Although precipitation was about normal except in the Twin Cities area where snow was scarce, Minnesota experienced a cold hard winter. March of this year was the second coldest on record. This writer spent most of April in Tucson, Arizona and so could not observe the weather but reportedly temperatures were below normal and lakes in the southern part of the state were still ice bound during the first part of the month. In some northern sections there was a snow fall of up to four inches on April 29.

The unseasonable weather delayed the migration from ten days to two weeks. Tundra Swans were reported in small numbers and they left soon after arrival. Earliest report was from A. C. Rosenwinkel who saw ten on Lake Vadnais, St. Paul, Ramsey County, April 15. There were nine in the Minnesota River bottoms April 21 reported by R. E. Cole. Except in the western part of the state where ducks and geese migrate in large numbers there were few reports elsewhere.

Canada Geese arrived in Mud Lake Refuge, Marshall County, March 31 reported by E. Marvin Mansfield, Refuge Manager. A flock of about thirty Blue Geese was seen by A. C. Rosenwinkel April 23. Brother Theodore reported a Common Seater on Diamond Lake, Hennepin County, May 2. The bulk of the duck migration in Eastern Minne~;ota was about over by May 1. A few still lingered on the lakes, many of them on Diamond Lake, Minneapolis, Hennepin County where this writer saw two Red-necked Grebes, May 2, pulling vegetation from the bottom of the lake. Horned Grebes were on Twin City Lakes for several days the last of April.

There were several April reports of by Lupient Common Egrets which may indicate an increase of nesting. Sally Wangensteen saw two south of Afton, Dakota County, April 22. Two were seen near St. Paul April 4 by A. C. Rosenwinkel and there were three near Shakopee, Scott County, April 28. Dr. Woodward Colby called to say that several were coming again to roost in the company of Great Blue Herons in the trees on an island in the Mississippi River near Fort Snelling.

Four Bonapartes' Gulls on Lake Como, St. Paul and about 300 Ringbilled and Herring Gulls on Pig's-Eye Lake, St. Paul were reported by A. C. Rosenwinkel, April 4. Franklin's Gulls were seen on Diamond Lake, Hennepin County, May 2 by Brother Theodore.

A mature Red-shouldered Hawk was observed in Stillwater, Washington County, February 11 by Dean Honetschlager. On April 23 Robert Janssen and others saw a large migration of hawks, mostly Sparrow Hawks and Northern Harriers when they made a trip to Salt Lake, Lac Qui Parle County.

At Salt Lake they saw a goodly number of shore birds. Notably, there were two Piping Plovers among them.

At Rothsay, Traverse County there were Sandhill Cranes and Marbled Godwits and at Lake Traverse there were many White Pelicans. In Southern Minnesota Lesser Yellowlegs were not reported until the last ten days of April and then in small numbers.

William McLane saw a Snowy Owl near Osseo, Hennepin County, March 15 and Roy G. Olstad saw one in the northeast outskirts of Minneapolis, February 19.

There was a heavy migration of Tree Swallows April 26. Purple Mar tins, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Barn Swallows and Eastern Phoebes in numbers arrived in late April.

Robins, Eastern Bluebirds and other thrushes were late in appearing.

For the Hermit Thrush, A. C. Rosenwinkel sent in the earliest record for this spring, April 12.

A few Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen during the latter part of April. There was a good migration May 2, a few Palm Warblers were with them. Dr.

W. J. Breckenridge, Minneapolis, and Mrs. Murray Olyphant, St. Paul, found Yellow-rumped Warblers at their suet feeders during the cold days in late April.

Brown Thrashers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-headed Blackbirds appeared during the last ten days of April.

There was a heavy migration of White-throated Sparrows May 3 reported by Mrs. Edward Rogier, Hopkins, Hennepin County, and Douglas Campbell Jr. saw several Whitecrowned Sparrows in Minneapolis on the same date. An albino Slate-colored Junco came to a feeder in Virginia, St. Louis County April 24 reported by Mrs. Roy Pottsmuth.

A Northern Mockingbird was found in Carlos Avery Refuge by Dave Pearson, April 23.

The following notes were received from Marvin Mansfield, Refuge Manager of Mud Lake National Refuge: Sharp-tailed and Ruffed Grouse were seen all winter. A hen Ring-Necked Pheasant was seen occasionally at headquarters. Horned Larks came back February 21. Black-billed Magpies and Common Ravens were common all winter. Snow Buntings left about the end of February. One Peregrine Falcon was seen February 11.

Golden Eagles were common all winter.

The first Bald Eagle was seen March 9 sitting on the nest. A Brewer's Blackbird was seen March 29, Canada Geese, Great Blue Herons and Western Meadowlarks arrived March 31.

The report that follows dated May 2 was submitted by Dr. Arnold B.

Erickson, Game Research Supervisor, Section of Research and Planning. "On April 28, 1960, I drove out to the Lac qui Parle Refuge and Public Hunting Grounds on the Minnesota River near Appleton, Minnesota. On Marsh Lake which is a part of this area I saw 40 White Pelicans and about 40 more White Pelicans on Lac qui Parle Lake. The only shore birds that I noted were a mixed flock of 25 Black-bellied Plovers and Golden Plovers. I saw one Marbled Godwit in a small pond and near the pond two Upland Plovers. In another pond saw two female and one male Wilson's Phalaropes, plus some Lesser Yellowlegs. There were quite a number of Blue-Winged Teal and Ringnecked Ducks in and about the Lac qui Parle Refuge. In addition, I saw Mallards, Northern Shovelers, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintails, Lesser Scaup, Gadwall, six Redheads but no Canvasback.

Ducks on the date of our trip, for the first time had become somewhat abundant in the prairie country although their number seemed few compared to several years ago." This item appeared in the Cook County News-Herald, Grand Marais January 7 and was submitted by Marie Aftreith: A colorful Northern Cardinal has been enjoying a sunflower seed feast at the Art Allens. The Allens who have a bird feeding station and had planted sunflowers for food and have a large number of bird boarders.

The annual meeting of the Minnesota Ornithologists Union and the the Thunder Bay Naturalists was held again at Grand Marais on the week end of Washington's birthday. About one hundred-sixty attended the dinner and were entertained by a very fine program presented by the Thunder Bay Naturalists and which consisted of colored motion pictures. One was of Canada's Quetico National Park and one depicted life to be found in marshes. A composite list of thirtyeight species of birds seen on that day was tallied at the dinner.

Dr. A. E. Allin reported that on the way to the meeting he saw a dead Great Gray Owl and a live Hawk-Owl on the Minnesota side of Pigeon River.

This writer and party drove up the next day and were fortunate enough to find the Hawk-Owl perched on the top-most twig of an evergreen.

Lake Superior was open only in spots which provided a place for Long-tailed Duck.

We saw only a few of them.

There was a concentration of about two thousand Ring-billed and Herring Gulls at Two Harbors, Lake County.

Among them were two Glaucous Gulls.

Common Redpolls were abundant along the way. There were two flocks of Snow Buntings and several flocks of both Evening and Pine Grosbeaks on Highway 23 between Duluth and Sandstone.