WKINGBIRD VOL XVIII, NO. 1 JANUARY • 1968 FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS, INC. THE KINGBIRD, published four times a year (January, May, July and October), is a publi¬ cation of The Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc., which has been organized to further the study of bird life and to disseminate knowledge thereof, to educate the public in the need of conserving natural resources and to encourage the establishment and main¬ tenance of sanctuaries and protected areas. Individual member's dues are $5.00 annually, of which $4.00 is for a subscription to The Kingbird. A member wishing to make an addi¬ tional contribution may become a Sustaining Member ($7.50), a Supporting Member ($10), or a Life Member ($100 — "payable over a four-year period in equal installments," if member so desires). Single copies: $1.50. Student membership $3.00. KINGBIRD subscription for non-members $5.00 per year on calendar year basis only. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP should be sent to the chairman of the membership committee, James J. Doherty, 913 Winton Road North, Rochester, N. Y. 14609. Send CHANGES OF ADDRESS to the Treasurer, Dort A. Cameron, 5423 Palmyra Rd„ Pittsford, N.Y. 14534. Order SINGLE COPIES, BACK NUMBERS, and REPLACEMENT OF DAMAGED COPIES from Dorothy W. Mcllroy, 419 Triphammer Rd., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. Publication office is 419 Triphammer Road, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. Second class postage paid at Ithaca, N.Y. REPORTING REGIONS For descriptions of Regions see Kingbird Vol. IV, Nos. 1 and 2 WKINGBIRD PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS. INC. Vol. XVIII No. 1 January, 1968 Pages 1-64 CONTENTS Photographs of New York State Rarities 12. Lark Bunting.Peter W. Post Change in Date of Annual Meeting. The President’s Page ...Watson B. Hastings New York State Federation Waterfowl Count, January 1967 . John L. Mitchell The 1968 Breeding Bird Survey Needs Observers.Robert P, Yunick The Status of the Bonaparte’s Gull in New York State. Joanna Burger and Richard Brownstein Conservation News.Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr. Field Notes Outlying Colony of Prairie Warblers.Geoffrey Carleton Eared Grebe Collected near Olean . Joseph A. Grzybowski and Stephen W. Eaton Sparrow Hawk Nest in Martin House.Bill and Trixie Strauss Song Sparrow Chasing Cowbird.Mary Welles House Sparrow Nest in Cattail Marsh.Robert P. Yunick Turkey Vulture Nest near Clayton. John B. Belknap and Frank A. Clinch Swallow-tailed Kite over Cayuga Lake.Earl B. Baysinger Wheatear at Tobay Sanctuary, Long Island.William A. Farren Sabine’s Gull at C'azenovia Lake .... Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Farnham, Jr. Sabine’s Gull at Montauk Point, Long Island.Robert O. Paxton Highlights of the Fall Season August 16-November 30.David B. Peakall Regional Reports . Book Review . 2 4 5 6 8 9 21 21 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 29 64 Editor — Dorothy W. McIlroy Associate Editors Field Notes — Sally Hoyt Spofford Regional Reports — David B. Peakall Photographic — David G. Allen Editorial Board John B. Belknap Stephen W. Eaton Allen H. Benton Eugene Eisenmann Fritz Scheider Cover Design — Douglas L. Howland PHOTOGRAPHS OF NEW YORK STATE RARITIES 12. Lark Bunting Photograph by Edwin J. Daly Short Beach, Nassau Co., 10 Sept. 1966 The Lark Bunting, Calamospiza melanocorys, breeds from the prairies of southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, and southwestern Manitoba south through the Great Plains; and locally west of the plains in Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. Its eastern limit extends from south¬ western Manitoba, south central North Dakota, southwestern Minnesota (irregularly), central Kansas, and western Oklahoma, south to the Texas panhandle. It winters from southern California, southern Nevada, central Arizona, southern New Mexico, and central Texas to central Mexico ( A.O.U . Check-list, 1957:585). For approximately the last decade the species has been undergoing a marked increase in numbers and an east¬ ward range expansion, particularly in the northern Great Plains ( Aud . Field Notes for those years). The Lark Bunting has been recorded ten times in New York State: 1) A bird collected by Evan M. Evans at Montauk Point, Suffolk Co., 4 September 1888 (Evans, Auk, 6(2) :192, April, 1889) is No. 65941 in the AMNH collection. 2 2) A bird collected at Millers Place, Suffolk Co., 11 September 1896 by Arthur H. Helme (Eaton, Birds of New York, Part 2, p. 336, The Univ. of the State of New York, Albany) is in the collection of Harold H. Bailey (Bull, Birds of the New York Area, Harper & Row, N.Y., 1964:442). 3) A bird seen at Wainscott, Suffolk Co., 27 November 1937 by John T. Helmuth (Bull, op. cit.). 4) A specimen collected at Easthampton, Suffolk Co., 31 August 1939 by John T. Helmuth, but no longer extant (Bull, op. cit.). 5) An adult female seen at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Kings Co., 6 June 1959 by Geoffrey Carleton, Richard E. Harrison, John Mayer, John Bull, et al. (Bull, op. cit.). 6) A bird seen at Cortland, Cortland Co., 27 February 1960 by W. Clemens ( Kingbird, 10(2) :69, July 1960). 7) An immature seen at Jacob Riis Park, Queens Co., 6 September 1964 by Tom Robben and Eliot Hirshberg (Robben, Kingbird, 15(1) :23, January 1965). 8) A bird seen and photographed at Short Beach, Nassau Co., 10 September 1966 by Cornelius Ward, Emanuel Levine, Helen Hirschbein, Tom Davis, Edwin Daly ( Kingbird , 17(1 ):60, January 1967). 9) A bird present at the feeding station of Lou L. Burton, Belmont, Allegany Co., from 30 November 1966 to 13 May 1967 (Burton & Burton, Kingbird, 17(2):85, May 1967 and 17(3):156, July 1967) and photographed by Ed Olmstead and Harold D. Mitchell. Photograph by Harold D. Mitchell Belmont, Allegany Co., 13 May 1967 3 10) An adult male at feeder of L. M. Wright, Ithaca, Tompkins Co., May 19, 1967, verified by Robert J. Smith and Dorothy Mcllroy (Kingbird, 17(3):162, July 1967). Five of the seven fall reports are in the brief period 31 August to 11 September. The other two fall records are of birds which appeared in late November; one of which remained at a feeder well into the following spring. There is also a record from mid-May, one from early June and one from late February. Peter W. Post, 575 West 183 Street, New York, N. Y. 10033; Present address: Columbia University Field Station, Apartado 1-U, Calama, Chile. ED. NOTE: See Region 10 report this issue for additional Lark Bunt¬ ing record Sep. 24, 1967. CHANGE IN DATE OF ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting of the Federation will be held in Rochester April 26, 27 and 28,1968, a week earlier than announced in the October King¬ bird. The change has been made because of the conflict with the Wilson Society meeting.the first weekend in May. The banquet speaker will be Dr. Tom J. Cade, Research Director of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. He will tell and show pictures of the latest Alaskan trip to study the Peregrine Falcon and other birds. The banquet will be held at the Sheraton Hotel. The Sunday morning breakfast before the field trips will be at Bausch and Lomb, Inc. We are still soliciting papers for the Saturday afternoon paper session. Anyone interested in presenting a paper should write to Dr. Neil S. Moon, 25 Edgewater Lane, Rochester, N.Y. 14617, chairman of the paper session. There will be a mailing of recommended motels and restaurants along with a complete program at a later date. NORTH AMERICAN NEST RECORD CARD PROGRAM As many readers are aware, the Nest Record Card Program is now completing its third year on a continent-wide basis. We appreciate the assistance of the hundreds of persons and Bird Clubs whose enthusiasm and patience make this program possible. We are anxious to solicit help from as many clubs and cooperators as possible. If you are interested in helping in this research, please get in touch with the Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell University for instructions and nest-record cards. Before the new nesting season begins, we urge all present contributors to return any completed cards. We also request that participating clubs and birders order additional cards, if necessary, well in advance of the 1968 nesting season. (Mrs.) Edith Edgerton, Nest Record Card Program, Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. 4 THE PRESIDENT'S PAGE As the new year dawns, it is sometimes difficult to realize that a change has also come in a portion of the leadership of our organization. In addi¬ tion to a new President, we also have a new Vice-President and Recording Secretary. The complete list of officers will be found on the back page of this issue. We solicit your cooperation and support during the coming year. If it hadn’t been for the fact that I had planned to and did retire from my daily working responsibilities on the first of November, I could not have accepted this additional responsibility. I am keeping busy with my hobbies, one of which is the Federation. I hope that time will permit some travel throughout the State and a chance to visit and become better acquainted with many of the member clubs, particularly those that have not been too active in delegate attendance at our annual meetings. We can only do our best job as a Federation when we have full participation of all clubs. We must certainly not forget our conservation activities which are of major importance to all sections of the State. Please remember that com¬ munications received from our conservation chairman may sometimes require immediate action by all members and member clubs to be effec¬ tive. Certain amendments to the By-Laws, given on page 203 of the October issue, require ratification by the clubs. If your club has not ratified these, please see that it is done immediately. If the Federation is to be truly effective and successful, we need the financial and moral support of many new members. Please send names of new members, with $5.00 dues for each, to the membership chairman. Through communications from myself, our conservation chairman and the new publicity chairman we hope that our activities will become better known to more people throughout the State. I call your attention to a notice elsewhere in this issue changing the date of the next annual meeting in Rochester to April 26 to 28. This is due to a conflict of dates with the Wilson Ornithological Society which has scheduled its meeting on our previous dates. Watson B. Hastings TREASURER’S REQUEST Our treasurer, Dort Cameron, requests that members wait until they receive their dues notice before they pay their dues. Prepaid dues create about ten times as much work per person as routinely paid dues submitted in the envelope supplied with the notice. 5 NEW YORK STATE WATERFOWL COUNT, JANUARY 1967 John L. Mitchell The 1967 Waterfowl Count was conducted from January 14 to January 22. A total of 204,728 birds was seen. The mild January weather produced average or above average counts for most species. Within the category of “one bird seen once,” the Common Gallinule was a new species; the Tufted Duck and Harlequin Duck were first time repeats. New high counts were established for the Whistling Swan and King Eider. I wish to thank the following and their groups for their help in this census: Region 1. 2 . 3 . 4. 5 . 345 Conrad Drive, Rochester, Mr. Harold D. Mitchell Mr. Walter Listman Mrs. Sally Hoyt Spofford Mr. Leslie Bemont Dr. David Peakall 6. Mr. Peter Gaskin 8. Mr. B. R. Seguin 9. Mr. Edward D. Treacy 10. Mr. Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr. N.Y. 14616 FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS WATERFOWL COUNT, JANUARY 1967 Region No. 12345689 10 N.Y. Total Common Loon. - 5 1 - - - 1 - 177 184 Red-throated Loon. - 21 21 Red-necked Grebe. - - - - 2 - - - 1 3 Horned Grebe. 17 26 117 — 21 _ _ _ 603 784 Pied-billed Grebe. 1 - 8 - 6 - - 13 49 77 437 496 1 14 2072 2702 10576 10577 9 9 Mute Swan. Whistling Swan. 3 Canada Goose. 178 Brant. 1 Snow Goose. - 10 1 311 24 46 116 Region No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 N.Y. Total Mallard. .. 1473 453 1977 311 750 18 400 1039 6514 12935 Black Duck. .. 1265 139 1841 137 623 32 1100 679 23243 29059 Gad wall. .. 54 - 18 - 1 - - - 264 337 Pintail. 49 1 1 _ 11 - - 3 271 336 Green-winged Teal. 2 - 2 - - - 1 182 187 Blue-winged Teal. _ _ _ _ _ _ - 1 1 2 European Widgeon. — - - - - — - — 4 4 American Widgeon. .. 334 - 4 - 1 - - 7 2868 3214 Shoveler. _ - - - 2 — - - 62 64 Wood Duck. 1 1 2 4 2 - - 4 9 23 Redhead. 316 254 7004 61 25 1 29 7690 Ringnecked Duck. - 3 3 - - - - 174 354 534 Canvasback. .. 2565 793 707 - 36 276 1 90 3159 7627 Scaup, All. .. 5224 2037 2009 — 3141 3381 - - 59661 75453 Tufted Duck. - - - - - - - 1 1 Common Goldeneye.. .. 5389 3571 557 17 2151 537 _ 30 2681 14933 Bufflehead. .. 425 335 173 - 164 6 - 11 2723 3837 Oldsquaw. .. 2457 1500 53 - 660 66 - - 989 5725 Harlequin Duck. - - - - - - - - 6 6 Common Eider. - - - - — - — 9 9 King Eider. 26 2 _ 5 _ _ _ 1 34 White-winged Scoter. .. 328 500 — - 19 - - 2 2790 3639 Surf Scoter. - 2 — - - - — — 1280 1282 Common Scoter. _ 1 _ - - — - - 172 173 Ruddy Duck. 1 1 4 - 1 - - 245 472 724 Hooded Merganser. 9 8 20 — 3 2 _ 1 275 318 Common Merganser. .. 13944 67 54 13 1074 1 1 104 97 15355 Red-breasted Merganser_ ... 385 23 15 - 69 1 - — 885 1378 Coot. 45 45 697 — 17 — — 68 867 1739 Common Gallinule. 1 - - - - - - - 1 Unidentified. .. 470 9 700 - - 400 - 8 1655 3242 Totals. .. 34962 9788 16281 482 8853 4746 1503 2643 125470 204728 THE 1968 BREEDING BIRD SURVEY NEEDS OBSERVERS Robert P. Yunick As of December 9, 1967 there is a need for additional help with the Fish and Wildlife Service Breeding Bird Survey for June, 1968. Coverage is especially needed in and near the Adirondack Forest Preserve. The fol¬ lowing counts require coverage in the northern part of this area: Ogdensburg Sevey Hopkinton Dannemora Waddington Tupper Lake St. Regis Falls Edwards Stark Ellenburg Wanakena Parishville Sciota In the southern Adirondacks and their fringes, the following counts are in need of observers: Old Forge Inlet McKeever Blue Ridge, north Blue Ridge, south Newcomb Horicon Hope Falls Argyle Alder Creek Clinton The next most critical area needing coverage is the Rochester-Geneva- Auburn area where the following counts are available: Churchville Rushville Cayuga Penfield MacDougall Canadice Lake Romulus In the Oneonta area counts at Cooperstown, Laurens, and Oneonta have not been covered. In the Catskill Forest Preserve, the count at West Shokan needs assistance. A count takes less than one-half day anytime during the month of June. The observer should be well versed in field identification by sight and song of nearly all birds expected in his area. The count is most easily run when one has an assistant to care for recording and driving, so that one can devote full attention to observing at the 50 roadside stops. Any¬ one wishing more details, or wishing to volunteer, please contact me. Some of the counts listed above were attempted, but not completed due to personal reasons, bad weather etc. If anyone who attemped one and was not successful would like to try again, please contact me. Such people will have first refusal for the route this year. I hope that those people who ran counts in 1967 will do so again in 1968. One of the important features of these counts is their continuous coverage, particularly by the same individual. If anyone will not be able to cover a route covered last year, please try to find a substitute observer or let me know as soon as possible, so that one may be found. Thanks for your past help and I look forward to your help in 1968. 1527 Myron Street, Schenectady, ZV.Y. 12309 8 THE STATUS OF BONAPARTE'S GULL IN NEW YORK STATE Joanna Burger and Richard Brownstein Bonaparte’s Gull (Lams Philadelphia) breeds from western and central Alaska east to west-central Ontario and south to central British Columbia, southeastern Alberta and central western Saskatchewan, nesting in spruce trees near lakes and ponds in the muskeg [1 & 2]. Its winter range is from west-central Washington to southern Baja California on the West Coast; and from Lake Erie and northern Massachusetts (mild winters) south to central Florida and the Gulf of Mexico in the eastern United States [2]. In New York State, DeKay (1844) considered it “one of the most com¬ mon species on our coast” in the winter [3]. Eaton (1914) described the Bonaparte’s Gull as follows: “Next to the Herring Gull this is the best known and most generally distributed gull in the State, especially in the interior ... a transient visitant in considerable numbers in our inland lakes as well as the seacoast, and a few are occasionally seen in winter on Long Island and the Great Lakes. . . . On Long Island it arrives from the North in October or early November and returns to the North in April” [4]. Northward migration inland through the Lake Ontario region occurs primarily from the second of April to the tenth of June; southward movement from the first of October until the twentieth of November [4]. It is the purpose of the authors to describe the present status of the Bonaparte’s Gull in New York State. A description of its distribution in the state will be followed by a summary of its status in each of the ten Kingbird reporting Regions. Extreme migration dates, summer and winter occurrences and maximum numbers will be considered. It is hoped that this presentation of the available data will encourage field observers to gather the data needed to further the knowledge of its occurrence in the state. NEW YORK STATE Bonaparte’s Gull has been recorded from every reporting Region in the state. Largest numbers occur in the Great Lakes area and the New York City-Long Island region. In the Great Lakes regions, spring migra¬ tion normally occurs from late March to mid-May, or into June, and fall migration occurs from early August to late December. As many as 100,000 individuals have been observed in one day in late November on the Ni¬ agara River [5] although admittedly this number is unprecedented. Maxi¬ mum fall numbers of 10,000 are not uncommon in this area. Migrating gulls begin to arrive in the New York City area in early September and remain until their departure in late April for northern Canada. As many as 10,000 have been reported from one point in the New York City area. In the interior of the State, peaks of 500 at Montezuma and 300 at Verona Beach are exceedingly high. Groups of 15 to 20 have been recorded from 9 lake locations throughout the rest of the state. The gulls are rarest in the northern regions of New York State. Data from the Christmas counts (Bird Lore, Audubon Magazine and Audubon Field Notes) may be valuable in ascertaining occurrence of Bonaparte’s Gull at this time throughout the state. Table 1 indicates the areas of high concentration, average number and maximum numbers for each count area. Table 2 might be interpreted as indicating an increase in the total number of birds observed in the state. This may be true for the periods after 1945. Numbers reported for years before 1945 cannot easily be compared to data subsequent to that date, as of the three areas of highest concentration — Buffalo, Brooklyn and Manhattan — only Buffalo has been regularly covered during the entire period covered in Table 2. Brooklyn was not covered for 10 of the years from 1925 through 1944, and for one of the missing years, 1931, the Staten Island report noted that Bonaparte’s Gull “has been abundant along Brooklyn water-front but not in the ferry route” so that no count was recorded. Manhattan was not covered regularly until 1946. TABLE I OCCURRENCE OF BONAPARTE’S GULL Audubon Christmas Counts 1945-6 to 1965-6 a of counts # of Average # with Gulls counts of Gulls Count Area high-year low-year present taken per count Bronx - Westchester 1235 - 1964 1 - 1956 15 20 102 Brooklyn. 4720 - 1950 121 - 1958 20 20 1082 Captree. 295 - 1964 5 - 1963 3 3 — 1-7—4 Central Suffolk.... 186 - 1965 1 - 1956 8 13 39 S Manhatten. 6000 - 1965 1 - 1947 18 19 1070 Montauk. 1760 - 1958 30 - 1953 17 17 362 h- i Northern Nassau. . 342 - 1965 1 - 1959 bC £ 1961 6 13 38 O Ocean off L.I. 55 - 1962 7 - 1958 2 3 — H-f | Orient. 172 - 1965 3 - 1963 1962 6 13 17 b Port Chester. 2 - 1949 1 - 1953 2 10 0 Queens. 24 - 1964 6 - 1965 2 2 — Smithtown. 1245 - 1965 6 - 1963 7 19 90 Southern Nassau .. 1268 - 1965 1 - 1948 17 20 200 Staten Island. 5406 - 1956 4 - 1948 20 20 746 Watermill to Quogue 43 - 1960 1 - 1949 11 17 9 Western Long Island 160 - 1954 1 - 1946 1949 9 10 23 s Buffalo. 8601 - 1955 10 - 1951 19 20 2000 Geneva. 1 - 1953 1 20 0 w Hamburg. 300 - 1957 2 - 1965 2 20 17 Rochester. 666 - 1965 2 - 1950 18 20 124 * Averages not calculated for less than five counts. Additional counts conducted only once, with year and number of Bonaparte’s Gulls reported were: Amagansette to Watermill 1949, 1; Oak Beach 1946, 8; Ocean off Brooklyn 1948, 400; Fredonia 1965, 103. 10 TABLE 2. TOTAL BONAPARTE’S GULLS IN NEW YORK STATE Ten Year Period Average # for Period Average # of counts for Period' 1955-64 5840 16.4 1945-54 4309 12.5 1935-44 3923 10.1 1925-34 821 9.3 * Includes only counts on which Bonaparte’s Gull has ever been reported. REGIONAL STATUS The authors have used information from field observers and regional editors as well as the literature. The terms used in the discussion of the Regions are: Frequency of Occurrence: Regular — Recorded every year. Irregular— Recorded less than every year, but more often than once in four years. Occasional — Recorded more than once in nine years but less than once in four years. Sporadic — Recorded less than once in nine years. 11 Relative Abundance: Given in terms of the number a competent observer might see in any one day at the proper time of the year. Abundant — Over 500 Very Common— Between 100 and 500 Common— Between 25 and 100 Fairly Common — 25 or less Uncommon — 10 or less Rare — Between 1 and 5 For most of the Regions, frequencies refer to the records as reported in the Kingbird. Local records and publications were used where avail¬ able. Extreme migration dates are given in parenthesis following the status of the species in the spring and fall. Unless otherwise noted, records can be found in the Kingbird for that reporting period. Region 1: Niagara Frontier Regular very common to abundant spring migrant (March 16, 1946 [6] to June 7, 1945 [6]) Regular abundant fall migrant (July 11, 1965 [5] to February 25, 1950 m) Irregular summer and winter visitant Usual spring migration begins the last week in March and tapers off in mid-May with late stragglers lingering into June. Peak numbers of 3000 to 5000 [8] are most often found on the north and south shores of Lake Erie and on the Niagara River in April. Migrating gulls have been observed moving east along the lake near Dunkirk, New York. Although spring birds are found all along the lake shore, Dunkirk Harbor attracts the largest congregations. On 23 April 1967, Burger observed 5000 birds within the confines of the harbor. Beardslee and Mitchell (1965) [6] classify the Bonaparte’s Gull as an uncommon summer visitant. Summering birds were recorded in six of the last 15 years. They were almost exclusively second year birds. An early movement of adults and juveniles passes through the area in mid to late August followed by a larger wave of migrants comprised chiefly of adults in late November to early December. The Niagara River seems to act as a funnel for transient gulls and concentrations of from 5000 to 10,000 Bonaparte’s are not uncommon. Bonaparte’s Gull, although it may linger well into January and Feb¬ ruary, seldom remains the entire winter. Experience has shown that for a bird to have “wintered,” it must have been recorded after the third week 12 of February. Wintering birds are most often found in the Niagara Falls area and in Dunkirk Harbor. Maxima: 100,000 Niagara River and adjacent reservoirs — 25 Nov. 1959 [5] 15,000 Niagara River — 5 Dec. 1937 [6] 12,000 Niagara River — Nov. 1958 [6] 11,000 April Bird Count — 8 April 1960 [6] 10,000 Niagara River — 3 May 1930 [9] 8,743 Niagara River —20 Dec. 1959 [6] 8,600 Christmas Count — 26 Dec. 1955 [6] 6,991 April Bird Count —12 April 1959 [6] Note: The 100,000 Bonaparte’s Gulls observed 25 Nov. 1959 represents an area by area count made by Richard Brownstein and Arthur Schaffner of the entire Niagara River and adjoining reservoirs. The estimate of 30,000 on Nov. 26, 1959 quoted in the Prothonotary [25( 12) :76] and the Kingbird [9(4):159] represents “a conserva¬ tive estimate” and not an area by area count. E. L. Seeber (pers. comm.) stated he estimated 75,000 to 80,000 on the river alone in the latter part of the month. Region 2: Genesee Regular common to abundant spring migrant (March 22, 1957 to June 20,1967 [10]) Regular abundant fall migrant (Sept 1, 1966 [10] to Jan 2, 1966 [10]) Regular uncommon summer visitant Occasional uncommon winter visitant Bonaparte’s Gulls occur in fewer numbers and are more scattered in the spring than the fall. Tanghe (1955) [11] reports a peak in mid April and another peak in mid May. Peak spring numbers of between 100 and 200 usually occur in May. Occasionally, exceptionally high numbers are recorded in late April or early May. Often the migrating gulls are ob¬ served moving west along Lake Ontario. A few gulls are reported almost every year at some time during the summer. A hundred were observed on 19 July 1959 at Manitou Beach. A few Bonaparte’s Gulls appear in late August and September but the peak of the fall migration is mid September to mid October. They thin out in December and usually disappear at the end of December. As many as 3000 have appeared, in one day in September at Braddock’s Bay follow¬ ing north-west winds [12]. 