especially those who respond to our requests for details and who submit observations online. Finally, with this report we welcome Howard Towle to the winter seasonal report team.