The Winter Season December 1, 1981-February 28, 1982
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CONTINENTAL SURVEY The Winter Season December1, 1981--February28, 1982 Abbreviationsfrequently used in RegionalReports ad.: adult, Am.: American, c.: central, C: Celsius, CBC: Reservoir,not Reservation,R.: River, S.P.: StatePark, sp.: Christmas Bird Count, Cr.: Creek, Cam: Common, Co.: species,spp.: speciesplural, ssp:subspecies, Twp.: Town- County, Cos.: Counties, et al.: and others, E.: Eastern (bird ship, W.: Western {bird name), W.M.A.: Wildlife Manage- name), Eur.: European, Eurasian, F: Fahrenheit,fide: re- ment Area, v.o.: various observers,N,S,W,E,.: directionof portedby, F.& W.S.: Fish & Wildlife Service,Ft.: Fort, imm.: motion,n., s., w., e.,: directionof location,>: morethan, <: immature,I.: Island, Is.: Islands,Isles, Jct.: Junction,juv. fewer than, +: approximately, or estimated number, d: juvenile, L.: Lake, m.ob.: many observers,Mt.: Mountain, male, •: female,0: imm. or female,*: specimen,ph.: photo- Mts.: Mountains, N.F.: National Forest, N.M.: National graphed, ?: documented,it: feet, mi: miles, m: meters, km: Monument, N.P.: National Park, N.W.R.: Nat'l Wildlife Ref- kilometers,date.with a + (e.g., Mar. 4 +): recordedbeyond uge, N.: Northern (bird name), Par.: Parish, Pen.: Peninsula, that date. Editors may alsoabbreviate often-cited locations or P.P.:Provincial Park, Pt.: Point,not Port, Ref.: Refuge,Res.: organizations. NORTHEASTERN MARITIME REGION /Peter D. Vickery The winter of 1981-82 began in a fascinating manner. Neither November nor December temperatures were particularly cold at least the thermometerdid not drop to severe sub-zero (F) tempera- tures and as a result a wide number of semi-hardy speciessurvived the Christmas Bird Counts. Herons, several rails including a Yellow Rail on Cape Cod January 13, a variety of shorebirdsand a number of - t• L. G•.'•'n • ..• .---• passerineswere all highly dependenton this relatively mild weather. Grand•.?/ t•'x.$_• ' One wonderswhether such conditionsreally help explain the pres- ence of the Bobolink in Small Point, Maine, December 19-22. which -_ MAINE •,•a•/ •.•..__,g• _ was the least expected and, for the date, rarest songbirdof the season. Certainly the Indigo Bun.ting a few miles farther south in Scar- borough, Maine, December 17-23. the Yellow-throated Warbler sur- viving on suet in North Hampton, New Hampshire,December 19- January I and the Townsend's Warbler a few miles away in Durham December 3-24 conflict with preconceivednotions about where each speciesshould be at this time of year. Indeed, the Coastal New Hampshire Christmas Bird Count (hereafter,CBC) seemedto shattermany preconceptionsabout such events in New England. The first CBC north of Massachusettsto register 100 species, the count included the following well docu- mentedspecies: Lesser Yellowlegs (D, White-rumpedSandpiper (2), Common Tern (1), Townsend's Solitaire and Yellow-throated War- This seasonal manuscript marks the concluding effort by this bler. All these species constituted first winter occurrencesnorth of Regional Editor. I would like to thank all those who reported their Massachusetts and the Yellow-throated Warbler furnished a first observationsand insights---especiallythose that did so promptly. RegionalCBC record. Perhapseven more astonishingthan the count Compilingseasonal notes only becomesmeaningful when coherently was the fact that Tony Federer, proudowner of the Durham, New presentedmaterial arrives from a wide variety of sourcesand gee- Hampshire suet feeder supportingthe state's first Townsend'sWar- graphicalareas. I have no doubt that the Northeastern Maritimes is bler, was the person to discover both the Townsend's Solitaire and one of the most complex--geographically,ornithologically and cer- Yellow-throated Warbler within a half mile and fifteen minutes of tainly in termsof the numbersof stateand provincialbird organiza- each other. Now that's impressive! tions reporting---of any Region to appear in American Birds. Fre- The five Hawk Owls acrossthe Regionwere more than average. quently this Region seems an unwieldy entity where full, timely Snowy Owls did not irrupt in any numbers but Short-cared Owls coverage from each of the five states and four provinces is almost especiallyand. to a lesserdegree. Long-cared Owls occurredin good impossible. But from this desk, and hopefully readers will agree, numbers. there is an ornithologicalcoherency to the Region that makes these Ten Gyrfalconssouth of Newfoundlandwere above average,but obstaclesworth overcoming. What happenson Cape Cod, whether it otherwiseJanuary and Februaryseemed very quietin comparisonto be a flight of shearwaters or alcids or a movement of passerines,is December'sflourish. A Golden-crownedSparrow in Holyoke, Mas- frequentlyrelated to