One Snow Goose was reported in midwinter at Monticello in Wright County; no other goose species except Canada were known to have overwintered. Five Cackling Geese in Olmsted in mid-February were presumed very early returning migrants and by the end of the month small numbers were found in Nobles and Martin. Up to three Mute Swans reported from Goodhue in midwinter probably originated from the Treasure Island Casino, but the sources of single individuals in Scott and Dakota were undetermined.

Higher than normal numbers of Gadwall and Ring-necked Ducks overwintered in Scott at the Blue Lake wastewater treatment plant. Greater Scaup were reported in early January in St. Louis and Goodhue. An immature male King Eider discovered in Duluth on 9 February was relocated two weeks later when many others were able to see it. This was the nineteenth state record. Four Harlequin Ducks were found, including three on Lake Superior and one along the Mississippi River in the Southeast Region. All three scoter species were reported in December, but only a few White-wingeds lingered into January in Duluth, three of which overwintered. Long-tailed Ducks were reported in higher-than-normal numbers from all three Lake Superior counties, but there were no reports from any south counties, in contrast to the previous year when at least eight different birds were reported. Unprecedented for the season was the number of Red-breasted Mergansers reported from Duluth in January and February. Ruddy Ducks lingered into mid-December in Duluth (St. Louis County) and Moorhead (Clay County), and five overwintered in Dakota.

An adult Pacific Loon was found at Park Point, Duluth in early December, while several Common Loons were reported in the state until the middle of the month. A Red-necked Grebe lingered in Two Harbors, Lake County, until late January; only the second Western Grebe ever to overwinter in the state did so at the same location. A Great Egret in Olmsted was a very late migrant, but it was outdone by the two juvenile Black-crowned Night-Herons that provided Minnesota's first overwintering record in Winona. Sightings of all three accipiters were higher than usual for recent winters, though details accompanied few of these reports. Record late by two weeks was an American Golden-Plover foraging at Black Dog Lake in Dakota. Three Killdeer in Olmsted were the first to overwinter in the state since 2001.

Most unusual was the apparent adult Black-legged Kittiwake reported from Lake in early February; this record is still pending a vote by the records committee. Up to four Iceland Gulls wintered in Duluth, St. Louis; two in the Twin Cities departed by early January. The only two Lesser Black-backed Gulls found in the state were both in the Twin Cities. The state's eighth Slaty-backed Gull — and fourth for Duluth — was an adult documented at Canal Park. Both Glaucous and Great Black-backed gulls overwintered at Duluth. High counts of both of these species occurred around the New Year holiday, with numbers tapering off through February. Eight Glaucous Gulls in a flock roosting in Hennepin in mid-December was a record high count away from Lake Superior.

The season saw a significant number of northern owls move into the state. While Snowy Owl numbers did not match those of the prior winter, they were still well above-average. Northern Hawk Owls were found in nine northern counties, predominantly in the Northwest region. Great Gray Owls made a very concentrated incursion in mid-February into Roseau County, also in the Northwest, where there were several daily high counts in the 50s and 60s. Remarkably, the highest count away from Roseau was only 5! Boreal Owls also made a good showing in the state in February, though this incursion was more centered in the Arrowhead, especially near the Lake Superior shoreline. Was this a true measure of where the Boreals were to be found, or was it due to this being where the birders were looking? For a more complete summary of this season's owls, see The Loon 85:148–149.

In prior winters, the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve has been the best location in the state for Red-headed Woodpeckers. However, the local CBC held there could not find one this season — perhaps due to a failed acorn crop. Hopefully, this is not indicative of future numbers of this species in the East-central region. Five American Three-toed Woodpeckers were located in Lake of the Woods; the only other reports were from Itasca. Black-backed Woodpecker reports were also down.

Among the corvids, the most interesting sighting was of a Black-billed Magpie during the Two Harbors CBC. This species has a regular vanguard in St. Louis County, but is rarely found east of the Sax-Zim Bog. Common Ravens were well-documented as far south as Stearns.

There were more reports than usual of Tufted Titmice as far north as the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. Even more remarkable, however, was the approximately 31 Carolina Wrens found in 18 different counties of the state. This was by far the most ever found in Minnesota during any season.