13 Winter records are: Three birds at Irondequoit Bay outlet 22 Jan. 1967, eight at Irondequoit Bay 26 Jan. 1964, seven at Irondequoit Bay 13 Feb. 1960, and one on 26 Feb. 1956 in the Region, exact location not stated. Although they are observed all along the shores of Lake Ontario, the areas of high concentration are Braddock’s Bay, Irondequoit Bay, Salmon Creek and Sea Breeze. Maxima: 3000 Braddock’s Bay to Hamlin —3 May 1956 [13] 3000 Lakeshore — 24 April 1948 [13] 1000 East Lakeshore — 12 Nov. 1966 1000 Sea Breeze — 10 Dec. 1960 750 Salmon Creek — 25 April 1959 500 East Lakeshore — 24 Nov. 1962 Region 3: Finger Lakes Regular common to very common spring migrant (March 31, 1960 to May 17, 1959) Irregular fairly common fall migrant (Sept 27, 1961 to Jan 4, 1955) Sporadic rare summer visitant Spring migration usually occurs from early April to late April with scattered reports of less than 30 birds and larger numbers on Cayuga Lake. The species has been recorded three times in the summer: four at Montezuma on 28 July 1965; two at Seneca Lake on 14 July 1964, and one at Montezuma on 16 Aug 1964 (it is not likely that this is an early fall migrant in view of the comparatively late fall arrival dates). It is less common in the fall than the spring, with no large flocks recorded. Bonaparte’s Gull appears most frequently at Montezuma National Wild¬ life Refuge and Cayuga Lake with some reports from Almond Damsite, Hornell Basin, Elmira, Keuka Lake, Sapsucker Woods and Seneca Lake. Maxima: 500 Montezuma N.W.R. — Spring 1956 450 Cayuga Lake - 3 May 1967 ([14] 200 Cayuga Lake — 14 May 1965 200 Seneca Lake — 23 April 1967 120 Cayuga Lake - 10 April 1967 [14] 54 Hornell Basin — 18 April 1957 Region 4: Susquehanna Regular fairly common to common spring migrant (March 10, 1961 to June 4, 1956) Sporadic fall migrant 14 Usually spring migration is from early April to mid May with 15 or less being reported on any day. The 4 June 1957 date is the only one after May 17. The March 10th bird at Binghamton is the only March record for this area. The species has been recorded most frequently at Whitney Point and Endwell, with other records from Binghamton, Boland Marsh, Deposit, Greene, Ingraham Hill, Norwich, Oneonta Reservoir, Owego and Una- dilla. A single bird observed 20 Sept 1963 at Whitney Point is the only fall record. Maxima: 50 Owego — 23 April 1964 50 Whitney Point — 20 April 1963 16 Owego — 22 April 1961 15 Norwich — 23 April 1961 15 Whitney Point — 6 April 1957 Region 5: Oneida Lake Basin Irregular fairly common spring migrant (March 17, 1963 to June 3, 1956) Regular common to very common fall migrant (July 27, 1923 [15] to Dec. 16, 1956) Irregular summer visitant Sporadic rare winter visitant Usual spring migration records of 15 or fewer birds are noted from early April to late May. Ten were recorded 30 June 1956 at Sandy Pond. Scattered fall birds arrive in August with the majority arriving from September until early November. The species seems to be increasing in the fall, with higher numbers observed in recent years. It is interesting to note that Dayton Stoner (1932) thought the species was less common in the interior of the state than it had been 20 years before although this ob¬ servation only covered the period May 1-Aug. 15 [15]. He quotes that Sadler saw ten birds at Brewerton 16 May 1924 [15]. The two winter records were in 1958: one bird seen 1 Jan at Oneida Lake and two at Oswego in early February. Maxima. 300 Verona Beach — 1 Sept 1963 166 Oneida Lake -18 Nov 1965 150 Oneida Lake — 28 Nov 1964 100 Sylvan and Verona Beaches —12 Sept 1965 85 Verona Beach —11 Nov 1962 15 Region 6: St. Lawrence Occasional rare spring migrant Irregular uncommon fall migrant (July 22, 1962 to Nov 20, 1965 [16]) The species has been recorded in the Kingbird twice in spring migra¬ tion: one at Perch River Game Management Area 30 April 1966 and three at Massena on 4 May 1965. In the fall the species usually occurs as single birds or in groups of fewer than six. All records are for less than six except those listed as maxima. It appears that the species is increasing, the same kind of birding yielding more individuals now than in the past [16]. Bonaparte’s Gulls used to be observed in the fall in late Oct. and Nov. only, but recently they can be expected to appear over a longer period of time. El Dorado seems to be the best location for this gull, with other reports from Adams Cove, Henderson Harbor, Massena, Perch Beach, Point Salubrious, Point Peninsula, Southwichs Beach, and Stony Point. Maxima: 80 El Dorado — 13 Aug 1961 25 Henderson Harbor — fall 1966 (no date given) 24 El Dorado - 14 Aug 1965 20 El Dorado — 22 July 1962 Region 7: Adirondack — Champlain Sporadic rare spring migrant Occasional rare fall migrant The fewest records of Bonaparte’s Gull in New York State occur in this Region. The species was recorded in the "summer” (no date or number given) of 1960 from the Port Kent and Keeseville areas. The only other records are: 15 Au Sable Point - 17 Oct 1955 13 Au Sable Point — 2 Nov 1954 Region 8: Hudson — Mohawk Irregular fairly common spring migrant (April 2, 1962 to May 24,1958) Irregular fairly common fall migrant (Aug 26, 1933 [17] to Dec 8, 1962) Sporadic rare summer visitant 16 Bonaparte’s Gull is erratic in the spring and is usually observed on the Mohawk River. An unusually good flight was recorded in the spring of 1966 with birds being observed from 17 April to 18 May (max: 16 on 17 May). Westward movement on the river has been observed in the spring. Two summer records exist: one bird on 25 July 1932 [17] and one on Galway Lake 1 Aug 1966. Field observers in the area expect to see the species in the fall when it is more apt to be found on the lakes (Round Lake, Ballston Lake and Saratoga Lake) than on the Mohawk River. Published records of this species have increased in recent years. Local records ( Feathers ) [18] indicate that in the period from 1947 to 1961 the species was totally lacking in three years and recorded only once in each of six years. In the period since 1961 it has been recorded three or more times each year. Maxima: 80 Ballston Lake — 6 May 1956 25 Saratoga Lake — 15 May 1965 22 Saratoga Lake — 8 Dec 1962 16 Lock Seven, Mohawk River — 17 May 1966 15 Saratoga Lake — 27 April 1963 Region 9: Hudson — Delaware Irregular common spring migrant (April 5, 1948 [19] and 1967 to May 1, 1959) Occasional rare fall migrant (Aug 13, 1966 to Oct 31, 1935 [19]) The species is unusual in the area, with no more than 3 records for any one year. Usual spring migration is from early April to mid April. One summer bird was reported 21 July 1957 at Ashokan Reservoir. Usual fall migration occurs from late August to early September, the species being more erratic in the fall than the spring. The best area seems to be Corn¬ wall, with other records from Ashokan Reservoir, Beacon [20], Lackawich Reservoir, New Hamburgh, Lake DeForest, Piermont Pier, and Pough¬ keepsie [20]. All records are for less than three birds except the maxima. Deed [19] states that the Bonaparte’s Gull is “found much more often in fall than spring” although his data do not support this statement. A spring peak of 89 is given by Deed [19], Maxima: 89 Cornwall —7 April 1957 23 Piermont Pier — 29 April 1956 17 Region 10: Marine Regular abundant spring and fall migrant Abundant winter resident Occasional summer visitant Migrants usually begin to arrive in the area in early September, but remain in low numbers throughout September and October. The number increases in November and peaks the end of December. The population levels off in January, remaining the same throughout January and Febru¬ ary until the birds begin to move out in late March, becoming scarce by May. A large population winters at Jones Inlet and another winters off Montauk Point. A flock seems to winter in the New York City Harbor area, wandering as far up the Hudson as Yonkers. Bonaparte's Gulls are occasional in the summer. Bull (1964) cites the following records: 20 birds at Raritan Bay 27 June 1954, 30 at Raritan Bay 28 July 1923, 5 at Long Beach in June and July 1937 and “Collected, Great Gull Island, July 8, 1889 (Chapman and Dutcher)'' [21]. A single bird was observed from 26 July 1965 into the fall on Jamaica Bay. Maxima: 10,000 Gravesend — late Dec 1962 and early Jan 1963 [21] 4.500 Montauk Point — 5 Jan 1936 [21] 3.500 Montauk Point — 22 Dec 1946 [21] 2.500 Narrows - 12 April 1947 [21] 2,500 Lower Bay — 2 Nov 1941 [21] 2,000 Jones Beach — late Jan 1962 SUMMARY The Bonaparte's Gull is an abundant spring and fall migrant on the Great Lakes and in the New York City — Long Island Area. It is rarer inland, occurring on rivers and the larger lakes. The species has been re¬ corded only in spring migration in the Susquehanna Region, only in the fall migration in the St. Lawrence Region, and is very rare in the Adiron- dack-Champlain Region. Summering birds might be expected on the Great Lakes as well as in New York Harbor. Although Bonaparte's Gull winters in large numbers in the Marine Region of the state, it can also be expected to winter in small numbers in mild winters in the Niagara Frontier area. Published records have been more frequent and numbers reported have been higher in recent years indicating that the total population may be increasing. 18 SUMMARY 0? THE STATUS OF BONAPARTE'S GULL II I.T.S. BT HEGIOIS JAH FBB MAR APR MAT JURE JULY AUG SEPT OCT MOV MO NIAGARA FRONTIER - GENESEE --- FINGER LAKES - SUSQUEHANNA - ONEIDA LAKE BASIN- ST. LAWRENCE - ADIRONDACK - CHAMPLAIN- MOHAWK - HUDSON - DELAWARE - HUDSON MARINE -- ♦ KET SUMMER VISITANTS MIGRANTS WINTER VISITANTS • ISOLATED BIRDS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The status of the Bonaparte’s Gull in New York State is information compiled relative to a field study on the migratory behavior and local movements of the species suported by funds from the Mae P. Smith Gull Fund of The American Museum of Natural History, New York City and the Research Foundation of the State University of New York. The authors are indebted to the regional editors and other field ob¬ servers who willingly gave their data and observations. Department of Biology, State University College, 1300 Elmwood Ave¬ nue, Buffalo 530 Walbridge Building, Buffalo, New York. LITERATURE CITED 1. Henderson, A. D. 1926. Bonaparte’s Gull Nesting in Northern Alberta, Wilson Bull 43:288-94. 2. A.O.U. Checklist, Fifth Ed. 1957. American Ornithologists Union. 3. DeKay, James E. 1844. Zoology of New York, Tart II Birds, p. 311. 4. Eaton, E. H. 1914. Birds of New York, Vol. II. State Museum: 35. 5. Brownstein, Richard — unpublished data. 6. Beardslee, Clark S. and H. D. Mitchell, 1965. Birds of the Niagara Frontier Region. Bull, of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 22:252^3. 7. Prothonotary : 16:3:16 8. Burger, Joanna — unpublished data. 9. Beardslee, Clark S. 1944. Bonaparte’s Gull on The Niagara River and Eastern Lake Erie. Wilson Bull. 56:9-14 10. Records of The Genesee Ornithological Society. 11. Tanghe, L. J. 1955. The Seasonal Abundance of Birds in the Rochester Area. Kingbird, 5:69-84 12. Listman, Walter — unpublished data. 13. Goshawk: for that recording period. 14. Mcllroy, Dorothy — unpublished data. 15. Stoner, Dayton, 1932. Ornithology of the Oneida Lake Region. Bull of N.Y.S. College of Forestry at Syracuse, 2:489. 16. Gordon, David — unpublished data. 17. Schenectady Bird Club, 1952. Birds to Look for Month By Month. Schenectady, New York. Bull. 4X. 18. Feathers, bi-monthly publication of The Schenectady Bird Club. 19. Deed, R. F. 1959. Birds of Rockland County and the Hudson Highlands. Rock¬ land Aud Soc. Inc., West Nyack, N.Y. 20. Crosby, M. S. 1923. Supplementary Notes on the Birds of Dutchess County, N.Y. Auk : 40:96 21. Bull, John, 1964. Birds of The New York Area. New York, Harper & Row, 240. 20 CONSERVATION NEWS Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr. It was one of those second-hand stores where the sets of glassware and china appear so obviously to be from old family homesteads breaking up in the age of ranch-type houses and senior citizens projects, and the book shelves in an out-of-the-way comer are stocked with once-read novels by Edna Ferber, Mary Roberts Rinehart and Kathleen Norris, mixed with drab-covered arithmetic and other texts from too-quickly gone decades. The spine of one thin volume snatched my curiosity — “Wings” by Gene Stratton-Porter. Plucking it out, I was almost startled to find on the browning paper cover a portrayal of two Belted Kingfishers perched on branches before a bank dug out for their burrow and peering over the water, one with a small fish clasped in its bill. Just the fact that an artist would choose this bird is a strong argument for its protection. S 376, a bill to protect the “Old Rattler” in New York State, was intro¬ duced in this session of the legislature by Senator Bernard Smith, chair¬ man of the Senate Conservation and Recreation Committee. It is ex¬ pected that an Assembly bill will be introduced by Mrs. Constance Cook to remove the Kingfisher from the list of birds now unprotected, where the picturesque Cenjle alcyon keeps precarious company with the Crow, Starling, English sparrow, Grackle and wild Rock Dove. The book “Wings” turned out to be an interesting bargain for a nickel. The browning, fragile pages (printed in 1925 although copyrighted nearly 30 years earlier) told of the authors experiences with birds, including at¬ tempts to photograph “Kingfishers in the Gravel Pit.” Perhaps it is the size, distinctive shape, even the uncombed-looking crest accenting the striking colors — but the Kingfisher always seems to arrest one’s attention even if momentarily. Quietly observing every detail and movement can be a memorable experience — “Above the railroad bridge I saw a kingfisher twice sustain himself in one place, about 40 feet above the meadow, by a rapid motion of his wings, somewhat like a devil’s needle, not progressing an inch, apparently over a fish,” wrote Henry David Thoreau for May 10, 1854. For April 22, 1855 he observed that “The bluish band on the breast of the kingfisher leaves the pure white underneath in the form of a heart.” Walt Whitman in one of his “Specimen Days” prose sketches “Three of Us” describes watching two kingfishers “as they fly and sport athwart the water, so close, almost touching into its surface. Indeed there seem to be three of us. For nearly an hour I indolently look and join them while they dart and turn and take their airy gambols, sometimes far up the creek disappearing for a few moments, and then surely returning again, and performing most of their flight within sight of me, as if they knew I appreciated and absorb’d their vitality, spirituality, faithfulness and the 21 rapid, vanishing, delicate lines of moving yet quiet electricity they drew for me across the spread of grass, the trees, and the blue sky.” “The kingfisher has been described,” wrote Dr. Sally Hoyt Spofford in the June-July 1961 issue of The Conservationist, “as handsome by some; ugly by others; as clownish, graceful, awkward, stupid or bright. Take your choice.” But my impression of one on a branch last summer with the salt bay seemingly at its service was of dignified comicality. In its high white collar it appeared puritanically clerical. The stout bill, pointed directly towards the water, effected the picture of the stereotyped, sharp-eyed, firm occupier of the old New England pulpit continually surveying the sea of faces during the sermon for any drowsers. Only my “clergyman” was clearly a fisher of fish as it suddenly plunged and extracted its strug¬ gling meal from the water. But in some of its other dives it returned empty-billed indicating that the predator’s search for food is not always successful. “Yes, this handsome and mildly bizarre bird eats fish,” reported Dr. Spofford. But it doesn’t seem to have the licensed fisherman’s eager pref¬ erence for the fish that can desperately break water or dash deeper drag¬ ging hook and line with it. “Indeed, most of his fishing is done in stretches of sluggish water where abound the so-called ‘trash fish.’ Trout, bass and other game fish are not given to much loitering near the surface of stag¬ nant pools. Chubs and suckers are taken very often by kingfishers, as they are, indeed, much easier for them to catch,” she continued. They also eat crayfish, beetles and many larger water insects. Did you know that kingfishers sometimes eat berries or chokecherries? Dr. Spof¬ ford reported this in the article mentioned above, entitled “Are King¬ fishers Worth Saving?” You bet they are. 333 Bedell Street, Freeport, N.Y. 11520 FIELD NOTES Outlying Colony of Prairie Warblers: In the summer of 1955, Richard A. Herbert, Thomas Lesperance and Dr. Walter R. Spofford saw several Prairie Warblers ( Den - droica discolor) at Burnam’s Siding near Port Douglas, Essex County, N.Y.; Mr. Lesperance had heard them there before (Kingbird 5:89, Oct. 1955; also pers. comm.). On June 21, 1963 I went to the location and immediately heard the familiar song of this species — a series of ascending, harsh, buzzy notes, and shortly saw its author. I believe there were two males present, though not observed simultaneously. The site is along railroad tracks above a steep slope pitching down to Lake Cham¬ plain. This rather barren slope has a scattering of red cedars and staghorn sumac. On the other side of the tracks is a small meadow with shrubbery bordering extensive mixed woodland typical of the area. The location of this colony is about 125 miles from the nearest breeding locality mentioned in the AOU Check-list : Concord, N.H. Geoffrey Carleton, Elizabethtown, N.Y. 12932 Ed. Note: Dr. Spofford also comments that “there are a number of regions up in that direction where I would like to look for the Prairie . . . pitch pine and oak scrub. 22 etc. The habitat near Schenectady is repeated in spots northward up to the Lake George area — and farther up?” Eared Grebe Collected near Olean: Between 1 and 6 A.M. April 24, 1967 a severe storm passed through the Olean area with strong west winds, leaving 2-3 inches of snow. This storm forced many waterfowl to seek shelter on rivers and ponds of western New York. The count of birds taken at 1 P.M. that day on the Allegheny River from Olean Creek a half mile downstream was: 1 Red-necked Grebe, 306 Horned Grebes, 3 American Widgeon, 2 Ring-necked Ducks, 120 Lesser Scaup, 6 Common Goldeneye, 113 Buffleheads, 94 Oldsquaw, 93 White-winged Scoters, 1 Ruddy Duck, 1 Hooded Merganser, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, and 12 Bonaparte’s Gulls. For counts of birds from other areas see Prothonotary 33:70—71. This same storm may have brought the Eared Grebe ( Podiceps caspicus ), with black neck, which Joseph A. Grzybowski observed on April 30, 1967 on the Alle¬ gheny River at the Olean Sewage Treatment Plant with 7 Horned Grebes. This was about one mile downstream from where the count was made on April 24. Later in the day the bird was collected by S. W. Eaton with the help of Grzybowski. It was a female, ovary 7.0 mm. x 20.0 mm.; bill 21.1 mm.; wing 127.1 mm.; tarsus 41.6 mm. The specimen is mostly in 'breeding feather’ but still not in ‘high plumage’; neck and throat still with small freckling of winter feathers. Rump not as dark nor sides of rump as chestnut as a May male from Colorado; primaries all grayish under¬ neath — NO WHITE — making it agree with descriptions of P. c. californicus; bill black; iris scarlet orange with silvery ring around pupil; eyelids orange; tarsi black. Weight 279.5 grams. This specimen appears to be the first collected in New York State, although two specimens have been obtained from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. It is #1080 in the St. Bonaventure University collection. Beardslee and Mitchell (1965, Birds of the Niagara Frontier Region , p. 85) state that the first sight record for this area was Nov. 14, 1948 at Braddock’s Bay. Since that time the species has been reported almost every year, most records being in October and November Joseph A. Grzybowski and Stephen W. Eaton, St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, N.Y. 14778 Sparrow Hawk Nest in Martin House: Two years ago we put up a Martin house. Two springs we waited for Martins in vain. This year, on April 16th, with a wave of migrating swallows a pair of Martins came, looked, landed on the house chattering in Martinese. They circled, came back and inspected some more. And then came the Sparrow Hawks and chased the Martins and they were not seen again. A disappoint¬ ment, but two lively months followed. Since late March the Sparrow Hawks had been using the Martin house off and on for a perch (so we thought). Now suddenly we became aware that they had more serious intentions and planned to use this as their nesting box. Sure enough, on April 20th, the female started sitting in the left attic hole of the Martin house and from then on there was to be continuous turmoil in our garden for over two months. Turmoil when the male came with shrill ki-ki-ki-ki’s when he was bringing food to the female and took over the nest duties for a while. More turmoil when both adults began feeding the hatched young on May 20th, preceding every appearance at the nest with resounding ki-ki-ki’s stirring up Robin, Catbird, Tree Swallow, Grackle and sparrows in hot pursuit. During this time, whenever we started to do some chores in the garden, we would immediately hear the familiar ki-ki-ki overhead and the swooshing of wings as the adults dove at us. We could see that there were three young in the attic hole. As they grew, the adults had quite a time getting into the opening with whatever prey they brought in. Most of the time it was a mouse, some¬ times a frog, once a bird. Apparently the crowding in the hole became unbearable to one determined young who left his nest on June 11th and moved into the south attic room of the Martin house. And still there were 3 heads visible in the North 23 attic room. Two days later 4 young were out and disappeared into the tall grass out of our sight but not of the ever-present surveillance of the watchful female. And to our amazement there was one more young in the box. And into July seven Sparrow Hawks, old and young, dominated the aerial scene at Home Farm. Bill and Trixie Strauss, Home Farm, Amenia, N.Y. Reprinted from Wings over Dutchess , 7( 9) :6, Sept. 1967 Song Sparrow Chasing Cowbird: About 5:40 P.M. on May 8, 1967, a rainy day, my attention was attracted by a female Cowbird (Molothrus ater ) walking rapidly along the floor of a 25-foot bridge which spans a creek in front of our house. A Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia ) was pursuing the Cowbird as it walked along the west side of the bridge to the north end, crossed to the east side and started south. Each time the Cowbird stopped, the Song Sparrow rushed at it. When the Cowbird stopped midway on the east side and the Song Sparrow rushed at it, the Cowbird flew onto a branch overhanging the stream. The Song Sparrow followed, whereupon the Cowbird flew under the bridge and alighted on a willow on the west side of, and several feet above the bridge. From my window about 50 feet northeast of the bridge, I could see that the Cowbird had flown underneath the bridge with¬ out stopping. It returned to the southwest part of the bridge and the performance was repeated, except that when the Song Sparrow chased it onto the overhanging branch at the east side of the bridge, the Cowbird flew up under the bridge, was out of sight not more than 2 or 3 seconds, then flew out the same side and alighted on the lawn with a small white object on the end of its bill. This it deposited in the grass, pecked at it once or twice, then flew off when a Starling alighted very close. I rushed out doors, frightened the Starling while it was still looking at the object. I found two halves of a Phoebe egg shell (pure white) and the yolk below them in the grass. The Phoebes usually nest under the bridge on the inner side of one of two I- beams. The nest is only visible from directly under the bridge and the water has been too high this year for me to check it. Some years the Song Sparrows have nested at the southwest corner of the bridge where there is a thick growth of Red- osier Dogwood, willow and Virginia Creeper, part of it overhanging the stream. Mary Welles, Big Flats, R.D.l, Elmira, N.Y. House Sparrow Nest in Cattail Marsh: The nest of the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus ) is usually associated with, or located very near human dwellings. David Peakall brought to my attention the Summers-Smith monograph on this species (1963) which states: “Nests are usually on buildings, either in holes under roofs or in creepers. Less frequently in the branches of trees and rather seldom in holes in trees. When tree sites are used these are invariably close to buildings, very rarely more than a hundred yards away.” This past season a pair of House Sparrows raised two broods in a hollow willow stump at Vischer Ferry Game Management Area sur¬ rounded by many acres of marsh and some distance from human habitation. The management area consists of 810 acres of which one-half is river bottomland at about 190-foot elevation, one-quarter is shallow ponds and one-quarter is wetland. It lies adjacent to the Mohawk River in Saratoga County between Locks 6 and 7 of the N.Y.S. Barge Canal. The birds were first observed on May 20; 1967 when the male was mist-netted and banded on a dike adjacent to the cattail marsh frequented by the pair. They represented the first of their species that I have seen in the management area in over ten years of observing the area, and the male was the first banded there in three years of banding. Their attachment to a particular area of marsh was considered peculiar at the time, and also on May 26 when they were seen again. However, it was not until June 17 that the female was observed carrying food to young at a hole in a willow stump. The stump was in a pond, about three feet deep and immediately adjacent to an extensive cattail marsh, and stood about 9-10 feet above water level. 