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¬
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APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP should be sent to the chairman of the membership
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REPORTING REGIONS

1. MAGMA raawrc*

2. CCNtSCC

X riNGCft LAKES
4. SUSQUEHANNA
4. QNCOA BASH

4. ST. LAWRENCE

7 ADIRONDACK- CHAMPLAIN

8 HUDSON-MOHAWK

9. HUDSON-DELAWARE

10. MARINE

For descriptions of Regions see Kingbird Vol. IV, Nos. 1 and 2

W.KINGBIRD

PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS, INC.

Vol. XVIII No. 3

July, 1968

Pages 121-179

CONTENTS

Photographs of New York State Rarities

14. Bullock’s Oriole.Peter W. Post 122

Birds of the Rome Sand Plains.Margaret S. Rusk 124

Minutes of the 21st annual Council meeting of the NYSFBC,

April 27, 1968 ... 127

John J. Elliott Memorial Prize — 1968 .. 134

Annual Meeting Field Trips Report.Warren Lloyd 134

A Bibliography of New York State Ornithology — 1966 . 135

Conservation and Politics.Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr. 139

Field Notes

Observations on a young Long-eared Owl from Allegany County

Edwin A. Olmstead and Stephen W. Eaton 142

Saw-whet Owl nesting at Tobay Sanctuary, Long Island

Frederick S. Schaeffer 143

Highlights of the Spring Season

April 1-May 31 .David B. Peakall 144

Regional Reports . 146

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

14. Bullock’s Oriole

Photograph by Adrian Dignan
Woodinere, Nassau Co., 26 February 1966

A non-extant specimen of the Bullock’s Oriole, Icterus bullockii, re¬
ported taken on 17 May 1875, in Onondaga Co., formed the basis for the
inclusion of this form on the New York hypothetical list [Eaton, Birds of
New York , Univ. State of New York, vol. 2, 1914: 242].

Between the years 1947 and 1964 there appeared at least five pub¬
lished reports of this species from New York:

1. Two adults seen on 20 May 1947 at Jamestown, Chautauqua Co., by
Philip Lenna and Alan Van Why. This record was placed on the
hypothetical list by Beardslee and Mitchell in their Birds of the
Niagara Frontier Region [Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Hist., 22. 406,
1965].

2. A female reported seen at Short Beach, Nassau Co., 14 September
1949, by Richard Ryan and William Solomon [Linn. News-letter ,
vol. 3, no. 6, 1949].

3. An immature male with the black throat seen on the Montauk
Christmas Count near the village of Montauk, Suffolk Co., 27 De¬
cember 1958, by Ned Boyajian, Neal Smith, and Joseph Horowitz
[ Aud. Field Notes, 13(2): 98, April 1959; Boyajian, personal com¬
munication].

122

4. A female present for about three months during the winter of
1958-59, at the feeding station of Mrs. Herbert Jacoby and other
feeding stations in the neighborhood of Mt. Kisco, Westchester Co.
[Kingbird, 9(1): 50, May 1959; Jacoby, personal communication].

5. An immature male seen on 23 May 1959 at Holland Patent, Oneida
Co., by Freeland [ Kingbird , 9(2), 92, July 1959].

The Bullock’s Oriole was officially removed from the New York hypo¬
thetical list when an immature male was captured, measured, and photo¬
graphed, by LeRoy Wilcox on 20 December 1963 at Allan Robinsons
feeder, Eastport, Suffolk Co. [EBBA News , 27(2). 58, 1964; Bull, Birds
of the New York City Area , Harper & Row, N.Y., 1964. 481-482]. This
bird, present from 12 December 1963 to mid-March 1964, was seen by
dozens of observers. A photograph of it appears in the issue of EBBA
News cited above.

Three winters later another Bullock’s Oriole, this time an adult male,
was discovered at Samuel I. Steinberg’s feeder, Woodmere, Nassau Co.
This bird, also seen by numerous observers, was present from 23 January
to 2 April 1966 [ Kingbird , 16(2): 126, May 1966; Kingbird, 16(3): 187,
July 1966; And Field Notes, 20(3): 405, June 1966].

The Bullock’s Oriole breeds east to the Great Plains where it meets the
Baltimore Oriole, I. galbula. The two forms may be conspecific, forming
an extensive zone of hybridization over a 150-200 mile wide area from
Saskatchewan to central Texas [Sibley & Short, Condor, 66(2). 130-150,
1964], At my request Dr. Short kindly examined the original color slides
of the Woodmere bird and concluded that it “shows no evidence of
hybridization with I. glabula .”

Robert Tyson kindly made the black and white print reproduced here.

Peter W. Post, 575 West 183 Street, New York, N.Y. 10033; Present
address : Columbia University Field Station, Apartado 1-U , Calama,
Chile.

ADDENDUM: To “Photographs of New York State Rarities, 12. Lark
Bunting”, Kingbird 18(1): 3—one in female or winter plumage at West-
hampton Beach 17 October 1965 by Gilbert Raynor Kingbird 16(1) :64,
January 1966 and Aud. Field Notes 20(1): 22, February 1966.

123

BIRDS OF THE ROME SAND PLAINS

Margaret S. Husk

Six miles northeast of Oneida Lake recognizable traces of the shores of
glacial Lake Iroquois, of which the present Lake is the remnant, form
the Rome Sand Plains. Approximately twelve square miles in extent, the
Sand Plains lie west of Rome in a triangle bounded by State Route 69
on the northeast and State Route 49 on the south. Fish Creek cuts along
the Sand Plains' west edge, forming steep sand-mud bluffs.

