A surprising total of 260 species (well above the 245 reported in 1965 but well below the 267 last year) were recorded by an equally surprising total of 42 observers.

That is the lowest number of observers we have had for a fall season in at least 6 years.

In fact it is the lowest number for any season except for last summer. We complained enough in the spring season summary about the decline in the number of contributors to these reports in recent years.

But look at the effect in his report. Note how few peaks, and note how few counties are listed for residents such as the Screech and Great Horned Owls. Also note how many times we had to use the phrase "only report(s)" instead of listing latest or earliest dates. A closer look at this report will reveal that very often the latest dates for migrants appear in the north rather than the south.

There is also a slight tendancy for this to happen with many species in fall migration, but we think that the extent of this phenomenon this fall was due to the acute lack of reports that gave an inaccurate and incomplete account of representative departure dates.

Most surpnsmg is the number of species that were not reported at all: Greater Prairie Chicken, Gray Partridge, Marbled Godwit, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Mockingt>ird, Wood Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue-winged Warbler, White-winged Crossbill, Grasshopper Sparrow. We could go on to list even commoner species that were reported only a few times.

Still, 260 species were recorded. The number is that high because of the large number of species recorded that are not often seen in the state. It would be hard to draw any safe conclusions, but it is safe to say that the commoner species were overlooked and that the rarer ones were found. A number of highlights still emerged: two Cattle Egret reports, one an unusual peal+ of eight, the other an unusual late October date; three Harlequin Ducks, including one inland record; a Common

Seater in southwest Minn.; a Gyrfalcon shot in southern Minnesota; one report of the now rare Northern Bobwhite, formerly more common; a peak of 5000 Sandhill Cranes; one possible Yellow Rail; one possible Purple Gallinule, which would be the third state record; the large number of Buff-breasted Sandpiper reports; the first Minnesota Pomarine Jaeger in Duluth; very late Forster's and Common Tern reports; a possible Ivory Gull sighting; the fourth Least Tern for the state; another Northern Flicker sighting; very late Tree and Barn Swallow records; a possible Bewick's Wren in Minneapolis; the late dates for many of the vireos and warblers; an amazing concentration of Common Grackles; and an equally unusual flock of 16 Smith's Longspurs. It is interesting to note the extreme rarity of most of these high lights, and that four of these reports have to be listed as doubtful based on the details received.

We would like to thank Marygail Gilly who helped in typing this report.

WEATHER.-Temperatures in the state from August through November were normal, both Fargo and Minneapolis reporting around a degree above average or less for each of the four months.

Precipitation, on the other hand, was well above normal throughout the state.

August was dry, both Fargo and Minneapolis reporting about an inch below average in rainfall. September was a bit above normal, October and November much wetter than usual. Minneapolis received almost 6 inches more precipitation than usual during these last two months; a total of about 9 inches, which is about three times the normal precipitation!

Other areas such as Fargo were not quite as wet with reports as low as 1 Y:1 times the average, but it was a very wet fall overall in the state. Total snowfall for the period ranged from about 6 inches in the Twin Cities, to around 1_,5 inches in tbe southwest, to as much as 24 inches in the north. The first killing frosts were on September 13 in the north and not until October 9 in the south.

STYLE. --Our style in this report is similar to that used in the spring migration report. As a general rule for migrants we have. tried to list the latest two departure dates north, the latest three dates south, and where applicable the two earliest migrants.

But it is interesting to note the large number of migrants in this report that are not listed as completely as described above due to the lack of contributors. We have omitted the commoner permanent residents and Iisted only counties for the less common residents.

We have also Iisted significant concentrations, but again note how few peaks were reported.

CONTRIBUTORS:

MA, Marie Aftreith AR, Agassiz Refuge staff )B, josephine Blanich DB, Donald A. Bolduc DBC, Doug & Betty Campbell EC; Elizabeth Campbell MMC, Marjorie Carr MC, Mabie Coyne WKE, Whitney & Karen Eastman KE, Kim R. Eckert PE, Paul Egeland LF, Mrs. L.A. Feil PF, Pepper Fuller RG, Ray Glassel JG, Janet C. Green JH, John G. Hale HH, Helen Hatlelid WH, Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Hawki nson KH, K. Heidel BH, Bruce A. Hitman PH, P. B. Hofslund CH, Charles L. Horn, Jr.

Ml, M. lvanovs E), Mrs. E. W. jaul R), Richard H. Jorgensen HK, Henry C. Kyllingstad RL, Ruth Lender VL, Violet A. Lender F L, F. Z. Lesher BL, Bill Litkey WL, William H. Longley WDM, Wynn & Don Mahle MM, Mary H. Muehlhausen FN, Fran Nubel JP, jean M. Peterson RR, Robert P. Russell LR, L. S. Ryan ES, Evelyn T. Stanley KS, Koni Sundquist CU, Carol Urness TV, Bro. Theodore Voelker LW, Mrs. Leslie Welter