24 The nest hole was on the south side of the stump about 7-8 feet above water level. On June 24 the young, at least three in number, were gone — presumably fledged. On July 31 the female was again observed feeding young at the nest hole. By August 6 the nest was empty once again. From a U.S.G.S. topographical map it was determined that the nest site was lo¬ cated about 850 feet (0.16 mile) from the entrance to the management area, and 1690 feet (0.32 mile) from the nearest human habitation to the west where House Sparrows were common about barns and stables; or about the same distance to the southeast where some summer camps are located along the river bank. In the immediate area of the nest site were 36 nest boxes erected for Tree Swallows, These boxes were attached to tree trunks standing in water, and had been in place since winter. Each box had a one-and-one-half-inch opening. None of these boxes showed any evidence of use by House Sparrows. While I was banding there on October 15, 1967, a female House Sparrow, possibly the parent or an offspring, sat atop the stump and called. This indicates considerable attachment to that area. Robert P. Yunick, 1527 Myron Street, Schenectady, N.Y. 12309 Turkey Vulture Nest near Clayton: The regular occurrence of the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) in northern New York since 1960 has been reported (Kingbird 16(2) :92, May 1966). The area in which birds are seen covers the northern part of Jefferson County and adjacent portions of St. Lawrence County. Nesting in this area has been suspected and it can now be reported that a pair of Turkey Vultures raised two young on Picton island in the summer of 1967. Picton Island is in the Thousand Island section of the St. Lawrence River not far from the village of Clayton. The nest was located in a huge pile of broken granite rocks. The two young were found August 16. They seemed to be about two months old and did not try to fly. They were banded and photographed. On August 27 the two young vultures were still in the same place. John B. Belknap, 92 Clinton Street, Gouverneur, N.Y. 13642 Frank A. Clinch, 17 Haley Street, Watertown, N.Y. 13601 Swallow-tailed Kite over Cayuga Lake: On August 20, 1967 shortly after noon, my wife and I were driving north on Route 89 en route from Ithaca to the AOU meeting at Toronto. About twenty-five miles north of Ithaca I glimpsed a bird with pointed, falcon-like wings. The bird was flying and I caught only a brief glimpse since trees adjacent to the highway interrupted my vision. The impression was of a falcon with two streamers trailing behind. My first thought was that this was a falconer’s bird with jesses trailing. As soon as traffic permitted, I pulled to the side of the road and located the bird with binoculars. When I had a good look, it was obvious that this was a Swallow¬ tailed Kite (Elanoides forftcatus). I have observed the species in Florida and am familiar with all field marks. We observed it as it proceeded easterly in large sweep¬ ing circles until it disappeared over Cayuga Lake. The bird was under direct obser¬ vation for approximately five minutes. There was no indication of jesses or other markers which would indicate an escaped bird. As well as observing all characteristics (white underwing coverts, white belly, dark flight feathers and dark forked tail) I had my wife also observe the bird through binoculars and verbally describe the bird to me. This was then checked with the description in Birds of North America by Robbins, Bruun, Zim and Singer. The location was aproximately 200 feet south of the road down to the north end of Elm Beach. Earl B. Baysinger, Chief, Bird-Banding Laboratory, U.S.D.I., F. and W. Service, Migratory Bird Populations Station, Laurel, Md. 20810 25 Wheatear at Tobay Sanctuary, Long Island: At 3:35 P.M. on Sept. 18, 1967 I noticed a thrush-like bird on the ground near the tower at Tobay Sanctuary, Nassau County, N.Y. It flew up as I approached and passed within a few yards of me, landing in a small bush about 40 or 50 feet from where I was standing. My first glimpse as it was flying away revealed nothing more than a flash of white on the rump and tail against a generally cinnamon-colored body. The only landbird I had ever seen which had a white rump was a Flicker, and this was obviously not that. With 7 X binoculars I studied the bird closely for the next 20 minutes in bright sun¬ light as it hopped along the path or flew away a few feet each time I got within 30 feet. The bird appeared to be somewhat smaller than a Robin, about Hermit Thrush (Hylocichla guttata ) size. Its posture as it stood on the ground was very erect and it bobbed its tail constantly. The bill was long, thin and dark. A mask of darker color contrasted with the uniformly gray-brown head and back. The wings and back were darker than the breast and belly. The wingtips were almost black. The white on the sides of the tail was conspicuous and contrasted with the black tip. When the bird flew the white on rump and tail was even more evident. When I arrived home I looked in Peterson’s Field Guide and was satisfied that I had been studying a Wheatear ( Oenanthe oenanthe ). Just to be sure, I checked a half dozen other books and was certain of my identification. Incidentally, the inverted black “T” of die tail was not apparent to me. The tail was always in motion and the bird’s flights were too short for prolonged observation. The impression was of a white rump and tail with a black tip. William A. Farren, 1426 Dartmouth Street, Baldwin, N.Y. 11510 ED. NOTE: John Bull’s Birds of the New York Area lists seven previous occur¬ rences, all from Long Island. Sabine’s Gull at Cazenovia Lake: About 2 P.M. on Oct. 22, 1967 while checking birds at the south end of Cazenovia Lake, Madison County, we observed a small gull that flashed black and white as it rose from the water. One of the nearby Ring-billed Gulls seemed to be harassing it, causing it to fly up from the water frequently. The following observations showed it to be a Sabine’s Gull ( Xema sabini ). With a 20 X scope we vertified the distinctive triangular pattern of black, white and grayish brown we had first noted through binoculars. The tail appeared to have a black terminal band, but we could not be sure of the shape, so constant was the gull’s movement during 15 minutes of observation. We tried to get closer, but a pass¬ ing speedboat dispersed the gulls. Fortunately, the Sabine’s Gull flew to a spot where we could study the coloring at closer range and in excellent light. Crown and sides of the head and neck were “mouse gray” as described in Bent. The back was a fairly uniform grayish brown, the throat and underparts pure white. The upper wing surface seemed to be divided into triangular patches of solid color: the primaries were jet black, the black tapering to a point at the wrist where the mouse gray coloring started; the secondaries were gleaming white, forming a pure white tri¬ angle against the black of the primaries. Noisy power boats again interrupted our observation and we watched the gull disappear up the lake, flying with constant wingbeat and greatly resembling a graceful tern. We finally located it again. This time it joined three Horned Grebes, staying to feed among them for over an hour. As it landed we could plainly see the pointed wings and forked tail, dark legs and dark bill. It kept busily dipping its bill in the water. Its spinning actions were similar to those of a phalarope as it whirled in all directions to retrieve insects. Occasionally it would reach up to spear an escap¬ ing insect, and often it would flutter up from the water to grab food. At about 4:45 the gull flew away. We heard no sound from it during the time of observation. Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Farnham, Jr., 115 Ames St., Syracuse, N.Y. 13207 26 Sabine’s Gull at Montauk Point, Long Island: On the afternoon of Nov. 25, 1967 I was birding with Paul Opler and Lee Morgan at the Montauk Point lighthouse just as a light three-day northeast storm began to lift. A strange gull was noticed circling in a leisurely fashion not far offshore for 10 or 15 minutes. Twice it came within 50 yards, allowing us a good look at the dark-banded, slightly forked tail and the conspicuous three-toned wings (black outer primaries, white triangle on middle third of wing, the rest gray). These characteristics led us to identify the bird as a Sabine’s Gull (Xema sahini) in late second-year plumage. We eliminated the possibility of an immature Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla ) by the lack of a black nape mark and the absence of brown markings across die gray wings, which also excluded the possibility of its having been a Little Gull (Larus minutus). Both Paul Opler and I are previously familiar with Sabine’s Gull from pelagic trips off the California coast during April and September. Robert O. Paxton, c/o Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, N.Y. 11790 ED. NOTE: This is the tenth Long Island record and also the latest by over a month. The previous eight fall records were between Sept. 12 and Oct. 20. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FALL SEASON August 16-November 30 David B. Peakall The Common Egret (also called the American or Great Egret) has had a checkered history in New York State. Eaton (1910) called this egret “an occasional visitant” and listed some 26 records for the state over a fifty year period. Lillian Stoner (Kingbird 10:130, 1960) has summarised the history of the species in the Hudson and Mohawk valleys. She noted that the regular occurrences in the late summer and early fall started in the late thirties. On a boat trip from Albany to Kingston Point on September 12, 1948 no less than 239 egrets were counted. This appears to have been the high point in the counts of this species although the discontinuing of the steamer service in 1948 meant that comparable counts were no longer available. Certainly the species declined in the period 1950-1955. Since 1955 the maximum count has been 15 (in 1958) and now only a few individuals are reported annually. A marked decrease has also been noted at Montezuma, although there is little information before 1955. In 1957 it was stated that the “final early fall count showed approximately 100, somewhat below last year’s number.” The counts for the last few years have been 12-22. Tanghe’s seasonal abundance charts of the birds of the Rochester area covering the period 1951-1954 (Kingbird 5:69. 1955) shows that the species was a good deal commoner at that period than now. One surprising point is that the upstate occurrences due to post¬ breeding dispersal have decreased at the time that this egret has become established as a breeding species on Long Island. Although comparable counts from year to year are difficult to obtain there is no sign of a de¬ crease in the breeding population there. 27 There was a fine flight of both species of kinglet with a peak in late October in most regions. Several of the daily trapping totals at Island Beach, N.J. were higher than any of the daily totals recorded in Bull’s Birds of the New York Area. The banding stations on Long Island also recorded higher numbers than usual of both kinglets although the num¬ bers were much lower than those at Island Beach. The size of the move¬ ment is demonstrated by the fact that I found large numbers of Ruby- crowned Kinglets in North Carolina at the end of October, when the num¬ bers were still high in New York. In contrast the numbers of warblers and thrushes were considered low in many areas and this was borne out by the banding data from Long Island. Once again the information from these trapping stations is a major part of the report from Region 10. There was a large flight of Brant along Lake Ontario; 6000 were seen moving from west to east near Rochester on November 4 and 4000 were present at the south-east corner of the lake during late October and early November. The flight of scoter at Derby Hill at the south-east comer of the lake on October 19 was tremendous, 6000 individuals of three species. The scattering of "inland’ records in late October was higher than usual suggesting an overland flight to the Atlantic. As discussed previously in these summaries this appears to be a regular flyway for Brant, scoter, and jaegers. So far most areas report a poor flight of winter finches. The reason for this can be found in the Adirondack report; the mast and seed crop is termed phenomenal. Hundreds and hundreds of finches were noted around Sabattis and Lake Placid. Most numerous were Red Crossbill, Evening and Pine Grosbeaks, Pine Siskin, and Goldfinches. Scheider notes that it was actually one of the heaviest flights of winter finches ever noted in Region 5, but it was virtually confined to northern Herkimer and north¬ east Oneida counties. In view of the excellent food supply there, it seems to be necessary for the birders to go to the birds in this case. Rarities included Eared Grebe (2 & 3), Frigate Bird (10), Swallow¬ tailed Kite (Region 3, probably the first of the century for the state), Sandhill Crane (8), Purple Gallinule (10), a flock of 40 Hudsonian God- wit (3), Lesser Black-backed Gull (3), a count of 11 Franklin’s Gulls (1), Little Gull (2 & 5), Western Kingbird (1), Wheatear (1 & 10), and Lark Bunting (10). It is regretted that only a brief account from Region 1 was available for this summary. Upstate Medical Center, 766 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, N.Y. 13210 Abbreviations used in regional reports: arr-arrival, arrived; Co-County; imm-imma- ture; max-maximum one-day count; mob-many observers; Pk-Park; Pt-Point; R-River; Rd-Road. All numbers given are the number of individuals unless otherwise stated. 28 REGION 1 — NIAGARA FRONTIER Robert A. Sundell The second half of August and the month of September produced temperatures very close to the long-term average. Precipitation was slightly more than usual for August but nearly three and one quarter inches above average during September. Most of the rain fell during the final third of the month with a widespread heavy downpour on the 28th producing nearly 3.5 inches in Buffalo, 5 inches across much of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties and almost 6 inches at Olean, October was about two degrees warmer than average with near normal precipitation although this included 4 inches of snow in Cattaraugus County on October 19. November brought considerable temperature variation with the average slightly below normal and the colder temperatures mostly during the latter half. Total precipitation was approxi¬ mately twice the usual amount and in Chautauqua County all but five days of the month produced measurable moisture. Annual counts of the Purple Martins utilizing the Jamestown bird roost during pre- migratory flocking produced the lowest maximum numbers yet recorded there, sug¬ gesting that it is a legitimate “disaster species” in this area. An outstanding flight of Bonaparte’s Gulls occurred during October and November on the Niagara River but as complete data are not yet available it is impossible to compare with the ex¬ traordinary influx of November 1959. As usual, other species occurring with the Bonaparte’s added great interest. More Franklin’s Gulls than ever were seen with a maximum count of 11. Fewer Little Gulls than during many recent fall flights were observed. A dead Kittiwake was found and one or two others were seen. A Sabine’s Gull was collected across the river from Buffalo. Most northern species did not make a particularly impressive showing. Four Snowy Owls were noted and for the second consecutive year few winter finches put in an early appearance, the major exception being a peak of 100 Red Crossbills along Lake Ontario in mid-November. Several species of warblers occurred later than usual this fall. The outstanding rarities for the period were Harlequin Duck, Yellow Rail, Hud- sonian Godwit, Western Kingbird, Wheatear and Dickcissel. Abbreviations: Bflo—Buffalo; Catt—Cattaraugus; Cem—Cemetery; Chaut—Chau¬ tauqua; Nia—Niagara; Ont—Ontario. Contributors: RFA—Robert F. Andrle; CB—Clarence Beal; PB—Paul Benham; IB— Ima Bill; TLB—Thomas L. Bourne; OGB—O. Gilbert Burgeson; LDB—Lou and Doris Burton; AC—Arthur Clark; WC—Wilma Csont; DD—Dorothy Danner; HBD— Harold and Barbara Dodge; SWE—Stephen W. Eaton; FE—Flora Elderkin; RG— Ross Gardner; PH—Paul Hess; RHH—R. H. Hesselbart; RJ—Ramon Jordan; LFK—Lewis F. Kibler; JK—Joseph Kikta; WHK—Walter and Harriet Klabunde; HDM—Harold D. Mitchell; GN—George North; ECP—Elizabeth C. Pillsbury; AR— Archie Richardson; RR—Robert Rybczynski; ELS—Edward L. Seeber; WGS—William and George Smith; RAS—Robert A. Sundell; OS—Ora Swanson; GGW—Gertrude G. Webster. LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: poor flight, max 4 Nov 11 Cuba L (LDB). Red-throated Loon: one Nov 2 Hamburg Town Pk (TLB). Red-necked Grebe: one Nov 5 Lewiston (WHK). Double-crested Cormorant: a fish eater that may be sus¬ ceptible to increasing pesticide levels, numbers should be carefully monitored; one adult Oct 29 Barcelona (RAS, AR). Least Bittern: TV tower kill, one Sept 24 Colden (AC). Whistling Swan: poor showing (few stopped on fight from Long Pt, Ont to Chesapeake Bay), max 90 Nov 26 Mayville (CB et al.). Canada Goose: heavy flight 29 over hill country south of Bflo Oct 1-9 max 1175 Oct 5 Belmont (LDB). Brant: 500 Nov 7 Pt Breeze, Orleans Co (GGW, IB); one Nov 12 Cuba L (LDB)—first Alle¬ gany Co record. Blue Goose: uncommon or unrecorded in fall most years—one Oct 27 mouth of Catt Creek (RHN). Gadwall: 10 Nov 12 Riverside (RAS, AR); throughout month—10 Nia R (mob). Ring-necked Duck: unusually large fall concentration—35 Nov 24 Mayville (RAS). Oldsquaw: 15 Nov 19 Allegheny Reservoir (SWE). HARLEQUIN DUCK: imm male studied at close range for 45 minutes Nov 26 Barcelona (RAS, AR, RG)—first regional record since 1958, third Chaut Co record. Scoters: White-winged, four Sep 11 Hamburg Town Pk, unusually early (RFA), 90 Nov 2 same locality (RFA); Surf, 6 Oct 29 Barcelona (RAS, AR). Ruddy Duck: 48 Nov 5 Cuba L (LDB). Mer¬ gansers: Hooded, 140 Nov 24 Mayville (RAS), Red-breasted, 1000 Nov 7 Olcott (GGW, IB). HAWKS—OWLS:Hawks generally scarce with no marked flights. Goshawk: two small young in May but nest empty in early June at site near Olean, adult at nest site Nov 1 (SWE). Broad-winged: exceptionally poor fall showing. Rough-legged: a few scattered birds on lake plains in Nov—max 4 Nov 11 Lyndonville (WGS). Bald Eagle: imm Nov 12 Hamburg Town Pk (RFA). Marsh: 9 Nov 5 Lyndonville (WGS)—unusual concentration of an increasingly uncommon raptor. Osprey: arr— one Aug 16 Scio (LDB). Peregrine Falcon: one Sep 20 Town of Tonawanda (In¬ skip, Zehr). Turkey: good numbers across Southern Tier—max 41 in two flocks Sept 30 Alma Hill (Allen Ives). YELLOW RAIL —imm captured alive in downtown Jamestown Nov 30, specimen donated to Bflo Museum of Science (RAS, LFK), first regional record since 1948. Common Gallinule: 13 (2 adults, 5 imm; 1 adult, 5 imm) Sep 1 Cuba Marsh (LDB). Am. Coot; 1000 Nov 26 Mayville (CB)—flight sub par. Am. Golden Plover: three Aug 16 Prendergast Pt (RAS, AR); max 76 Sep 15 Clarence (PB); one Oct 12 Fillmore (LDB). Black-bellied Plover: 12 Sep 9 Prendergast Pt (RAS). Common Snipe: 30 Nov 1 Dayton (JK). Whimbrel: one Sep 11 Straw¬ berry Island, Nia R (AC, ELS). Upland Plover: 6 Aug 30 over Belmont (LDB). An unusual concentration of shorebirds occurred at Fillmore in Allegany Co on Oct 12 including the Golden Plover noted above, three Spotted, one Solitary, 10 Pectoral, one Western (first co record) and two Semipalmated Sandpipers and three Dunlins plus the more common species (LDB). Other interesting sandpipers; Solitary, one Oct 14 Scio (LDB); Baird’s eight Sep 10 Prendergast Pt (RAS); Western, two Aug 17 Prendergast Pt (FE, ECP), singles Aug 15, 16 same location, Aug 17 Dunkirk (RAS, AR). HUDSONIAN GODWIT : two Sep 11 Strawberry Island, Nia R (AC et al). Phalaropes: Red, one Nov 22 Athol Springs (TLB); Northern, one Oct 12 Redhouse L, Allegany State Pk (OGB, Corl Belknap); unidentified, three Oct 30- Nov 16 Dewittville (Pollaro fide RAS). Parasitic Jaeger: one Sep 22 Sturgeon Pt (TLB). Gulls: two Glaucous unusually early Oct 27 adult. Silver Creek, second year imm mouth of Catt Creek (RHH); two Glaucous and three Iceland Nov 25 Nia R (HDM et al); Franklin’s, highest count ever on Nia R—11 Nov 1 (PH et al); one Nov 12 Bay View (RFA)—rare on south shore L Erie; Little, fewer than most recent years—max three upper Nia R Nov 12 (GN); Black-legged Kittiwake, one Nov 23 Bflo Harbor (RFA), one picked up dead on beach at Athol Springs Nov 30 (TLB); Sabine’s, one Nov 19—29 when collected across Nia R from Bflo (mob). Forster’s Tern: two Sep 4 Dunkirk Harbor (RAS), one Sep 20 mouth of Canadaway Creek (FE, ECP). Caspian Tern: one Sep 1 (JK), three Sep 12, two Sep 17 Dunkirk Harbor (RAS). Owls: Snowy, four singles, first Nov 14 Cheektowaga (McKales); Long-eared, one Nov 24 Forest Lawn Cem, Bflo (PH); Short-eared, one Nov 13 Lake View (TLB). 30 GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Common Nighthawk: poor flight—max 48 Sep 5 over Kenmore (PB). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: arr early—one Sep 12 Batavia (George Buckland). Eastern Kingbird: good late Aug flight—30 Falconer, 40 Randolph Aug 27 (RAS, AR); early departure—six Sep 6 Wellsville (LDB). WEST¬ ERN KINGBIRD: one carefully observed for about five minutes on farm just off Route 16 five miles south of Franklinville Sep 24 (Richard O’Hara)—full details sub¬ mitted; second regional record, first Sep 9, 1960 about 20 miles north of this location. Crested Flycatcher: last—one Sep 20 Jamestown (FE). Least Flycatcher: departure- two Sep 29 Belmont (LDB). Cliff Swallow: good late Aug flight—early departure, 20 Sep 2 Caneadea (LDB). Purple Martin: lowest counts at Jamestown bird roost since study began (compare Kingbird Vol. 12 (3,4): 128-130)-Aug 14, 400; Aug 22. 150; Aug 28, 35; Aug 31,11 (CB). Red-breasted Nuthatch: very poor flight with single reports for Oct and Nov. A six inch snow on Nov 3-4 brought a good flight along L Erie of Brown Creepers, Winter Wrens, Robins, both Kinglets, towhees and White- crowned and White-throated Sparrows, most departing on Nov 8. Mockingbird: singles Aug 20 Zoar Valley (PH), throughout Nov Athol Springs (WC), sporadically from Nov 5 on Jamestown (Hall fide RAS), Nov 8 Hanford Bay, Silver Creek (RHH). Thrushes: very poor flight with no notable concentrations; Hermit, late- one Nov 27 Ten Mile Rd, Vandalia, Catt Co (SWE). WHEATEAR : two Sep 27 (TLB)—second Region 1 record, first Sep 25, 1965 on Beaver Island State Pk. Water Pipit: moderate flight—arr one Sep 17 Dunkirk Harbor (RAS); 65 Riverside Oct 8 (RAS, RJ); 50 Nov 5 Cuba L (LDB); last—two Nov 21 Elma (DD). Shrikes: Northern, modest flight—five with first report of two Nov 9; Loggerhead, one Aug 20 Niobe (AR). VIREOS—WARBLERS: Birds dribbled through, especially in late Aug and Sep, with the usual late Sep peak occurring this year between the 24th and 27th. More than the usual number of warblers appeared as Nov stragglers this year. Warbling Vireo: average departure—Sep 25 Spring Brook (DD). Warblers: Tennessee, one Nov 12 Hamburg (TLB); Orange—crowned, fewer reports than most years; Nash¬ ville, one Nov 7 North Boston (HBD); Parula, three Sep records in Bflo suburbs; Myrtle , not noted until mid Sep at least two weeks later than usual; Black-throated Green, three Nov 7 North Boston (HBD); Blackburnian, one found freshly dead Nov 17 Jamestown (RAS); Pine, one Sep 18 Hamburg (TLB); Palm, one Nov 6, 7 James McNally feeder, Dunkirk (RHH); Louisiana Waterthrush, departed breeding locale Ten Mile Rd, Vandalia Sep 9 (SWE); Connecticut, reports concentrated in time and location—singles, specimen Sep 24 Colden TV tower (AC), Sept 25 Lake¬ side Cem, Hamburg (RFA, TLB), Sept 26 Eden (TLB), Sep 27 Pt Stockholm, Chaut L (OS); Wilson’s, one or two Aug 20 Spring Brook (DD); Canada, one Aug 12 Spring Brook (DD); Am. Redstart, imm male Nov 21 Scio (Pitzrick). BLACKBIRD—SPARROWS: Bobolink: departure one Sep 10 Times Beach, Bflo (RR). Rusty Blackbird: unusually large late concentration—2000 Nov 12 Riverside (RAS, Jack Gulvin). DICKCISSEL: singles Nov 5, 16 Hamburg (RFA; RFA, Avery). Evening Grosbeak: five Oct 31 Jamestown (RJ); seven Nov 1 Ten Mile Rd, Vandalia (SWE); one Nov 9 Spring Brook (DD); two Nov 16 Belmont (Burdick). Common Redpoll: one Nov 11 Hamburg (RFA); five Nov 17 Lake View (TLB); 25 Nov 30 Wellsville (LDB). Pine Siskin: several reports from scattered localities mid Oct on, max 25 Nov 8 Youngstown (PB). Red Crossbill: Nov 8 on Youngstown, max 100 Nov 12 (WHK). Slate-colored Junco: early—one Sep 8 Delaware Pk, Bflo (PH et al). Fox Sparrow: one Nov 20 Fluvanna (OGB) Lincoln’s Sparrow: poor flight—one Oct 2 Cuba Marsh (LDB). Lapland Longspur: four, two Nov 28, 29 Elma (DD). Snow Bunting: arr—one Oct 22 Prendergast Pt (RAS, AR, RG); 150 Nov 11 Elma (DD). 