Except for shorebirds, most observers reported a poor fall migration. Mild conditions through late October induced a wide variety of species to linger later than usual. The migration was “extremely dull” in Duluth according to Kim Eckert; data from Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve (HRNR) and the Lakewood Pumping Station (LPS) census of fall migration certainly supported this assertion. The HRNR counts were low except for the 799 Turkey Vultures on 29 September, a new daily high; also noteworthy was the record number of 511 Osprey for the season. The LPS census tallied only 790 migrants/hour, compared with about 1,340 migrants/hour during autumn 1995 during similar hours of coverage.

Rare but becoming more regular in fall, one Red-throated Loon and one Pacific Loon were located on Lake Superior. More unusual were the single Pacific Loons on Mille Lacs Lake and White Bear Lake; well over half of Minnesota's 41 records are from Lake Superior. The loon event of the season was the compact flock of 1,090 Common Loons on Lake Winnibigoshish on 20 October, the largest single flock ever found in the state. The total of 1,497 loons counted by Karl Bardon and Peder Svingen on Lake Winnibigoshish that same day was also a record high count for one Minnesota lake. The observers counted only from shore and were limited to public access points; more loons were undoubtedly present. Previous high counts from Mille Lacs Lake included data obtained by boat and/or aircraft surveys.

The 800 Western Grebes reported by Robert Janssen on Lake Osakis also appears to be the highest count ever on one Minnesota lake. No fewer than five Clark's Grebes were found this fall, suggesting that we still have much to learn about this species' seasonal occurrence and distribution. Only one Snowy Egret and one Little Blue Heron were reported. Even though some were probably post-breeding wanderers from nearby colonies in South Dakota, the progression of Cattle Egrets recorded by Lane Ellwanger through Big Stone County is astonishing. It is also a classic example of how one observer can make an important contribution to Minnesota ornithology.

Always unexpected in the northeast region, Greater White-fronted Geese also occurred there in unusual numbers this season. Only one Ross's Goose was found, but recall that this species only recently became Regular in Minnesota. The King Eider was the fourth to be found in fall along the North Shore in Cook County within the past eight years. As usual, both Long-tailed Duck and scoters were found away from Lake Superior, but the latter were very scarce on Lake Superior. The male Barrow's Goldeneye returned to overwinter for the second consecutive year at Blue Lake settling ponds in Scott County.

The immature Mississippi Kite at HRNR was the third reported there in the past five years, contributing to an emerging pattern of August/September records in Minnesota. In 1993, Evered and Messick published an analysis of all spring records of the Mississippi Kite during 1970–1991 in the Midwest (Birders Journal 2:81–89). A similar article analyzing fall dispersal patterns is needed. Following June sightings in Lac Qui Parle and Norman counties, only the third and fourth summer records ever in Minnesota, an early occurrence of the Prairie Falcon in Otter Tail County on 8 August was of special interest. Another was relatively early in Roseau County on 20 August, while one photographed from Summit Ledge at HRNR was locally rare. Even more startling was the Prairie Falcon seen bathing in the Mississippi River at the Ford Dam in St. Paul!

Shorebird migration was protracted, providing extended opportunities for study; many species lingered into October and unusual concentrations away from western Minnesota were reported. Duluth reported 20 species on 23–24 August and higher than normal numbers were reported all season from the Lewiston sewage ponds in Winona County. Reports of even one or two Piping Plovers are now noteworthy during migration, a sad commentary on their decline in Minnesota. American Avocets are rarely found after August in Minnesota; among several late fall reports, three birds lingered through 17 October in Polk County while the flock of eight in Wadena County provided a first county record. Willets and Hudsonian Godwits also got into the act; both are more expected during spring migration. The latter included singles lingering into late October in Polk and Roseau counties. The fall total of 18 Red Knots was the highest in recent memory; all but two were in Duluth. Buff-breasted Sandpipers were widely reported again, although totals remain undetermined as some observers failed to specify numbers. Red-necked Phalaropes were again scarce (see The Spring Season) for unclear reasons; in light of apparent declines off the coast of Maine and New Brunswick during fall migration (Duncan 1996, Birding 28:482–488) this species deserves closer scrutiny in Minnesota.

For many observers, the Pomarine Jaeger on Lake Pepin was the highlight of the season. This was the first “Pom” to be found away from Lake Superior, the first to be easily refound after its initial discovery, and it ultimately provided the latest date ever for any species of jaeger in Minnesota. The adult Little Gull in Pennington County was a first county record and only the fourth ever found in the Northwest region; approximately twelve of the state's forty records are now from fall and more should be expected (The Loon 64:232–233). The adult Mew Gull on Lake Winnibigoshish showed characteristics of brachyrhynchus, the more expected of the three forms (species?) known to occur in North America. Karl Bardon continues to challenge our assumptions about distribution and timing of Thayer's Gull migration in Minnesota; first county records for Aitkin and McLeod were established this fall and record early arrival dates were established. The first-winter Black-legged Kittiwake on Lake Winnibigoshish in late September was the 21st state record; another (or the same) was seen when the Mew Gull was found! The Sabine's Gull found by Steve Dinsmore at Fox Lake was a first for Martin County and the latest date ever for this species in the state.

