The Fall Migration, August l-November 30,1975 NORTHEASTERN MARITIME REGION records of winter plumage birds must be treated with /Davis W. Finch cantion, but those made under good conditions seem quite credible. In Massachusetts,as many as 762 Red- throatedLoons were countedduring three hours on Oct. The fall was a long, rich and varied season, not 19 as they passed by Rockport, almost certainly the usefully summarizedin a few lines. Surely it was im- most advantageousspot in the Region to view the fall pressivefor the number and variety of birds found, but flight of these birds. In the same state, a remarkable equally impressivewas the effort devoted to finding concentration of 1000+ Horned Grebes was noted them. Birding--need it be said?--has become im- gathering in rafts off Wareham in Buzzards Bay Nov. mensely popular. Readers should understandthat de- 15 (WRP). spite this fact, perhaps in a few cases becauseof it, someof the Region'sprovince or state-widerecords -- gatheringschemes are particularly shaky at this time: TUBENOSES, GANNETS -- During October and long sincedefunct in Maine, at leastmomentarily dis- November, 12 reportsof N. Fulmarsoff the New Eng- abled in Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and eastern land coasttotaled 43 individuals,24 o• them recorded Massachusetts, and non-existent in Connecticut. In add- on pelagic trips to Cox's Ledge, R.I., Oct. 11, 18 & tion, the gatheringof recordsin Canadathis fall was 26. Cory's Shearwaterswere again very few this fall: at considerably hampered by the long postal strike. Cox's Ledge, close to the supposedcenter of the Editors everywhere are overburdenedand clearly the species' abundancein North American waters, only 29 reportingprocess needs streamlining. Recognizing such individualswere found, on 12 of 18 trips there Aug. 1 - problems, many observers sent their records directly, Oct. 26. Of about 60 reported from Massachusetts, and thoughthese were all welcome, they amountedto a most occurred in Cape Cod Bay, where normally they vertiginousconfetti varying from scribbledpages torn are uncommon. Greater Shearwaters were decidedly from notebooksto lucid typewritten analyses. Besides scarce in the Bay of Fundy, numbers recorded on a promptness,an important step towards streamlining series of late summer and fall boat trips off Brier Is- would be the uniform reporting of birds in check-list land, N.S. never exceeding 400, apparently because order. This fall one particularly perverseNova Scotian euphausidshrimp remained inaccessiblydeep (RGBB) startedhis heavyweightxeroxed list of 175 specieswith and relatively few were reported from "Bluenose" Snow Bunting... Ferry crossingsbetween Bar Harbor, Me. and Yar- mouth, N.S. The occurrenceof as many as 3000+ off Cape Cod between Truro and Provincetown on Nov. 14 (fide RPE), close to average "last dates" in the Re- gion, raisesquestions of whenceand whither, assuming a clockwise movement of birds in the North Atlantic. Where possible,observers should look for molt cluesto the age of thesebirds, particularly late ones. Fall Sooty Shearwatersin the Bay of Fundy seemeda shademore numerousthan usual, the effect perhapsheightened by the relative scarcityof Greaters,still a countof 70 from the Grand Manan ferry as late as Sept. 20 was probably notable (DWF et al.). Manx Shearwaterswere virtually absent from the Marltimes (two observations, seven individuals), went unrecordedat Cox's Ledge, and yet occurredoff Cape Cod, in two instancesat least, in unusual numbers -- 31 at Sandwich at the end of Au- gust and 30 at Truro Oct. 18 (fide RPE). Good counts of Leach's Storm-Petrelsfor Cape Cod Bay were 20 at Sandy Neck in BarnstableAug. 31 (CAG) with five at First Encounter Beach in Eastham the same day (RAF,WRP), and 10 at Barnstable Oct. 19 (WRP et al.). The unusual abundance of Wilson's Storm-Petrels LOONS, GREBES -- An Arctic Loon amongCom- in the Bay of Fundy this fall was indicatedby countsof mons and Red-throatedsoff Dalvay Beach, P.E.I. was 300+ daily off Brier Island in late August carefully studied Oct. 27 by Roger Burrows, familiar (RGBB,ELM) and 2000+, an all-time high, from the with the speciesin British Columbiaand Britain. Sight "Bluenose" Sept. 23 (DWF,WCR). Volume 30, Number 1 29 HERONS, IBISES -- Only a very few "southern" two others occurred at Warwick, R.I., Nov 30 heronsseem to have appearedin the Maritimes this fall, (FP,KBK et al.). About 15 N. Shovelers, scarce fall though incomplete reports make such conclusions migrantsin the Maritimes, occurredat five localroes hazardous.Surely the most surprisingheron of the sea- there Sept. 13 - Nov. 1. Two impressiveconcentranons son was a dark-phaseadult Reddish Egret, studied of Ring-neckedDucks were 700+ at Lakeville, Mass , under •deal conditionsin direct comparisonwith an Oct. 26 (WRP) and 400 at Laurel Reservoirin Stam- adult Little Blue Heron at Hammonasset