19 Chestnut Street, Jamestown, N.Y. 14701 31 REGION 2 —GENESEE Howard S. Miller Temperatures were below normal for the whole period, which did not, however, bring on an early fall migration. Precipitation for the period was well above normal and the excess was distributed evenly through the three and a half months. About four inches of snow fell in mid November. The lake level continued high, although dropping somewhat by the end of the period. Unusual species reported included Eared Grebe, Peregrine Falcon, Purple Sand¬ piper, Hudsonian Godwit, Red Phalarope, Parasitic Jaeger, Little Gull and Oregon Junco. Observers cited: JJD—James J. Doherty; JF—John Foster; AEK—Allen E. Kem- nitzer; WCL—Walter C. Listman; WL—Warren Lloyd; CM—Catherine Mack; TM— Ted Mack; RM—Robert McKinney; MM—Maryanne Menuhin; HSM—Howard S. Miller; LM—Laura Moon; NM—Dr. Neil Moon; RTO—Richard T. O’Hara; FP—Frank Phelps; ES—Ester Styles; MS—Maryanne Sunderlin; TET—Thomas E. Tetlow. Localities: BR—Braddock’s Bay; DEP—Durand Eastman Park; EL—East Lake Shore; HSP—Hamlin State Park; OBP—Ontario Beach Park; SB—Sodus Bluff; WL— West Lake Shore. LOON—DUCKS: Common Loon: very good fall flight, max 500 along EL Oct 28 (AEK, WCL, TET). Red-throated Loon: scarce, only a few reports of single birds. Homed Grebe: good fall flight, max 350 at HSP Oct 29 (JJD, HSM, EP). EARED GREBE: one at Manitou carefully observed under favorable conditions Oct 19 (WCL). Black-crowned Night Heron: 17 at BB Sep 11 (WCL), otherwise scarce. American Bittern; a very late bird at BB Nov 26 (WCL, TM). Whistling Swan; four at HSP Oct 29 (GOS hike), four at BB Nov 12 (FP et al). Brant; usually this species passes in a concentrated flight during favorable weather conditions sometime during the last two weeks of October. However, the October high count this year was only 250 at Manitou Oct 19 (WCL). The peak came on Nov 4 when an esti¬ mated 6,000 passed along the lakeshore from west to east (AEK, WCL). The next day about 350 were seen at Manitou (Robert Jones et al). Gadwall; nine at Mendon Ponds Pk Oct 29 (WL, MS). Common Scoter; three at SB Sep 30 (AEK); six at Oklahoma Beach Nov 12 (WL, MS); ten at HSP Nov 13 (JJD, HSM). HAWKS—OWLS: Red-tailed Hawk: 65 moving along the WL Aug 17 (HSM, RTO). These late summer flights are regular at about this time. The birds move west to east on a strong SW wind, a smaller duplicate of the spring flights. Broad-winged Hawk: one in Sweden Sep 12 (WCL). Rough-legged Hawk: good fall flight; max 12 along WL Nov 26 (AEK, TM). PEREGRINE FALCON: one at SB Oct 20 (WL), second report this year. Sparrow Hawk: increasing, three or four frequently seen in a day compared to none or one average three years ago. Killdeer: 129 in Parma Oct 18 (WCL); 100 in the same place Nov 12 (JJD et al), rather late for so large a number. American Golden Plover: rather uncommon, max 30 in Parma Aug 27 ( JJD, HSM)—frequently fall counts are in the hundreds. Black- bellied Plover: relatively few reports and small numbers, probably partly due to high water levels. Knot: two at OBP Sep 4 (TM). PURPLE SANDPIPER: one at Mani¬ tou Oct 26 (WCL). Short-billed Dowitcher: 40 flying over OBP Aug 17 (HSM, RTO)—only worthwhile number reported. HUDSONIAN GODWIT: two in field in Parma Sep 28 (WCL); one in rainwater pond in Parma Oct 22 (AEK), two in same place Oct 27-29 (several). RED PHALAROPE: one at Sodus Pt Oct: 6 (MM, ES). PARASITIC JAEGER: one at Manitou Oct 19 (WCL). Bonaparte’s Gull: 450 at Irondequoit Bay Nov 23 (MS et al). LITTLE GULL: adult at Manitou Oct 29 (WCL); adult at OBP Nov 13 (JJD, HSM). Forster’s Tern: a late bird at: Manitou Beach Nov 4 (WCL). Common Tern: a very late bird at Webster’s Beach Nov 19 32 (AEK). Snowy Owl: two at Pt Breeze Nov 26 (AEK, CM, TM). Short-eared Owl: a fairly good fall flight, max six at BB Nov 25 (WCL). Saw-whet Owl: one netted and banded in Penfield Sep 30 (RM). GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Common Nighthawk: 35 seen over downtown Rochester Sep 8 (JF et al), most of these doubtless migrating birds. Pileated Wood¬ pecker: one in Irondequoit Oct 14 (LM, NM) was probably a roaming bird as the section is mostly a suburban area where one would not expect the species to be resident. Tree Swallow: four at Sodus Bay Oct 28 (WCL), last date. Tufted Tit¬ mouse: three in DEP Nov 19 (GOS hike); regular at feeders in Irondequoit and Webster. VIREOS—WARBLERS: Orange-crowned Warbler: one at Oklahoma Oct 23 (WCL). Yellow-breasted Chat: a very late bird in Webster Oct 14-21 (WL). Am. Redstart: a late bird in Webster Oct 21 (MS), also one seen in the same location Nov 12 (MS). BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Scarlet Tanager: a late bird in Island Cottage Woods Oct 21 (JJD, HSM). Evening Grosbeak: five in DEP Nov 10 (JJD); a very few reported at feeders. Common Redpoll: 35 along the WL Nov 13 (JJD, HSM). Pine Siskin: max 20 in DEP Nov 10 (JJD); a few other reports of smaller numbers. Red Crossbill: 14 in Powder Mill Pk Nov 7 (Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Dakin); 50 in DEP Nov 19 (GOS hike). Vesper Sparrow: a rather late bird in Kendall Nov 16 (WCL). OREGON JUNCO: a well marked bird in Irondequoit Nov 19 (LM, NM), not seen subsequently. Fox Sparrow: two rather late birds in Irondequoit Nov 19 (GOS hike). 2080 East Main Street, Rochester, N.Y. 14609 REGION 3 —FINGER LAKES Sally Hoyt Spofford The Region experienced every conceivable type of weather during the period and it seemed more unpredictable than usual. After a fairly chilly and wet late August and early September, it warmed up and, except for several dips into the 30’s and 40’s, stayed above normal until the third week in October, when came the first hard freeze. Precipitation was above normal, with several drenching rains. Fall colors were poor as a result, and the leaves fell suddenly when the freezes finally came. November threatened us at first with snow and ice, but didn’t live up to the threat—the end of the month was open and mild. The shorebird count dropped off after mid-August at Montezuma, and the daily (or weekend) species count was not impressive. No Ruff this year, no Buff-breasted Sandpiper. But a peak of 40 Hudsonian Godwits is almost inconceivable—five is the highest previous count that I know of. Furthermore the Godwits ( a dozen or so at least) lingered for several weeks. Other birds of note are the Eared Grebe on Seneca Lake, an immature plumaged Little Blue Heron, a King Rail and the Lesser Black- backed Gull, back again. But by far the most remarkable record was a Swallow¬ tailed Kite (see field note) unmistakeably identified by Fish and Wildlife employee Earl Baysinger, Chief of the Bird-Banding Laboratory, en route to the AOU in Toronto. This may be the first New York State record this century. Montezuma was host to almost 80,000 waterfowl this fall, compared with 50,000 last year. Wild seeds and fruit seem very abundant, but so far this has not lured many winter finches into the area. It looks like a good Rough-legged Hawk year. 33 Observers cited: WEB—Walter E. Benning; JB—Jamesine Bardeen; JBr—Jack Brubaker; DC—Dwight Chamberlain; TC—Tom Cade; FG—Frank Guthrie; WG— William Groesbeck; CH—Clayton Hardy; WH—Wilifred Howard; PMK—Paul M. Kelsey; EJ—Eric Johnson; CL—Charles Leek; ML—Malcolm Lerch; DM—Dorothy Mcllroy; PM—Peter Murtha; BBS—Betty and Barrie Strath; FGS—Fritz G. Scheider; WRS—Walter R. Spofford; JW—Jayson Walker; MPW—Mary P. Welles; RW—Richard Weisbrod. Area compilers: Jamesine Bardeen, Walter E. Benning, Frank Guthrie, Clayton Hardy, William Groesbeck, Jayson Walker, Mary P. Welles. Localities: Cay L—Cayuga Lake; MNWR—Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge; Sen L—Seneca Lake; SWS—Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary. LOONS—DUCKS: Red-throated Loon: one Nov 9 Cay L first for year, one Nov 23 near Ithaca (EJ). EARED GREBE ; one Nov 26 n. end Sen L (WEB), same location as several previous years but earlier date. Pied-billed Grebe: max 15 Nov 11 MNWR (WEB). Double-crested Cormorant: one Oct 15-29 MNWR, quite uncommon in fall. Great Blue Heron: up to 100 first week Sep MNWR (WEB), increase over last few years. Green Heron: max 400 on Storage Pond MNWR third week August, highest count in some years (WEB); reported in good numbers around Elmira that same week (WH). Little Blue Heron: one imm Oct 23 Troy Rd, Ithaca on farm pond (Betty Pierce, confirmed by DM); this is almost same date as only report in ’66. Common Egret: max 12^15 in Sep MNWR. Black-crowned Night Heron: max 5 Sep 26 compared with max 27 in 1966 (WEB). Least Bittern: Ben¬ ning had only a single sighting (Sep 4) during weekly or semi-weekly visits to MNWR; this species is decreasing, or becoming increasingly elusive. Mute Swan: one at MNWR through Oct 15; the whole family on Owasco L was wiped out in early Nov by disease. Whistling Swan: two MNWR through Oct 15 (CH); one from summer through Nov 7 s. end Seneca L; max 17, Nov 27 Cay L (Maguire). Canada Goose: heavy flights Oct 6—8, good flight Oct 17-20; 4500 Oct 15 MNWR, 6500 peak Nov 12. Brant: 300 max Nov 7 over Watkins Glen (JBr); only one at Ithaca Nov 9 (EJ) to Nov 28 (DM). Snow Goose: four-14 end of Oct MNWR (CL, CH). Blue Goose: seven-44, Oct 29-Nov 12 MNWR, higher than ’66 counts. Black Duck: reported down in numbers on Keuka L this fall; numbers at SWS end of Nov comparable to last two years. Peak counts (made Nov 12 unless otherwise noted) and dates for waterfowl at MNWR (C'H) are as follows: Total waterfowl at peak approx. 80,000; Mallard 15,000; Black Duck 13,200; Gadwall 9,900; American Widgeon 24,700; European Widgeon: one Sep 3 (WEB); Pintail 6,200; Green-winged Teal 2,400; Blue-winged Teal 900; Shoveler 7,400; Wood Duck 450 Sep 7, still 6 on Nov 12; (one pair still present on SWS pond Dec. 1); Redhead 470 Oct 22; Ringnecked Duck 280 Oct 22; Canvasback 145; Scaup 280 Oct 22; Bufflehead 40 Oct 22; Ruddy Duck 34 Oct 22; Hooded Merganser 276 Nov 5; Com¬ mon Merganser 100; Red-breasted Merganser 318 Nov 5. Oldsquaw: one female Oct 29 MNWR (CL); flock of 80 Oct 29 Watkins Glen (JBr). Common Scoter: one fe¬ male (rare) Nov 27 near Aurora on Cay L (PM). All MNWR counts by Refuge Personnel unless otherwise noted. HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: gradually increasing number of reports; two Sep 20 Homell and “several other sightings” (WG); 15 Sep 24 near Seneca Falls (DC); one dead Nov 7 Brooktondale (RW), in Cornell collection, late and rare in Ithaca area. SWALLOW-TAILED KITE: well authenticated sighting of single bird Aug 20, 25 miles n. of Ithaca on Route 89 (Earl Baysinger)—see field note. Sharp- shinned Hawk: one Nov 8 Turkey Hill n.e. Ithaca (John Kelley); Cooper’s Hawk: one Oct 29 Waterloo area (JW); one Oct 7 near Tompkins Co airport (Sam Sweet); two sightings Aug 21 and Nov 25 near Odessa (BBS); one Oct 11 near Dryden (T. Cade); one imm Sep 1 SWS, made unsuccessful passes at birds at feeder; one killed Ithaca Game Farm in Oct. Red-tailed Hawk: good numbers all fall, at least 34 four killed at Ithaca Game Farm. Red-shouldered Hawk: few sightings. Broad¬ winged Hawk; no noticeable flight through this area this year. Rough-legged Hawk; one Sep 17 (early) MNWR (G. Shepherds); one Oct 22 MNWR (CL); one Nov 6 Townsend (JBr); approximately 10 reports during November in Cay L Basin. Bald Eagle: one only, adult Aug 27 over Etna (WRS). Marsh Hawk: scattered sightings at Hornell, Watkins Glen and MNWR. Osprey: singles MNWR, s. end Cay L, Fall Creek Ithaca. Peregrine Falcon: one Sep 30 MNWR (FGS); two Oct 7 MNWR (Warren Lloyd, Maryann Sunderlin). Pigeon Hawk: one Nov 17 MNWR (Ref. per¬ sonnel-first fall report in several years. Sparrow Hawk: reported as slightly up in numbers at Keuka and Waterloo; several successful nests near Etna this year. Ruffed Grouse: decrease over last year. Virginia Rails and Soras continued hard to find. KING RAIL: one found dead in Oct, just e. of Odessa, specimen saved but not yet received at Cornell (fide JBr and BBS)—first record since 1960. Common Galli- nule: max 42 Sep 6 (WEB). Am. Coot: peak 6,850 MNWR Oct 15 (max 660 in 1966). Shorebirds: scarce at Keuka and Elmira, no mud flats. The following shore bird reports are from MNWR, and by Walter Benning, unless otherwise noted. Numbers after Aug 15 were smaller than prior to that date, though new species turned up. Mudflats extensive, but at a distance, so identification and counts difficult. Killdeer: max 186 Sep 20. Golden Plover: one Sep 13; three Sep 27. Black-bellied Plover: max 3 Aug 26 (max 34 in 1966). Common Snipe: max 45 Sep 20. Spotted Sandpiper: max 12 Aug 19. Solitary Sandpiper: one only Sep 6; none at SWS. Greater Yellow- legs: max 50 (max 41 in 1966). Lesser Yellowlegs: max 114 Aug 29, well above max 30 in 1966. Pectoral Sandpiper: fewer than last year, max 30 (79 in 1966). White- rumped Sandpiper: max 12 Oct 7. Baird’s Sandpiper: only one sighting at MNWR this season. Dunlin: max 200 Oct 14. Short-billed Dowitcher: max 113 Aug 20, last date Oct 1. Long-billed Dowitcher: 10 Sep 16, first; max 25 Oct 15; last Oct 29. Stilt Sandpiper: one Sep 20 first; max 13 Oct 1; ten Oct 15 last. Western Sandpiper: one only, Aug 19. Semipalmated Sandpiper: max 100 Sep 13 (normal). HUD- SONIAN GODW1T : (see introductory remarks) first, two Sep 17; 25 Sep 28 (mob); max 40 Sep 30, unprecedented highs. Sanderling: single birds Aug 26, Oct 1. Wilson’s Phalarope: one Aug 26. RED PHALAROPE: one Sep 30 and Oct 1, a first for Montezuma; species is very uncommon throughout the Finger Lakes. Most shorebirds had left MNWR by Oct 22. Great Black-backed Gull: first, one imm Sep 16 Cay L Inlet (CL); max six end of Nov. LESSER BLACK-RACKED GULL: one, possibly two, for fifth year Cay L Nov 18—this is earliest date it has been seen; carefully observed, all characters including yellow mouth-lining noted. Great Horned Owl: frequent reports of hooting late Nov. Snowy Owl: one (first, early) Oct 30, Ridge Rd n. of Horseheads (Mrs. Leah Benjamin); one, mid-Nov w. of Ithaca (fide V. Hannan); one Nov 27 MNWR (fide D. B. Peakall); one Nov 30 near Elmira (Mrs. E. Russell). Saw-whet Owl: one Nov 26 SWS (M. Hundley). GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Common Nighthawk: no migration flight noted 'this year at Hornell (WG); one Oct 27 near Elmira, very late date, all details care¬ fully noted (MPW). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Oct 5 Watkins Glen—rather late date (JBr). Yellow-shafted Flicker: many comments on abundance this fall. Red¬ headed Woodpecker: young seen out of nest mid-Aug Powers Rd King Ferry. Red- bellied Woodpecker: slow increase noted around Keuka (FG). Olive-sided Fly¬ catcher: Sep 17 Connecticut Hill s.w. of Ithaca (JBr)—only report. Eastern Phoebe: seemed scarce. Tree Swallow: still present to end of period MNWR, 20-30 seen Nov 23 (WEB). Boreal Chickadee: several reported “sometime in November” near Elmira (Mrs. E. Russell), no supporting details. Red-breasted Nuthatch: almost no migrants noted, except six Nov 7 at Harris Hill, Elmira (WH). Carolina Wren: only one in Ithaca area, several known in Watkins Glen, Seneca L area. Mockingbird: scattered reports Ithaca, Keuka. Robin: many reports of sizeable flocks in migration; 35 e.g. 60 Nov 21 at Keuka (FG). Wood Thrush: Nov 11 (late) Turkey Hill e. of Ithaca (PM). E. Bluebird: encouraging reports on numbers in early fall. Kinglets: both species abundant in October. Loggerhead Shrike: two reports only, one Aug 31 Mt. Pleasant near Etna (WRS); one Sep 20'Dryden (TC). VIREOS—SPARROWS: Philadelphia Vireo: one Sep 14 Watkins Glen, one Sep 25 Waterloo (JW), often missed. Warblers: Wilifred Howard continued the Elmira Tower kill pick-up, visiting the area at least once a week from mid-August thru October. Total: 45, of which 17 were warblers. This compared with 260 last year. Fewer accidents or fewer birds? Warbler migration was noted on Sep 15 SWS, Sep 25 at Waterloo Cemetery. Some last dates: Tennessee Oct 28; Magnolia Oct 20; Black- throated Blue Oct 29 (ML, banded); Palm Nov 6. Myrtle: abundant all fall. Black¬ birds: for second successive year migration seemed less heavy, Grackles and Brown¬ headed Cowbirds being noted as definitely fewer at Keuka and Waterloo. Few Rusty Blackbirds. Baltimore Oriole: last dates, Oct 29 MNWR (Diane Beres), Nov 15 at Ithaca feeder (Turk). Scarlet Tanager: female Nov 6 (late) Elmira (MPW) feeding on wild grape, seemed lethargic. Evening Grosbeak: scattered reports of singles or small flocks in Ithaca area, some sections had no sightings, most reports from Watkins Glen area. American Goldfinch: two reports of newly-hatched young, first week in September, near Ithaca. Red Crossbill: one report only, Nov 11 Turkey Hill (PM). Vesper Sparrow; more seen than usual in migration (JW). Oregon Junco: two reports at Elmira, late Oct early Nov; no supporting details. Lincoln Sparrow: two reports only Oct 13, 27, Elmira (WH). Snow Bunting: several reports including one flock 75 MNWR early Nov (CH). Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850 REGION 4 —SUSQUEHANNA Leslie E. Bemont Although temperatures averaged a little below normal and precipitation a little above through October there was very little severe weather to hurry migrants on their way. Apparently for this reason last dates for small land bird species seemed to run late. The official temperature went as low as 32 degrees October 7 for the first time. Traces of snow fell October 19 and 28. November brought more severe cold and several appreciable snowfalls. The waterfowl migration, only very sketchily reported, seemed low in numbers but produced several surprizing species, including all three scoters. The white-winged could be considered a normal fall migrant here, but not the other two. The shore- bird migration, also sketchily reported, did produce most of the ordinary species, but only the pectoral sandpiper that seemed worthy of noting below. Evidence for an eagerly awaited incursion of winter finches was very meager and not at all promising. A second consecutive winter without them would be rather dis¬ heartening. Abbreviations: Berk—Berkshire; Bing—Binghamton; Chen—Chenango; CC—Choco- nut Center; NV—Newark Valley; Pep Res—Pepacton Reservoir; TC—Triple Cities area; WP—Whitney Point Flood Control Dam. Observers: LB—L. Bemont; DB—Dewey Bendle; MC—Mitchell Cubberly; M,AD— Marilyn and Anna Davis; LD—Louise Dean; CG—Claire Gottschall; JG—John Grant; JAG—John A. Gustafson; J,MH—Jeffry and Mark Harris; FL—Florence Linaberry; ML—Margaret Lynch; MS—Mary Sheffield; MW—Mildred White; R,SW—Ruth and Sally White; RW-Ruth Williams. 36 LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: max eight Oct 28, Pep Res (MC); also at Owego and WP. Red-necked Grebe: one Oct 14 WP (J, MH). Green Heron: Oct 1 Owego (MW). Black-crowned Night Heron: Aug 25 Owego (RW); one Sep 12 Truxton in Cortland Co (JG) Canada Goose: several reports of migrating flocks in the TC Oct 1, the first date; large numbers throughout Region until Oct 22; a few noted in the TC into Nov. Blue Goose: one Oct 1 Endwell (LB, J, MH), in a flock of Canadas. Snow Goose: three Oct 11 on river at Vestal (L. Theophanis). Gadwall: one Oct 14 WP (J, MH). Pintail, Green-winged Teal and American Widgeon re¬ ported in scattered small numbers. Blue-winged Teal: 25 Sep 1 Owego (RW) and 14 Sep 2 Scott in Cortland Co. (JG), the best numbers; at Owego until Oct 1. Shoveler: two Oct 12 WP (J, MH). Wood Duck: “many” along rivers in Cortland Co in Oct (JG). Greater Scaup: very small numbers reported, all in Oct. Lesser Scaup: 26 Oct 17 WP (J, MH). Bufflehead: Nov 5, six at Owego (RW, MW) and nine at Norwich (R, SW). Old squaw: one Oct 12 WP (J, MH); one Oct 22 Nor¬ wich (R, SW); eight Oct 29 Pep Res (MC); two Nov 8 WP (A. Levy). White¬ winged Scoter: two Oct 17 WP (J, MH); three Nov 8 WP (A. Levy). SURF SCOTER: three females or imm Oct 12 WP (J, MH), “no white wing patches, spots on head, dark cap, lighter underparts.” COMMON SCOTER: ten Sep 30 Nor¬ wich (R,SW), “huddled together—very black with bright orange at base of bill. Stayed all day.”; one female Oct 12 WP (J, MH), “no white wing patches, face lighter than crown and back of neck. Smaller than surf scoters and larger than ruddy duck” seen at same time, 100—150 yards with scope. Ruddy Duck: one Oct 12 WP (J, MH). Hooded Merganser: two Nov 24 Pep Res (MC), the only report. Common Merganser: Max 71 Aug 21 Pep Res (MC), then becoming scarce on the reservoir, but 35 seen Nov 24. HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: Oct 1 Owego (RW). Sharp-shinned Hawk: seven reports during the period scattered through Region. Cooper’s Hawk: two re¬ ports late in Nov at Endwell (FL), the only ones. Red-tailed Hawk: almost daily reports through Sep and Oct in TC. Red-shouldered Hawk: Sep 5 Bing (J, MH); Oct 25 Vestal Center (E. & N. Washburn); the only reports. Broad-winged Hawk: scarce; max eight or more Oct 27 Bing (J, MH). Bald Eagle: an adult Aug 19, 25 and 26 and an imm Nov 18, Pep Res (MC). Marsh Hawk: one Sep 10 Truxton (JG); one Nov 11 Norwich (R, SW). Osprey: one Aug 27 WP (MS), the first; four Oct 27 Owego (MW, C. Gerould), the last; 14 other reports. Peregrine Falcon: one in late Sep Candor (D. Weber). Killdeer: still present in small numbers in late Nov. Am. Woodcock: 15 Nov 11 South Owego (DB), the last ones reported. Up¬ land Plover; Aug 17 Owego (MW, RW). Spotted Sandpiper: Sep 17 last date. Pectoral Sandpiper: two Sep 17 WP (J, MH). Herring Gull: Sep 21 the first fall record. Ring-billed Gull: 200 Oct 20 Homer (JAG). Mourning Dove: apparently scarce, reported only infrequently the past few years. Black-billed Cuckoo: Sep 17 Endwell (LB), the last report. Screech Owl: five different localities. Barred Owl: heard during the latter part of Sep at Candor (D. Weber). GOATSUCKERS-STARLING: Whip-poor-will: one Sep 12 Truxton (JG). Com¬ mon Nighthawk: Sep 6 Owego (MW). Chimney Swift: Sep 4 Bing (W. Sutliff). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Oct 3 Johnson City (J. Ranney). Yellow-shafted Flick¬ er: common until Oct 17. Pileated Woodpecker: five reports. Red-headed Wood¬ pecker: one Nov 15 Homer (JAG); Nov 30 Nichols in Tioga Co. (H. Rinker). East¬ ern Kingbird: Oct 1 Owego (J. Shuler); last previous report Sep 15. Great Crested Flycatcher: Sep 4 Owego (RW, MW). Eastern Phoebe: Nov 12 Endicott (Mrs. E. Johnston). Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: Aug 21 Chen Forks (M, AD). Eastern Wood Pewee: Oct 9 Owego (RW, MW); last previous report Sep 17. Olive-sided Fly¬ catcher: one Sep 13 CC (MS). Tree Swallow: Oct 3 Vestal (Mrs. J. Kiley). Bank Swallow: Sep 9 Owego (RW). Barn Swallow: Sep 8 Bing (J, MH). Cliff Swallow: Aug 26 Greene (C. & J. Davis). Red-breasted Nuthatch: Oct 29 Endwell (LB); only 37 report. Brown Creeper: Oct 14 at Endwell (J, MH) and CC (MS), the first fall records. House Wren: Oct 18 South Owego (E. Williams). Winter Wren: Oct 6, Endwell (LB); quite common to Oct 23. Carolina Wren: Nov 1 Owego (MW). Long-billed Marsh Wren: Sep 17 and Oct 12 WP (J, MH). Mockingbird; reported from Norwich, Owego, Delhi and four TC localities, Catbird: Oct 29 Endwell (LB), banded. Brown Thrasher: Nov 7 Owego (DB); very few after Oct 11. Robin: plentiful until Oct 24. Wood Thrush: Oct 27 NV (LD). Hermit Thrush: the last one Oct 29 Endwell (LB) quite a few. Swainson’s Thrush: Oct 31 Chen Forks (M, AD). Gray-cheeked Thrush: Oct 8 Endwell (LB), banded. Veery: Oct 21 End- well (LB), banded, very late. Eastern Bluebird: decreased numbers after Oct 22. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: Sep 8 Owego (MW, RW). Golden-crowned Kinglet: first report Oct 2 Owego (C, Gerould, MW, RW). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Sep 2 End- well (FL); quite abundant until Oct 22. Water Pipit: 85 or more Oct 14 Broome Co Airport (MS); Oct 31 Berk (ML). Cedar Waxwing: present throughout period but in decreasing numbers after Oct 22. Northern Shrike: one Nov 16 Ingraham Hill (C. Howard). Loggerhead Shrike: Aug 30 South Owego (E. Williams). VIREOS—WARBLERS: Solitary Vireo: Oct 17 Bing (J, MH). Red-eyed Vireo: Oct 3 Bing (CG). Philadelphia Vireo: Oct 1 Endwell (J, MH). Warbling Vireo: Sep 17 Bing (J, MH). Warblers: Black-and-white: Oct 5 Owego (MW, RW). Golden-winged: one Aug 24 Norwich (R, SW), seldom reported from Chen Co; Sep 9 Chen Forks (M, AD). Blue-winged: Sep 4 Chen Forks (M, AD). Tennessee: Oct 6 Bing (H. Marsi), banded. Orange-crowned: Sep 29 Bing (J, MH). Nashville: Oct 8 CC (MS). Mag¬ nolia: Oct 30 Bing (CG). Cape May: Oct 1 Owego (RW). Black-throated Blue: Oct 15 CC (MS). Myrtle: a few Sep reports and present until Oct 31, but particu¬ larly common from Oct 6-22. Black-throated Green: Oct 2 Owego (MW, RW). Blackburnian: Oct 16 NV (LD). Chesnut-sided: Oct 3 NV (LD). Bay-breasted: Oct 1 Endwell (J, MH). Blackpoll: Oct 14 Endwell (FL). Pine: Sep 8 Owego (MW, RW), Palm: Sep 8 Owego (MW, RW) to Oct 12 Bing (J, MH). Ovenbird; Sep 29 Chen Forks (M, AD). Northern Waterthrush: Sep 26 Bing (CG). Connecticut: one Sep 25 Pep Res (MC); Oct 5 Owego (RW, MW). Yellowthroat: one Oct 29 Endwell (LB), banded. Wilson’s: Sep 7 Bing (CG) to Sep 27 Bing (J, MH), five reports be¬ tween. Canada: Sep 8 Owego (RW, MW). American Redstart: Sep 29 Bing (J, MH). BLACKBIRDS-SPARROWS: Bobolink: Sep 17 WP (J, MH). Baltimore Oriole: Sep 20 Bing (J, MH) then none until one Nov 3 Greene (S. & H. Hayes). Rusty Blackbird: 50 or more Oct 12 WP (J, MH); 20 still at Owego Nov 8 (RW); several reports between. Scarlet Tanager: Oct 13 Vestal (Mrs. J. Kiley). Rose-breasted Gros¬ beak: Oct 9 Owego (RW, MW). Indigo Bunting: Sep 19 NV (LD). Evening Gros¬ beak: Oct 26 Endwell (FL), Nov 3 Berk (ML) and reported at about the same time at Oneonta (J. New); then no more until one report from Deposit (S. Wilson) and three reports from nearby Pennsylvania at the end of Nov (E. & N. Washburn, CG). Purple Finch: reported in small numbers but regularly in a few areas through Nov. Pine Siskin: Oct 17 Owego (DB), also in small numbers at Homer (JAG) and Norwich and Gilbert State Pk (R, SW) in Nov. American Goldfinch: have remained common all period. White-winged Crossbill: Nov 7 Owego (MW, RW), the only report. Rufous-sided Towhee: common until Oct 23; at Cortland Nov 19 (O’Leary, Francis) and Nov 21 (Mrs. E. Clark) and at Owego Nov 30 (B. Hewlett). Savannah Sparrow: Oct 12 WP (J, MH). Grasshopper Sparrow: Sep 6 Owego (RW), the only report. Henslow’s Sparrow: one at feeder Oct 21 and 22, Andes (MC); no others. Vesper Sparrow: Nov 3 Berk (ML); many reports through Sep and Oct. Slate-colored Junco: Sep 20 Greene (C. & J. Davis); becoming common about Oct 10. Oregon Junco: one Oct 10 Endwell (FL); one Nov 25 Endwell (M. Rutbell). Tree Sparrow: Oct 16 Nichols (V. Hudson); next ones Nov 2. Chipping Sparrow: mostly gone after Oct 30; Nov 6 Westover (F. Ondreyko). Field Sparrow: few after Oct 22. White- 38 crowned Sparrow: Sep 26 Bing (CG); common to Oct 31. White-throated Sparrow: singing at Norwich Aug 23 and Sep 19 (R, SW); most common Oct 1 to Oct 23. Fox Sparrow: Oct 22 CC (MS); not too many. Lincolns Sparrow: Sep 12 Bing (CG) to Oct 23 Bing (J, MH); 14 other records. Snow Bunting: Nov 11 Berk (ML); 150 Nov 15 Preble (O’Leary, Francis). 