Among the winter thrushes, Townsend's Solitaire numbers were down, with only eight birds found. For the third consecutive year a Hermit Thrush was found north, this season in Otter Tail. Eighteen Varied Thrushes scattered across the state were the most since 2008. Both Eastern Bluebirds and American Robins were reported in good numbers.

A Gray Catbird was seen into late December, and a Brown Thrasher into early January. Bohemian Waxwings were widespread across the north, with a few making it as far south as Nicollet and Olmsted. Snow Buntings were reported from 94% of the state's counties. The only warbler seen in the season was Yellow-rumped, which now has been found during 18 of the last 19 winters!

Two different Spotted Towhees were photographed at different locations in Rice. Chipping Sparrows were reported from five counties, but, unfortunately, none was documented. Observers in three different counties did document five Field Sparrows, the most ever in the winter for this species. Another unusual winter sparrow was a Savannah seen in Kandiyohi in mid-December, marking the fourth consecutive winter for this rare winter species. Other wintering sparrows were those more typically expected.

The fifth winter record for Summer Tanager was one that lingered in McLeod into early December. A Yellow-headed Blackbird in Le Sueur in early January was record late south; it was also the sixth winter report of this species over the last seven years. A small flock of Brewer's Blackbirds in Rice in mid-December was notable. Common Grackle is not an unexpected wintering bird in the state, but individuals in Roseau and Koochiching were unusually far north.

Many of the winter finches made major incursions into the state, reaching much farther south than they usually do. Pine Grosbeaks were seen throughout the north and into the northern tier of south counties, plus one exceptional report from Winona. The strong fall occurrence of Red Crossbills in the state presaged an excellent winter for this species which rivaled the winter of 1996–97. One had to go back to the winter of 1984–85 to find more Reds. White-winged Crossbill numbers were also excellent and included many reports from the Twin Cities south and east to the state's borders. Common Redpolls were in almost every county, while Hoarys were found in a record number of counties, including all but five north counties. Pine Siskins were also more widespread than usual, as they were found statewide except in the extreme west and southwest corner. Even the Evening Grosbeak, whose numbers statewide have been declining, was more plentiful than usual, with multiple reports just north of the Twin Cities.

Weather summary: Average temperatures in the state were generally near normal. A warm beginning to December was counter-balanced by a colder than average end of the month. January temperatures were near normal, while February averaged two to four degrees (F) colder than the historical average. For some communities this was only the second time in almost two years when the mean monthly temperature was below average.

Precipitation totals were at or slightly above average for the season. Some of the more significant weather events included a winter storm on 8–9 December that produced snowfall totals in excess of ten inches in a swath from Canby to the Twin Cities; a storm on 28–29 January that dropped totals of 6 to 12 inches of snow from the West-central region through the North-central; and a winter storm that produced over 18 inches of snow in the West-central part of the state on 9–11 February.

Documented reports still under review: Black-legged Kittiwake 2/3 Lake (Two Harbors).

Undocumented or insufficiently documented reports: Ring-necked Duck 2/12 St. Louis (record late north); Black Scoter 2/9 St. Louis (late date); Osprey 12/1 Rice (late date); Bonaparte's Gull 2/18 Koochiching (very late date); Common Raven 12/3 Blue Earth, 2/13 Rice (2) (all out of range); Bohemian Waxwing 12/3 Rice (out of range); Chipping Sparrow 12/15 St. Paul (North) CBC, Owatonna CBC, Winona CBC, 12/16 Stearns, 12/19 Ramsey, 1/21 Nicollet (all late dates); Rose-breasted Grosbeak 12/15 Sibley (late date); Brewer's Blackbird 1/5 Alexandria CBC (4) (late date).

Acknowledgments

We thank Anthony Hertzel, Jeanie Joppru, and Jim Lind for compiling and providing transcripts of Minnesota's three weekly birding reports. Special thanks to Dave Cahlander for building and maintaining the seasonal reports submission and production web pages (http://moumn.org/moureports/season.php) through which most of this data is collected and organized. In addition to the data collected through this MOU website, we are grateful for the data provided for the creation of this report by eBird (http://www.ebird.org, accessed March 2013). Carl Greiner, serving as Minnesota CBC coordinator, compiled vast amounts of data from 67 counts. Medians of recent arrivals and departures are based on published and unpublished seasonal report data from 1985 through 2011. Finally and most importantly, our appreciation goes out to all our contributors. We are especially grateful to those who respond to our requests for details and who submit observations online.