This winter season had fewer reported rarities than the previous winter, but included two Accidental species (Rufous Hummingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher), and four Casual species (White-winged Dove, Gyrfalcon, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow). All except the thrasher and Gyrfalcon were continuing from Fall. The Rufous Hummingbird (Isanti) was a first winter record for the state. Two other species provided only the second winter records: Greater Yellowlegs and Black-throated Blue Warbler.

A mild start to December was followed by more typical winter weather. Unusually mild weather returned in February, and there was a subsequent early influx of geese, ducks, and other species into the southern part of the state starting mid-month, especially Southwest. Thousands of Greater White-fronted (peak 13,000), Snow (peak 8,500), and Canada geese were reported by multiple observers.

At least four different Harlequin Ducks were reported from the North Shore. Two of the three scoter species were reported, including five White-winged (two north and three south) and as many as six different Black Scoters (all from the Twin Cities area). Away from Lake Superior, there were five records of Long-tailed Duck, including a continuing flock of seven in Hennepin. Barrow's Goldeneye reports included a female in Fergus Falls and a wandering male in the Mississippi River from Monticello to the Twin Cities.

A Greater Prairie-Chicken in Pope was a first county record. Wild Turkeys continue to thrive, with reports from a record-tying 70 counties. A Sandhill Crane reported on 1 January in Dakota County provided one of the few January records for the state. Killdeer and American Woodcock also arrived earlier than normal. A record-early Greater Yellowlegs in Dakota on the 21st was also the first February report for the state. The only Lesser Black-backed Gull report was from Minneapolis on 7 December. In the south, Ring-billed and Herring gulls arrived earlier than normal, with widespread reports starting 17 February.

Turkey Vultures returned exceptionally early starting 19 February with at least ten individuals reported, including one north. Bald Eagles were seen in every county, a first for the season. There were three Boreal Owl reports, the first winter records in four years. A Short-eared Owl in Martin was a first county record, as was a Long-eared Owl in Benton.

Red-headed Woodpeckers were reported from only four counties in the winter season — the fewest since 1979. None were found on the Cedar Creek Bog CBC, a traditional overwintering site. While acorn crops strongly influence the number of overwintering Red-headed Woodpeckers, the scarcity of reports this winter likely also reflects the dramatically decreasing number of these woodpeckers in Minnesota. American Three-toed Woodpeckers also continued to be scarce, having been reported in only three counties for the third consecutive year. In contrast, Red-bellied Woodpeckers were reported from a season record high 76 counties (identical to count in 2012), including all counties along the Canadian border with the exception of Kittson.

American Kestrels were reported from a winter-season high number of 59 counties and in all regions of the state except the Northeast. The only sighting of Gyrfalcon in the state was of a gray morph adult photographed on 23 February at Baudette in Lake of the Woods County. The first winter report of a Prairie Falcon since 2006 came from Lincoln County on 16 January, a county record for this species.

Horned Larks were reported from a winter-season high of 78 counties and notably 26 counties in the North, far exceeding the previous high of 19 North counties. Similarly, the number of counties reporting Tufted Titmouse reached a 25-year high. These increases likely reflect both a higher number of observers in the field, as well as increasingly mild conditions of Minnesota winters over past few decades. The first winter-season Marsh Wren observed since 2005 was found in Lyon County.

It was an outstanding year for Townsend's Solitaires, which were reported from a season-high 16 counties scattered widely in the state, including a county first bird found in Benton. Varied Thrushes were seen in six counties, including two overwintering birds in Cook and Koochiching counties. Highly unusual was a Curve-billed Thrasher that spent several weeks in Itasca County at a Grand Rapids yard and was observed, photographed and documented by a large number of birders. A Eurasian Tree Sparrow continuing from the fall season stayed throughout the winter in Two Harbors. An American Pipit was found on 9 December in St. Louis County, representing a first winter record for this species.

Reports of winter finches were mixed with Purple Finches and Red Crossbills showing 20-year highs in number of reporting counties; Common Redpolls, Hoary Redpolls, and Pine Siskins being well below average; and Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Grosbeaks, and White-winged Crossbills being close to average. Lincoln's Sparrows were observed in three counties, including two North counties, an all-time season high for this species. For the third winter in a row, a Golden-crowned Sparrow overwintered in the Lakeside area of Duluth.

A Baltimore Oriole was briefly observed at a feeder in Renville County in early December, the second winter in a row for this infrequent winter lingerer. Overall, blackbird numbers were very high with Brown-headed Cowbirds, Rusty Blackbirds, and Red-winged Blackbirds all being reported from a winter season high number of counties.

Three Rose-breasted Grosbeaks lingered in the state in December in Houston, Ramsey, and Mower counties, the latest until 19 December. Even more remarkable was the report of a hardy Black-throated Blue Warbler photographed at an Excelsior feeder in Hennepin County on 11 December. This represents the latest record for this species by nine days and only the second winter record, the first record coming from 1983 in Washington County.

Weather summary: Average monthly temperatures for December were less than a degree (F) above normal, but in January were 3º–6º above normal, and in February were a whopping 9º above normal. The state as a whole has experienced ten consecutive months of above average temperatures, and for the Twin Cities it has been eighteen consecutive months. During 17–22 February, temperatures soared into the 50s and 60s.

Precipitation totals were above average across most of the state in December and near normal in January and February. Snow storms and blizzards were supplemented by significant rain events during the warm spells. Reminding everyone this was Minnesota, just a few days after that mid-February blast of warm air, the Southeast Region received over a foot of snow on 23–24 February.

Insufficiently Documented Reports: Trumpeter Swan 1/13 Wright (1,000) (reported total was double that of every other estimate of this flock); Tundra Swan 12/20 Washington (3) (late date, no reports of Trumpeter Swans); Sharp-tailed Grouse 1/19 Cass (out of range); Herring Gull 1/30 Goodhue (4) (no other mid winter reports south); Turkey Vulture 12/1 Rice (late date); Chipping Sparrow 12/26 Meeker, 12/10 Ramsey (winter Chipping Sparrows without details are not included).

Acknowledgments: We thank Jeanie Joppru and Jim Lind for compiling and providing transcripts of Minnesota's two 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 2017). Steve Weston, serving as Minnesota CBC coordinator, compiled vast amounts of data from 78 counts. Medians of recent arrivals and departures are based on published and unpublished seasonal report data from 1992 through 2016. Our appreciation goes out to all our contributors, especially those who respond to our requests for details and who submit observations online.