710 University Ave., Endwell, N.Y. 13760 CORRIGENDUM; Oct. 1967 issue [17 (4);227] Canada Warbler should read (30/6). REGION 5 —ONEIDA LAKE BASIN M. S. Rusk and F. G. Scheider Fall 1967 seemed a bafflement of weather and migration —no warbler waves with the few cold fronts; no late lingering swallows despite the many insects and extreme warmth of October; no hordes of sparrows though the wet summer had produced abundant weed seed crops; and no gathering of Buteos Harriers, or Short-eared Owls despite increased rodent numbers, especially in the abandoned farmland near Fox Ridge — Howland Island and at Syracuse Airport. The watery siege of spring and summer persisted. September had day after day of windless and/or wet weather, and vireo-warbler migration was very sparse. October brought southerly winds, high temperatures, and rain with only three days of north or west winds at Syracuse; consequently, few flight days ensued. An exception was a tremendous waterfowl- jaeger-gull flight noted at Derby Hill October 19 on a 35+ m.p.h. cold northwest gale. The anticipated flood of early November migrants, particularly late shorebirds, waterfowl, and winter finches, never came. And by late November, despite its warm¬ ness after early snow Nov. 5, local birdlife had the sparse, dull look of the winter of 1966-67. An array of dead birds and dead bird fragments, mainly kinglets and Juncos and including Saw-whet Owls, November 11—12 along the Sandy Pond beaches indicates some night storm kill of November migrants over Lake Ontario. How extensive this may have been we can only conjecture, but fragments of scores of birds could be detected in the beach wrack and many more were probably devoured by the in¬ dustriously scavenging gulls. The brushlots and woods of the area hold a tremendous crop of berries (Black Haw, Mountain Ash, Hawthorne, Highbush Cranberry, Rose) and in protected areas half-hardies should do well this winter. Cone crops in the Tug Hill Plateau and southwestern Adirondacks are extremely heavy, and the Adirondack sector, as of this writing, has a plethora of winter finches. Birding positives include: 1) a superb flight of Brant and all three species of scoters; 2) good counts of dabbling ducks in September; 3) a fine show of phala- ropes; 4) increased numbers of jaegers; 5) a remarkable array of rare gulls, especially along Lake Ontario; 6) modest numbers of Rough-legged Hawk and Northern Shrike; 7) a heavy flight of flycatchers, most marked south of Syracuse; 8) good numbers of Purple Martins; 9) a very heavy flight of both kinglets; 10) large but late movements of Water Pipits, Homed Larks, and Snow Buntings; and 11) an October influx of certain winter finches, e.g. Evening Grosbeak, Pine Siskin. Whether the in¬ creasing numbers of Blue Jays this fall constitute an irruption like the winter finches is hard to determine; spring tallies of Blue Jays at Derby Hill may hopefully be instructive on this point. Negative aspects of ’67 fall birding are: 1) poor Common Loon and Canada Goose flights; 2) reduced numbers of herons, especially Black-crowned Night Heron, and the absence of white herons; 3) the sharp decline in Aythya diving ducks of all species, not just Redheads and Canvasbacks; 4) the precipitous decline in accipiters, certain buteos, and falcons; 5) a much reduced plover-sandpiper flight, almost cer- 39 tainly due to reduced shore and mudflat habitat; 6) a paucity of owls; 7) a vireo- warbler flight poor in numbers, although variety was good. Rarities for the season are King Eider, Peregrine, Piping Plover, Whimbrel, Purple Sandpiper, Ruff, Hudsonian Godwit, three phalaropes, two jaegers, Little Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Sabine’s Gull, Forster’s Tern, Black-backed Three-toed Wood¬ pecker, and Connecticut Warbler. Abbreviations: DH—Derby Hill near Texas; FHBSP—Fair Haven Beach State Park; FG — Fish Gulf near Otisco L; FR—Fox Ridge sugar beet settling impound¬ ments s. of Howland’s Island; HIGMA—Howland’s Island Game Management Area near Port Byron; HP—Holland Patent; Onon—Onondaga; SP—Sandy Pond; SPI—Sandy Pond inlet; SSSP—Selkirk Shores State Park; S&VB—Sylvan and Verona Beaches at e. end of Oneida L; Syr—Syracuse. Observers: DWA-D. W. Ackley; GLC—G. L. Church; C&EF—C. & E. Farnham; FLF—F. LaFrance; MH—M. Hundley; DM—D. Mcllroy; SM—Stephen Morgan; HPN -H. P. Nodecker; DBP-D. B. Peakall; B&SP-B. & S. Peebles; JWP-J. W. Propst; MSR-M. S. Rusk; FGS-F. G. Scheider; CGS-C. G. Spies, Jr.; RS-Richard Sutliff; J&EVD—J. & E. VanDresar. LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: arr Sep 24 FHBSP; max 14 (rather scarce) Oct 21-29 L Ontario. Red-throated Loon: five singles on L Ontario; one Nov 21-24 North Bay, Oneida L, where scarce (B&SP,DWA). Homed Grebe: arr Oct 7 SP (CGS,SM); max 125 Oct 29 L Ontario SP to Oswego (mob); max on Oneida L 58 Nov 23 (MSR). Double-crested Cormorant: high tallies are nine Oct 25 (C&EF) and six Oct 21 (MSR) both DH. Great Blue Heron: one-five/day thru Oct and Nov; max nine-ll/day Oneida L (B&SP); scarce at HIGMA, max five. Green Heron: small numbers (ten/day) at HIGMA Aug 23 (CGS) and Black Creek, Madison Co Aug 30 (MSR); last Oct 14 Oneida L (J&EVD). Black-crowned Night Heron: only report an imm Sep 16 SP (FGS), amazingly scarce. No white herons. American Bittern: max seven SP Sep 17; one-three/day there to Oct 29, last. Mute Swan: one adult HIGMA Oct 12-Nov 24 (RS, FGS). Canada Goose: arr Sep 28, nine SP; low counts throughout Region—1200 near Oneida Oct 6, 1670 HIGMA Oct 15—but an enormous flight heard passing over Syr for one hour the night of Oct 19-20 (JWP); lesser numbers thru Nov. Brant: heavy L Ontario flight Oct 19-Nov 13, with 740 Oct 19 DH, 1000 Oct 28 Oswego (JWP), 3930 Oct 29 SP to Nine Mile Pt (mob), 4000+ off DH in early Nov, and last, 700, Nov 13 (JWP). Snow Goose: only report two Oct 7 HIGMA (FLF). Blue Goose: one record, an adult Oct 19 DH (FGS). Mallard and Black Duck: heavy Sep concentrations at FR (max 1800 and 1200 respectively), Oct and Nov counts there much lower( max 250 and 175 respectively); 500+ Mallards and 170 Blacks thru Oct and Nov at Woodman’s Pond near Hamil¬ ton (GLC); in almost all areas Mallards now exceed Blacks. Gadwall: max 40 FR Aug 17 (FGS); scarce after that, none from SP or Oneida L, Pintail: 200 at FR- HIGMA Sep 14-17, 120 DH Oct 1, and 110' FR Oct 14; none reported after first snow Nov 5. Green- and Blue-winged Teal: heavy Sep concentrations at FR, max 500 and 800 respectively Sep 14; last, Green-winged Nov 15 and Blue-winged Oct 29, both early dep. Am. Widgeon: arr Aug 21 Onon L; tallies of 100-300/day thru mid-Oct, max 540 Oct 26 HIGMA-FHBSP; last, one Nov 19 (early dep) HIGMA. Shoveler: max 100 Sep 14 FR, an all-time high! Wood Duck: no large tallies but 130 Clay Swamp (CGS) and 118 Scott Swamp near Phoenix (MSR), both Oct 13; 75-85 at Woodman’s Pond thru Oct (GLC); last Nov 25 Syr (RS). Redhead: max 200—220 Oct 12-14 HIGMA; virtually unreported from other areas; max eight Nov 23 Oneida L and three Oct 5 Beaver L where formerly there were thousands and hundreds respectively. Ring-necked Duck: low counts all fall, 12-50/ day; max 200 Oct 5 Beaver L. Canvasback: like Redhead a disaster species—max 75 Nov 23 Oneida L (MSR); most observers saw none all fall. Greater Scaup: normally the most common fall diving duck, but max only 2000 Oct 19 in enormous waterfowl 40 flight, mostly Brant and scoters, at DH; Oneida L max 1700 Nov 23; continuous ob¬ servations at Shackleton Pt, Oneida L by P. Laible revealed a max there of only 1500 (normally 6-10,000). Common Goldeneye: first Oct 7 (late) DH and SP (CGS); max 550 Nov 30 Oneida L (FGS). Bufflehead: first Oct 20 (late) four Constantia (C&EF); max 50, s. shore Oneida L Nov 24 (B&SP); very scarce on al¬ most all ponds and inland lakes. KING EIDER: a female Nov 26 SB (CGS); none on L. Ontario, Scoters: a tremendous flight with 1300 White-winged, 1200 Surf, and 3500 Common Oct 19 DH (FGS); arr White-winged Sep 9, Common and Surf Sep 30; lesser numbers at other points along L. Ontario, a few on Oneida L, and reports of single Surf Scoters from such unlikely places as FR and Bradley Brook Reservoir, Madison Co (GLC). Ruddy Duck: one-three/day on Beaver L with 12 on Oct 26; one-eight/day Oct 20-Nov 30 at Oneida L (mob) where often scarce. Red-breasted Merganser: arr Oct 1 DH; max 4200 Oct 29, 3600 Nov 2, 3000+ Nov 12, all L Ontario, SP to Oswego. HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: max seven Sep 23 SSSP (MSR, CGS). No Goshawks noted. Only four each of Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks from 24 ob¬ servers—fantastically low— accipiters have virtually disappeared! Red-tailed Hawk: scarce; max five at HIGMA. Red-shouldered and Broad-winged Hawks: totals for 24 observers, nine and three respectively, incredibly low. Rough-legged Hawk: first noted Oct 29, three SP (MH, DM, FGS); scattered reports thereafter, one-two/day, to late Nov. Bald Eagle: one w. of Oswego Oct 29 (T. M. Riley), only report. Marsh Hawk: one-four/day but total number, 49, is low. Osprey: max two/day L Ontario and HIGMA; dep Oct 29 (late) HIGMA (RS). PEREGRINE FALCON: an adult SP Sep 30 (MSR, C&EF) and an imm VB Oct 1 (B&SP). Pigeon Hawk: single adult males Sep 7 FG (JWP) and Oct 7 SP (CGS, SM), the only reports. Sparrow Hawk: most common raptor but only by comparison with the other so very scarce species—max only eight, SP dunes Sep 7. Sora: a flight Sep 14-20 with most from FR impoundment edges. Coot: 50- 190/day in various areas (Woodman’s Pond, SP, Beaver L, FHBSP) but nowhere near the numbers of fall 1966. Shore habitat for shorebirds was minimal; stubble fields, airport lawns, and plowed ground of the area grew a rich, tall coat of grass under the autumnal rain and warmth. Accordingly, counts for both dry land and mudflat shorebirds were uni¬ formly low, but variety seemed good. Again, thirteen species were noted in Nov, the majority before the freeze-up of Nov 5. PIPING PLOVER: one Sep 28-Oct 1 SPI (WT, DM, FGS), first record in six years. Semipalmated Plover: max 25 on Aug 24 Onon L and Sep 10 SP; last Nov 1. Killdeer: numbers still present in late Oct; 30 on Nov 3 late for so large a number. Golden Plover: very poor fall flight, max 11 on Aug 27 Syr Airport (DBP); last Oct 11 (very early) Onon L (MSR). Black-bellied Plover: low tallies thru Sep and early Oct; max six Oct 11 Onon L and Oct 26 near Port Byron; last Nov 4 (early). Ruddy Turnstone: low, one-three/day; max eight Sep 7 Onon L; dep early—Oct 17. Common Snipe: 20-30/day Sep 23-Nov 5 Miller Pond near HP (J&EVD); else¬ where quite scarce, one-three/day. WHIMBREL : one Sep 14 SP (FGS), only fall report. Spotted Sandpiper: seven-ten/day with rapid decrease in middle third of Sep; last Oct 7 SSSP. Solitary Sandpiper: scarce thru entire fall—max three; last Sep 25 SP (C&EF). Greater Yellowlegs: scarce thru Aug and Sep, one-eight/day, but ten-20/ day Oct 7-21 Delta L (EVD); last Nov 23 Lakeport (MSR). Lesser Yellowlegs: very scarce at HIGMA-FR because of high water; 30-40/day Sep with max 145 Sep 21 Onon L; last Nov 12 HP (J&EVD). Knot: max five Aug 31 SP; one-three/day at Onon L and Oneida L Aug and early Sep; last Oct 1, one VB (B&SP, mob). PURPLE SANDPIPER: first, three Oct 19 (record arr) DH (FGS); one SP Oct 28—29 (MSR) and one Edgewater Beach Nov 12-13 (B&SP), first record for Oneida L. Pectoral Sandpiper: low thru period, one-15/day; max 35 Onon L Oct 7. White-rumped Sandpiper: small flight at Onon L Aug 31-Sep 15, max ten Sep 10, all adults (FGS); 41 first imm Oct 3 Onon L, and imms noted to Nov 12 SP (mob). Baird’s Sandpiper: scarce, one-two/day, at SP and Onon L; max four-six/day S&VB (mob); last Oct 14, early, FR and Oneida L. Least Sandpiper: max 70 Aug 25 Onon L; very scarce in Sep, last Oct 5, early, Onon L. Dunlin: arr late, Sep 16 S&VB (S&RWhite); max 70- 75 Onon L Oct 17—20; scarce in early Nov, seven-ten/day; dep Nov 12 (early). Short-billed Dowitcher: good flight, with many reports, usually two-ten/day; 15-18/ day at Onon L last two weeks Aug; last Oct 5 (late) three Onon L (FGS). Long¬ billed Dowitcher: one report, two FR Sep 18 (JWP, FGS). Stilt Sandpiper: one-two/ day at Onon L thru Aug; two Sep 9 SP where scarce (FLF); last Oct 19 (late) Onon L. Semipalmated Sandpiper: abundant thru mid-Sep, max 250 Sep 10 SP (MSR, CGS); last Nov 2 Onon L. Western Sandpiper: 13 noted between Aug 30 and Oct 8, about 3x normal. RUFF: only one, an imm Aug 27 Onon L (DBP). HUDSON1AN GODWIT: a single Onon L Oct 4 (DPB) was the Regional crumb from the Montezuma feast of godwits to the west. Sanderling: scarce thru entire fall, six-30/day; max 58 Sep 10 SP and 60 Sep 24 S&VB; last Nov 4 (early) SP(CGS). RED PHALAROPE: one Sep 25-30 Onon L; also four Red with 39 Northern and 25 unidentified phalaropes in enormous storm-driven migration of waterbirds Oct 19 DH (FGS), and three Red Phalaropes Oct 20 also DH (JWP). WILSON’S PHALA¬ ROPE: singles, probably at least two individuals, Aug 31-Sep 10 Onon L (FGS). NORTHERN PHALAROPE: first Aug 22 Onon L; one-three/day thereafter at Onon L and FR to Sep 30, but none from Oneida L; last Oct 19 DH. POMARINE JAE¬ GER: singles Oct 1 SP (MSR), Oct 19 DH (FGS), and Oct 21 DH (MSR, S. H. & W. R. Spofford). PARASITIC JAEGER: one Sep 30, 22 Oct 19, and six Oct 21, all DH (mob). Unidentified jaegers: 15 Sep 24 DH (MSR, CGS), three Oct 28 near Nine Mile Pt and two (the last) Nov 4 DH (CGS). Jaegers now must be con¬ sidered regular migrants in Sep and Oct on L Ontario on NW winds so strong it is virtually impossible to stand up in them. Iceland Gull: an imm Nov 8 DH (JWP), early. Great Blackbacked Gull: first, an adult Aug 31 SP; three-six/day to early Oct SP with sharp increases (30+) there Oct 15 (CGS). Herring and Ring-billed Gulls: an enormous tide of gulls Oct 19 DH in the teeth of a NW storm—3000 Herring and 14,000 Ring-billed; after Oct 19 Herring Gulls noted in 100-1000/day numbers. Bonaparte’s Gull: fine flight; 200 VB Sep 9 (J&EVD) and 735 (twice the previous high count) Oct 19 DH (FGS). LITTLE GULL: one-two adults intermittently at SPI Sep 7~Oct 5 (FGS, MSR, CGS, SM); an adult Oct 19 DH (FGS). BLACK-LEGGED K1TTIWAKE: four- single imms DH Sep 24 (CGS et al), Oct 21 (MSR et al), and Oct 29 (M. L. Estoff, FGS), and a dead imm Sep 3 Ramona Beach, L Ontario (MSR)—this almost equals the previous Regional total (three live observations, three dead birds) for 16 years. SABINE’S GULL: an imm Oct 22 Cazenovia L (C&EF, JWP), first for Region- see field note. FORSTER’S TERN: one-two/day SPI Aug 26-Sep 14 (W. C. List- man, mob). Common Tern: two non-flying young Aug 27, Oneida L islands (CGS); max 230 Aug 31 SP, sharp drop in the week after; last, eight Oct 19 (early) DH. Caspian Tern: definitely increasing with 95-100 Aug 24-31 SPI; lesser numbers at Oneida L and Onon L and even two at HIGMA Aug 23; last Oct 7 SSSP (CGS). Black Tern: max 26 Aug 20 SP, SB, and HIGMA; none at SP thru Sep; one Oct 19 DH (FGS), a record late bird. Cuckoos continue scarce—four Black-billed and one Yellow-billed the total for 24 observers this fall. Screech Owl: total of 21 from 24 observers, a slight increase from 1966. Snowy Owl: only report, an adult male Syr Airport Nov 21. No reports of Long-eared or Short-eared Owls. A dead Barred Owl Sep 2 on L Ontario shore w of Oswego, an area where none have been found heretofore. Saw-whet Owl: three found dead on SP outer beach Nov 11—12 (CGS), a live one Steuben Oct 29 (J&EVD), and an injured bird Nov 10—11 taken near SP, died subsequently ( fide S. Schultz); undoubtedly a flight of these small owls was forced into L Ontario by a night storm. 42 GOATSUCKERS-STARLING: Common Nighthawk: max 35 Sep 16 Syr; 15 on Aug 27 Herkimer; these migration tallies are encouraging as local summer numbers were low. Chimney Swift: scarce thru Aug and early Sep; max 55 Sep 21 Nedrow area (JWP). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: scarce, three/day; max six Aug 26 HIGMA (FLF); last Oct 6 New Haven (I. Stone, R. Thomas). Belted Kingfisher: 14 on Aug 26 HIGMA (FLF) probably represents several local broods; one-six/day thru period. Pileated Woodpecker: max five SSSP Sep 30 (C&EF); reported at HP. Red-bellied Woodpecker: fall wanderings noted—reported at Lysander, FG, and on L Ontario at FHBSP. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: one Aug 20 at HIGMA (FLF) is hard to place—wanderer? breeder in Seneca R floodplain woods? very early mi¬ grant?: first definite migrant Sep 4 FG; one-three/day in late Sep; max eight Oct 4 in Oakwood Cemetery, Syr (JWP); last noted first week of Nov. BLACK-BACKED THREE-TOED WOODPECKER : a female Nov 5 in n. Herkimer Co (CF); none noted outside the Adirondacks. E. Kingbird: late Aug max 18-25/day; last Sep 13 SSSP. Excellent flycatcher counts in ravines and gorges s. of Syr, but few in Ontario lakeshore woods even on apparent migration days. E. Phoebe: five-six/day and widely reported Sep 17-Oct 20 (mob); last Oct 27 N Syr. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: total of 18 (above average) Aug 19-Sep 27. Traill’s and Least Flycatchers: heavy flight with identifiable singing birds at FG, few Traill’s (one-two/day) but many Least (max 23 on Aug 21); last Empidonaces (sp?) Oct 1 SP. E. Wood Pewee: max 35 Aug 19 and 20 Sep 7 SP— SSSP; virtually gone by mid-Sep, last Oct 5 SP, Olive-sided Flycatcher: four singles Aug 20-Sep 23, most from HP-Delta L area (J&EVD). Homed Lark: virtually no Nov flight along L Ontario; 120—400/day at Syr Airport Nov 18-21; all left after first heavy snow Nov 21. Heavy swallow concentrations at SP with cool weather on Aug 29—8000 Tree, 3000 Bank, 1000 Barn, 1400 Purple Martin, the last a record tally and surprising in view of the Martin kills of spring 1966 and 1967; 30 Tree Swallows and one Purple Martin at FR Oct 1 (ties the record dep for Martin); no swallows thereafter, despite insect abundance and warm weather. Blue Jay: common and widespread—eight-30/day but everyone has them. Com¬ mon Crow: only Ontario lakeshore flight Oct 30-Nov 1 with 500-2000/day (JWP); small suspected roosts of 200+ noted near Lakeport and Wampsville. Black-capped Chickadee: max 200 Sep 25 SSSP in a warbler wave (JWP). Red-breasted Nuthatch: no fall flight recorded. House Wren: one-five/day to mid-Oct; last Oct 29 (late) DH (MH). Winter Wren: very heavy flight, 12-16/day Oct 1-20; max 25 (ties the record) Sep 23 SP-SSSP (CGS, MSR). Carolina Wren: singles at FG Sep 27 (JWP) and at Sherrill thru Nov (HPN, DWA); a gradual recovery from decimation of deep- snow ’63~’65 winters. Mockingbird: pair regular at DeWitt (fide B. P. Burtt); none reported on Nov feeder survey, probably not an actual decline but testimony to the heavy berry crop thru the area. Catbird: 20-25/day thru Sep to Oct 4; sharp drop with cool weather Oct 4; last Oct 29 SP. Robin: 100-350/day Sep 14-Oct 14; many small flocks thru Nov panregionally and widely reported to Nov 30. Hylocichla thrushes present in small numbers, up to eight/day, Sep 7-Oct 1; the mild fall produced some late re¬ ports—Wood Oct 28 (a record) Syr (RS), Swainson’s Oct 22 Cazenovia L (C&EF), Gray-cheeked Oct 30 SSSP (JWP), and a freshly dead Veery Nov 26 at SB (CGS). Bluebird: small groups of five-eight/day thru Oct, max 18 on Oct 29 L Ontario shore; slightly better than last year. Woodlots, brush patches, and parks were alive with kinglets: first Golden-crowned Sep 6 (early) Tully; first Ruby-crowned Sep 16 (late) SP; first wave Sep 25 SSSP with 200 Golden-crowned and 150 Ruby-crowned; large counts, 80-130/day of each thru Oct; a heavy wave Oct 20—450 Golden-crowned and 50 Ruby-crowned SSSP (JWP), 90 and 60 respectively in a small brush patch at N Syr (FGS); probably one of the heaviest fall flights in a decade; many Golden-crowned thru Nov; last Ruby-crowned Nov 25 s. of Syr (RS). Water Pipit: 43 arr Sep 10 SP (MSR,CGS); flocks of 160 to 600 Oct 14-20 at Syr Airport; last Nov 8 Cicero Swamp. Northern Shrike: total of four for Nov. No Loggerhead Shrike noted. VIREOS-WARBLERS: Yellow-throated Vireo: last, Sep 30 (late) SSSP (C&EF) and Snake Swamp w. of Oswego (FLF). Solitary Vireo: small numbers, one-two/ day, but a very wide date range, Aug 31-Oct 27 (mob). Red-eyed Vireo: max 25 on Aug 19 and 22 on Sep 5, both SP-SSSP; last two Oct 26 (late) HIGMA. Philadelphia Vireo: 20 individuals Aug 21-Oct 4, usually one/day, a good count but not as good as last year’s tally. Fall warblers seemed tardy in onset, low in numbers, and widely scattered. The lack of sharp cold fronts in Sep and Oct may explain the absence of fall waves noted by local birders (the only 100+ warbler days were Aug 5, Sep 7, 23, 25, Oct 1, 4, 20, and 21). The accompanying chart summarizes the fall data—note the late arrival of the spruce-zone Dendroica warblers, the very low numbers of Tennessee, Parula, Bay-breasted, and Blackpoll Warblers, and the record departure dates for Nashville Warbler and Yellowthroat. Orange-crowned Warbler: total of 11, Sep 28-Oct 20, above average, but not like fall of 1966. CONNECTICUT WARBLER : an adult male Sep 24 near Pompey (FLF) is the only report. Mourning Warbler: 15 by one ob¬ server Aug 21-Oct 4 (JWP). BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Bobolink: 65/day thru Aug at Pompey (FLF); last three Sep 30 (late) FR (FGS, R. J. Smith). E. Meadowlark: small numbers thru fall; only flight days Oct 23-24, 200 near HP (J&EVD). Red-winged Blackbird: huge flocks in w. Cayuga Co thru Oct, e.g. 30,000 + Redwings in less than an hour Oct 14 and 26; a mixed icterid flock at Black Creek Swamp was estimated at near 1,000,000 birds; many small flocks of 15-20' birds lingering in late Nov. Baltimore Oriole: max 48 Aug 21 FG (JWP); last two Sep 14 (early) SSSP. Rusty Blackbird: first one Sep 23 (late) SP; max about 1000 in 10,000+ icterid roost Clay Swamp Oct 13 (CGS, SM); 140 at HIGMA Oct 26. Common Grackle: huge roost flight of 50,000 + passing DH Oct 28 (mob). Brown-headed Cowbird: 20-100/day thru Nov; though not notably conspicuous in Sep and Oct roosts, appears to be the most successful wintering icterid. Scarlet Tanager: one-five/day Aug 16-Oct 10; max ten Aug 27 and Sep 20 HP (J&EVD). Cardinal: new sites are Nine Mile Pt on L Ontario and VB; also at New Haven (I. Stone, R. Thomas); thus, gradually filling in L Ontario plain gaps. Rose¬ breasted Grosbeak: max 15 Aug 21-29 FG (JWP); lesser numbers widely reported. Hordes of winter finches, primarily Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Goldfinch, Red Cross¬ bill, Evening and Pine Grosbeaks, in lower Adirondacks thru latter two-thirds of Nov; one of the heaviest winter finch flights ever noted in the Region but virtually confined to n. Herkimer and n.e. Oneida Co. Evening Grosbeak: first Oct 26, 35 HIGMA; low counts thereafter, four-18/day; max 120 Oct 29 DH-SP-SSSP (DM, MH); scarce in late Nov. Pine Siskin: arr Oct 15, 194 DH-SSSP; hundreds thereafter, e.g. 335 Oct 21 DH (MSR), 350 Nov 1 Scott Swamp (JWP); smaller numbers (40-100/day) of Goldfinch were associated with them. Red Crossbill: away from Adirondacks, only ones reported were at Oneida, six Nov 1 (HPN, DWA); also unidentified crossbills Nov 11 DH (MSR, CGS). No White-winged Crossbill or Redpoll. Heavy weed seed crops in fallow fields around FR and HIGMA, at Syr Airport, and along L Ontario promised good numbers of migrant sparrows—perhaps so much food was present that few large concentrations developed, and the season’s tallies, particularly of Spizellan and Melospizan sparrows, seemed somewhat reduced. Spar¬ rows: Savannah: max 50 Sep 18 and Sep 30 FR (JWP). Grasshopper: last one Oct 17 (late) Syr Airport (FGS). Vesper: 14—30/day Oct 12-30; singles in Nov to the 8th. Slate-colored Junco: numbers seem down for fall migration—ten-55/day, only one report over 100/day—200 Nov 8 SSSP (JWP). Tree: arr Oct 28 DH; low tallies, four-70/day, thru Nov; better numbers at Oneida with 175 banded in Nov (HPN)— 44 Species Black-and-white Arrival Date, Number Aug 24, 3, SSSP-SP-Mexico Golden-winged. Aug 10, 1, Otisco Hill Tennessee. Aug 24, 1, SSSP-SP-Mex Orange-crowned. Sep 28, 1, SP Nashville. Aug 7, 1, Pompoy Parula. Sep 7, 1, SSSP Yellow. Jul 10, 4, N Syr Magnolia. Aug 24, 3, SSSP-SP Cape May Sep 7, 2, SSSP Black-throated Blue. Sep 3, 1, N Syr Myrtle. Sep 7, 2, SSSP Black-throated Green. Cerulean. Blackburnian. Chestnut-sided. Aug 4, 1, SSSP Aug 3, 2, SSSP Bay-breasted. Blackpoll. Aug 24, 3, SP Sep 7, 14, SP Palm. Ovenbird. N. Waterthrush. Mourning. Yellowthroat. Wilson's. Canada. Redstart. Sep 14, 1, SSSP Aug 24, 1, SSSP Aug 24, 2, SSSP Aug 17, 1, Pompey Sep 1, 1, Fish Gulf Aug 16, 5, Tully Peak Count, Date Departure Date, Number 5, Sep 7 ) 5, Sep 13 \ all SSSP 5, Sep 14 I 2, Aug 24, SSSP-SP 4, Aug 26, HIGMA 4, Oct 1, SSSP-SP-DH 2, Oct 6-9, Pompey 30, Oct 4, Syr 3, Oct 1, SSSP-SP 125, Aug 5, SP to Lake view 28, Sep 7, SSSP 6, Sep 5, N Syr 6, Sep 14, SP-SSSP 6, Sep 25, SSSP 9, Oct 1, SSSP-SP-DH 100, Oct 20, Oneida L 125, Oct 21, Boonville 38, Sep 20, Fish Gulf 9, Sep 24, SSSP-SP 6, Aug 31, SP-SSSP 6, Sep 7, Fish Gulf 15, Sep 23, SSSP 12, Sep 14, SP-SSSP 12, Sep 20, Fish Gulf 2, Oct 25, Syr 3, Oct 1, SP-SSSP 5, Sep 14, SP-SSSP 3, Aug 21, Fish Gulf 22, Sep 13, SSSP 15, Sep 7, SSSP 4, Sep 3, Florence 10, Sep 5, SSSP Oct 1, 4, SP-SSSP-D Aug 24, 2, SSSP-SP Oct 2, 1, N Syr Oct 20, 1, N Syr Oct 27, 1, N Syr Oct 3, 2, Syr Sep 16, 1, SP Oct 8-14, 1, HP Oct 7, 1, N Syr Oct 7, 1, SSSP Oct 4, 1, Syr Oct 21, 1, N Syr Oct 21, 3, S Syr Nov 30, 1, Lakeport Oct 15-21, 2, HP Aug 17, 1, Tully Oct 4, 2, Syr Oct 2, 2, SSSP Oct 2, 4, Syr Oct 12, 1, Syr Oct 25, 1, Syr Oct 6, 1, Pompey TV Sep 17, 2, SP-SSSP Oct 4, 2, Syr Nov 30, 1, Shackleton Oct 4, 8, Syr Sep 4, 1, SSSP Oct 5, 1, N Syr average 50/Nov heretofore. Chipping: 15-35/day, max 40 Sep 9 SSSP (FLF). Field: like Chipping, down for the second fall running—max 60 Sep 13 SSSP (JWP) but other counts far lower—ten-37/day. White-crowned: arr Sep 22 one Pompey (FLF); max 95 Oct 15, combined DH-SSSP-SP-FR tally; singles to Nov 14. White-throated: first migrant Sep 14 SSSP; max 120-125 Oct 5—15 but the mid-Oct hordes not noted; one-nine/day thru Nov. Fox: one-four/day Oct 10-Nov 12 (scarce). Lincoln's: total 23 from Sep 4-Oct 26; last one Nov 4 Syr (JWP), a record dep date. Swamp and Song: max 30 on Oct 1 and 200 Oct 12 respectively, both reduced (40-50%) from recent fall counts. Lapland Longspur: record arr Sep 16 one SP with a flock of Water Pipits (FGS); five-20/day Oct 29-Nov 21, most at Nine Mile Pt and Syr Airport. Snow Bunting: arr Oct 22 eight Oswego and SP; heavy flight Oct 29 with 550 at SP-SSSP—Nine Mile Pt; 750 with 20 Lapland Longspurs and hundreds of Horned Larks Syr Airport Nov 18-21. 