Today there was a Yellow-rumped Warbler along Skyline Parkway in Duluth. The bird was along Skyline about 100 yards E of the entrance to Chester Bowl associating with a small flock of siskins and chickadees. I had actually first heard its call note here last Friday, Jan 27, as I was running by, but I assumed it was just an odd call coming from one of the siskins in the flock and kept going. So when I heard it again today at the same place, I stopped and pished until it came into view to reveal it was indeed a Yellow-rumped.
This probably represents an overwintering bird which just had not been noticed by anyone earlier this season, rather than an unusually early "spring" migrant. Despite the record-high temperatures lately, I am not aware of anyone reporting any other birds showing up in Minnesota earlier than normal, and, if it were a migrant, this would be over 2 months early and very unlikely. Kim Eckert