As the high totals on the Christmas counts also showed, the winter season of 1969-70 produced many records of species attempting (and some succeeding) to over-winter in Minnesota, north of their usual winter range. The White-crowned Sparrow records were the first for this season in the state and the high number of White-throated Sparrow reports was also unusual.

There seems to be something in the pattern of the fall weather that makes birds that are normally migrants linger on into the winter. With the help of feeding stations some of them are successful in wintering in Minnesota.

The Field Sparrow in Winona, and the Swamp Sparrow and Brown Thrasher in Duluth were examples this year.

Robins, contrary to what many people think, normally winter here, either as flocks or individual stragglers.

Usually the largest flocks are along the North Shore of Lake Superior when the mountain ash crop is heavy. This year although the mountain ash berries were in good supply in the north, the big flocks were along the river bottoms in the southeastern part of the state. They were joined by groups of Eastern Bluebirds which have only been reported in flocks in the winter a few times before. Robins and bluebirds are dependent upon wild food for their survival but the Varied Thrushes that show up here in the winter seem to stay near feeding stations. In the past decade this species has become a regular, though rare, winter visitant.

The most exciting bird to be spotted in Minnesota in quite a while was the Dipper Mary Muehlhausen found on the Temperance River. This was not only a first record for the state but also the first time it had been reported east of the Black Hills. Although Clark's Nutcrackers were also seen in the fall they had not previously been reported for decades.

It would be interesting to know if the Greater White-fronted Goose and Ross' Goose at Rochester were the same individuals that wintered there last year. Also the Barrow's Goldeneye at Black Dog, Dakota County may be the same bird as last year. This species has been reported in the St. Paul area for the last 4 or 5 winters. I wish some enterprising photographer would try to get close to it since there is neither a specimen or photograph of this species for the state.

The bird most often reported this winter was the Common Redpoll. Last winter was also an invasion year for this species. This year it was joined in invasion numbers by Pine Siskins and Red Crossbills. Pine Grosbeaks were also present in good numbers in the northern half of the state.

There were a couple of visitants from the Arctic that were quite scarce this winter. Snowy Owls were only seen three times-the lowest number in many years. The number of Glaucous Gulls on Lake Superior was the lowest for the ten years I have been observing them. This may possibly be related to the vanishing winter fisheries on the tip of the western arm of Lake Superior.

Style notes: The location given for most records is only the county name.

If the number of birds seen is not noted after the date then one can assume only 1-2 individuals were reported.

Additional information is sometimes given in the county summaries if it is considered interesting or significant as to number, place or date. The numbers given are usually the highest count reported. For many species the state was divided into North and South halves with the dividing line the northern boundary of Stearns County. All species reported are listed, even permanent residents.