The Spring Migration April 1-May 31, 1973

ville, March 26 This April unusualrecords of Scott's for the state, and a male at Contoocook, New Orioles came from Kerrville, Texas, and Portales, Hampshire, on May 8 was unique in the Northeastern New Mexico. The first Nevada record of the Baltimore Maritime Region. subspeciesof the Northern Oriole was a male found A Dickcissel at Furnace Creek Ranch on June 1 at Corn Creek, Desert Wildlife Range, on May 18. was only the fourth spring record for the Southern A Scarlet Tanager at Brandon, Manitoba, on May 20 Pacific Coast Region. A male Brambling was observed was most unusual, and a female, only the fourth spring near Lake Andrew, Adak, in the Aleutian Islands May record for California, was watched on San Nicolas 20-21. Saskatchewan'sfirst sight record of the House Island, June 1. A first-year male Summer Tanager Finch was three males heard and seen at Regina on occurred on April 22 at Braddock Bay, New York, April 26. Another male photographedat a feeder in and a total of 23 were reportedfrom the Northeastern Calgarywas only the third recordfor Alberta. A Green- Maritime Region this spring. tailed Towhee showed up at South Bend, Indiana, on A Cardinal at Colorado Springson May 13 was the May 2 for a most unusual record. A Lark Sparrow, first record for that part of the state. Black-headed quite rare on Vancouver Island, was recorded at Grosbeaksmade a goodshowing in the East this spring. Saanichin early April and again on May 13. The first A male visited a feeder in Atlanta in April, and another positive record of the.Clay-colored Sparrow for Atlan- was on Mullet Key, Florida, in the company of Rose- tic Canada was a bird singing at Newcastle, New breasted Grosbeaks, Northern Orioles, and Scarlet Brunswick, on May 26. Tanagers on April 29. A male was at Corpus Christe, Reportsfrom the Hudson-St. Lawrence Regionand Texas, in May, and an immature male appeared in the Northern Rocky Mountain-Intermountain Region Norfolk, Virginia, on April 3 and remained about 10 were not received; these Regions do not appear in days. Idaho's first recordsof the Indigo Bunting were the seasonal analysis. Gene Hayes and Anne birds at Alma on May 4 and 6, and another at Pocatello Harshman kindly assisted in the preparation of the on May 28. A brightmale PaintedBunting at a feeder seasonal review. in Port Huron, Michigan, was only the secondrecord The SpringMigration April 1--May 31, 1973 NORTHEASTERN MARITIME REGION wave seemsto have occurred about April 12. A heavy / Davis W. Finch flight of Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblerstook place in much of New England at the beginning of May, and a moderate kill occurred on the night of May 2-3 Followinga patternmore or lessapparent in previous at Boston's Prudential Building (80 birds, almost all springs,the first week of the period saw a fairly well White-throated Sparrows). Thereafter the big waves defined wave of overshootingsouthern species reach came on May 10, 23, and 30. New Englandand in somecases the Marltimes, bring- lng early cuckoos,a few warblers,Summer Tanagers, Blue Grosbeaksand Indigo Buntings.A secondsuch GREBES, TUBENOSES--Single Eared Grebesat Seapowet,R.I., Apr. 14 (RB et al.) and at Manomet, Mass., Apr. 25 (TLL-E) broughtto 14 the total of these birds in the Region in the last five years, only one other havingoccurred in spring. During a snow- storm on Apr. 2, Ed Thompson was startled to see a N. Fulmar fly by his office window on the University of Maine campusat Orono; inlandrecords in the North- east are extremely few. The only Manx Shearwaters reported were seen during stormsalong the Rhode Island coast: two at Weekapaug Apr. 10 (EAS), anotherthere May 9 (KBK) and one at Pt..Judith May 28 (DLK). On Apr. 9, a Black-cappedPetrel (Ptero- droma hasitata) was seen in the Gulf Stream north of Bermuda at 37ø57'N 62ø30'W, its extensively white head, neck and rump suggestingthe nominate race (RGBB; seeAm. Birds 26:832for a recentand more properly Regionalrecord of this species). HERONS, IBISES--In Nova Scotia, an early Green Heron at Port Hebert Apr. 9 (R.S. Widng,fide PRD) and two at Seal I., May 6-21 were the only 7•48 AmericanB•rds, August 1973 ones reported •n the Mant•mes, as was a L•ttle Blue N S , Apr 8 (AAMacL), anotherat Port George, N S Heron at Amherst Apr. 25-28. The season's total of May 8 (RDL) and a pair was foundinland at Frederic- 109+ Cattle Egrets (cf. 29, 24, 32, 54 in the p•astfour ton, N.B., May 13 (KHD). About equallyuncommon, spnngs)included an early individual at Isleford, Me., single