427 South Main Street, North Syracuse 13212. REGION 6 —ST. LAWRENCE David C. Gordon The last days of August averaged near normal temperatures with a high of 86 degrees Aug 18 and low of 44 Aug 23 with some rain. September brought generally cooler weather with much rain and a record low max temperature of 45 on Sep 22. October temperatures were below normal with above normal precipitation; rain on 16 days. The first snowfall of the season on Tug Hill Plateau and higher ground in Jefferson and Lewis Counties on Oct 19 totaled three to five inches. In November up to 12 inches of snow fell on the 5th and more light snow on the 19th. Rainy, cool periods thruout the month left ground very wet but bare of snow at the end of November. Fall shorebird migration was unspectacular at El Dorado with no phalaropes, low numbers of Golden and Black-bellied Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones and only one Pur¬ ple Sandpiper contrasting greatly with a year ago. With the advent of an early winter at the end of this period, the following usual winter visitors have not been reported: Short-eared Owl, Northern Shrike and Redpoll. Very few Snowy Owls or winter finches have yet been seen. Abbreviations: BCW—Brookside Cemetery, Watertown; BWS—Blake Wildlife Sanc¬ tuary; Car—Carthage; ED—EL Dorado; Gouv—Gouverneur; HH—Henderson Har¬ bor; Jeff Co—Jefferson County; PRGMA—Perch River Game Management Area; Pt Pen—Point Peninsula; SL Co—St. Lawrence County; THGMA—Tug Hill Game Man¬ agement Area; THP—Tug Hill Plateau; Wat—Watertown; WC—Watertown Center. Observers: AA—Arthur Allen; JB—John Belknap; FC—Frank Clinch; PG—Peter Gaskin; DG—David Gordon; RM—Robert McKinney; WW—Winifred Wright. LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: one ED Oct 29 (AA). Homed Grebe: Oct 29 thru period. Pied-billed Grebe: last Nov 14 near HH (JB). Great Blue Heron: last Nov 25 two singles Sherwin’s Bay and Adams Cove (DG), Green Heron: last Oct 1 BCW (DG). CATTLE EGRET: one Oct 20 near Evans Mills, three near Calcium Oct 22-28, two near Hammond, SL Co Oct 31—Nov 1 (JB, mob). Black-crowned Night Heron: one Aug 23, two imm and one adult Sep 2 PRGMA (DG); six Sep 9 ED (RM). American Bittern: last one Nov 25 Wilson Bay (DG). Mute Swan: one for several weeks in fall Chippewa Bay (JB). Canada Goose; first Oct 6 SL Co reported large numbers (JB), thru Oct 28. Brant: three Nov 4 Stony Pt (DG). Gadwall: one Aug 19 ED (RM). Green-winged Teal: last Nov 4 ED. Am. Widgeon: 14 Pt Pen Nov 11 (DG)—a late date. Redhead: several near Cape Vincent 46 Nov 25. Canvasback: one Nov 25 (DG). Greater Scaup: late Nov. Common Golden¬ eye, Bufflehead, Oldsquaw: all present during Nov. White-winged Scoter: Nov 24 thru period. Hooded Merganser: eight Nov 13. HAWKS-OWLS: TURKEY VULTURE : first known nesting in Region, Picton Is. in St Lawrence R near Clayton (see field note), young photographed Aug 16 by Dake, the two adults and two young seen out of nest and flying Sep 11 (Heineman); singles Sep 6 and Sep 25, two Oct 3—4, one Oct 7, one Oct 15—16,-by four separate observers Jeff and SL Co. Sharp-shinned Hawk: imm singles Oct 8 and Oct 21 WC (DG). Red-tailed Hawk: thru period. Rough-legged Hawk: first Oct 27 with peak numbers from mid-Nov thru period. Marsh Hawk: for two years females have notice¬ ably outnumbered males; during the period two of us recorded sex at each sighting. Sep 16-Nov 25 thirteen females to two males on five dates (DG); ten females and two males over one field Pt Pen Nov 11 in migration (AA); last Nov 28 (JB). PEREGRINE FALCON : imm diving on and chasing shorebirds Sep 30 ED (DG). Sparrow Hawk: seemed common during Nov. Gray Partridge: several covey sight¬ ings thru period including two adults with eleven imm Sep 2 PRGMA. Common Gal- linule: last Nov 11. Am. Coot: last Oct 7. Semipalmated Plover: last Sep 23. Killdeer: last Nov 16. Golden Plover: one Nov 4 ED (DG). Black-bellied Plover: 12 Aug 26 ED (RM), one Nov 4 ED (DG). Ruddy Turnstone: last Sep 23. Am. Woodcock: two Sep 26 Wat (AA). Common Snipe: last Nov 24 ED. Whimbrel: two Sep 6-9 ED (AA, DG). Spotted Sandpiper: last Sep 11. Solitary Sandpiper: late summer. Greater Yellowlegs: last Sep 6. Lesser Yellowlegs: last Sep 23. Purple Sandpiper: one Oct 28—Nov 4 ED (DG). Pectoral Sandpiper: last Oct 29. White-rumped Sandpiper: last Nov 4. Baird's Sandpiper: one Aug 19 ED (RM). Least Sandpiper: last Sep 23. Dunlin: last Nov 24. Short-billed Dowitcher: last Sep 17. Semipalmated Sandpiper: last Oct 28. Western Sandpiper: three banded Aug 26, one banded Sep 9 ED (RM). Sanderling: last Sep 30. Great Black-backed Gull: first Aug 19 ED (RM). Bonaparte’s Gull: Aug 26-Nov 11. Common Tern: last Sep 11. Caspian Tern: last Sep 16. Mourning Dove: last Oct 11. Screech Owl: Sep 9 ED (RM). Great Homed Owl: Sep 9 ED (RM). Snowy Owl: one Nov 21-30 near Philadelphia; one near Sherwin’s Bay Nov 28 (JB). GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Ruby-throated Hummingbird: last Sep 9. Belted Kingfisher: last Oct 1. Yellow-shafted Flicker: last Oct 19. Red-headed Woodpecker: last Sep 16. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: Oct 1-18. Eastern Kingbird: last two Sep 16 HH (DG). Eastern Phoebe: Oct 28 Stony Pt (DG), Nov 7 Gouv (JB) with snow on ground. Empidonax Flycatcher: last Sep 9 Wat (AA). Eastern Wood Pewee: last Sep 16. Tree Swallow: last Oct 1. Barn Swallow: last Oct 1. Purple Martin: last, one imm Sep 1 Pillar Pt (DG). GRAY JAY : first known report for Jeff Co—one Oct 7 Perch L bog observed by teacher and Jefferson Community College biology class of 10 within ten feet for five min in small black spruce trees (PG). Red-breasted Nut¬ hatch: Oct 23. Brown Creeper: last Nov 28 Car (WW). House Wren: last Sep 26. Winter Wren: last Oct 28 WC (DG)—late. Long-billed Marsh Wren: Sep 2. Cat¬ bird: last Oct 6. Robin: large flocks to Nov 5, last one Nov 10 Car (WW). Wood Thrush: last Oct 5 (AA). Hermit Thrush: last Oct 21 and Nov 5. Swainson’s Thrush: last Sep 30. Golden-crowned Kinglet: Oct 7—Nov 12. Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Oct 6- Nov 7. Water Pipit: Sep 7—Nov 11, two seen in trees (DG). Cedar Waxwing: flock fed on rose hedge Oct 28—Nov 22 Wat. Loggerhead Shrike: last Aug 29 THP. VIREOS—WARBLERS: Solitary Vireo: last Oct 21. Red-eyed Vireo: last Sep 23. Philadelphia Vireo: one Sep 12 Wat (AA). Warbling Vireo: last Oct 1 (AA). Warblers: Black-and-white: last Oct 1. Nashville: last Oct 8. Yellow: last Sep 2. Magnolia: last Oct 9. Black-throated Blue: last Oct 8. Myrtle: Oct 1—Nov 19 (AA). Black-throated Green: last Oct 1. Chestnut-sided: last Sep 30. Bay-breasted: Sep 16- Oct 9. Palm: Sep 9, Oct 9, Oct 17. Ovenbird: last Sep 3. Northern Waterthrush: last Sep 9. Yellowthroat: last Oct 22. Canada: last Sep 4. On afternoon of Oct 1 there was a warbler “wave.” 47 BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Bobolink: last Aug 29. Eastern Meadowlark: late dates Nov 20-27 three observers. Red-winged Blackbird: last Nov 25 Pt Pen. Balti¬ more Oriole: last Sep 7 (FC). Rusty Blackbird: Oct 7-Nov 4. Scarlet Tanager: last Sep 30 (DG). Cardinal: Sep 7 pair with two young at feeder Wat (AA), reported Nov Car (fide WW). Evening Grosbeak: first Aug 29 four northern Lewis Co (FC); Oct 22 Gouv (JB). Purple Finch: near Wat Oct 8—Nov 3. Pine Grosbeak: three BWS Nov 25 (FC). Pine Siskin: flock Oct 21-22 WC (DG, AA). Amer. Goldfinch: with the siskins, last Oct 28. Red Crossbill: one found dead mid-Nov Wat (FC). Rufous¬ sided Towhee: last Oct 6. Vesper Sparrow: last Oct 21. Slate-colored Junco: migra¬ tion Oct 7-Nov 4 Jeff Co; last Nov 15 Car (WW). Tree Sparrow: first Oct 29. Chipping Sparrow: last Nov 4. Field Sparrow: last Oct 29. White-crowned Sparrow: Oct 6-28. White-throated Sparrow: Oct 1-Nov 30. Fox Sparrow: singles Oct 12. Oct 21, Nov 10, a poor showing this year. Lincoln’s Sparrow: Aug 18—19 THGMA (DG, AA). Swamp Sparrow: last Oct 21. Song Sparrow: peak migration Oct 7-21. Lap- land Longspur: one Nov 11 Pt Pen (DG). Snow Bunting: strays and small flocks Oct 29-Nov 11. 1347 Sherman St., Watertown, N.Y. 13601 REGION 7 —ADIRONDACK-CHAMPLAIN Harriet L. Delafield The mast crop during the 1966-67 autumn season was good but this year it was phenomenal, also Yellow Birch and Beech crop. Whether or not this has anything to do with the migration of winter finches is still undetermined but this has been the best year for them in this area since 1960-61. Greenleaf Chase tells us that the top number of flocks lasted from Election Day until Nov 20. During his many business drives through Region 7 he saw hundreds and hundreds of finches, particularly around Sabattis and Lake Placid. They were also reported in huge numbers north near the border. Most unfortunately these great numbers were accompanied by the usual enormous road kill—slaughter” some of our friends called it! Red Crossbills, Evening and Pine Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches were in the majority—very few White-winged Crossbills or Common Redpolls were reported. The last part of August was cool. On the 24th the temperature was 40 degrees and there was 60-mile visibility from Whiteface Mountain but most August days were damp and misty. There was a killing frost on the night of August 31. September also was cold and damp. Everything from thunderstorms to snow and high winds was reported. There was ice in the bird bath on tire 23rd. No significant warbler waves were reported or seen by us this fall. November was notable: the temperature was much below normal and Bob Kampf says a “ten-year station record was set with measurable snow of a trace or more falling 22 out of the 30 days of the month.” Perhaps this helps account for the No¬ vember winter finches, particularly if conditions were the same only more so in re¬ gions further north. Surf and Common Scoters at Essex, the former October 10 thru 21, and the latter Nov 7, were unusual. Only one male Cardinal showed up in Bloomingdale this November and we had a Mockingbird in Elizabethtown from November 9 thru 16. Winter 1966-68 is starting out cold, let us see what happens! FW’s observations were made Oct 10 thru 21, RMcK’s Nov 11 thru 19. Observers: EA—Elizabeth Anderson; EB—Elisabeth Barnet; GC—Geoffrey Carleton; GTC—Greenleaf T. Chase; HD—Harriet Delafield; ED—Ethel Dyer; RH—Robert Hagar; JH—Joseph Hart; JK—Joseph Keji; RMcK—Robert McKinney; GM—Gordon 48 Meade; RM—Ruth Meier; FW—Frederick Wardenburg; IW—Isabel Williams; DY— David Young. Abbreviations: Aus M—Ausable Marsh; B—brook; P—pond, RB—Ray Brook; SL— Saranac Lake; TL—Tupper Lake. LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: two Webber P Aug 16, one Lester Dam Aug 25 (GM); Aug 20 young taught to flap wings and “skate” on water, Aug 26 young flying—size of parents but still brown, three Sep 10 L Clear (EB); six Oct 10-21 Essex (FW). Great Blue Heron: one Aug 16 RB “scarce this season” (JK). Green Heron: one Sep 12 RB (JK). Am. Bittern: one Sep 12 RB (JK). Canada Goose: fewer this fall; RB Conservation Dept, sent in total of 3840 to Pack report com¬ pared to 5567 in 1967; six flights of 100-300 Oct 10—21 Essex (FW); many flocks in Oct including 298 Oct 2, 205 Oct 22 and 33 Oct 30 RB (JK); 90 Oct 6 Upper SL, three flocks SL Oct 7 (ED ); 26 SL Oct 22 (HD); 130 Essex Nov 11 (GC); six Indian L Nov 18 (RMcK). Mallard: 100 Oct 25 L Alice (JH). Black Duck: two Middle SL Aug 16 (GM); two or three Aug 16—Sep 14 RB (JK); three SR Oct 13 (HD); 300 L Clear Oct 25, one Aus M Oct 25 (JH). Green-winged Teal: four L Alice Oct 25 (JH). Blue-winged Teal: one Pine P Sep 21 (GM); three L Alice Oct 25 (JH). Wood Duck: perhaps highest production season ever (GTC, JH). Ring¬ necked Duck: seven Middle SL Aug 16, four Oseetah Aug 21, two Oseetah Aug 28 (GM); 400 L Alice Oct 25 (JH). Scaup (sp?): two Oct 10-21 Essex (FW). Hooded Merganser: 11 RB Sep 12 (JK). Common Merganser: one Weller P Aug 16 (GM); two Duck P Sep 14 (HD); 12 Pharaoh Oct 28 (JH); one Indian L (RMcK). SURF SCOTER : 11 Oct 10-19, five Oct 20 Essex (FW verified by GC); one female Essex Oct 29 (GC). COMMON SCOTER : two females Essex Nov 7 (GC). HAWKS—OWLS: Goshawk: one Aug 19 Madawaska (RH, DY); one Imm Essex Oct. 21 (GC); one Oct 6 Kate Mt., one Newcomb Oct 27, one Crown Pt Nov 7 (GTC). Sharp-shinned Hawk: one Hammondsville Nov 7 (GTC). COOPER’S HAWK: Oct 21 on a gusty wind Essex (GC)—very carefully identified, his first in Adirondacks. Red-tailed Hawk: one Oct 25 Chazy Landing (JH). Red-shouldered Hawk: one Madawaska Aug 17 (GM). Broad-winged Hawk: one Pine P Aug 27 (GM); one Aug 21—Sep 11, two Sep 11 RB (JK); one SL Sep 2 (HD). Rough-legged Hawk: one Nov 5 Middle P, Flood Wood Rd (JH); two Nov 16 Beekmantown, one Nov 20 Westport (GTC); one dark, one light Westport Nov 11-20 (GC). Golden Eagle: pair Sep 26 Bay P (Chandler Ross -fide GTC); pair about Oct 15 Bisbee L. Moose R, probably migrant (Dwight Webster fide GTC). Eagle—probably Bald: across side of Whiteface Mt. Nov 21 (HD). Marsh Hawk: Essex Oct 21 (GC). Osprey: one Keene Valley Aug 25, one Pine P Aug 27 (GM); one Sep 12 and Oct 2 RB (JK). Sparrow Hawk: six Rockefeller Pk area Aug 17 (GM); one SL Sep 2-Oct 7 (HD). Spruce Grouse: one female Aug 17 Madawaska (GM); one adult, two imm Madawaska Aug 19 (RH, DY). Ruffed Grouse: one Boreas R Aug 25 (GM); two Oct 10-21 Essex (FW); six Indian L (RMcK). Spotted Sandpiper: one Aug 19, two Sep 10 RB (JK); one Pine P Aug 21 (GM). Solitary Sandpiper: two Aug 19 RB (JK). Herring Gull: six Middle SL Aug 16 (GM); one or two Sep 5-Oct 11 RB (JK); 50-60 Essex Oct 10-21 (FW). Ring-billed Gull: one Middle SL Aug 16 (GM). Mourning Dove: one Aug 16 RB (JK); one SL Sep 10 and 12 (HD); one Riverview Nov 18 (JH). Black-billed Cuckoo: one Sep 15 and Oct 4 RB (JK). Great Homed Owl: two Oct 29 SL (EA, HD). Barred Owl: one L Kiwassa Aug 19 (GM); RMcK was surprised to hear only one during his trip to Indian L in Nov. Saw- whet Owl: Oct 11 L Placid cutoff—Mr. Chase was pleased to be able to pick up this owl, warm it and let it go unharmed. GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Common Nighthawk: one Aug 16 RB (JK); one Aug 24 SL (HD); several SL Aug 27 (GM). Chimney Swift: six Aug 22, two Aug 24 SL (HD); Aug 27 (GM)—no number given; two Sep 4 RB (JK). Ruby-throated 49 Hummingbird: two Aug 17 thru Sep 9 RB (JK); one or two Aug 20-23 SL (HD); SL Aug 25 and 27 (GM). Belted Kingfisher: one or two Aug 16-Oct 12 RB (JK); one L Kiwassa Aug 21, one Lester Dam Aug 25 (GM); one Aug 25 SL, one Nor¬ mans Farms Aug 26, one Big Salmon R Sep 14 (EA, HD). Yellow-shafted Flicker: reported all areas; largest migration number 45 SL to Malone (EA, HD). Pileated Woodpecker: one Boreas R Aug 25, one Pine P Aug 27 (GM); one SL Sep 7 (HD); one Oct 4 RB (JK); one Nov 4 RB (JH); one Indian L (R McK). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: reported all areas. Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers: one-three/day. Black-backed Three-toed Woodpecker: one Boreas R Aug 25 (GM); one Mud L Sep 14 (HD). Eastern Kingbird: good year; two Aug 16-19 RB (JK); L Kiwassa Aug 27 (GM); two to four SL Aug 22-28 (EA, HD). Eastern Phoebe: one L Kiwassa Aug 19 (GM); one Sep 1-Oct 10 RB (JK); one Aug 24, two Aug 28 and Sep 10-11, one Oct 23 SL (HD). Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: one Aug 25 Boreas R (GM). Least Flycatcher: one Aug 16-Sep 5 RB (JK). Eastern Wood Pewee: one Aug 16-Sep 12 RB (JK); one L Kiwassa Aug 27 (GM); one Forest Home Rd Aug 25 and 28 (EA, HD). Olive-sided Flycatcher: one Aug 25 Boreas R (GM). Homed Lark: 20 Oct 25 Chazy Landing (JH); two Nov 21 Normans Ridge (EA, HD). Tree Swallow: normal, one to four pair in a days birding nearby; one late bird Sep 26 Normans Ridge (GTC). Bank Swallow; normal nesting places getting so eaten into by sand shovels that it is hard to gauge; last Aug 16 RB (JK). Bam Swallow: breeding in large numbers in what bams are still left; gone Sep 9 and Sep 10 RB and SL (JK, HD). Cliff Swallow: three Aug 27 RB (JK). Purple Martin: four flying high south¬ bound, 6:45 pm Elizabethtown Aug 19 (GC). Gray Jay: three Madawaska Aug 19 (RH, DY); two off road to TL Sep 7 (EA). Blue Jay: common. Common Crow: from two to eight thru season, 62 Peru Oct 30, last one noted SL Nov 7 (HD). Black-capped Chickadee: common, sometimes five, sometimes 50 in a day. Boreal Chickadee: three Aug 16, one Aug 17 RB (JK); 12 Aug 19 Madawaska (DY, RH); one Madawaska Aug 17, one Lester Dam Aug 25, one Cold B Aug 26 (GM). White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches: normal, a few in a day. Brown Creeper: one Lester Dam Aug 25 (GM); one Sep 1-Nov 27 RB (JK); one Half Way B Sep 7 (EA, HD); three Indian L (RMcK). Winter Wren: one Aug 21 Pine P (GM); one seen Sept 7-Oct 22, heard Sep 9 RB (JK). MOCK¬ INGBIRD: one Nov 9-16 eating apples turned brown on tree, Elizabethtown (GC). Catbird: one or two Aug 26-Oct 7 RB (JK), Brown Thrasher: one SL Sep 18 (HD); one Sep 13-Oct 2 RB (JK); two Oct 4 L Colby (GTC); one Westport Nov 7 (GC). Robin: good numbers, 30 Oct 12 RB (JK); last two Nov 13 SL (HD). Wood Thrush: decidedly down, one Aug 25 and Sep 11 RB (JK); one Oct 11 Elizabeth¬ town (GC). Hermit Thrush: one Madawaska Aug 17 (GM); two Aug 23, Oct 2 and Oct 17 RB (JK); one Sep 4 SL (EA, HD). Swainson’s Thrush: two Sep 7 Half Way B (EA, HD); one Sep 9, 30 and Oct 4 RB (JK). Veery: one Aug 16, 20 and 23 RB (JK). Eastern Bluebird: many reports of two to four all areas, late brood Sep 15 Bloomingdale (Hughes); one Oct 29 SL (HD). Golden-crowned Kinglet: Madawaska Aug 17, Lester Dam Aug 25, Pine P Aug 27 (GM); a few Sep 13-Nov 27 RB (JK); six Indian L (RMcK). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: SL Aug 19 (HD); one Sep 10-Nov 10, six Oct 16 RB (JK); three Oct 13-16 SL (EB). Water Pipit: two Sep 19 RB (JK); two Oct 4 L Colby (GTC). Cedar Waxwing: many reports; young being fed out of the nest Sep 3 and 4 RB (JK). Starling: flocks Essex Oct 10-21 (FW); 40 RB Aug 30 (JK); 300 Aug 19, 200 Aug 26, 200 Sep 17, one Nov 25 SL (HD). VIREOS—WARBLERS: Solitary Vireo: one Sep 8 and 13, “scarce” RB (JK). Red¬ eyed Vireo: one or two Aug 16-Oct 2, feeding young out of nest Sep 4 RB (JK); one Aug 28 SL (HD). Warblers: Black-and-white: one Aug 16-Sep 13 RB (JK); one Boreas R Aug 25 (GM); one Sep 7 Half Way B (EA, HD); one Sep 30 Elizabethtown (GC). Ten¬ nessee: one Sep 4 and 25 RB (JK). Nashville: one or two Aug 16-23 RB (JK); one 50 Elizabethtown Aug 21 (GC); one Sep 5 SL (HD). Parula: one Aug 3 and Sep 4 RB (JK). Magnolia: one Aug 25 Boreas R (GM); three Sep 4, one Sep 5 and 11 RB (JK). Black-throated Blue: one Madawaska Aug 17 (GM); one Rainbow L Sep 14 (HD); one or two Sep 4-Oct 6 RB (JK). Myrtle: common all areas; large num¬ bers last week Sep, first week Oct RB (JK). Black-throated Green: two Boreas R Aug 25 (GM); one to four Aug 16-Oct 8 RB (JK); one Aug 28, two Sep 5 SL (HD). Blackburnian: one Boreas R Aug 25 (GM); one Aug 16-Oct 1 RB (JK); one Sep 5 SL (HD). Chestnut-sided: one Boreas R Aug 25 (GM); one or two Aug 16-Sep 9, feeding young out of nest Aug 20 RB (JK). Bay-breasted: one Sep 4 and 20 RB (JK). Blackpoll: one Aug 22 Elizabethtown (GC); one Sep 4 RB (JK). Oven- bird: one Aug 16 and Sep 1 RB (JK). Yellowthroat: three Lester Dam Aug 25 (GM); one imm Aug 19, adults Aug 25-Sep 13 SL (HD); one to a few Aug 16-Oct 13 RB (JK). Wilson’s: one Elizabethtown Aug 21 (GC); two Sep 4, one Sep 5 RB (JK). Canada: one Boreas R Aug 25, two singing Pine P Aug 27 (GM); one Aug 16-Sep 11 RB (JK). Am. Redstart: one Boreas R Aug 25 (GM); one or two Aug 16- Sep 11 RB (JK). BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: House Sparrow: 40 Essex Oct-Nov (GC); one Oct I (sic) RB (JK). Bobolink: Aug 27 SL (GM). Eastern Meadowlark: ten Oct 10-21 Essex (FW). Flocks of “Blackbirds” went over TL Aug 18 and 19, 300-400 (RM). Red-winged Blackbird: some in mixed flocks Oct, last one Nov 30 SL (HD); thru period, 40 Sep 16 RB (JK). Baltimore Oriole: one Aug 18 and 20 RB (JK). Rusty Blackbird: one Aug 26-Oct 5 RB (JK). Common Grackle: in flocks Aug 26, two until Nov 14 SL (HD); small flocks early Oct RB (JK). Brown-headed Cowbird: in flocks Aug 26 SL (HD); one to four until Oct 29 RB (JK). Scarlet Tanager: two Boreas R Aug 25 (GM); one Sep 2-Oct 2, two Sep 4 RB (JK). Cardinal: July 26-Nov 30 Bloomingdale (IW). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: one Aug 27 SL (HD); one or two Aug 23-Sep 16 RB (JK). Evening Grosbeak: 12 Boreas R Aug 25, five Pine P Aug 27 (GM); thru period, 90 Oct 12 ,85 Nov 1 RB (JK); a few from Oct 20 on, seven Nov 25 SL (EA, HD); 200 Indian L “Yellow Birch and Beech crop good” (RMcK); 100’s Wawbeek to Sabattis Nov 11 (GTC). Purple Finch: dozens or more last week of Aug RB (JK); 12 Aug 30 Bloomingdale (IW); 100 Indian L Nov 11-19 (RMcK). Pine Grosbeak: one or more Nov 8—30 RB (JK); four Nov 21 Marcy Trail Rd (GTC). Pine Siskin: Aug 17 thru period RB (JK); 100 Indian L Nov 11-19 (RMcK); large flocks L Placid cutoff Nov 21 (GTC). Am. Goldfinch: small flocks thru period RB (JK), also SL (HD); 25 Indian L Nov 11—19 (RMcK). Red Crossbill: Pine P Aug 21 and 27, Boreas R Aug 25 (GM); a few thru period RB (JK); large flocks Wawbeek to Sabattis Nov 11 and Marcy Trail Rd Nov 21 (GTC). White-winged Crossbill: large flocks Wawbeek to Sabattis Nov II and L Placid cutoff and Marcy Trail Rd Nov 21 (GTC). Rufous-sided Towhee: one SL dump Aug 28 (GM). , Savannah Sparrow: one to a few Aug 30-Oct 4, 36 Oct 4 RB (JK). Vesper Spar¬ row: a few Sep 17-Oct 22 SL (EA, HD). Slate-colored Junco: 12 Indian L Nov 11-19 (RMcK); thru period, “no big flocks this fall” RB (JK); a very few SL area this fall (HD). Tree Sparrow: one to four from Oct 3 RB (JK); three or four from Nov 3 on SL (EA, HD); 20 Indian L Nov 11-19 (RMcK). Chipping Sparrow: 30 Oct 12 RB (JK); three Oct 14 SL (FID). Field Sparrow: two Oct 2, one Oct 7 RB (JK). White-crowned Sparrow: one to five Oct 7-29, singing, bathing and fighting, by far the gayest and liveliest of our fall migrants SL (EA, HD); ten Oct 10 SL (ED); one Essex mid-Oct (FW); one to four RB Oct 2r-20 (JK). White-throated Sparrow: three Essex mid-Oct (FW); a few daily thru period RB (JK); one thru Nov SL (EA, HD). Fox Sparrow: one late Nov SL (EB). Lincoln’s Sparrow: one or two Sep 4, 12, 13 and Oct 4 RB (JK). Swamp Sparrow: one thru Oct 3 RB (JK). Song Sparrow: four (one singing) Oct 23, one Nov 23 thru period RB (JK). Snow Bunting: 35 Normans Ridge Nov 25 (EA, HD). Trudeau Road, Saranac Lake, N.Y. 12983. 