The Winter Season December1, 19 72--March 3 1, 19 73 accompanyingthem, seemedworthy of record: single NORTHEASTERN MARITIME REGION birdswere seenat Warren Pt. in Little Compton,R ! , / Davis W. Finch Dec. 17 (KBK, DLK, FP), and in Massachusettsat Manomet Feb. 3 (RAF, VL) and Plum I., Feb. 10 The Maritimes experienceda cold and early winter (RB, RK, HP). Unreported last winter, single Eared Grebes were discovered at Schoodic Pt., Me., Jan adverselyaffecting half-hardy wintering birds, but mid- 14 (apparentlythe state'sfourth sightrecord, WCT), winter weather throughoutthe Region was marked by prolongedmild spellsin Januaryand February which at Plum I., Mass., Jan. 27 (PWP), andin RhodeIsland, where there were two previous sightrecords at Moon- kept snowdepths down in the Maritimesand the ground virtually bare in much of eastern New England, and stone Beach also on Jan. 27 (DLK, CW), the latter March was particularlyopen. These conditionsprob- bird (.9)reappearing off nearby QuonochontaugFeb ably accountedfor the scarcity of birds reported at 5 (KBK). A perplexingnumber of reportsof the con- feeders in the northern part of the Region. siderably rarer W. Grebe came from a short bit of Mass- achusetts coastline from Plum I. south to N. Scituate First wasa bird foundon Cape Ann at MagnoliaJan 13(CAG) whichwas seenby a numberof experienced observersat intervalsuntil at least Feb. 25 (HD'E, RPE, WRP et al.), and what was perhapsthe same bird was seenat Plum I., Feb. 1 (DCA). One found at N. ScituateFeb. 5 (MM) was rediscoveredat inter- vals to Mar. 23 (BAS et al.), and one photographed at Marblehead off Devereux Beach Mar. 14 (RAF) was still present at the end of the month. Excluding a few South Shore reports of possiblyspontaneous origin, and consideringthe rather sedentaryhabits of winteringgrebes, it seemsprobable that the Magnolia, Marblehead and N. Scituate birds were three different • •-'• tea A r t AN t I C individuals, a surprisingtotal given the scarcity of recent reports in the Region. Dick Forster, mindful of an old Massachusettscontroversy relative to the very remote chance of Great Crested Grebe, stated that no confusionwas possible,both the Magnoliaand . Marbleheadbirds having jet black plumage,long, thin, yellow bills, and bright red eyes. A Pied-billed Grebe FLIGHTS•It was a good winter for Common at Clyde River, ShelburneCo., N.S., Jan. 24 and two E•ders, Gyrfalcons in New Brunswick, Black-headed thereFeb. 20 wererather far northfor winterers(Jim Gulls in southern New England, Red-breasted Force, fide PRD). Nuthatches, Northern Shrikes, Evening and Pine The onlyreports of N. Fulmarsin the Bayof Fundy Grosbeaks, American Goldfinches and Red Cross- were ten from the "Bluenose" Dec. 7-8 (WCR) and bdls,but an averageto poor winter for Barrow's Gold- three Dec. 21-22(EVT et al.), perhapsindicating a eneyes, Harlequin.Ducks, King Eiders, Rough-legged return to "normal" abundance there after last winter's Hawks, Glaucous Gulls, Snowy Owls, Boreal Chick- much higher counts. On transits of the Cabot Strait adees, BohemianWaxwings, Common Redpolls and ferry, two were recordedDec. 31 (WPN et al.), but White-winged Crossbills. many more later in the season, 483 being counted in 4¬ hours on the northern and unfrozenpart of the CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS--A total of 122 crossing, Mar. 23 (DWF). In Massachusetts, two C B Cs, 72 of them publishedin American Birds, pro- GreaterShearwaters off RevereBeach Dec. 16(DTB, duceda list of 197 species,four additionalraces (in- HD'E) and one off Plum I., Dec. 27 (DCA) were cludingIpswich Sparrow and OregonJunco) and one quite late, but more surprising was the carefully hybrid,with six otherspecies recorded in countperiod. documentedoccurrence of 30 at various points of a Golden Eagle, King Rail, Little Gull, Northern Three- transit of the "Prince of Fundy'; betweenYarmouth, toed Woodpecker and Pine Warbler went unrecorded. N.S. and Portland, Me., Mar. 30, almost two months beforethe species'normal late May arrival in the n.w GREBES, TUBENOSES--This season's three Atlantic (PRH, RRH). A winter Manx Shearwater reports of Arctic Loons came from expert observers, at Sandy Neck in Barnstable, Mass., Jan. 28 was and despitethe smallmeasure of uncertaintyinevitably unusualbut not unprecedentedin the Region(RP) 586 American Birds, June 1973 CORMORANTS, HERONS--C B C records of 26 (DWF, PRH) On Pnnce Edward Island, counts Double-crested Cormorants included two •n the harbor at the species'two mmn wintering locaht•eswere below at Yarmouth, N.S., Dec. 21-22 (EVT et al.) and last year's, the highest being 110 at West River and another at Saint John, N.B., Dec. 30, new to C B Cs 25 at Oyster Bay Bridge Feb. 4 (AAMacL), and In m the province. Farther south, the