eventshappening, just pastor aboutto happenin sachusetts attracted considerable attention but little else out of the Maine, Nova Scotia or Newfoundland. ordinarytranspired. January was cold and snowy north through New The observationsthat we make as individualsrarely take placein a Englandand the Maritimes. Februarywas about average. vacuum. Hopefully, full coveragebrings together all theseseemingly 272 AmericanBirds, May 1982 isolatedobservations and from suchinformation a picture of a given CBC, although the specieshas rarely wintered m the state A •2 seasonbecomes apparent Thus, a late December Louisiana Heron in Tufted Duck present at St John's, Nfld for 2 weeks in January Connecticut bears some connection to the unexpected shorebirds provided a first provincial and Atlantic Canada record and was, alongthe New Hampshire coast or even a Yellow Rail on Cape Cod. presumably, the first absolutely unassailablerecord for e. North But it is only with wide, timely co-operationthat this complicated America (fide BMacT), the many previous records of which have system works. It needs your continued support. I stresstimeliness beenin suspiciousproximity to our largerurban areas. For the second because we have nine states and provinces contributing a vast consecutivewinter sizablenumbers of Harlequin Ducks were found quantityof material. The most difficult problem any RegionalEditor off Sachuest Pt., R.I.--a maximum of 16 individuals was observed facesis gatheringall this informationin time for publication. Dec. 16 (fide DLE). A partial winter count off Isle au Haut, Me , The four new Regional Editors are among the most experienced, numbered 91 birds Mar. 14 (MKL et al.). In Rhode Island, large respectedand talented bird observersto be found in the Northeastern concentrations of King Eiders numbered 17 individuals at Mantimes. Dick Forster (Fall Season), Richard Hell (Winter Sea- QuonochontaugDec. 27-31 and eight at Napatree Pt., Jan. 22 (v.o , son), and Blair Nikula (Spring Season) from Massachusettsand fide DLE) and were among the largest flocks noted in recent winters Stuart Tingley (Summer Season)from New Brunswick comprisean Interestingly,King Eiders were not especiallynumerous elsewhere excellentunit with a full knowledgeof the Region.I hope contributors A Ruddy Duck at Cape Jellison, Me., Mar. 6 marked the third will be asgenerous in their observationsand suggestionsas they were consecutivewinter this specieshas successfullywintered in the state with this RegionalEditor, who has found compilingseasonal reports (PDV). to be an instructive and very satisfyingexperience. VULTURES, HAWKS, EAGLES -- It seemsclear that Turkey LOONS, GREBES --A singleArctic Loon was uniqueoffMonhe- Vultures, reported on 7 Connecticut CBCs, have become firmly ganI, Me., Dec. 29 and constituteda fifth staterecord (PDV). A late establishedwinter residentsin the very s. part of the Region.Farther fall-early winter concentration of 412 Red-necked Grebes was re- n., in w. Massachusetts,a singleTurkey Vulture was consideredan corded on the Macbias Bay area, Me. CBC. However, observations unusualwinter occurrence in Williamstown Jan. 4 (MC, fide BH) in January and February indicated few individuals remaining to Similarly,an individualat Hopkinton, R.I., Jan. 30 was notable(fide winter in the area (NF). For the secondtime in 3 years a W. Grebe, DLE). Consideringthe species'N expansionas a breeder, it seems dark morph, was reportetl on the Nantucket CBC and the now- reasonablethat Turkey Vulturesmay experiencea similarextension familiar individual on the Bath, Me. CBC was presentat Indian Pt., to in their winter range. Numbers of migrant Turkey Vultures were at least Feb. 23 (v.o.,fide MKL). noted in MassachusettsFeb. 20-28 (fide RPE). This winter's eagle populationat QuabbinRes. in Massachusettstotaled three Goldens, TUBENOSES -- The only report of any numbers of N. Fulmar uniquefor the Region, and a maximum of 15 Balds Feb. 28 (v.o.,fide came from the N. Sydney, N.S.-Port-aux-Basques, Nfid. ferry where SK). Despite a relatively poor raptor count (seeCBCs), the Machias 76 individualswere observedDec. 10 (JM, HMacK). The largefall Bay area CBC noted three Marsh Hawks. Although the species concentrationof Greater Shearwaters disappearedalmost overnight frequently overwintersin e. Maine, the small rodent populationwas (seefall season).Although 5000_+Greater Shearwaterswere present apparently quite poor and the CBC birds departed in January (NF) off ChathamNov. 28, December countson the Cape never exceeded Three Ospreyswere reported--without details from as many Con- 10-15 individuals,,despite the continued abundanceof sand launce necticut CBCs. In Rhode Island, an emaciated Osprey was found (BN et ,al.). dead in SmithfieldDec. 6 (fide DLE). Figuressuggested that this winter's Gyrfalcon flight was the