The Fall Migration August 16 - November30, 1972
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Notes The Fall Migration August 16 - November30, 1972 Regional Editor for the Western Great Lakes NORTHEASTERN MARITIME REGION Region (Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota) for / Davis W. Finch the winter season will be Irma W. (Mrs. Met- wood) Chipman, R#2, Box 394, Wautoma, Wis- Except for Tropical Storm "Carfie" of Sept. 3-4 consin, 54982, to whom sectional editors, con- and lesser storms in October and November, which tributors and others should forward their reports producedinteresting observations of pelagicspecies for December 1, 1972 - March 31, 1973 not later on Cape Cod. there was little of a dramatic nature than April 10. Regional Editor for the Central Southern Re- gion, for the winter seasonwill be Dr. W. Marvin Davis, Box 515, University, Mississippi 38677, to whom sectional editors, contributors and 4/".'t%.. others shouldforward their reports not later than April 10. Winter Bird Population Studies, publishedin the June issue, are due the editor on April 1. They should be addressed to Dr. Ronald A. Ryder, 6 Grenfell Avenue, St. Johns, Newfound- land. Editing of the giant April issue is now in in the fall's weather, and with the exception of the progress, with approximately 1018 Christmas usual sharp peak of Broad-winged Hawk movement Bird Counts to be published,a new high, includ- in mid-September,no periodsof especiallyheavy mi- ing a scatteringof counts from Latin America. gration were detectedby observersin the Region. A Total participants this past year topped 20,000 few trends, more or lessclearly perceptible, included for the first time. This year the countsare being the continued increase of Fulmars and Manx Shearwa- editedregionally, and it is expectedthat the April ters (and Skuas?), the northward spread of Cattle Egrets, formerly uncommonexcept in spring, and the issuewill be publishedearlier than in recent years still uncertainpioneering of a few Monk Parakeetsin --possibly as early as May. Massachusetts. Particularities of the season included the near absenceof Snowy Owls, a hint of southward movementby Black-backedThree-toed Woodpeckers, The responseto a recent requestfor contribu- a strong flight of Red-breasted Nuthatches (but not tions of Site Guides of various places of special of chickadees),a very faint echo of BohemianWax- birdwatching interest has been enthusiatic, and wings, normal to above averagenumbers of Northern we can look forward in monthsto come to guides Shrikes, relatively few southern warblers wandering to Okefenokee Swamp; Bodie -Pea Island, North north, and a winter finch flight dominatedby Evening Grosbeaks and Red Crossbills, with few Pine Siskins Carolina; Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin; Brazoria, and almost no redpolls. Texas; Bear River, Utah; PresqueIsle, Pennsyl- TUBENOSES-- Fulmarscontinue to appearin the vania; Monterey Peninsula, California; fall off New Englandin numberssuggesting a range Brownsville, Texas; Lonoke, Arkansas; Yellow- extensionby the species.At JeffreysLedge off the stone Nat'l Park, and other birding hot spots New Hampshire coast, 25 were found Nov. 12 in the U.S. and Canada. (A.S.N.H., DWF), and on Cape Cod, following a 24 American Birds, February 1973 storm, 5 were seen from Sandy Neck •n Barnstable, 1ow-crowneds,both lmmatures, appeared at Brier I , Oct 7 (PKD, MLG et al.), with 3 other single birds N.S., Aug. 30-Sept. 1 (ICTN, ELM et al.) and at reportedelsewhere in Massachusetts.Although much Isle au Haut, Me., Aug. 16 (BB). betterthan last fall, it was still a below-averageseason for Cory's Shearwaters,the higher counts being 304 WATERFOWL-- A WhistlingSwan at Little Comp- off Tuckernuck I., Mass., Aug. 21 (RV), 55 in Block ton, R.I., Nov. 22-23 (SSD et al.) was the only one I Sound, Sept. 19 (RLF) and 50 at Cox's Ledge, 4 reportedthis season,and in the samestate an ad. White. hourseast of Montauk in Massachusettswaters, Sept. fronted Goose of the yellow-billed Greenland race 23 (PA, THD et al.). The higher countsof Greater (fiavirostris) was discovered by Eloise Saunders at Shearwaters were 1000 around Mount Desert Rock, MoonstoneWildfowl Refuge, where ii remainedOct Me, Aug. 28 (WCR, EVT, WCT), 3000 at Moore 22-Dec. 10. This was a first state record, and that Ledge off Brier I., N.S., Sept. 3 (N.S.B.S., DWF, the bird was authenticallywild seemedunquestionable ELM), and 5000 off Cape Cod at Barnstable Oct. Snow Geese were almostabsent from the Regionth•s 7 (PKD, MLG et al.). Eight of thesebirds at Jeffreys fall, makingall the more surprisingthe occurrenceof Ledge Nov. 12were later than any previouslyreported a flock of 30 at Malpeque, P.E.I., Oct. 17(AAMacL), •n New Hampshire.The season's23 reportsof Manx a new provincial