The Winter Season December 1, 1973 -March 31, 1974 NORTHEASTERN MARITIME REGION (EFA). Two more winter Greater Shearwaters in addi- tion to thoseof recentyears were a singlebird seenfrom /Davis W. Finch the "Princessof Acadia" in the Bay of Fundy Dec. 18 Mild conditions throughout New England and the (RDE) and another seen Feb. 18 in the same area as the Marltimes during late fall and early winter allowedmany just mentioned20,000 fulmars(VL). An interestingif in- speciesto remain far beyondtheir usualdeparture or kill- conclusivereport was that of a Great Cormorant so off dates, the phenomenonbeing perhapsmost apparent white-headedas to suggestthe Old World racesinensis, in Nova Scotia and coastal southernNew England. Wea- studied at Gloucester, Mass.. Feb. 16 (RAC, RJO et al.). ther later in the season returned to normal but nonethe- Single early winter Double-crestedCormorants were lessthere were a numberof casesof provenoverwinter- recorded on CBCs at Brier I., N.S., Dec. 20, N. Cha- ing by marginallyhardy species.Rough-legged Hawks. tham, Mass., Dec. 29, and New Bedford, Mass.. Dec. 30. AIcids, Snowy Owls. Bohemian Waxwings and N. Certainly the most surprisingbird on this year's CBCs Shrikes occurred in low or moderate numbers. and win- was a female Magnificent Frigatebird discoveredoff Sec- ter finch distribution was complex and interesting. ond Beach in Middletown, R.I.. Dec. 21 (LOG) and scrutinizedthe following day by other experiencedob- servers(TSG, RM). This was a fifth state record. and the latest ever in the Northeast, the only comparable record being a Nova Scotia specimentaken Dec. 5, 1932. HERONS--Indicative of the mild early winter were CBC totals of 149Great Blue Herons on Cape Cod Dec. 29 and 73 Black-crownedNight Herons at Nantucket Dec. 30: of the latter, 23 survivedthe month of February (EFA). Five Cattle Egrets were found in the Region during December. singlesin Nova Scotia at Annapolis Royal Dec. I (JBT)and Port Hebert Dec. 12(RSW). and in Massachusetts,two emaciatedand dying birdspicked up on NantucketDec. 18 & 20 (EFA), and anotherpre- sent at Middleboro Dec. 7-22 (DWB et al.). More than any nativeheron these wandering birds seem to end up in "distress of weather": one found dead at Mr. Desert l., Me. during November had apparentlychoked on a tama- rack cone (WCT). In Nova Scotia, an Am. Bittern attemptingto winter on the Grand Pt6 near Wolfville was picked up in extremis Feb. 12. and revivedin captiv- ity (RWT). Christmas Bird Counts--A total of 109 CBCs, 72 of WATERFOWL--After the fall flight noted in the them publishedin ,4roericanBirds producedan aggre- previousreport, as many as eight WhistlingSwans were gate list of 2 I0 species(just barely a record), three addi- presentin the Region. Wintering birds were an adult at tional races and one additional form, with eight other Monmouth,Kennebec Co., Me. from early Januaryto at speciesrecorded during count week. least Feb. 28 (Mrs. John Dudley et al., fide WCI), an adult and an immature in the Gloucester-Magnolia- LOONS. TUBENOSES, CORMORANTS, FRI- Manchesterarea of Cape Ann, Mass. from Dec. 6 to at GATEBIRD-An Arctic Loon was carefully studied least Mar. 4 {v.o.), and an adult at Old Lyme, Conn. Jan. with the two commonerspecies off MoonstoneBeach in 26--Mar. 2 (WB). Single late or early migrants or wan- Matunuck, R.I., Dec. 29 (DLK et al.); "the ideal com- derers appearedat Plum 1., Mass., Dec. 23 (WWH), at parisonsmade this bird indisputable"(DW). Ferry route Acoaxet. Mass. Feb. 27--Mar. I0 (DLE, RE et al.), at counts of N. Fulmars included 49 in Cabot Strait Dec. 28 Port Clyde, Knox Co., Me.. Mar. 13 (David Lowell,fide (DWF, RRH). 300 there Jan. 28 (AW) and 120 from the PB), and at S. Kingstown, R.l., Mar. 19 (RAC). At "Prince of Fundy" Mar. 6 (DBMcN), but these were Rockport, Mass., the fresh remainsof a FulvousTree eclipsedby an estimateof 20,000 seenfrom a research Duck were salvagedfrom a cat on the surprisingdate of vessel about 180 mi. due east of Provincetown. Cape Feb. 27. and the head preserved(Richard Hale, fide Cod, Feb. 18 (VL). A weak fulmar picked up on Nan- RPE). The total of nine Blue-wingedTeal on Regional tucket Dec. 28 (SP) was maintainedin captivity,on a diet CBCs was above average,and another index of the sea- of eels dipped in cod liver oil. until at least Apr. 13 son's mildness; seven of these were found on four counts 610 American Birds, June 1974 in coastalMassachusetts, and singlebirds occurred far- banded tail, and harrier-like flight (DWB, CC, LBP) ther north at Thomaston-Rockland,Me. and Glace Bay, The seasoh'sfour Golden Eagles were single birds at N S. A Eur. Wigeonwas shot at E. Petpeswick,N.S., Riverport, LunenburgCo., N.S., Feb. 16 (ELM), m Jan. 9 (fide IAMcL; specimento National Museumof Massachusettsat Quabbin Reservoir Dec. 22-Jan. 30 Canada), and in New Englandat least sevenwere pre- (THG et al.) and at SalisburyFeb. 