ten individuals n. New Brunswick at Dalhousie, where the thermal reportedon five C B Cs in Massachusettsand Con- plant was not in operation this year and open water necticut reflected the changingwinter status of these consequentlyless extensive, the season'smaximum b•rds, formerly almost unknown at this season.Single was only 28 on Dec. 20, well below the last two winters' Great Egrets were found as late as Dec. 23-25 at maxima of 245 and 147 (J-PL). Elsewhere farther south Weekapaug, R.i. (EAS) and Dec. 28-29 at Hingham, in the Regionthe season'stotal includingC B Cs was Mass. (Norman Moreau, fide RPE); on Cape Cod a about 93 birds at 31 localities, the southernmostbeing w•nterer remained around E. Orleans from Dec. 23 8 on the C B C at Buzzards Bay, an area where until to at least Feb. 5 (WB et al.) and a Snowy Egret, quite recently the specieswas believed irregular and less frequent as a lingerer, was present at Hyannis rare. A Buffiehead wintering on the upper reaches of Dec. 20-Jan.7 (Mr. & Mrs. StevenLawson,fide RPE). North River near Milton, P.E.I. was thought to be the first such record in the province, though the birds WATERFOWL---The season's only Whistling winter routinely in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick Swanswere singlebirds in Massachusetts,at Wareham (AAMacL). The season's total of Harlequin Ducks Feb. 5 (RM), at Dartmouth Feb. 13 (WRvB) and at in the entire Region was 31 birds at ten localities from Westport Feb. 25 (VL et al.), the latter two records Nova Scotia to Massachusetts; seven on three Nova possibly involving the same bird. In Newfoundland, Scotia C B Cs were more than expected there, but a Brant off Portland Creek Mar. 25 was unusual, the at New England's best Harlequin areas the highest speciesbeing seldom recorded in the province(DWF), counts obtained were below recent levels: seven at and five Snow Geese at Tracadie Harbour, P.E.I., Cape Neddick, Me., Feb. 19 (HMC), 12 at Magnolia, Dec. 5 were noteworthy both for date and place Cape Ann Jan. 28 (DTB et al.) and oneat Squibnocket, (RMacD). A Eurasian Green-winged Teal at Martha's Vineyard Dec. 30 and Feb. 17-19 (GGD, Winchester, Mass., Feb. 12 was unique this winter, ARK, RMS). King Eiders, totaling 35 at 15 localities reports in the Regionbeing most usual in March and from Nova Scotia to Rhode Island, were also fewer April (Harold Payson et al.), and singleunseasonable than in recent years, the only flock being 14 at Cape Blue-wingedTeal were found at Halifax (West) Dec. Elizabeth, Me., Dec. 3 which had diminished to ten 16, the speciesnot previously recorded on Nova Scotia by Jan. 27 (VS). Common Eiders were quite numerous, C B Cs, and on Cape Cod at Sandwich Feb. 21 (RP the Cape Cod C B C total of nearly 25,000 was well et al.). Distributed much as in recent years, seven above the recent average, and flocks of 3000-7000 were Eur. Wigeons occurred in the s.e. part of the Region; noted at five or more coastal localities elsewhere m m Massachusetts, a bird again wintered at Little Massachusetts. More than usual reached the coasts Harbor, Cohasset Jan. 1-Mar. 11 or later (WRP et of w. Rhode Island and e. Connecticut, but scoters al ), one was foundon the New BedfordC B C Dec. in this part of the Region were reportedly very scarce 30, two were seen at Nantucket Jan. 22 (EFA), and (EAS, NSP). one at S. Dartmouth Mar. 24 (SH). In Rhode Island, one remained on Gorton's Pond in Warwick Nov. 25- HAWKS, EAGLES--C B C totals of these birds Jan 1 (DW et al.), and another was seen at Watch- appearin Table i, whichpermits a five-year compari- emoket Cove in E. ProvidenceJan. 17(FP). Five Wood son of their numbers. The gradual increase of Ducks on the C B C at Halifax (East) Dec. 17 seemed Goshawksseems clearly indicated,and thoughno quite unusual, given the scarcity of the bird in the incursionwas detectable in this year's C B C figures, province at any season. there were said to be more than usual in Newfoundland Redheads and Canvasbacks, unrecorded this winter (HJC), Prince Edward island where 25 or more north of Massachusetts, were numerous in the southern individualswere seen or live-trappedat a pheasant part of the Region. Nantucket, as usual, had the highest farm (AAMacL), Massachusetts where some birders C B C total of Redheads (136) but 60+ at Martha's spokeof a "massiveincursion" (CAG, WRP), and Vineyard Feb. 17-19 were remarkable for that place Rhode Island where five or more winter records were as were, to a somewhat lesser extent, 150+ Canvas- somewhatabove the average. A completesummation backs (GGD, ARK, RMS), and in early January, as of reportsfor the four-monthperiod, including C B C many as 500+ Canvasbacks were present around Fal- and count period birds, yielded the total of about mouth (CAG, WRP).