high count by a wide margin. Still Shearwaters totaled 113 individuals; 6 birds seen on farther east of the normal migration route was a single a total of 4 transits of the "Manic" between Souris, ad. Snow Goose in Cape Breton at Glace Bay Sanc- P E I. andCap-aux-Meules, Magdalen Is., Aug. 18-30 tuary Oct. 8 (SMacL, GeorgeSpencer). Acr Gadwall (DSC, DWF, JAH et al.) indicatedthe species'pres- at AppledoreI., Me., Oct. 11(DWF) wasa new species ence at least in small numbers in the Gulf of St. Lawr- for the Isles of Shoals, the speciesbeing still quite ence. Relative to last fall's countsof 50-75 in the Bay rare north of Massachusetts. About as usual, 6 Eur of Fundy, this year there were almost none -- e.g. Widgeons appeared on 4 ponds in s. New England only 2 individuals on the 2 N.S.B.S. Labor Day In Massachusetts there were 2 on Sider's Pond in Fal- weekendtrips off Brier I. -- but storm-drivenbirds mouth, Nov. 19 (RM et al.), one on Niles Pond near •n MassachusettsBay later in the seasonwere impres- Gloucester Nov. 25 to at least Dec. 11 (DJA et al ), sively numerous,as many as 15 being seen off Barn- one on Long Pond, Nantucket Oct. 17to at least Dec stable Oct. 7, and 20-30 off First Encounter Beach in 4 (EFA), and in Rhode Island, 2 on Gorton's Pond, N Eastham the following day (PKD, MLG, CAG Warwick Nov. 25 to at least Dec. 10 (CW et al) et al.). A storm in the Gulf of St. Lawrence Nov. 10 At least 8 Shovelers occurred in Nova Scotia, where brought many Leach's Petrels into view along the n. they are uncommon, and 3 Redheads were seen at shore of New Brunswick from Eel River Bar south Three Fathom Harbor near Halifax, Oct. 27 (ELM to Cape Tormentine, and on Nov. 12 David Christie et al.), the only other Redheadsnorth of New Hamp- beheved that "there probably were thousandsalong shire being in Maine, 2 at Moosehorn Nat'l Wildlife the Northumberland Strait shore". High counts of Refuge in Calais, Sept. 23 (EVT) and one on Mer- Gannets included, at First Encounter Beach, 1500 on rymeeting Bay near Bowdoinham Oct. 15 (DJA, Oct 30 (WB), 1000on Nov. 10 (PWP et al.) and 2000 DWF). Two fall maxima of Barrow's Goldeneyes at off Nantucket Nov. 11 (WWH). traditional localities were 77 at Dalhousie, N.B., Nov 7 (after arrival by Oct. 25 -- J-PL) and 43 on the Penob- HERONS -- About 22 Little Blue Herons, largely scot R. at Bangor Dec. 3 (GF). A pair of Harleqmn white or piedbirds, werereported at scatteredlocalities Ducks at East Point, P.E.I., Oct. 25 (RRH, JMacF) from Massachusetts north, the Maritimes' only was only the fourth provincial record. In Mas- •nd•vidual being photographed near New Grafton, sachusetts,the Mahomet Bird Observatory's Opera- Annapolis Co., N.S., Sept. 4 (Norman Bowers,fide tion Seawatchagain countedmigrating scoters, tally- PRD) andthe Region's latestremaining at Quonochon- ing, betweenSept. 20 and Nov. 10, 60,687 birds(9921 tang, R.I., Dec. 1-16 (EAS, CW et al.). The highest White-winged, 36,919 Surf, 6442 Common, 7405 count of a flock of adult and young Cattle Egrets at unidentified).These figureswere furnishedby Wayne AppletonFarms in Ipswich,Mass., present throughout Petersen,who pointedout that unlike previousyears, September,was 35 on Sept. 18 (DTB). Two birds of there were no days of particularly heavy flight, the th•s specieswere seen at Limerick, York Co., Me., biggestday's total being 8575 birds on Oct. 19. Both as lateas Nov. 27 (RosemaryMason,fide AMT). Rela- the White-winged/Surfratio and the overall numbers tively few Com. Egrets wandered north this fall and were below last year. On Nov. 19, 50,000 scoters, the only egretsto reach the Maritimes besidesthose mostly White-wingedand Common, were estimated of theprevious report appeared in CapeBreton: a Com. off Monomoy (CAG, WRP). Egret at Pt. Michaud Sept. 1-2(FMacK) and 2 Snowies at Round I., Sept. 4 (Peter Boucher,fide PRD). A HAWKS, EAGLES -- Birders in the Region d•d LomsianaHeron at Sable I., Aug. 3 (DAW) was new not detect a flight of Goshawkssuch as occurredth•s to the island list and the season'sonly other was one fall in other parts of the country. An interestingobser- whmhsummered at Plum I., Mass., remainingto Sept. vation of migratingSharp-shinned Hawks was made 14(MLG et al.). A deadYellow-crowned Night Heron Oct. 11 at Grand Manan, where in about 1V2hours, at Sable I., July 21, and a live adult there Sept. 12 32 were seen at the Swallowtail coming in from the (DAW) broughtto at least 10 the total island occur- eastoff the Bay of Fundy (DSC et al.). SingleCooper's rences of this species, considerablymore frequent Hawks, rare in the Maritimes, were also seen at Grand there than the Black-crowned. Other wanderingYel- Marian Oct. 8 (CET et al.) and Oct. 10 (Dr. M F Volume27, Number1 25 Majka,fide DSC), and reportsfrom elsewherefarther 15were seenin Nova Scotia.