8-9 (RHS, RRV et sentduring the winter:in Massachusetts,one at E. Or- al.), and in Rhode Island at Matunuck Jan. 26 (DLK, leans from Dec. 29 through March, with a secondbird EAS et al.). The seasoWssix Gyrfalconswere a dark bird thereduring the latter month(WRP et al.), oneat Coha- at St. Anthony, Nfld., Jan. 1 (DWF, RRH), in New sset from Dec. I to at least Mar. 8 (ML et al.), one at Brunswickone at Frederictonduring CBC week, a dark Nantucket Mar. 15-20(EFA), and in Rhode Island one bird at RiverviewJan. 17 (Dr. M. Majka), a "quite light" at Warwick Dec. 8 (DW), and one,two or possiblythree bird at Saint John Mar. 20 (DSC), in Nova Scotia a "sil- in the Cross Mills-Matunuck-Perryville area Dec. very gray" bird at Broad Cove Feb. 9 (SJF, BH), and in 29--Mar. 23 (DLK et al.) and finally one at Groton, Massachusettsa gray bird presentfrom Nov. I I to at Conn. Mar. 6 (WSG). A Canvasbackwas seenon the least Feb. 1 at Monomoy or nearby parts of the Cape CBC at Sackville,N.B., Dec. 21 (ADS) and four others (WWH et rnult. al.). SevenPeregrine Falcons, other than at Lunenburg,N.S., Feb.24 (IAMcL); the speciesis rare those of the CBCs, were two in Rhode Island, three in at any seasonin the Maritimes.The only sizeablecon- Massachusetts,one in Nova Scotia and one at St. John's centrationof Barrow'sGoldeneyes reported was that of East, Nfld., Mar. 16-19, the speciesbeing especially un- 108 on the CBC at Dalhousie,N.B., wherecomparable common there in winter (RCM et al., fide HJC). Of numbers have been found in recent winters. In Nova about 24 Merlins reportedoutside the CBC period, ten Scotia,five at PugwashFeb. 17-20were noteworthy, the were in Massachusetts and the same number in Nova speciesbeing decidedlyuncommon in the province Scotia, about half of the latter in Cape Breton. (photographed;IAMcL, ST), andsix inland at Errolin n. New HampshireMar. 18 were also of interest,repre- RAILS, GALLINULES--A King Rail was found as sentinga ratherhigh countfor the stateand probablyre- far north as Ocean Park, Me., where it was studied in flectingnorthward movement by the birds, sincenone Goose Fare Creek Dec. 24-26 (DRD, GW et al.) and had beenpresent at thistraditional locality in midwinter another was present Feb. 23--Mar. 9 at Plymouth, (EWP, RWS et al.). Farther south,a minimum of 32 Mass., where the birds have been found before in recent were reported this seasonfrom 11 areas in coastal winters (CAG, WRP et al.). In Nova Scotia, where the Massachusetts.The Regional total of 66 Harlequin speciesis ratherrare, a ClapperRail wascaptured when Ducks includedsmall concentrationsof 15 aroundCape foundharassed by crowsat DartmouthNov. 20 (to Nova St Mary's, Nfld., Feb. 15(JEM), 15at Lockeport,N.S., Scotia Museum; Ray Melanson,fide PRD), and another Dec. 10 (RSW) and the usualflock at Magnolia, Mass. was present at Crescent Beach, LunenburgCo. Dec. 29- whichgradually increased to 12 by Mar. 30 (Ed Morrier 30 (Evelyn Dobsonet rnult. al.). An imm. Purple Galho et al.,fide RPE). The seasoh'stotal of 26 in Nova Scotia nule capturedon a lawn in New Bedford,Mass., Dec 29 was higherthan usual,while a lone bird off Nashaquitsa ultimatelybecame a living part of a park rain forestdis- cliffs at Martha'sVineyard Feb. 16 wasthe only signof play (JF), and two or more Corn. Gallinulesapparently flockswhich until recentyears occurred regularly off the winteredat W. Harwich, Mass. (BN), as did anotherpre- lsland'ssouth shore(ARK, GGD et al.). Of about 42 sent at Nantucket from November to at least Apr. 13 King Eidersreported in the Region,23 werefound at 13 (EFA). localities in coastal Massachusetts,and in the samestate, SHOREBIRDS--Two very late SemipalmatedPlo- three considerablegatherings of commonersea ducks vers occurredin Nova Scotia, singlebirds at Brier I, were 5000 Com.Goldeneyesin Newburyportharbor Dec. 20 (RRA et al.) and at LouisbourgDec. 29 (SL), Mar. 24 (RAF, WRP), 12,000-15,000Oldsquaws off and three late or wintering Piping Ploverswere found in Surfside, Nantucket Feb. 18 (EFA), and 2625 Red- Massachusetts,two at Wareham Dec. 15 (WRP) and one breastedMergansers in BuzzardsBay off the w. end of at Gay Head, Martha's Vineyard Jan. 20 (MBH) A the Cape Cod Canal Dec. 15 (WRP). coastalstorm in the third week of Decemberapparently broughtmany Killdeersnorth, for unusualnumbers were VULTURES, HAWKS, EAGLES--Table I, showing recorded on coastal CBCs: one in Newfoundland, 72 in hawks and eaglesrecorded on this seasoWsCBCs, al- Nova Scotia, 14 in New Brunswick, 20 in Maine, with lowscomparisons with resultsof the previousfive years. such concentrationsas 17 at Brier l., Dec.