The Spring Migration March 1-May 31, 1981
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CONTINENTAL SURVEY The Spring Migration March lwMay 31, 1981 Abbreviations frequently used in Regional Reports ad.: adult, Am.: American, c.: central, C: Celsius, CBC: Refuge, Res.: Reservoir, not Reservation, R.: River, S.P.: Christmas Bird Count, Cr.: Creek, Corn. Common, Co.: State Park, sp.: species,spp.: speciesplural, ssp.:subspecies, County, Cos.: Counties, et al.: and others, E.: Eastern (bird Twp.: Township, W.: Western (bird name}, W.M.A.: Wildlife name),Eur.: European,Eurasian, F: Fahrenheit,fide: report- Management Area, v.o.: various observers,N,S,W,E,: direc- ed by, F.&W.S.: Fish& Wildlife Service,Ft.: Fort, imm.: im- tion of motion, n., s., w., e.: direction of location, >: more mature, 1.: Island, Is.: Islands, Isles, Jct.: Junction, juv.: than, <: fewer than, _+: approximately,or estimatednumber, juvenile, L.: Lake, m.ob.: many observers,Mr.: Mountain, o': male, 9: female, e•: imm. or female, *: specimen,ph.: Mts.: Mountains, N.F.: National Forest, N.M.: National photographed, '[': documented, ft: feet, mi: miles, m: meters, Monument, N.P.: National Park, N.W.R.: Nat'l Wildlife kin: kilometers, date with a + (e.g., Mar. 4+): recorded Refuge, N.: Northern (bird name), Par.: Parish, Pen.: Penin- beyond that date. Editors may also abbreviate often-cited sula, P.P.: Provincial Park, Pt.: Point, not Port, Ref.: locations or organizations. NORTHEASTERN MARITIME LOONS, GREBES--Approximately 125 North Americanhigh (WRP et aLL Bob Con- REGION migrantCorn. Loonswere noted in CapeCod way's careful observations from several Bay Apr. 18 (fide RPE) while the following coastal Rhode Island localities estimated no /Peter D. Vickery day 99 Corn. Loons and 105 Red-throated fewer than 53,000+ Double-crestedCormor- Loons were counted passingPt. Judith, R.I. ants migrating N Apr. 25 (RAC). (RLF, fide DLE). A single Arctic Loon was The spring of 1981 was generally warmer unique this seasonat Rye, N.H., Apr. 19 HERONS--Extralimital heron reports in- than averagewith each of the season'sthree (WWF et al.). The only sizableflock of Red- cluded singlead. Little Bluesat West Pubni- months registering above average tempera- neckedGrebes reported included a meagre90 co, N.S., Apr. 16-27 and Brier 1., N.S., Apr. atures. Interestingly, there was no apparent individualsoff Manomet, Mass., Apr. 14 30-May I (v.o., fide FS). In the same pro- trend of migrants arriving earlier than usual. (fide RPE). vince, a Great Egret was unseasonablyearly Aside from a few early records, most birds kept to their schedules.The unabated mild TUBENOSES, COR- weather in April and May created few heavy MORANTS-Northern migratory pulses; rather, birds filtered north Fulmars on George's in continual although less readily discernible Banks were less nu- numbers. Observers regionwide agreed that merous than in the past May 25 produced the largestsingle Hight. Ad- few years. This may ditionally, noticeablenumbers were observed possibly indicate a on Cape Cod on April 18 and 30 and Rhode retreat from the large Island reporters recordeda sizable movement numbers observed the May 14th. previous summers (fide The migration experienceda definite west- RGBB). Conversely, a em flavor this spring with an unprecedented Cory's Shearwater off flight of Pectoral Sandpipers, three Scissor- Muskeget 1., Mass., tailed Flycatchers,a Say's Phoebe, a Black- May 31 was startlingly throated Gray Warbler and a Western Mead- early and may have owlark. Conversely, southern overshoots presagedyet another im- were disappointingly few. pressivesummer for this The Common Cuckoo on Martha's Vine- species(RSH}. yard was the seasoh'smost unexpectedbird. A census in Boston No doubt the most significant event of the harbor counted a record spring surrounded the astonishing numbers 1445 Great Cormorants of Pectoral Sandpipers which frequented Mar. 8 and established, Massachusetts. presumably, a new Volume 35, Number 5 801 as far n as Sydney Mar 19-26 while a second Newburyport May 15 (RSH). SingleCurlew noted on Nantucket I., Mass., at Greenwich bird occurred at Robert I., Yarmouth Co., Sandpipers were recorded in Squantum, Pt., Conn., and elsewherein s. Connecticut N S , May 9 (v.o., fide FS). Seven Glossy Mass., May 16-23 (fide RPE) and at Wood- (fide TB). Thayer's Gulls shouldcontinue to Ibises at 3 Nova Scotia localities was an point, N.B., May 25 (fide ELM) whereat the be carefullyreported. This springa Thayer's above-averagespring total (fide FS). latter locality some 10,000-20,000 Gull in first basicplumage was photographed Semipalmated Sandpipers constituted an off the Massachusetts coast at the n. end of WATERFOWL--A Whistling Swan was astonishingspring concentration. A singleW. StellwagenBank Apr. 25 (WRP et al.). New unusual at Fitchburg, Mass., Mar. 26 (fide Sandpiperwas out of seasonat Monomoy England Black-headed