Record-high counts of Greater White-fronted, Ross's, and Cackling geese were obtained in western Minnesota. A drake Eurasian Wigeon was found in Beltrami, but like many of this spring's rarities, it could not be refound. Drake Cinnamon Teal showed up in two locations and a drake Barrow's Goldeneye rounded out the list of unusual waterfowl. Providing a second Dakota County record, and found by the same observer who found the first one 29 April 2004 (The Loon 76:191–192), was a Red-throated Loon at Lake Byllesby 30 April. A total of 26 Snowy Egrets more than doubled last spring's tally but still fell short of the 36 individuals recorded in Spring 2004. Seven Little Blue Herons was the most in recent memory with two (possibly the same individual) along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Cattle Egrets showed well again this spring and two Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were reported. Becoming regular in western Minnesota, an easterly White-faced Ibis was still unexpected at Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area (W.M.A.) north of the Twin Cities. Most welcome was the record-high count of 1,213 Bald Eagles at Lake Pepin 12 March.

Shorebird surveys were conducted again this year in western Minnesota, but shorebird habitat was hard to find, especially after heavy rains in May; scheduled drawdowns at Big Stone and Agassiz National Wildlife Refuges produced good habitat later in the year. Piping Plover was apparently absent from the state this spring, though small numbers were later found in summer. Most unusual were two Black-necked Stilts at Carlos Avery W.M.A. 27 May, but almost as unexpected was a Whimbrel on the 31^st. Another out-of-range Whimbrel was found in Lac Qui Parle County, but this species was scarce along the North Shore. In what may become a depressing mantra, Red Knot was almost non-existent, and Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling were scarce.
Furnishing the 7^th state record in three years and 9^th overall was a White-winged Dove in Kanabec County. Encouraging was the presence of Burrowing Owls in three locations; two pairs in northwestern Minnesota attended burrows, but apparently failed to produce young. Careful listening to the digital recording of a calling male at the Rochester airport revealed the sultry music of Billie Holiday in the background! The always breathtaking Scissor-tailed Flycatcher appeared in two western counties. A total of 29 Loggerhead Shrikes in 12 counties almost matched last spring's showing, but remained below average compared to the early 1990s for the 10^th consecutive spring. A White-eyed Vireo at Blue Mounds State Park was the 7^th to be found in western Minnesota; previous records were in Chippewa (22 May 1994), Clay (28 May 1989, 24 May 2001, and 5 June 2004), Lyon (28 May 2001), and Otter Tail (20 May 2000) counties. Another excellent find was the singing Rock Wren in Rice County.
Participants in the annual Hawk Ridge Birdathon found 24 species of warblers in St. Louis County 21 May (26 species last year). No Casual or Accidental species of warbler were found anywhere in the state, but unusual locations included a Cerulean Warbler in Two Harbors and a Prothonotary Warbler in Polk County. The barely-Regular Yellow-breasted Chat was found in three southern locations.

Compared to recent springs, Summer Tanager was scarce, but seven Western Tanagers were found. Spotted Towhee was reported from five southern and western locations during its expected spring migration window; more newsworthy was the successful overwintering of one near Cook in northern St. Louis County!

Weather Summary: Temperatures for March were above average in the northern two-thirds of Minnesota and near average in southern regions. Extremes ranged from 66ºF on the 30^th at Canby, Yellow Medicine County, to -15ºF at Hallock, Kittson County, and Embarrass, St. Louis County, in mid-March. Snowstorms 12–13 and 15–16 March dropped more than a foot of snow from the Twin Cities to Red Wing. For the month of March, precipitation totals were above average in northern and southern regions, but one-half to one inch below normal in central regions.
April mean temperatures exceeded historical averages by four to eight degrees. During a nine-day period in mid-April, temperatures were 10–20ºF above normal. Precipitation totals for April were well above normal in southern and central regions and near average to below average in the north. For many communities in far southern Minnesota, it was the wettest April on record. Heavy rains produced localized flooding in southern Minnesota 6–7 April.

Ice-out occurred during the first week of April for most of southern Minnesota and by the second week of April across central Minnesota; Mille Lacs opened up on the 13^th. Lakes in northern Minnesota were ice-free by the third week of April, anywhere from one to two weeks earlier than normal; the last to go was Lake of the Woods on the 20^th.
May precipitation totals were below the historical average by an inch or more in many locations. Mean temperatures for May were slightly above average for most locations. Memorial Day Weekend was especially warm with temperatures reaching the 90s in many southern locations and setting records as far north as Grand Forks, where it reached 95ºF on the 28^th.
Undocumented reports: Barrow's Goldeneye 4/14 St. Louis (Embarrass); Clark's Grebe 4/21 Kandiyohi (Swan L.); Buff-breasted Sandpiper 5/30 Chippewa (near Milan); Thayer's Gull 5/19 Mille Lacs (late date,potential first county record); Eurasian Collared-Dove 5/14 Nobles, 5/25 McLeod (potential first county records); Yellow-billed Cuckoo 5/4 Big Stone (exceptional date); Tufted Titmouse 5/17 Aitkin (far out of range and unseasonal at Rice Lake N.W.R.); Western Tanager 5/4–5 Becker (Detroit Lakes); Evening Grosbeak 3/9 Lac Qui Parle.

Acknowledgments: We thank Dave Carman and Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory for data from the West Skyline Hawk Count in Duluth, and Anthony Hertzel, Jim Lind, and Jeanie Joppru for transcripts of weekly birding reports. Medians of recent arrival and departure dates were calculated by Paul Budde from published and unpublished Seasonal Report data from 1985 through 2004. We thank all of our contributors and especially those who submit documentation for unusual sightings.