51 REGION 8 —MOHAWK-HUDSON Hazel F. Bundy and Peter P. Wickham Temperatures for the last half of August averaged a little higher than usual, those for September were slightly below the average, and then in October they were slightly above average once more. The last half of August was cloudy and wet, with precipitation a little below normal. Precipitation for September was only 2.23 in., well below the normal 3.58 in. In contrast, there were 3.48 in. of precipitation in October, 0.71 more than average. There were three wet snows in November—more than are usual for this month. This year, in contrast to last year, favorable conditions for shorebirds did not de¬ velop in the Region. Watervliet Reservoir, our best source of shorebirds last year, was maintained at a high level, and there were no mud flats. Seventeen species were recorded, but many of these were reported only once, and often were single indi¬ viduals. Two Whimbrel, which were found nowhere near the water, were the first ever reported in this Region. The Western Sandpiper was the other most unusual shorebird. Generally, herons seemed very scarce; no night-herons and only one Common Egret were observed during Aug or Sep, continuing a downward trend of the last several years. Again there were relatively few reports of most species of hawks; in fact, only four accipiters were reported throughout the period. On a more optimistic note, swallows lingered later than usual, with unprecedented late dates recorded for Barn and Tree Swallows. There were also especially good flights of Golden-crowned Kinglets and Cedar Waxwings. The winter finch flight, while better than that of last fall, was on the whole disappointing. Large numbers of Goldfinches, lesser numbers of Evening Grosbeaks and Purple Finches and a few others characterized the fight. Other unusual or rare species seen included: Whistling Swan (summer record). Blue Goose, Sandhill Crane and Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Abbreviations used: AR—Alcove Reservoir; BR—Basic Reservoir; CL—Collins Lake; GL—Galway Lake; MR—Mohawk River; NWW—Niskayuna Wide Waters; RL— Round Lake; SCR—Stony Creek Reservoir; SL—Saratoga Lake; TR—Tomhannock Reservoir; VFG—Vischer Ferry Game Management Area. Observers cited: ADBC—Alan Devoe Bird Club; SBC—Schenectady Bird Club; GA—Gustave Angst; HFB—Hazel Bundy; JHB,BB—James and Barbara Bush; L&VB— Lee and Virginia Burland; JC—Juanita Cook; M&AG—Murray and Alice Giddings; P&GE—Paul and Georgia Erlenbach; MDG—Monte Gruett; DH—David Harrison; EH—Esly Hallenbeck; MK—Marcia Kent; P&MM—Philip and Mary Mickle; EP—Ed Payne; HHS—Harvey Spivak; NS—N. Snare; WBS—Walton Sabin; RSM—Robert Mc¬ Cullough; BRS—Benton Seguin; PPW—Peter Wickham; RPY—Robert Yunick; bsh— Guy Bartlett, Benton Seguin and Barrington Havens. LOONS-DUCKS: Common Loon: Sep 17 SCR (EH) to Nov 26, max 6 (SBC). Red-throated Loon: only one report—Nov 22 SL (bsh). Red-necked Grebe: only one—Oct 28 SL (SBC). Horned Grebe: Oct 1 SCR (EH) to Nov 26 SL (SBC), max eight. Pied-billed Grebe: many reports throughout period. Double-crested Cormor¬ ant: two reports—three flying south along the Hudson R at Albany Sep 13 (PPW, MDG), and one at VFG Sep 30 (RPY). Great Blue Heron: frequent reports through¬ out period, max seven Aug 27; last Nov 12 RL (bsh). Common Egret: one Aug 13 at a pond in East Chatham (P&GE). Green Heron; few reports, last Oct 21 GL (SBC). Black-crowned Night Heron: not even one report—reported sparingly during the six preceding years. Am. Bittern: a few reports, one found dead (hit by car) on the road by NWW Nov 13 (Irene Podrazik). Least Bittern: only one report—Aug 52 19 VFG (RPY). One Mute and two Whistling Swans appeared during Aug at Lock 6 MR and remained there through at least Sep 10 (Elizabeth McCauley, Frances Adams et al)— first summer Regional record. The two Whistling Swans were de¬ cidedly smaller than the Mute, had black legs, feet, and bills, and considerably shorter and more-erect necks. Canada Goose: many reports Sep 29 (MK) to Nov 5 (SBC), with the largest report, “25 flocks seen Oct 6, numbering from 20 to several hundred” (Walter Smith). Snow Goose: a flock of 200 sighted passing over SCR Nov 3 (GA); one Nov 25-30 at Valatie (P&GE, M&AG). BLUE GOOSE: two re¬ ports—one Nov 3 flying with flock of Snow Geese over SCR, and one alone at Stony Hill, Route 43 Nov 11 (GA). Gadwall: one Nov 1 at CL (EH)3, and four Nov 8-9 SCR (GA,HFB). Am. Wid¬ geon: one adult male at SCR Aug 30 (fide WBS); in small numbers Sep 17 SCR (EH) to Nov 26 SL (SBC). Pintail: about Sep 1 at SCR (fide WBS) to end of period. Green-winged Teal: seen throughout period in small numbers. Blue-winged Teal: last Oct 21 CL (DH); max 400 Sep 4 SCR (PW). Shoveller: one report—six Sep 20 SCR (EH et al). Wood Duck: last Nov 18 (HHS). Redhead: three Oct 29 SL (bsh), one Oct 30 CL (DH), three Nov 11 BR (SBC), and ten Nov 19 SL (bsh). Ring-necked Duck: not even one report! Canvasback: from Nov 11, 15 at BR (SBC) to Nov 26, 75 SL (SBC). Scaup; Oct 18 at Chatham (P&MM) through period, each species identified on various dates. Common Goldeneye: Oct 21 GL (SBC) throughout period. Bufflehead: small numbers from Oct 21 GL (SBC) through period, max 47 Nov 5 NWW (GA). Oldsquaw: two reports—Oct 22 SL (bsh), three Nov 26 SL (SBC). White-winged Scoter: several reports, Oct 13 Chat¬ ham (P&MM) to end of period. Surf Scoter: five reports, all female or imm (first since 1965); two Oct 19 Lock 7 MR (GA) to one on Nov 26 SL (SBC), max five Oct 28 SL (SBC). Common Scoter: ten reports—from Oct 13, 28 at Chatham (P& MM), to Nov 26, two at SL (SBC). Ruddy Duck: Oct 19 one at Lock 7 MR (GA) to Nov 26 SL (SBC), max 22 BR Nov 11 (SBC). Hooded Merganser: only five reports—from Oct 12 SCR (EH) to Nov 11 AR and BR (SBC). Common Mergan¬ ser: Oct 20 Castleton (JC) through end of period. Red-breasted Merganser: only five reports—Oct 22 SL (bsh) to Nov 26 SL (SBC), max three. HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: reported regularly from southern sections, last Oct 7 Catskill (JHB). Goshawk: one Oct 29 SL (BRS), and one Nov 11 AR (SBC). Sharp-shinned Hawk: only one report again—Aug 23, Schodack Center (L&VB). Cooper's Hawk: one report only—Nov 25 VFG (RPY). Red-shouldered Hawk: one each in Aug in Ghent and Hillsdale (P&GE,NS), and one in Castleton Nov 7 and 13 (JC). Broad-winged Hawk: several reports—from Aug 16 SCR (HHS) to Oct 7 Castleton (JC), Rough-legged Hawk: several reports—from Oct 4 Scotia (EH) throughout period. Marsh Hawk: several reports—from Aug 28 Ghent (P&GE), through Oct 28 Ghent and Castleton (P&GEJC). Osprey: to Nov 5 TR (SBC). Sparrow Hawk: reported regularly; 50 seen Oct 28 Schodack (L&VB). Bobwhite: unreported during period. SANDHILL CRANEs second report for the year, first year recorded in Region—one young bird in a ploughed cornfield on Gibson’s farm, five miles n. of Kinderhook, from Nov 12—19, seen by many members of ADBC and SBC, verified by Ed Reilly. Virginia Rail: two to three adults with seven young VFG Aug 18—19 (HFB, Ruth Bates, RPY), one Sep 1 VFG (RPY), two adults and one juvenile Sep 3 and 5 NWW (HHS). Common Gallinule: widely reported in Sep, last Oct 18 Chatham (P&MM). Coot: Sep 9 one at BR (PPW), Sep 30 one at NWW (HHS), several reports through period, max 75 Nov 1 (EH). Semipalmated Plover: only three reports—one Aug 27 RL (PPW), one Sep 4 RL (PPW,HHS), one Sep 16 NWW (HHS). Killdeer: widely reported, max 45 Sep 17 (EH), last Nov 13 Greenville (Clarissa Ketcham). Black-bellied Plover: only report- seven Aug 19 SCR (HHS). Am. Woodcock: reported irregularly up to Oct 20. Com¬ mon Snipe: four reports for period, last Nov 5 VFG (HHS). WHIMBREL: first 53 record in Region—two seen Sep 12 near State Office Building in Albany (WBS) and observed daily thereafter (mob) until Sep 27, when they were found dead, appar¬ ently having flown into a building; the specimens are in the collection of the State Museum in Albany, Upland Plover: one remained until Aug 18 Niskayuna (RPY). Spotted Sandpiper: last Oct 2 CL (EH). Solitary Sandpiper: only three reports— singles Aug 20 GL (EH), Sep 4 SCR (PPW, HHS) and Oct 4 Chatham (P&MM). Greater Yellowlegs: Sep 9 (PRW,RPY) to Nov 8 (GA). Lesser Yellowlegs: first, Sep 4 SCR (PPW,HHS), last also SCR Nov 8 (GA). Pectoral Sandpiper: very few—one Sep 16 SCR (PPW); one to six Oct 16-Nov 1 SCR (GA,EH). Least Sandpiper: re¬ ported on seven different dates, max eight, from Aug 27 RL (PPW) to Nov 1 CL (EH). Dunlin: only two reports—a flock of 13 Sep 29 at NWW (HHS), one Oct 22 at SCR (BRS). Semipalmated Sandpiper: several reports—from Aug 26 Lock 6 MR (PPW,MDG) to Sep 29 NWW (HHS), max 4. WESTERN SANDPIPER : first report since 1963—Sep 4, one at RL studied in company with Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers (PPW, HHS). Sanderling: one Aug 26 at Lock 6 MR (PPW,MDG); two Aug 27 and Sep 10 Brown’s Beach, SL (PPW). Great Black-backed Gull: one imm Nov 5 TR (SBC). Bonaparte’s Gull: five Oct 22 SL (BRS), and one Nov 3 Lock 7 MR (GA). Common Tern: the first fall report since 1959—one Sep 3 and 16 NWW (HHS). Yellow-billed Cuckoo: Aug 23, one (EH); late reports Oct 1, 2, 15 Ghent (P&GE). Black-billed Cuckoo: reported for five dates, last Oct 23 Ghent (P&GE). Barn Owl: one young and one adult observed in a silo near New Scotland Jul 16—Sep 6 (Beverly Waite); a nest holding a few nestlings was discovered beneath the Western Gateway Bridge, Scotia, in late Aug (fide WBS). Screech Owl: one observed in Ghent from Aug 18—26 (P&GE); three reports in Oct and three in Nov. Great Horned Owl: pair resident in West Charlton (Emily Halverson); also reported on several dates in Oct in Castleton (JG) and Chatham Center (M & AG), from Catskill Nov 5 and Freehold Nov 7 (JHB). Snowy Owl: one Nov 26 on top of TV antenna just south of Albany (L&VB). GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Nighthawk: seen until Sep 13 Albany (PPW et al) and Catskill (BB). Chimney Swift: last, Sep 20 Ghent (P&GE). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: migration peaked in mid-Sep, max 12-15, Sep 16 VFG, last Oct 2 Niskayuna (RPY). Pileated Woodpecker: reported regularly throughout period. Red-headed Woodpecker: reported on four dates—Sep 16 and 30 and Nov 7 at Ghent (P&GE) and Oct 15, one imm at Delmar Game Farm (WBS). Yellow-bellied Sap- sucker: a few reports, last Nov 12 Ghent (P&GE). Eastern Kingbird: late report, Sep 29 (ADBC). Eastern Phoebe: last Oct 27 (ADBC). Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: two reports—Aug 28 one at Ghent (P&GE), and one near GL Sep 6 (EH). Traill’s Flycatcher: last one banded Sep 16 VFG (RPY). Least Flycatcher: last one banded Sep 16 VFG (RPY). Wood Pewee: late report Oct 3 Castleton (JC). Olive-sided Flycatcher: one report—Sep 16 Ghent (P&GE). Tree Swallow: numbers greatly di¬ minished by mid-Sep; reported to Oct 3 (ADBC); an imm Nov 5 TR (SBC )—-very late. Bank Swallow: large flocks reported the last part of Aug, last report Sep 7 (HHS). Rough-winged Swallow: seen to Aug 20 in Hillsdale (NS). Bam Swallow: last report very late—one at East Greenbush Nov 1 (L&VB). Cliff Swallow: only re¬ port, a nesting in Hillsdale with successful hatching of three young (NS). Tufted Titmouse: still increasing. Red-breasted Nuthatch: first migrant Sep 9 Karner (SBC), few migrants observed. House Wren: last Oct 13 Ghent (P&GE). Winter Wren: two reports—Sep 16 Canaan (EP), and Sep 30 VFG (RPY). Long¬ billed Marsh Wren: last Oct 30 CL (DH). Mockingbird: reported regularly in a few areas; apparently increasing in Greene Co (JHB). Catbird: to Oct 27 (ADBC). Brown Thrasher: last Oct 23 (ADBC). Wood Thrush: few reports, last Sep 22 Ghent (P&GE). Hermit Thrush: several reports—Aug 27 at Berne (MK), Oct 7-15 VFG (RPY), and one Nov 26 Lock 7 MR (GA). Swainson’s Thrush: only reports from Banding Station, Aug 12-Sep 30 VFG (RPY). Gray-cheeked Thrush: one Oct 54 2 East Greenbush (PPW). Eastern Bluebird: many reports, last Nov 8 Freehold (JHB). Golden-crowned Kinglet: good flight, widely reported from Oct 8 through Nov, max 30. Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Sep 23 Ghent (M. Kern) to Nov 19 Ghent (P&GE) and Schodack Center (L&VB). Water Pipit: Oct 22, 43 at SCR (WBS,bsh); last NWW Nov 20 (HHS). Loggerhead Shrike: one imm Aug 25 Ghent (P&GE). Another shrike reported Oct 14 near Muitzenkill (JC). VIREOS—WARBLERS: Vireos—Yellow-throated: only one report—Sep 11-15 Ghent (P&GE). Red-eyed: seen regularly in Aug (ADBC), last Sep 23 VFG (RPY). Philadelphia: one banded on each of two dates, Sep 15 and Oct 1 at VFG (RPY). Warbling: last Sep 30 NWW (HHS). Warblers—Black-and-white: Aug 26 VFG (RPY), Sep 16 Ghent (P & GE), Sep 20 Canaan (EP). Tennessee: Sep 16, 17 Ghent (P & GE), only report. Nashville: Aug 20 (EH) to Oct 2 CL (EH). Parula: only report—Oct 12 near Charlton (R.H.Stone). Yellow: a very late date—Oct 16, one described as a male—yellow, with chestnut-red breast-streakings—reported near Muitzenkill (JC). Magnolia: Aug 26 VFG (RPY) to Sep 29 Ghent (P&GE). Cape May: only report Oct 5 Castleton (JC). Black- throated Blue: only report Sep 9 Karner Pine Barrens (SBC). Myrtle: Aug 5 Hills¬ dale (NS) to Oct 28 (GA). Black-throated Green: Sep 9 Karner (SBC) to Oct 16 Castleton (JC). Blackburnian: few reports, from Sep 10 NWW (HHS) to Oct 1 VFG (RPY). Chestnut-sided: last Sep 11 Ghent (P & GE). Bay-breasted: eight Aug 27 Berne (MK) to Oct 2. Ghent (P&GE). Blackpoll: to Oct 2 Ghent (P & GE). Palm: Sep 16 VFG (RPY) to Nov 2 Catskill (JHB). Ovenbird: last, Oct 2 Ghent (P & GE). Northern Water-thrush: only report—Aug 19 VFG (RPY). Connecticut: one only, Sep 16 Ghent (P&GE). Yellowthroat: to Nov 4 Catskill (JHB). Wilson’s: Aug 24 Ghent (NS,P&GE) to Sep 29 NWW (HHS). Canada: to Sep 12 East Greenbush (PPW). Am. Redstart: last Sep 16 Canaan (EP). BLACKBIRDS-SPARROWS: Bobolink: last Sep 16 Catskill (JHB). Baltimore Oriole: last two dates—Sep 20 Schodack (L&VB), Oct 21 VFG (RPY). Rusty Black¬ bird: Sep 29 Old Chatham (P & GE) to Nov 26 (bsh). Common Grackle: through¬ out period; flock of 2000-3000 Sep 16 VFG (RPY) and “many thousands” Oct 3 at Catskill (JHB). Scarlet Tanger: last, two NWW Oct 1 (HHS). Rose-breasted Gros¬ beak; last Oct 7 VFG (RPY). Indigo Bunting: last, three Oct 1 NWW (HHS). Evening Grosbeak: a flock of 30 appeared Oct 8 East Greenbush (PPW), with several reports of smaller numbers thereafter. Purple Finch: few reported throughout period. HOUSE FINCH: one male remained at a feeder in Niskayuna until Nov 2 (GA). Pine Siskin: two reports—Oct 22 (bsh), and three at Catskill Oct 26 (JHB). Goldfinch: seemed numerous, including a flock of 550 the last part of Sep near NWW (HHS). White-winged Crossbill: one report—six at SL on Nov 12 (bsh). Sparrows: Rufous-sided Towhee: late report of one male at a feeder in Berne on Nov 22, and again on Nov 30 (MK). Savannah: several reports, last Oct 12 at NWW (HHS), SHARP-TAILED: (Nelson’s subspecies) one banded for second yeiir in succession, Oct 1 VFG (RPY). Henslow’s: new late record—Nov 2 and 6 at Ghent (P&GE). Vesper: reported to end of period. Chipping: last Nov 5 and 6, one at feeder in Alplaus (HFB). Field: last Nov 8 Catskill (JHB). White-crowned: Oct 1 VFG (RPY) to Nov 5 TR (SBC). White-throated: many reports throughout period. Fox: several reports, Oct 20 VFG (RPY) to Nov 29 Alplaus (HFB). Lincoln’s: from Sep 16 VFG (three) (RPY), to Oct 15 West Glenville (RSM). Swamp: last Oct 22 VFG (RPY). Snow Bunting: flock of 40 Nov 11 AR (SBC); three later dates, max 50. R.D. 1, Box 55, Scotia, N.Y. 12302 12 Columbia Drive, East Greenbush, N.Y. 12061 55 REGION 9 — DELAWARE-HUDSON Edward D. Treacy After the much more than average rainfall of last spring and summer, September produced only a bit more than an inch; and October about three inches. Tempera¬ tures were a bit warmer than expected, and killing frosts did not come to most parts of the Region till the third week of October. November rainfall was slightly less than October, and the month was generally cooler than average. No snow was reported thru the season, and there were no great extremes or weather upsets. Most areas reported a slow, boring migration with no real peaks of activity. There were few species of note, and nothing exceptional in numbers. Warbler movements were disappointing, and there were no marked invasions of northern finches. Observers cited: PC—Pauline Chernick; RFD—Robert F. Deed; ME—Martha Earl; FNA—Fyke Nature Association; TG—Tom Gilbert; SOG—Stanley O. Grierson; TH— Thelma Haight; FH—Fred Hough; PJ—Paul Jeheber; AJ—Alice Jones; MK—Mary Key; HM—Helen Manson; MBC—Mearns Bird Club; A,BM—A1 and Barbara Merritt; EP— Eleanor Pink; RAS—Rockland Audubon Society; T,WS—Trixie and William Strauss; CT—Czecher Terhune; SU—Sarah Uhelyi; MV—Marion VanWagner; OW—Otis Waterman; WBC—Waterman Bird Club Area Compilers: Pauline Chernick—Sull; Robert F. Deed-Rock; Martha Earl— Oran; Mrs. William Grierson—West; Fred Hough—Ulst; Mabel Little—Putn; Alfred Merritt—Oran; Eleanor Pink—Dutch; Otis Waterman—Dutch Localities: C-on-H—Comwall-on-Hudson; Dutch—Dutchess Co; Oran—Orange Co; Putn—Putnam Co; Rock—Rockland Co; Sull—Sullivan Co; West—Westchester Co. LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: one Nov 12 Croton Res. (SOG); two, Nov 26 C-on-H (B,AM). Great Blue Heron; few reports, but more than usual in late years; max four, Sept 1—15 C-on-H (B,AM); two persisted to end of season, one in Dutch, and one in Oran. Green Heron: last report Dutch, Oct 4. Least Bittern: one, C-on-H Aug 31—Sep 5 (B,AM). Am. Bittern: one, Sep 27 Pine Plains; one Basha Kill Sep 23 (MBC). Canada Goose: usual large fall flights; greater bulk passed thru first two weeks of Oct, largest flocks Oct 6 & 7, by Nov 26 about 150 were resident at Rockland L. Snow Goose: first flight, 45 over Ward’s Pound Ridge Reservation, West Oct 7 (David Junkin); 70, Nov 2; 180, Nov 11 C-on-H (B,AM); 35, Nov 11 Hamptonburg (ME). Mallard: 12, Aug 30 C-on-H, increasing to about 50 on Sept 24, and remained throughout period. Pintail: only one reported, Sep 16 C-on-H (MBC). Green-winged Teal: good numbers thru period; max about 30 Tomahawk L, Oran Oct 18 (ME). Blue-winged Teal: numbers very low, one late bird Nov 3 Pleasant Valley. Dutch (CT). Am. Widgeon: Sep 1-27 C-on-H, max 38, Sep 24 (B,AM); WBC reports 32 in Dutch during Oct; only four in Nov. Wood Duck: about 20 at Iona Is. Oct 28 (RAS); 30 Dutch records in Oct, none in Nov. Redhead: one, Sep 27 C-on-H (B, AM). Ring-necked Duck: only reports Dutch—80 in Oct, only 11 in Nov. Greater Scaup: 37, Oct 29 Hudson R, Dutch (AJ). Common Goldeneye: two, Nov 11 Green Haven; five Hunn’s L Nov 11 (EP, MV) and Nov 19 (TH). Bufflehead; the usual 20 or more on Rockland L Nov 26 (RFD). White-winged Scoter: more reports than usual; one reported to ME on Tomahawk L Oct 14, also observed there Oct 21 (MBC); two, Oct 18 Verbank, Dutch (MK et al ); one, Nov 26 C-on-H, (AM). COMMON SCOTER: always very rare; more this season than ever before—17, Oct 4 Crugers Is. (WBC); 75, Oct 18 Verbank (MK,HM); 50, Oct 18 Amenia (WS,TS)- all records Dutch, last observed there in 1960. Ruddy Duck: all records Dutch—two, Oct 4 Crugers Is. (WBC); one, Oct 20 Pleasant Valley (CT); 29, Oct 19 Sylvan L and Wappingers (MK, AJ); last, one Nov 11. Common Merganser: five, Nov 11 Sylvan L, Dutch; a few to end of period. 56 HAWKS—OWLS: An analysis of the ninth annual hawk watch of the Fyke Nature Association at Mt. Peter, Orange Co, N.Y. from Sep 3 thru Oct 29 shows most species of raptors markedly down in numbers. Specifically: Sharp-shinned Hawk, about ¥2 the yearly average; Cooper’s about M; Red-tailed Red-shouldered ¥a; Broadwinged ¥ 2 ; Marsh normal; Osprey ¥ 2 ; Peregrine normal (only four); Kestrel ¥ 2 . Turkey Vulture: persisted thru most of Region thru last week of Oct; last report Oran, Oct 24 Tomahawk L, (ME); one, Oct 23 Pleasant Valley. Red-tailed Hawk: one albino near Verbank, Dutch all Oct (HM). Broad-winged Hawk: best reports Sep 12—376 over Mt Peter, Oran (FNA), and about 500, Poughkeepsie (AJ); 457 Sept 13 Pleasant Valley (MV). Rough-legged Hawk: singles Oct 4 and Nov 23 Dutch, and Oct 21 Mt. Peter (FNA). Bald Eagle: one, Sep 2 Barnes L, Palisades Interstate Pk (Hugh Pembleton); two, first reported Nov 9, regular since on U.S. Military Reservation, West Pt (PJ)—these reported buzzing four White-tailed Deer. Ruffed Grouse: numbers fair but declining. Bobwhite: only reports Dutch—16 in Sep; 5 in Oct; two in Nov. Virginia Rail: two, Sep 5 C-on-H (PJ); one, Oct 7 Pine Plains (TH). Common Gallinule: one, Sep and another Nov 5, Pine Plains (TH); one, Oct 29 Amenia, where it nested earlier. (T,WS). Am. Coot: less than last year, but num¬ bers still good; 30 Neversink Res. Oct 19 (PC); WBC reports 51 in Oct and 19 in Nov. Killdeer: max 80, Sep 23 along Otterkill, Hamptonburgh, Oran (ME); last at Krip- plebush Dec 5 (FH). Am. Woodcock: normal; no large flights reported. Common Snipe: about 20, Sep 23 Hamptonburgh (ME). Upland Plover: one late bird Oct 18 Poughkeepsie (AJ). SANDERLING: one injured bird caught on RR tracks at Hyde Pk Oct 20, released Nov 6 (AJ,MK)—first record Dutch since 1927. Bonaparte’s Gull: four Sep 4—5 and one Sep 27, C-on-H (PJ; A,BM); two, Oct 19 Chelsea, Dutch (AJ,MK). Mourning Dove: numbers very low in Oran, but normal elsewhere. Most species of owls normal. Bam Owl: five young discovered in Sep near Modena—three destroyed by over-zealous bird watchers. Screech Owl: seemed to be heard more often this fall than usual; one returned to Wood Duck box Oct 29 at Tri-Loba Hill Sanct., Katonah (SOG). Long-eared Owl: Nov 9 thru end of period, three to five roosting together in pine grove in Dutch (mob) Short-eared Owl: one, Nov 20 Pleasant Valley (MV). GOATSUCKERS-STARLING: Common Nighthawk: largest flock 110, Aug 30 C-on-H, (B,AM), other small flocks reported thru first week of Sep. Chimney Swift: 30, Oct 13 Freedom Plains (HM)—late. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: in good numbers; WBC reports 19 during Oct. Eastern Kingbird: last, Oct 2 Tomahawk L (ME). Olive¬ sided Flycatcher: last—very late—Sep 27 Dutch (WBC). Tree Swallow: especially good flight thru Sep; “too many to count” at Hamptonburgh Oct 12 (ME); last Oct 20 Stissing, Dutch (TH). Blue Jay and Crow: normally abundant in late Oct. Fish Crow: one, possibly two at Vassar College thru season (OW). Red-breasted Nut¬ hatch: scattered reports from northern part, none from south. Brown Creeper: quite scarce, much less than last year. House Wren: two late records from Dutch—one each Oct 24 and Oct 30 (WBC). Winter Wren: WBC reports usual numbers—five in Oct, two in Nov; one Nov 2 Tomahawk L (ME). Carolina Wren: none reported. Mock¬ ingbird: no increase noted; reports vary from “scarce” in Dutch (WBC) to “holding its own” in Ulst (FH). Catbird: heavy flight late Sep early Oct, usual few lingering to end of period. Most thrushes normal. Robin: heavy numbers till Nov 11; small flocks persisted to end of season. Eastern Bluebird: numbers low, but continues to gain slowly; normal fall flight reported most areas. Golden-crowned Kinglet: first report Sep 24, Dutch; good Nov numbers. Ruby-crowned Kinglet: first, Sep 12 Dutch, good movements on Oct 24—27. (ME). Water Pipit: good flight from Sep 21 in Sull thru end of period in Dutch. Cedar Waxwing: good to excellent in Dutch thru season, max 150 at Iona Is. Oct 28 (RAS). Shrike: one reported from Hampton¬ burgh—Blooming Grove area on Sep 23, Nov 29, Dec 7, species not mentioned (ME). Northern Shrike: one Sep 24, Pleasant Valley (MV). Loggerhead Shrike: 57 one, Pearl R Aug 27 (James Demes); one, Valley Cottage Sep 1 (Mrs. T. R. Milli¬ gan). VIREOS—WARBLERS: Vireo and warbler migration unimpressive. Red-eyed Vireo: last, two (late) Oct 21, Thompson Pond, Dutch. (MK et al ). Warbling Vireo: last, two (late) Oct 20 Dutch (WBC trip). Warblers: Black-and-white: late dates, one Oct 28 Mt. Kisco (Mrs. Wm. Grierson) and one Nov 1 Salt Pt, Dutch (CT). Worm-eating: none. Panila: one Oct 21, Thomp¬ sons Pond (mob); one Nov 1 Innisfree, Dutch (MK et al). Black-throated Blue: one (early) Sep 9 near Nauraushaun (Gravenstein). Myrtle: heaviest movement Oct 11-15. Black-throated Green: 72 reported during Sep, Dutch (WBC); last Oct 12. Pine: “Good flight mist netted at Millbrook Boys School late Sep—Michael Whit¬ comb” (WBC). Palm: rather late, Oct 28 Iona Is. (RAS). KENTUCKY WARBLER : one, Sep 16 Thompson Pond (EP, MV)—first fall record Dutch and only fifth or sixth record ever; one at Crugers Is. Oct 4 (AJ,MK et al). Connecticut: one, Sep 23 Thompson Pond (EP); one, Sep 27, banded at Millbrook Boys School (Michael Whitcomb). Mourning: one, Sep 21 Pleasant Valley (MV). Yellow-breasted Chat: one, Nov 18, Vassar College (MV et al), only Dutch report for year. BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Bobolink: no migrants noted. Baltimore Oriole: one lingered at Amenia thru period (TS). Rusty Blackbird: good flight; 25, Oct 20 Farmingdale; 10, Oct 24 Hamptonburgh (ME); lesser numbers reported elsewhere. Scarlet Tanager: numbers lower than usual. Cardinal: numbers good but less than previous years. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: last, two Oct 25 Dutch (mob)—very late. DICKCISSEL: two, Oct 25 East Pk (Tom Gilbert, mob); one, Nov 27 Chester (SU). Evening Grosbeak: small flocks reported all areas except West; first, Oct 16 Green Haven, Dutch. Purple Finch: good numbers near Blooming Grove Sep 29—Oct 24. (ME). House Finch: continues to increase; two Green Haven; six Vassar College all period; many reports elsewhere. Rufous-sided Towhee: a few more reports to end of period than usual, especially in Oran. Savannah Sparrow: good flight; six, Naur¬ aushaun Sep 9 (Gravenstein), others reported from wide area. Vesper Sparrow: max 28, during Oct in Dutch. Slate-colored Junco: first Oct 12 Hamptonburg (ME); numbers continued good thru period. Tree Sparrow: same status as Junco. Chipping Sparrow: at least two observed at Kripplebush during last days of Nov (FH): one, Nov 21 at feeder in Dutch (HM); one at feeder with Tree Sparrows in Chester Nov 28 (SU). White-crowned Sparrow: one, Sep 23 Dutch (MV)—early; good fall flight after that. White-throated Sparrow: first, banded Sep 18 Tomahawk L (ME); good numbers from then to end of period. Fox Sparrow: heavy flight, Nov 23-25. Lincoln Sparrow: eight Sep records in Dutch, last Sep 27 (MV); last date Oran, Oct 20 Tomahawk L (ME). Lapland Longspur: one, Oct 25 East Pk (TG,AJ,MK). Snow Bunting: only reports from northern portion first and second weeks of Nov, all flocks under 12 in number. Winter report due no later than Apr 5. Pellwood Lake, Highland Falls, N.Y. 10928 REGION 10 —MARINE Thomas H. Davis and Fred Heath In the last report we spoke of a cold, wet spell at the onset of the breeding sea¬ son. The affect this had on colonial nesting species was quite apparent—it demolished a good many nests, forcing birds to renest and even to abandon all attempts at raising young. High storm tides almost totally wiped out nests of Clapper Rails along the south shore and wrecked all but a handful of Common Tern nests on an island north of Tobay Sanctuary. Fledging Herring Gulls were found at Captree State Park until mid August, unusually late for this species and locality. 