This winter season was notable for one first state record (Mottled Duck), one Accidental species (Ivory Gull), five Casual species (Black-legged Kittiwake, California Gull, Gyrfalcon, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Golden-crowned Sparrow), and three first winter-season records (Clark's Grebe, Northern Parula, and Indigo Bunting).

A Mute Swan photographed in late February provided a first county record for Yellow Medicine. Minnesota's first Mottled Duck was picked out from a large wintering flock of Mallards and a few other duck species in Coon Rapids, Anoka County, and was seen and reported by at least 17 people during its two-day stay in mid February. There were only two reports of Harlequin Duck and one of Surf Scoter, all from the North Shore, but about seven records of White-winged Scoter including three away from Lake Superior. Also “inland” were at least seven different Long-tailed Ducks on the Mississippi River from the Twin Cities to the southeast.

Providing the first winter record for the state (and the latest by over two months), as well as a first county record, was a Clark's Grebe that was found by a passing motorist in early December stranded on the side of Lake County Road 2 north of Two Harbors. Presumably the grebe mistook the road for open water and attempted to land. It was taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility and released into Lake Superior the following day.

Eurasian Collared-Doves continue to increase, with reports from a season-record 50 counties. A December Sora in Hennepin was one of very few winter reports of this species and the first in 16 years. Two Sandhill Cranes in Sherburne in late January suggested possible overwintering, and early returning migrants were reported from four Southeast counties in late February; this species was recorded in each of the three winter months.

A juvenile Ivory Gull spent part of January (through the 24th) at Canal Park in Duluth. It was reported to M.O.U. or eBird by nearly 300 different people. The scavenged carcass of another juvenile was found only a couple of miles away in nearby Superior, WI, in early January, raising the possibility that they arrived together.

Two Casual gull species were reported. A first-cycle California Gull was photographed in early December in Duluth, the state's third winter-season record. Two first-cycle Black-legged Kittiwakes were seen by many in mid January in Duluth. Presumably one of these same gulls was at the same location in mid February and three days later in Two Harbors. The only Lesser Black-backed Gulls reported were in Minneapolis, where there were at least five different individuals in December.

Possibly for the first time, five species of Ardeids were recorded during the winter season, including the first January American Bittern (Steele), and December records of Great Egret (two in Houston), Black-crowned Night-Heron (Kandiyohi), and Green Heron (Anoka), in addition to the expected Great Blues (multiple locations).

Two Osprey lingered into early December. Five separate Turkey Vulture records in late February from three Southeast counties were the first winter reports in six years.

A remarkable total of 72 Red-headed Woodpeckers was observed on the Cedar Creek Bog CBC on 12/20. This followed a year in which only two individuals were observed on this count, likely reflecting dramatic variations in acorn crops at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were observed in more counties than in any of the previous 20 years. American Three-toed Woodpecker reports continue to be scarce, being observed in only three northern counties.

Merlins were widely reported throughout the state and winter season. Peregrine Falcons also had a strong showing. Both of these species were observed in the highest number of counties in at least the past ten years. Two Gyrfalcons were reported during the season from the Duluth port area, the first since 2011, and were most likely the same two individuals that overwintered in Superior, WI, at the Gavilon Grain Elevators on Connor's Point.

Tufted Titmouse reports came from eleven counties, the highest number of reporting counties in at least ten years, and from as far north as Isanti. Carolina and Winter wrens were both reported in three counties along the Mississippi River, fairly typical of most winters. Golden-crowned Kinglets were found in 29 counties with reports continuing throughout January and February.

Townsend's Solitaires were reported from eleven counties, the most since 2011, with a particularly strong showing from northern counties (five). Varied Thrushes were reported from eleven counties, the most since 2012, with six of these reports also from the north. Gray Catbirds found in Polk and Olmsted counties marked the fifth winter in a row for this species. Brown Thrashers were found in nine counties, more than double the number in at least the past ten years.

Two reports of Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch coming to feeders in North Shore counties represented the first Minnesota sightings since 2009. Most winter finches were found in good numbers, primarily in the north. Pine Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, Hoary Redpolls, and Evening Grosbeaks were found in the highest number of counties since 2012, which was a major invasion year for most finch species.

Highly unusual were a late lingering Northern Parula in Anoka County in early December and an even later Ovenbird in Hennepin County in January. Both birds were observed at feeders. A number of sparrows were found in higher abundance than is typical. Savannah Sparrows were reported from an unprecedented five counties, including Lake. Similarly, 27 counties reporting Song Sparrow represented a high mark for this species. And an unusually high number of winter season White-throated Sparrows, Harris's Sparrows, and White-crowned Sparrows were reported. For the second year in a row, a Golden-crowned Sparrow frequented a yard in the Lakeside neighborhood of Duluth throughout the season.

A late female Summer Tanager was observed at a Roseville feeder in Ramsey County on 6 December. Also very late was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak seen at a feeder in Sherburne County until 26 December. Most remarkable was a well-documented observation of an immature male Indigo Bunting at a feeder in Duluth on 2 January. And a Baltimore Oriole was found in Rolling Stone, Winona County, on Christmas Eve — the first winter report of this species since 2006.

Weather Summary: Average monthly temperatures were seven to twelve degrees above historical means in December, the warmest December of the modern record, and continued above average in January and February. Following on a warmer than usual November, the dates when many lakes froze over were among the latest dates on record. For example, Lake Bemidji (Beltrami County) froze over on 19 December and Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis on the 30th — both one day earlier than these lakes' latest ice-in dates on record. Monthly precipitation totals were one to two inches above average in December, but returned to normal in January and February.

Insufficiently Documented Reports: Blue-winged Teal 12/20 Fergus Falls CBC, Cedar Creek Bog CBC (both CBCs reported a male and female; better details are needed in winter to distinguish from the much more likely Green-winged Teal); Common Goldeneye X Barrow's Goldeneye 1/24 St. Louis (no documentation); 1/22 Mountain Bluebird, Lac qui Parle (female, unusual winter location); Chipping Sparrow 1/27–2/11 Rice (unexpected in winter).

Acknowledgments: We thank Jeanie Joppru and Jim Lind for compiling and providing transcripts of Minnesota's two 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 2016). Steve Weston, serving as Minnesota CBC coordinator, compiled vast amounts of data from 78 counts. Medians of recent arrivals and departures are based on published and unpublished seasonal report data from 1990 through 2014. Our appreciation goes out to all our contributors, especially those who respond to our requests for details and who submit observations online.