State Park in ford, Conn., Nov. 8 (fide TB). Also at Lakeville Nov Madison, Conn., Sept. 28 (NSP et al.). The only previ- 8 was the season'sonly Tufted Duck (WRP). Barrow's ous Regionalrecord is that of a bird at MonomoyMay Goldeneyesoccurring at traditionallocalities in north- 30 - June 3, 1953. Louisiana Herons were distinctly ern and inland New England were 26-30 on the scarce in Massachusetts, two were present in the PenobscotR. near Bangor, Me., Nov. 10 (EF,PV) and Westport area Aug. 30 - Sept. 13 (BAS et al.), and a youngdrake on the AndroscogginR. in Errol, N H , s•nglebirds were seenat Barrington,R.I., Sept 4 (fide Nov. 17 (VHH). Two Harlequin Ducks at Deer Isle, SSD) and at Barn I. in Stonington, Conn. Aug. 27 - Me., Aug. 19-28 were doubtlesssummerers (WCT), Sept 10 (RCD,KBK). In w. Connecticuta few were early migrantswere two at Brier I., N.S., Oct 7 presentin the Lordshiparea in late summer(NSP et (BDMact), a later bird occurringin Rhode Island at al ) The only Yellow-crowned Night Herons reported Newport Oct. 27 and two at WeekapaugNov. 23-30 north of Massachusettswere single immaturesin the (KBK,EAS et al.). SingleKing Eiderswere foundat S Lawrencetown area of Halifax County, N.S., Aug. Portland, Me., Oct. 8 (DTB et al.) and in Mas- 10-23 (EHC,ELM et al.), and in Maine at Isle an Haut sachusettsat Rockportand Barnstableduring November July 26 - Sept. 6 (TCS et al.) and at MonheganAug. 28 (fide RPE), with othersat SachuestPt. in Middletown, - Oct 2 (ARK,JCY et al.). Four reportsof single imm. R.I., Nov. 11 (LOG) and at LighthousePt. in New White Ibisesprobably involved as many individuals; in Haven, Conn., Nov. 22-29 (NSP). Scoters were not Massachusetts, at North Beach in Chatham Aug. 19 systematicallytallied at M.B.O. this fall, but October (CAG,BN) and at Allens Pond in S. Dartmouth Aug. 23 totals were 3700 White-wingeds, 10,600 Surfs, 8900 - Sept 13 (RJO'H et al.)., at SakonnetPt. in Middle Blacks(fide RPE). Ruddy Ducks in the Maritimesto- Compton, R.I., Sept. 14 (perhaps the preceding taled 24 at sevenlocalities Sept. 25 - Nov. 15; 104 at •nd•wdual--SSD et al.) and at North Greenwich, NantucketOct. 27 was an unprecedentedcount for the Conn, Sept. 1 (TBa,GGD). These records were, re- island (EFA). spect•vely,fifth and sixth for Massachusetts,third for Rhode Island and fourth for Connecticut. HAWK FLIGHTS -- Migrating Broad-wingedswere countedat manyhawk-watching localities in New Eng- land virtually throughout September, daily totals of WATERFOWL -- As usual, a few Whistling Swans 100-500 being reportedcoincident with any acceptable appearedin Massachusettsin November, flocks of flying conditions.A steeppeak occurredon the second sevenat NausetNov. 1, eight at SalisburyNov. 2, and weekend of the month, however, with these counts on a s•nglebird at AcoaxetNov. 23-39 (WRP et al.). The the 13th: 718 at Bristol, N.H. (SG,EWP) as well as fall Snow Gooseflight seemsto have startedaround smaller counts elsewhere in the state, and in Mas- Oct 4, when flocks first appearedin e. Massachusetts sachusetts2236 at Mr. Tom (THG) and 2553 at Gran- and RhodeIsland. In the period Oct 17-19, large flocks ville (DAH). The following day the long-estabhshed were reportedfrom a numberof localitiesacross s. New coastal Maine hawkwatch at the Harpswells recorded England,with 1000 at Milford, Conn., Oct. 20 (MB et 1157 (exceedingten-year seasonal Broad-winged totals al ), but the largestsingle observation was that of 5000 there) and in Connecticut counts of 4728 and 2345 passingMt. Tom in Holyoke,Mass., late in the day on came respectively from N. Guilford (NSP) and Oct 30 (Diane Hatheway,fide SK). A Fulvous Tree Westport (RCD). The weekend total from three other Duck photographedat Tignish,P.E.I., Aug. 17-18was stationsin s.w. Connecticut and nearby Mt. Aspetong, a hrst provincialrecord and one of veryfew for Atlan- N.Y. was as high as 17,342 (GGD,JZ et al.). A lower nc Canada (BDMact,SIT). Much later in the season, peak occurredthe following weekend,with countsof two flocks appearedin coastalMassachusetts: seven at 1489 at Center Harbor, N.H., Sept. 21 (JPM) and 5016 Marshfield during November (one shot by a hunter, the next day at Granville, Mass. (DAH). A final flight, specimento M.B.O.) and 4 at NausetNov. 18 (fide delayed by bad weather, was recorded the last RPE) Gadwalls,still quite rare northof Massachusetts, weekend, with 1055 at Granville and 756 at Westport occurred at three localities in the Maritimes: four at Sept. 27, followed the next day by 166 at Old Lyme, T•gmsh, P.E.I., Sept. 16 (BDMact,SIT), three in the Conn., 2874 at Westport, and reports of "hundreds" sameprovince at StanhopeOct. 24 (RB), and in Nova over Rye, N.Y. (TB). The same conditions that pre- Scotiaa peak of five at the AmherstPt. Bird Sanctuary vailed for the final southwestward exodus of Broad- Oct 10 (RB). In New Hampshire a flock of 12 at wingeds from inland s.