King Eiders were found at Point Lepreau, N.B , Mar 16 (Warren Fernaid, fide CMP), three birds in Mar. 25-31 (DS) and at Port George, N.S., May 6 the Maritimes, and maxima in Massachusetts of 18 (LN), and 22 of these birds at Cape Elizabeth, Me , at Ipswich May 6 (BGB) and 21 at MarshfieldMay May 1-23 was the largest group reported anywhere 17-19(v.o.). Four Great and 13 Snowy Egretsreached in the Region in at least five years (VS). the Maritimes, 11 of the latter occurringat 6 localities •n New Brunswick Apr. 7-late May, an unusual number. In the same province, single Louisiana On the Restigouche R. in n. New Brunswick, Dawd Herons were seen at Cape Jourimain May 11 (photo- Christie witnessedon May 1 a remarkablegathenng graphed, ARGMcI) and at Castalia, Grand Manan of scotersin a raft extending8Ve miles upriver from May 14-15 (Ken & Mary Edwards,fide DSC): there just above Dalhousie and estimated at 150,000 birds, were four previous provincial records. Farther south, virtually all Black Scoters. Scoter enthusiastswill note three occurred in Maine, seven in Massachusetts and that this is probably the highestcount of the species one •n Connecticut, for a total of 13 (cf. 7, 12, 13+, ever made in the Region, exceeding even the three- 6 •n the last four springs).A Yellow-crownedNight month scotertotals of recentfalls at Manomet, Mass, Heron at Saint John West May 26-28 (DSC, CLJ et and can only be comparedto the fall and winter eider- al ) was a third New Brunswick record, and three scoterconcentrations off Monomoy. others occurred in Maine and New Hampshire. The •ncrease of Glossy Ibises in the Region is reflected VULTURES, KITES, EAGLES, FALCONS by the five-year figures for spring migrants,including ---Turkey Vultures seldomwander in springnorth of overshootsand birds returningto breedingareas: 19, about central New Hampshire,but this year at least 26,322,325,491. Northernmost reported this year were sevenappeared in the Maritimes: one at Seal I., N.S , five on the French island of St. Pierre May 13 (one May 5-6 (IAMcL, ELM) and six or more at two specimen,fide ELM) and about 18 appearedat nine localitiesin New Brunswick,Apr. 18-May 14, while 1ocaht•esin the Maritimes. On Maine's Scarborough four or five others were seen in Maine. An ad. Black Marshes, near the Stratton I. colony, numbers had Vulture, only the third reported in the Region in the bruit up to 100 by Apr. 21 (HMC). Smaller groups past five years, was well seen at Needham, Mass , were present at a number of nearby areas, an.d38 at Apr. 17 (MLG). Single Swallow-tailedKites were seen Rye, N.H., Apr. 27 exceededany previo•uscount in in Massachusettsat GooseberryNeck in S. Westport the state (LGP et al.). May 6 (Phyllis Reganet al.) and at PlymouthCenter May 30 (v.o., fide RPE). Althougha numberof these WATERFOWL--Though [h• only Snow Geese birds have been found north of their usual limits •n reported from the Maritimes were a scatterednine birds recent years, these and the one last May at Province- •n New Brunswick,the nowuscal large numbers passed town were the only ones to reach the Region since throughNew Englandfrom late March to mid-April, 1965. Single Golden Eagles were seen at Holden, w•th a peak of movemerlt on theeweekend of Apr. Mass., May I (JaneO'Regan, fide RPE) and at Con- 7-8 Two-thirdsof the 930 birdsreported in New Hamp- cord, N.H., May 20 (DJA, EWP, LGP). The season's shire and half of the 743 birds in Maine this season PeregrineFalcons totaled 18 (cf. 21, 9, 6, 9 in the were seen at this time, while in Massach½ssettson past four springs). the Apr. 7 as many as 3847 were counted in the Con- nectmut Valley, the Greater Snow Goose's principal CRANES, RAILS, GALLINULES--A South northboundroute. Of the 11 "Blue Geese" reported African Blue (or Stanley) Crane, two of which wan- •n the period Mar. 27-Apr. 28 only a few were found dered about New England and e. New York last •n the company of the larger race. Gadwalls, which summer,was presentin Weisford, N.B. Apr. 24-May have yet to be found breedingnorth of Plum I., seem 1, reappearingMay 5 at Geary and May 6 at Cross to be occurringmore and more frequently as spring Creek, whereit remainedseveral days, the route fol- wanderersto the Maritimes. This year there were as lowed being a straightNNW line of about 60 mi. Dared many as 16 on Cape Bretom 10 at Morien Bay Apr. Christie could find no evidence that the bird had 18 (GS) and six at FramboiseMay 6 (IMacG); on escaped in the Maritimes. A King Rail was seen at Pr•nce Edward Island there were two at Brackley Kittery Pt., Me., Apr.

Load more