The fall and winter of 1989-90 might be described as a mixed bag of treats for birders. Regular migrants were seen in normal numbers this autumn, but there were only a few real rarities. The winter, especially late December and early January, was quite exciting, with an unusual number of rare species and an abundance of birds. Many Christmas Bird Counts, particularly on the coast, set new highs for number of species, with the Gulf Shores count reaching a new Alabama and area maximum of 170 species!