Gull numbers were RPE) while a Greater White-fronted Goose May 25 (BN) while a Bar-tailedGodwit pro- above average with at least 17 individuals re- was more notable at Plum I., May 2-7 (fide vided a rare spring occurrencein Revere, ported. Likewise Little Gulls were observed RPE) Snow Geese experienced an excellent Mass., Apr. 12 (fide RPE). SingleHudsonian in good numberswith 15+ reports. Single migration throughout New England with Godwits were unusualat Milford Pt., Conn., ad. Franklin's Gulls were seen at Brier I, nearly all birds noted passingN Mar. 29. On May 16-18 (SS) and Jerusalem,R.I., May 27 N.S., May 13-14 (fide RGBB) and 8 mi out of that date 1880 Snow Geese were seen over (fide DLE). Spring Ruffs in New England Boston harbor May 25 (WRP et al.). The on- Storrs, Conn. (SS), 660 and 157 Snowspass- numberedseven or eight individualswith five ly Ivory Gulls reported this spring, 80 of ed over Sudburyand Concord, Mass., respec- or six of those reportedfrom Newburyport them, were seenduring a NE gale at L'Anse- tively (RAF et al.) and 1200+ were counted and Plum I. aux-Meadows,Nfld., Mar. 6 (BMacT). The over various Maine localities (v.o., fide Region's third and Massachusetts' second MKL) In Nova Scotia, Gadwall continued its Ross' Gull was briefly presentin Newbury- increase as at least seven individuals were re- No doubt the most significant avian port Apr. 20 (fide RPE). This Ross' Gull, an ported (fide CRKA). Three "Common" event this spring was the unprecedented adult associatingwith Bonaparte'sGulls, was Green-winged Teal occurred at as many Nova flight of PectoralSandpipers in e. Massa- presumablya spring migrant that wintered Scotia localities while in that province a c• chusetts.An early individualreported in- somewhere farther s. A Forster's Tern was Ear Wigeon was observedat Debert May 1-8 land at Northampton Mar. 16-17 (fide notable at Newburyport May 16 (fide RPE) (ftde CRKA). Another Eur. Wigeon was SK) was closelyfollowed by 15 at Plum I., but singleSandwich Terns were more surpris- found at Plum I., May 23 (fide RPE). Four Mar. 30-31. Numbers increased to 240 at ing at MuskegetI., Mass., May 27 (RSH) and Canvasbacks were rare spring migrants in Newburyport Apr. 11 when on the same Plymouth Beach, Mass., May 30 (fide RPE) Nova Scotia at Sydney Mar. 4-15 (fide date nine were as far e. as Cape Jouri- Razorbillsflying pastNantucket numbered CRKA). Spring King Eiders were about aver- main, N.B. (SIT). By Apr. 20 more than 330 individuals Mar. 8 and 177 Mar. 15 (fide age, howeverfour off Pt. Judith, R.I., Apr. 1000 Pectoral Sandpiperswere carefully RPE). A Black Guillemot was rare off Bran- 19 was a surprise (fide DLE). Some 2000+ counted at Newburyport (RSH, RRV); ford, Conn., Mar. 24 (NSP). Thirty Black Red-breastedMergansers were observed pass- 800 were still presentApr. 30 (RSH) but Guillemots off Nantucket I., Mar. 14 was a ing MuskegetI., Mass., May 6-12 (RSH). numbers dropped off quickly and only surprisinglylarge number s. of Cape Cod 100 remained at Newburyport May 3 (fide RPE). VULTURES THROUGH GALLINULES (RSH). Other sizable counts included --Turkey Vultures continuedtheir steadyex- 200+ in Marshfield Apr. 12, 68 in Con- CUCKOOS THROUGH PICIDS-- pansion throughout New England. In Maine, cord Apr. 27, 46 in BostonApr. 5 (v.o., Townsend noted that there were "too many fide RAF) and 45 at Card's Pond, R.I., reports... to list individually." May 2 (RAC). Interestingly,this flight did The rarest bird this spring was surely A Swallow-tailed Kite seenover King Tom not land on Cape Cod where average the Common Cuckoo (Cuculuscanorus) Pond, R.I., May 27 (DT, fide DLE) provided numberswere observed (BN). The previ- found, netted, banded, carefully mea- only a secondstate record but the eighth Re- ous Massachusettshigh count was of 85 sured and photographedin hand at West gional occurrencein the last 3 years. Gyrfal- Pectoralsat NewburyportApr. 20, 1977. Chop, Martha's Vineyard, Mass., May cons were observed in Maine (one), Nova 3-4 (TLL-E, RRV et al.). Detailed exami- Pectoral Sandpipers--Spring1981 Scotia (three), and at Terra Nova N.P., Nfld. nation indicated that the bird was most (two) MacTavish noted an average spring Locality No. Date probably a female still retaining several juv. secondarycoverts. This provideda flight of 17-20+ individuals with just one Northampton, MA I Mar. 16 first Regional occurrenceand the first re- white-phasebird of probable Greenland ori- Squantum,MA 30 Apr. 4 cord for e. North America, previousre- gin cf eight in 1980(BMacT). Some 25 Pere- Greater Boston 46 Apr. 5 cords being limited to w. Alaska. grine Falcons constituted a more or less aver- Orono, ME 23 Apr. 7 age spring flight. Merlins were quite nu- Kennebunk,ME 10 Apr. 9 merous this spring in e. Massachusetts, Trenton, ME 10 Apr. 9 A Great Gray Owl was uniquein Cooper, Petersen counted ten plus birds in 2 days of Newburyport,MA 180 Apr.