At least 33 Snowy Owls and 16 Northern Hawk Owls were clearly harbingers of winter irruptions but there were no early indications that Great Gray and Boreal Owls would eventually do the same. Short–eared Owl reports were close to the twenty-year fall average of four counties. Peak migration numbers of Common Nighthawks were paltry compared to those reported just a decade ago.

August is known for peak numbers of Western Kingbirds in western Minnesota and encouraging numbers were found in Big Stone and Lac Qui Parle counties. However, virtually nothing is known of Common Raven migration. Frank Nicoletti reported a peak of 350 southbound ravens on 25 October at HRNR and a total of 1,740 for the season — where are they going?

The Pygmy Nuthatch at River Oaks Park in Moorhead had first appeared in mid–October at a feeder on the Fargo side of the Red River, where it provided a second state record for North Dakota. Extensive and reasoned discussion of this first occurrence in Minnesota are presented elsewhere in this issue. Late fall vagrancy of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is well known in eastern North America and a similar pattern is becoming apparent along the North Shore of Lake Superior, as evidenced by the three records this fall between 29 September and 26 October. Only two Mountain Bluebirds and no Townsend's Solitaires were found. Five of the season's seven Varied Thrushes were in southern Minnesota while none were found along the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Warbler migration peaked from late August to mid-September in most locations. Steve Carlson reported 21 species of warblers on 8 September and 20 species on 15 September in Hennepin County; Karl Bardon reported 23 species on the latter date in Anoka County. As with other genera of passerines, there were several late stragglers among the vireos and warblers. The Blue-headed Vireo in Duluth on 2 November was the latest north date ever while the juvenile Red-eyed Vireo in Croftville, Cook County on 26 October was closely scrutinized to rule out other vireos. More than the usual number of Black-throated Blue Warblers were detected as fall migrants. Most unexpected was the Louisiana Waterthrush on 6 October in Lancaster, Kittson County, about as far away as is possible from its range in southeastern Minnesota; it also provided the latest date on record for the state! The Yellow–breasted Chat was another excellent fall find in Breckenridge, Wilkin County.

Except in Anoka County, most observers reported a poor sparrow migration, but once again, a few stragglers were detected. The three Henslow's Sparrows at isolated Miller Prairie West in Traverse County were especially interesting in light of the reports from other areas earlier in the year. Rarely detected anywhere in the state as migrants, the Nelson's Sparrow was reported in Duluth and for the second consecutive autumn in Anoka County. After none last fall, the many reports of Smith's Longspurs were most welcome. Balmy weather alone cannot justify the presence of a Bobolink along Highway 61 on the record late date of 11 November — its a long, long way to South America!

Unconfirmed and Undocumented Reports: Gyrfalcon 11/18 at HRNR, Sabine's Gull 10/5 Goodhue Co. This section does not include records found Unacceptable by the Minnesota Ornithological Records Committee. Many recent reports of Spotted Towhee in the state still remain undocumented; the status of this species is discussed in The Loon 69:28–31.

Weather Summary: August was generally warm and dry, especially in the north-central and northeast regions where it was more than two degrees F. warmer than normal. September continued this warm and dry trend. In contrast, nearly every region reported average temperatures but above average precipitation for the month of October. The west-central region was the wettest, but Morris was still only 3.23 inches above normal for the month. These balmy conditions ended shockingly during a cold and wet November. Many western cities, including Crookston, Moorhead, Montevideo, Redwood Falls and Pipestone, were at least ten degrees F. colder than average during November. Indeed, the warmest of 40 reporting stations across the state was Hibbing (!) where it was “only” 5.9 degrees below normal for the month. In many areas, surprisingly heavy snowfall accompanied this early cold and brought back all-too-recent memories of winter 1995–96.

Acknowledgments: Once again, thanks to Kim Eckert and Anthony Hertzel for summarizing reports called in to the MOU “hotlines” in Duluth and the Twin Cities, respectively. Carol Schumacher summarized sightings posted on the Minnesota Birding Network and Kim Eckert provided data from the Lakewood Pumping Station census of fall migration. Data from Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve in Duluth were made available by Molly Evans and Frank Nicoletti. Median arrival and departure dates for the past 10–11 years were calculated by Paul Budde.