58 What affect this weather had on smaller insectivorous and seed-eating birds can¬ not be accurately estimated. To be sure, nesting populations of all swallows were low, on Gardiner’s Island and elsewhere only a fraction of the swallows present were actually raising young. During the fall all the active birders commented on the poorest Tree Swallow flight in memory; while engaged in weekend banding at Tobay, Tom Davis estimated more than 3000 birds on only one occasion. Two thought-provoking reports were a Bobwhite’s nest with eggs and a Great Crested Flycatcher feeding young on September 14. Why were these birds engaged in breeding activities at such a late date? Other insectivorous birds seemed to be present this fall in lower than usual num¬ bers, see Part II—Banding Reports concerning thrushes and warblers. One notable exception to the above statement was the kinglet flight. The totals at all the Long Island banding stations were high. Some maxima recorded at the Island Beach band¬ ing station in New Jersey, just south of our region are worth mentioning—Golden- crowned Kinglet: 345 on Oqt 12, 340 on Oct 22 and 363 on Oct 27 (season total 2419, normally about 600-1000); Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 145 on Oct 12, 177 on Oct 22 and 141 on Oct 29 (season total 1281, normally about 600-800). All the above daily totals are higher than any mentioned in John Bull’s Birds of the New York Area. Rarities reported this fall were Magnificent Frigate-bird, Purple Gallinule (speci¬ men ), Sabine’s Gull, Wheatear, and Lark Bunting. Abbreviations used: JBWR—Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge; AMNH—American Museum of Natural History; LLAS—Lymon Langdon Audubon Society; Is—Island. Only the first word is used for Jones Beach State Park, Riis Park, Tobay Wildlife Sanctuary. Contributors frequently cited: RA—Robert Arbib; AB—A1 Bell; JB—John Bull; RC—Ralph Cioffi; BC—Barbara Connolly; ED—Ed Daly; TD—Thomas Davis; AD— Aline Dove; EM—Ellen McMullen; LM—Lee Morgan; WN—William Norse; RP— Robert Paxton; DP—Dennis Puleston; WS—Walter Sedwitz; BT—Benjamin Trimble; GT—Guy Tudor; CW—Cornelius Ward; LW—Leroy Wilcox. PART I—SIGHT AND SPECIMEN REPORTS LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: Aug 19 Fort Salonga Shores, Long Is Sound (EM). Eared Grebe: for the sixth consecutive year one at JBWR Oct 28 thru period (mob). Shearwaters are seldom reported along the coast west of Jones Beach-four Cory’s and four Greaters seen at Riis Sep 17 (mob) is unusual, even more unusual is that none were seen the same day along the coast from Jones to Montauk Ft (TD, BT). “Petrel species:” Nov 1 Sunken Meadow State Pk (AD,EM et al)— judging from the observer’s description and previous experience with petrels I would say that it was an extremely late Leach’s Petrel, a species never before reported from Long Island Sound; although Wilson’s Petrels have been reported from the Sound, this date is over a month later than the latest Regional record of this species. MAGNIFI¬ CENT FRIGATE-BIRD: “one reported and well described by non-birders at Aque- bogue, Aug 18-19, feeding at close range in creek near marina; not found in area on Aug 20 but report believed correct.” (GR)—eighth Regional record. Cattle Egret: Oct 30 Brookhaven (DP). Snowy Egret: 150 Oct 28 JBWR (WN)— late for so many. Whistling Swan: only report—adult Nov 24 Hook Pond, Easthamp- ton (GR). Snow Goose: arr Oct 7 JBWR (ED, R. Claremont); max 150, Nov 14 flying south along Hudson R past West 38th St. (WS). Blue Goose: only report— Nov 13 thru period, Southampton (Mrs. C. Cord). Pintail: max 600 plus, Oct 28 JBWR (WN). European Widgeon: only report—Oct 23 JBWR (BC 1 ). Harlequin Duck: arr Nov 4 (three) Pt Lookout (BT et al). HAWKS-OWLS: Rough-legged Hawk: arr Nov 24 Montauk (GR) GOLDEN EAGLE: sub-adult Oct 22 Tobay (mob), seen minutes later at Jones (CW,A.Wol- 59 lins,H.Pembleton). Marsh Hawk: max 25 Oct 6 Fire Is (CW). Osprey: max 20 Oct 6 Fire Is (CW). Sparrow Hawk: max 259 Oct 6 Fire Is (AB)—10:30a.m. to 3:30p.m. Bobwhite: nest with eight eggs Sep 14 Manorville (GR)—latest Regional egg date by three weeks. YELLOW RAIL : found dead on road Oct 8 Jones (T. Lauro, D. Ford). PURPLE GALL1NULE: adult found freshly killed on road Nov 18 Montauk (M. Hemmerick)—specimen sent to AMNH, only the second fall Regional record. Am. Oystercatcher: one remained at Shinnecock Bay until Oct 22 (LW). Piping Plover: Nov 4 Mecox Bay (LW)—late. Golden Plover: max 100 Sep 9, “ploughed fields from Sagaponack to Southampton” (AB,O.Dunning,RC) — high count. Purple Sandpiper: two Sep 29 Jones (H.Hays,H.McConley)—extremely early, perhaps sum¬ mering individuals. White-rumped Sandpiper: two Nov 25 JBWR (GR)—late. Baird’s Sandpiper: three plus, Sep 9 Jones (CW,WN et al); Oct 8 Tobay (M. Kleinbaum, TD). Marbled Godwit: Aug 19-23 JBWR (A.Cruz et al); Oct 8 Tobay (M. Klein¬ baum,TD). Red Phalarope: four Oct 28 JBWR (WN) Wilson’s Phalarope: Sep 2-9 Tobay (mob). Northern Phalarope: Sep 17, JBWR (F.Bader). “Jaeger Species:” 13, Sep 17 Riis (mob)—“apparently all Parasitics;” imm Aug 19 Cutchogue (AD). Black-headed Gull: Nov 23 Setauket (M.Hemmerick). SABINE’S GULL; sub-adult Nov 25 Montauk Pt (RP,LM,P.Opler)—see field note. Royal Tern: two Sep 24-29 Jones (RA,CW et al); two Oct 1 Riis (WS). Caspian Tern: Sep 24 Great Gull Is (K.Parkes); Oct 5 Shinnecock Inlet (LW). Black Skimmer: max 450 Sep 9 Moriches Inlet (RP)—after Hurricane Doria. Razorbill: Nov 18 Montauk Pt (LLAS). Dovekie: two Nov 18 Montauk Pt (LLAS); one found grounded inland at Shinnecock Hills Nov 25 ( fide K.Helms). Snowy Owl: three or four reported during the last week of Nov. Long-eared Owl: Oct 29 Cedar Beach (CW et al)— see next species. SAW—WHET OWL : on Oct 29 a search through every pine grove in the Cedar Beach—Oak Beach area turned up the amazing total of 26 birds (CW,H.Hirshbein, J.Backstrum,A.Wollins,R.Ward,S.Schiff) —by far the highest daily total for this species in the Region; the following weekend all the groves were checked again and no owls were found (CW); also on Oct 29 a car-killed bird was found five miles away at Tobay Beach (T.Lauro,D.Ford). During the huge Saw-whet flight two years ago 91 reports were received, 56 of these during October. Of these 56 birds 44 were reported by banders using mist nets. These same groves were not checked until Nov 27 that year when four owls were found—how many more were present during late October that year? GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Red-headed Woodpecker: 5 reports received— Sep 3 to Nov 11. Western Kingbird: 7 reports received—Sep 30 to Nov 12; two re¬ ported inland, one at Elwood Nov 12 (S.Ince, B.Reeves) and one at Fort Tryon Pk Nov 3 (S.Grades). Great Crested Flycatcher: an adult found feeding three newly fledged young at Shoreham on Sep 14 (H.Halma)—fantastically late, the latest Re¬ gional egg date is June 29; Nov 4 Prospect Pk (J. Yrizzary)—extremely late, the bird was studied carefully to exclude the possibility of it being any other Myiarchus species. Olive-sided Flycatcher: Sep 20 Brookhaven (DP)—late. Barn Swallow: three Nov 3 Jones (C W,E. Levine); Nov 24 Montauk (GR)—both very late. Blue Jay: max 1200 Oct 1 Riis (WS). Robin: max 700 plus Oct 29 Tobay (TD). WHEATEAR: Sep 11 Tobay (B. Farren)—see field note. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: three reports re¬ ceived—Sep 2-24. Cedar Waxwing: max 700 Oct 1 Riis (WS). Loggerhead Shrike: Aug 19 Jerome Reservoir (WS); Oct 8 Riis (JB). VIREOS—WARBLERS: Warbling Vireo: Sep 9 Jones (CW); Oct 22 Jones (RA) —extremely late, see banding report. Golden-winged Warbler: Sep 4 Glen Cove (AB,RC). Orange-crowned Warbler: only two reports—Oct 11-20. Myrtle Warbler: max 2500 plus Oct 22 Tobay (TD)—see banding report, highest Regional count. Yellowthroat: max 300 plus Aug 6 Tobay (TD)—see banding report, highest Re¬ gional count. 60 BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Ochard Oriole: “adult male in company with Balti¬ more Oriole,” Sep 23 Orient (R. Latham). Baltimore Oriole: latest report Nov 25 at Northport (E.Mudge). Boat-tailed Grackle: the bird mentioned in the spring and summer reports remained at the Far Rockway feeder at least until Nov 3 (Mrs. R. Berman), Scarlet Tanager; Nov 15 Northport (EM). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Oct 28 JBWR (WN)—extremely late. Blue Grosbeak: Sep 23 JBWR (WS); Oct 1 Riis (WS). Indigo Bunting: Nov 6 Port Washington (AD). Dickcissel: 14 reports totaling 19 individuals, Sep 2-Nov 25. Evening Grosbeak: arr Oct 12 Jones (CW); “several small groups heard and seen at Brookhaven, Oct 23 and 31” (DP). Pine Siskin: arr Oct 22 (“several”) Jones (CW). LARK BUNTING : Sep 24 Riis (ED,K.O’Hare,B. Brennan)—seen as close as 25 feet, wing-patches and other field marks carefully noted, “very similar in appearance to the Lark Bunting seen and photographed by me last year at West End Beach, Jones Beach” (ED), ninth Regional record. Grass¬ hopper Sparrow: two Nov 11 Montauk (GT,RP et al); three Nov 21 JFK Airport (P.Buckley)—both very late records, this species is probably regular during early Nov but overlooked. Clay-colored Sparrow: Oct 8 Riis (JB); Oct 27 Riis (WN). Lincoln’s Sparrow: Nov 11, Montauk (GT,RP et al) — late. Lapland Longspur: two, Oct 15 Glen Cove (AB,RC); only other report at Jones Nov 25 (GR). Snow Bunting: big movement on Nov 13 at eastern Fire Is—“about 200 at Smith’s Pt Pk and another 250 in three flocks between there and Moriches Inlet, all moving SW along dunes” (RP). PART II—BANDING REPORTS Data from five Long Island banding stations has made this report possible. Con¬ tributors were as follows: Brookhaven—Walter Terry, Dennis Puleston (4207 birds of 92 species banded in 88 days, Aug 1-Oct 31, 6620 net hours). Tobay—Fred Schaeffer, Thomas H. Davis, et al (4113 birds of 88 species banded in 27 days, mainly week¬ ends, Aug 5—Oct 31, 2357 net hours); Atlantic Beach—Richard Cohen (1762 birds, daily Aug 1-Oct 31, 3941 net hours; banding was continued in November on a nearly daily basis). Havens Point, East Moriches—Leroy Wilcox (443 birds of 48 species in 23 days, daily except Sundays, Sep 2-30, 674 net hours); Tiana Beach—Leroy Wilcox (1809 birds of 76 species in 24 days, daily except Sundays, Oct 2-31, 710 net hours). A total of 12,334 birds of 112 species were banded at the above stations. The eight most banded species were: 1) Myrtle Warbler—2637, 2) Yellowthroat—1022, 3) Song Sparrow—860, 4) Catbird—795, 5) Swamp Sparrow—694, 6) White-throated Sparrow—464, 7) Ruby-crowned Kinglet—461, 8) Slate-colored Junco—432. The most frequently mentioned peak days were Oct 22 (20 times, 1006 birds netted at Tobay, 276 at Brookhaven), Sep 23 (16 times, 283 birds of 55 species netted at Tobay), Oct 6 (10 times, 235 birds netted at Brookhaven, 159 at Tiana) and Oct 23 (six times, 171 birds netted at Tiana, 140 at Brookhaven). Abbreviations used: AtlB—Atlantic Beach; Brook—Brookhaven; Mor—East Mori¬ ches. HAWKS—OWLS: In spite of the excellent breeding reports all of the stations netted only two Yellow-billed and four Black-billed Cuckoos. A Yellow-billed at Brook on Oct 17 was late. Saw-whet Owl: an early individual was caught at Hunt¬ ington on Oct 8 (W.Lanyon); eight were netted at AtlB Oct 23-Nov 1 with a max of four on Oct 23. GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Yellow-shafted Flicker: Tobay—33 Aug 19-Oct 30, peak Sep 23 (9); AtlB—23 Aug 19-Oct 22, peak Sep 24 (7)—very low totals. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: AtlB—21 Oct 2—Nov 3, peak Oct 6 (10). Red-headed Woodpecker: one netted at Tiana Oct 5. Hairy Woodpecker: none banded at any stations. Downy Woodpecker: station totals—AtlB two; Brook 14; Tiana two; Tobay six—no flight at all this year, last year Brook netted 69 and Tobay 32. Eastern Phoebe: 61 Tobay—34 Sep 17-Oct 30, peak Oct 22 (15). Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: Tobay— two on Sep 2 and one on Sep 16. Traill’s Flycatcher: Tobay—18 Aug 20—Sep 24, peaks Sep 2 (6) and Sep 9 (4); Brook—48 Aug 15-Oct 2, peaks Sep 3 (4) and Sep 8 (6); AtlB—six Sep 2-23. Least Flycatcher: Tobay—six Aug 19-Sep 24; Brook- 12 Aug 21-Sep 28, peak Aug 30 (4); AtlB—Sep 2. Tree Swallow: season total at Tobay only eight birds, usually netted there in large numbers, 220 in 1965, 192 in 1966. Blue Jay: Brook—59 Aug 16-Oct 31, 66% of the total Sep 18-Oct 13. Black- capped Chickadee, no flight along the outer beaches this year—none banded at AtlB, Tobay or Tiana. White-breasted Nuthatch: Station totals—AtlB, one; Tobay one—no flight this year. Hed-breasted Nuthatch: Station totals—AtlB one; Tobay two; Tiana two—no flight this year. Brown Creeper: AtlB—67 Sep 24-Nov 6, peaks Oct 23 (13) and Oct 22 (8). Tobay—45 Sep 23-Oct 30, peaks Oct 7 (11) and Oct 14 (12). Long-billed Marsh Wren: Brook—21 Sep 18—Oct 29. Mockingbird: AtlB three; Tobay one; none at other stations. Catbird: Brook—475 Aug 1-Oct 23, 211 in Aug, 179 in Sep; Tobay—122 Aug 5-Oct 31, 66% of the total Sep 2-Oct 8, peak Sep 23 ( 20); peak at Mor on Sep 23 (18). Brown Thrasher: Tobay—16 Sep 2-Oct 14. AtlB—12 Sep 24-Oct 12; Brook—21 Aug 1-Oct 29—poor totals for all stations. Robin: Tobay—43 Aug 12-Oct 30, 75% of the total was banded Oct 29—30; Brook- 88 Aug 6-Oct 30, peak Oct 22 (13). Wood Thrush: AtlB—five Oct 3—12; Tobay— three Sep 23-Oct 1. Hermit Thrush: Tobay—63 Oct 7-31, peaks Oct 22 (23) and Oct 29 (18); AtlB—59 Oct 2-30, 80% of the total Oct 22-30; Brook—peak Oct 22 (8), a very early migrant was banded on Sep 8. Swainson’s Thrush: Tobay—28 Sep 4-Oct 7, peak Sep 23 (16); Brook—43 Sep 5-Oct 13, peak Sep 23 (5). AtlB— 12 Sep 20-Oct 12, peak Sep 26 (4). Gray-cheeked Thrush: Tobay—six Sep 10-Oct 15, peak Oct 7 (3); Brook—25 Sep 20—Oct 8, peaks Sep 26 (5) and Oct 6(5); AtlB —14 Sep 20—Oct 12, peak Oct 6 (7). Veery: Brook—17 Aug 30-Sep 27, 66% of the total Sep 4—Sep 10; Tobay—15 Sep 3-Oct 1, peak Sep 3 (5); AtlB—five Sep 2-18; Mor— 10 Sep 4—23. Totals of all species of thrushes were poor at every banding sta¬ tion this fall. Golden-crowned Kinglet: Tobay—106 Oct 7-31, peak Oct 22 (25); AltB-109 Oct 7-Nov 6, peak Oct 23 (18). Tiana-141 Oct 2-31, peak Oct 27 (38). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Tiana-132 Oct 2-28 peak Oct 13 (15); Tobay-108 Sep 23- Oct 31, peak Oct 22 (21); AtlB-173 Sep 19-Nov 4, peak Oct 29 (30). Brook-45 Sep 24-Oct 30, peak Oct 22 (7)—numbers of both species of kinglets were high at all the banding stations. Cedar Waxwing: AltB—36 Sep 6-Oct 27, 80% of the total Oct 2-13, peak Oct 6 (12). VIREOS—WARBLERS: Vireos: White-eyed: Brook—eight Aug 6—Sep 22; Tiana— Oct 4. Yellow-throated: none banded. Solitary: an early individual at Mor Sep 18. Red-eyed: Tobay—50 Sep 2-Oct 22, peaks Sep 23 (14) and Oct 1 (14); Brook- 33 Aug 11-Oct 10, 66% of the total Sep 17-Oct 2; AtlB—27 Aug 26-Oct 7, peaks Oct 3 (4) and Oct 5 (5). Philadelphia: Mor—two Sep 14-22; Tobay—two Sep 23- Oct 1. Warbling: Brook—Sept 26; AltB—imm Oct 1; Tobay—three Sep 23, Oct 22 (imm, color—photographed, extremely late), and Oct 30 (imm—latest record for Region). Warblers: All species were netted in less than usual numbers this year—a fairly re¬ liable set of figures supporting this fact are the banding totals for the last three years at Brookhaven where nets are set every day of the fall (notwithstanding unfavor¬ able weather conditions): in 1965, 1956 warblers of 26 species were netted in 5115 net hours; in 1966, 2076 warblers of 28 species were netted in 5375 net hours and in 1967, only 1442 warblers of 26 species were netted in 6620 net hours. Black- and-white: Tobay—34 Aug 19-Oct 14, peak Sep 23 (12). PROTHONOTARY: singles netted at Brook on Oct 1 and 4 (latest records for Region) Blue-winged: Brook—13 Aug 2-Oct 6 (extremely late), 80% of the total banded Aug 12—Sep 1. 62 Orange-crowned: Tiana—six, Oct 12-24; Tobay—one Oct 21. Yellow: Brook—83 Aug 1-Oct 3 and Oct 6 (extremely late), 73 banded in Aug; Tobay—44 Aug-Sep 24, peak Aug 6 (14). Magnolia: Tobay—32 Sep 2-Oct 7 and Oct 29 (extremely late), peak Sep 23 (12); another extremely late individual was netted at Tiana on Oct 31. Cape May: Tobay—13 Sep 2-Oct 22, peak Sep 23 (6). Black-throated Blue: Tobay— 16 Sep 23-Oct 29. Myrtle: Tobay—1860 Sep 23-Oct 31, peaks Oct 21 (319, 8% of the total adult) and Oct 22 (698, 11% of the total adult); Tiana—519 Oct 2-31, peak Oct 6 (72). Brook—203 Oct 2-31, peak Oct 22 (31). AtlB—55 Oct 2-30, Black-throated Green: Tobay—eight Sep 4-Oct 7. CERULEAN: an imm netted at Tobay on Aug 6, color-photographed, extremely early. Chestnut-sided: Tobay—seven Sept 3-Oct 7, peak Sep 23 (3). Bay-breasted: Brook—four Oct 1; Tobay—three, Sep 17—Oct 1. Blackpoll: Tobay—21 Sep 4-Oct 21, peak Sep 23 (9); Brook—season total only four birds (78 last year). Prairie: Tobay—seven Sep 3-Oct 7. Pine: Tiana— singles Oct 4 and 5. Palm: Tobay—52 Sep 9-Oct 29, 80% of the total Sep 16-Oct 7; AtlB—31 Sep 18-Oct 22, 80% of the total Sep 22-Oct 7. Ovenbird: Brook—16 Aug 15-Oct 6, peak Sep 19 (3); Tobay—nine Sep 23-Oct 7 and 22 (late). Northern Waterthrush: Brook—183 Aug 2-Oct 5, peak Sep 8-10 (53); Tobay—46 Aug 6- Oct 1 and 21 (late), peak Sep 3-4 (17). KENTUCKY : one netted at Brook on Aug 17 (earliest Regional fall record) Connecticut: Brook—seven Sep 2-25; Mor—four Sep 5-25; Tobay—two Sep 23-24. Mourning: Brook—seven Aug 23-Sep 8 and Oct 2 and 4 (very late); AtlB—two Aug 30—Sep 19; Mor—one Sep 14; Tobay—one Sep 23 Yellowthroat: Brook—702 Aug 1—Oct 31, two marked periods of movement 1) Aug 7-Sep 7 (378 birds) 2 Oct 1—6 (124 birds), peak days Aug 22 (22) and Oct 6 (30); Tobay—191 Aug 5-Oct 29, peak days Aug 6 (36), Sep 4 (19), Sep 23 (18) and Oct 1 (18); AtlB—59 Aug 25- Oct 29, peak Oct 6 (11). Yellow-breasted Chat: Brook—25 Aug 22—Oct 22, 95% of the total Aug 28-Oct 6, peak Oct 1 (three); AtlB—seven Aug 29-Oct 14 and an imm on Nov 19 (late), Canada: Brook—22 Aug 2-Sep 17 and Oct 6, peak Sep 1 (six); AtlB—19 Aug 22-Oct 5, 80% of the total Aug 22-Sep 7. Am. Redstart: Tobay—129 Aug 20-Oct 7, peak Sep 23 (43); AtlB—86 Aug 14-Oct 8, peak Sep 23 (7); Brook- 59 Aug 12—Oct 6 and Oct 29 (late), peak Sep 1 (12). BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Cardinal: Station totals—Brook 12; AtlB nine; Tiana one (Oct 27). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Tobay—13 Sep 23—Oct 1, peak Sep 23 (eight); Dickcissel: one netted at Tiana Oct 13. Purple Finch: two marked influxes noted, a weak early movement followed by a lull and then peak migration—Brook- seven Sep 6-Oct 9 and 54 Oct 15-31, peak Oct 22 (19); Tobay—three Sep 23-24 and three Oct 22-29. Pine Siskin: one netted at Tiana Oct 30. Am. Goldfinch: Brook- 174 Aug 14-Oct 25, 90% of the total Oct 5-25, peaks Oct 14 (27) and Oct 25 (25). Rufous-sided Towhee: AtlB-19 Oct 3-26, peak Oct 22 (five)—last year 70 were netted; Tobay—57 Aug 12-Oct 29, peak Sep 23 (11). Sparrows: Ipswich: Tiana—two Oct 24-31. Savannah: Brook—112 Sep 13-Oct 28, peak Oct 6 (13); Tiana—119 Oct 2-31, 75% of the total Oct 5-24; Tobay—34 Sep 16- Oct 31, peak Oct 8 (10). Grasshopper: Brook-three Oct 2-28; Tiana—three Oct 5- 17; Tobay—two Sep 24-0ct 29. Henslow’s: one netted at Brook Oct 6. Sharp-tailed: Tiana—two Oct 5-17. Vesper: all of the stations netted nine birds total Oct 21-31. Slate-colored Junco: Tobay—148 Oct 7-31, 70% of the total Oct 29-31, peak Oct 29 (51); Tiana—153 Oct 3-31, peaks Oct 27 (49) and Oct 23 ( 33); AtlB-116 Sep 23- Nov 6, peak Oct 23 (31). Chipping: Tiana—15 Oct 3-30, peak Oct 23 (four). CLAY-COLORED: AtlB—imm netted on Oct 1 (color-photographed); Brook—one netted on Oct 7. Field: Tobay—24 Oct 7-31, peak Oct 22 (12); Tiana—30 Oct 5-30, peak Oct 21 (eight). White-crowned: Tobay—19 Oct 7-28, Peak Oct 22 (seven). White-throated: Tobay—199 Sep 23-Oct 31, peak Oct 22 (83); AtlB—122 (425 63 last year) Oct 4—Nov 5, peak Oct 22 ( 42); Brook—44 Sep 26—Oct 30, peak Oct 22 (10). Lincoln's: Brook—22 Sept 19-Oct 22, peak Oct 6 (six) AtlB—seven Sep 19- Oct 22; Tobay—one Oct 7; Tiana—two Oct 5-17. Swamp: Brook—587 Sep 9 and 19- Oct 31, peaks Oct 6 (72) and Oct 22 (71). Song: Brook—507 Aug 1-Oct 31, peak Oct 22 (51); Tobay—205 Aug 5-Oct 31, peaks Oct 22 (51) and Oct 30 (45). Note: Please have winter reports in by April 7. T. Davis, 8613-85 Street, Woodhaven, New York 11421 F. Heath, 11-15 F.D.R. Dr. New York, New York 10009 BOOK REVIEW Bluebirds in New York. Wayne T. Bell, Jr. 4-H Bulletin M-5-7, New York State College of Agriculture, Cornell University. 12 pp., illus. Single copies free to residents of New York State; additional copies 10 cents each. In the doldrums of a finchless winter, how about building nest boxes for a Bluebird Trail for the coming nesting season? This pamphlet, the guide for a 4-H Club project, would be useful for anyone starting to help bring back the bluebirds by putting up several houses. Construction diagrams include patterns for houses that can be cleaned easily, and for predator guards. Characteristics of the nests and eggs of other possible occupants of the boxes are described. Be sure to send the records of nesting in the boxes to the Nest-Record Card Pro¬ gram at the Laboratory of Ornithology (see notice on page 4). One may write for these pamphlets direct to: Mailing Room, Cornell University Research Park, Building 7, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. DM 64 OVERSEAS ORNITHOLOGICAL FIELD TRIPS For 8 years we’ve been putting together bird observation trips in all 6 continents. They are slanted toward serious amateurs, and some tours have a side interest in botany and other forms of natural history. In fact, we try for an experience-in¬ depth of each country and its people. Tours are 3 weeks in length to utilize low- cost travel (2 weeks in North America), and are set up in pairs or chains of three or four. We’d be grateful for assistance in developing meaningful itineraries, and in com¬ mending the trips to appropriate friends. And by all means, consider joining us yourself! We use the title “CROWDER NATURE TOURS,” but the operation is not profit-seeking, and is slated to become a world association in 1969. Do let us put you on our mailing list. Here is the program for 1968: EUROPE Eight European tours this year permit many fine combinations, including a thrilling North-with-the-Spring adven¬ ture: SOUTH TOUR, from the Gamargue to Austria, the Rhine & Holland; May. NORTH TOUR: No. Germany, Den¬ mark, & the length of Sweden; June. NORWAY: Our most popular tour, and magnificent; late June. BRITAIN: The bird highlights; June. BALKANS: Seldom-visited Jugosla¬ via, Romania, Hungary areas; June. U.S.S.R.: Fine coverage; late June. ICELAND: Popular 2-wk. trip with Greenland extension; June or July. JAPAN Fine 3-week coverage of entire ar¬ chipelago, Kyushu to Hokkaido, with expert local leadership. May. Option¬ al continuation, under leadership, across Siberia to join the U.S.S.R. trip (see above). AFRICA We pioneered African bird trips and cover the continent in 6 fasci¬ nating regional tours, 3 of which go in 1968: South Africa in July, Central Africa-Madagascar in August, East Africa in September. U.S.A. We do a bit of species-chasing at home, too: Winter in Florida, spring in Arizona and on the Texas coast, and beginning in 1969, a north-with- spring series in the West. ALASKA The 1967 tours were a success be¬ yond expectations. In 1968 we do 3 successive 2-week trips, from Ketchi¬ kan to the Aleutians, Pribilofs and Point Barrow. Start June 1, with a break at Fairbanks for the A.O.U. meeting. LATIN AMERICA We operate a regular program in Middle and South America: Seven routes in Mexico, several in Central America and the West Indies, and a fine South America program. Two especially fine routes — Yucatan (2 wks. ) and Colombia (3 wks.) — are visited twice a year, in February and in August. SOUTH PACIFIC We pioneered this area, too. The 1968 program: MELANESIA from Fiji to New Guinea, Sept. AUSTRA¬ LIA, in two 3-wk. trips, Oct. NEW ZEALAND, 3 weeks for birds, fol¬ lowed by 2 wk. botany trip; Nov.- Dee. OTHER PLACES There is quite a program in India, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philip¬ pines; next departures in early 1969. And we haven’t mentioned the Gala¬ pagos, Tierre del Fuego, or the pro¬ posed “re-enactment” of the Peterson- Fisher Wild American trip. Unannounced tours and request tours that 'often materialize’ are a feaure, too: What interests you? Box 222-K, Harpers Ferry, W. Va. 25425 CROWDER NATURE TOURS FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS, INC 1968 Officers President Mr. Watson B. Hastings.18 Appleton Place, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 10522 Vice-President Dr. David B. Peakall.Upstate Medical Center, 766 Irving Ave., Syracuse, N.Y. 13210 Corresponding Secretary Mrs. Frederick Marsi .Friendsville Stage, Binghamton 13903 Recording Secretary Mrs. Frederic Knight.Spencertown, N.Y. 12165 Mr. Dort Cameron Treasurer .5423 Palmyra Rd., Pittsford, N.Y. 14534 Editor of THE KINGBIRD Dorothy W. Mcllroy 419 Triphammer Rd., Ithaca, New York 14850 Appointed Committees Bulletin Exchange: Miss Elizabeth Manning, 1130 Fifth Avenue, New York 28 Conservation: Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr., 33 Bedell Street, Freeport 11520 Finance: Kenneth D. Niven, 61 Broadway, Monticello, N.Y. 12701 Publicity: Edward E. Somers, Box 7273, Capitol Station, Albany, N.Y. 12224 Membership: James J. Doherty, 913 Winton Road North, Rochester 14309 State Bird Book: Robert S. Arbib, Jr., 226 Guion Drive, Mamaroneck, N.Y. 10543 Publications and Research: Dr. Edgar M. Reilly, Jr., State Museum, Albany Bibliography: Dr. Sally Hoyt SpofTord, Box 428, Etna 13062 By-laws: Richard Sloss, 1300 Seawave Drive, Hewlett Harbor 11557 Waterfowl Count: John L. Mitchell, 345 Conrad Drive, Rochester 14616 John J. Elliott Memorial Committee: Cornelius J. Ward, 804 South Ocean Avenue, Freeport 11520 Elected Committees Auditing: Allen E. Kemnitzer, 969 Five Mile Line Road, Webster, N.Y. 14580 John Foster, 14 Utica Place, Rochester, N.Y. 14608 Nominating: Dr. Edgar M. Reilly, Jr., Albany, Ch.; Robert S. Arbib, Jr., Mamaroneck; Alice Ulrich, Buffalo