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March · Eagle watch, first weekend, Winona (annual).
May · Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds, May 16-18, 1997, Detroit Lakes and Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge (annual).
August 1997 · American Ornithologists' Union annual meeting, Aug. 12-16, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus.
September · Hawk Weekend: The middle weekend of September, Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve, Duluth (annual).
November · Tundra Swan Watch, first weekend of November, Winona, sponsored by Winona Visitors and Convention Bureau (annual).
December · Christmas Bird Counts: Usually mid-month Saturday. Many of these are held each year throughout the state as part of a historic national bird census.
December · Minnesota Ornithologists' Union Paper Session and Annual Meeting: The first Saturday of December, Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus (annual).
January · All birders return to "go." This is the month for true Minnesota species, but interesting visitors occur: Snowy and Great Gray owls, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, Redpolls, and Tree Sparrows, among others.
February · Beginning of spring migration. Horned Larks are first returnees. Great Horned Owls are incubating eggs.
March · Waterfowl begin to return to the state. Bald Eagles follow open water north.
April · Early in month, shorebird migration. Late in month, the first of Minnesota's summer birds are arriving.
May · The huge push north of migrants and Minnesota nesters. This is the busiest month on a birder's calendar, the month for "big days"* and birdathons.
June · Majority of resident nesters on territory and courting.
July · Beginning of fall migration, first shorebirds moving south.
August · More shorebirds and some raptors begin moving south.
September · Serious fall migration of our nesting species. Movement of swallows and nighthawks. Peak migration for smaller raptors.
October · Larger raptors moving south. First winter finches arrive. The single best month for finding rare and unusual birds here.
November · Last of ducks moving out of state. Swans gathering on Mississippi River near Winona are at peak numbers. Bald Eagles numbers peaking in migration.
December · Christmas Bird Counts. The final migrants leave. If northern owls invade the state, this is one of the months when they will be in evidence (also November and January).*See page 19-21 for an explanation of what a "big day" is and for a list of "big- day" records in Minnesota.