In the Rome Sand Plains are small patches of “live” (shifting) sand
dunes on which no vegetation at all grows yet, bordered by mossy heath
where bracken is the largest plant to have gained a hold. Scratch this
heath, as by quarrying for sand, and ecological succession is quickly set
back again to bare sand beach.

Traveling in order of ecological succession “inland” from the shore and
through the moss-bracken-huckleberry heath, the next stage encountered
has birch and aspen mixed with pitch pine, the characteristic tree of the
Rome Sand Plains, and oaks. If one drives past the Sand Plains on Route
49, the distinctive gnarled-branched pitch pines together with the white
and other oaks, which keep their brown leaves through the winter, are
the clues that here is a shore-edge woods, so strikingly different from the
surrounding meadows and mixed forest. Much white pine is interspersed
with the stands of pitch pine; so a typical view of the Sand Plains woods
includes these two, oaks and, especially at the edges, birch and aspen.
The trees, especially the larger ones, grow well spaced from each other
in order to receive enough moisture from the well-drained soil, giving
the area a park-like aspect.

Though the Sand Plains is generally a dry woods, remnants of Lake
Iroquois waters, so to speak, are trapped in the hollows between the old
vegetated dunes to form aspen-alder bordered sphagnum bogs in several
stages of filling-in.

Tributaries of Fish Creek have cut steep gorges through the sand flats.
These moist ravines support large hemlocks, yew, tall ferns, and a variety
of deciduous trees and shrubs. In spots in the more mature pine-oak
woods there is enough moisture and humus to have produced, besides
hemlocks, maples and beeches and other species of a typical central
New York mixed woods. Thus one can trace succession in the Rome Sand
Plains from lake beach to beech forest!

This area and the Albany-Schenectady pine barrens are the most ex¬
tensive pitch pine plains in upstate New York. The Albany barrens have
a marked black locust-scrub oak understory which the Rome Sand Plains
lack, and there are doubtless other important botanical differences.
Treacy, in “Birds of the Albany County pine-oak barrens” listed the
avifauna of the Karner tract. To date no Golden-winged nor Prairie
Warbler nor Yellow-breasted Chat, all mentioned by Treacy, has been

124

found in the Rome Sand Plains. Aside from these, the Rome Sand
Plains’ summer birds include all species listed by Treacy, but a census
comparable to his would probably show a different "top six”.

No quantitative censuses have been taken in the Rome Sand Plains,
though one of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife breeding bird survey routes
runs through it for three miles; thus, in future, comparable data will
happily be available. The following account of typical birds of the Rome
Sand Plains, both uncommon species which occur there regularly and
common birds which are strikingly abundant there, is thus only descrip¬
tive. The species are discussed by habitats, with some rough indications
of abundance. Much of this information is from Region 5 Kingbird re¬
ports, especially for the summer seasons, but some is from the author’s
field notes.

Along the creeks Phoebes utilize the bridges for nest sites. Bank Swal¬
low colonies in the banks of Fish Creek usually number over 500 active
holes; where sand is being quarried are smaller colonies of precarious
existence. Yellow Warblers are common in the creek-bordering alders,
but not elsewhere in the area.

In the October 1955 Kingbird report, Scheider noted that Vesper Spar¬
rows are “common .. . only where bare sandy areas meet grassy swales.”
Towhees are quite common, especially on the woods-heath edge, ten-15
being counted in a couple miles’ walk.

Goldfinches frequent the roadsides (man-made edge), Purple Finches
are associated with ornamental spruce plantings around Sand Plains
residences, and Bluebirds use nest boxes (occasionally holes in trees) on
the small lawns that create openings in the pine woods.

The October 1956 Kingbird report contains this observation for Field
Sparrow and Indigo Bunting: “These were the two dominant finches of
the Rome Sand Plains with the Field Sparrows in the oak scrub and the
Indigo Buntings in the birch-blackberry thickets.”

The dominant Dendroica is the Chestnut-sided Warbler of the birch-
aspen scrub, with sixty counted in one and a half miles in 1956. In this
habitat, near one of the bogs, in June 1956 Robert Wayland-Smith
and Paul Paquette accidentally discovered the nest of a Whip-poor-will.
It has been possible to hear several Whip-poor-wills calling on a summer
evening in the Sand Plains, but in the past two years there has been a
marked population drop in this species in central New York.

In the bogs proper are Nashville Warblers (up to 25 in a morning’s
walk), Yellowthroats, and White-throated Sparrows (20 or more in a day
of the latter two).

Open pitch pine-aspen-white oak woods is the habitat of Red-breasted
Nuthatches (an active nest in a dead aspen stub was found in 1961),
Brown Creepers, Black-and-white Warblers—in low numbers—and of
Hermit Thrushes and Ovenbirds. A 1955 count of “dozens” of Hermit
Thrushes singing at noon would be difficult to duplicate today, but this

125

thrush is still more common in the Sand Plains than almost anywhere
else in Region 5. The Ovenbird, of which a count of 80 along two miles
of woods paths was made in 1955, is perhaps the most numerous woods
nester in the Sand Plains.

The Wood Pewee, Myrtle, Black-throated Green and Blackburnian
Warblers, and Scarlet Tanager are typical of the more mature oak-pitch
pine-white pine sectors. Pine Warblers, associated with tall white pines
but never common, have dropped in abundance during the dozen or so
years of frequent birdwatching visits to the Sand Plains, to the point
where they can no longer be found regularly, though in 1960 breeding
was confirmed by the discovery of a pair with three young. Magnolia
Warblers are found in the lower bushy second-growth conifers. Along the
paths through these park-like woods a Broad-winged Hawk is often
heard or glimpsed, and recently-used Broad-wing nests have been found.
A Sharp-shinned Hawk raised one young as recently as 1965 in a hem¬
lock surrounded by white pines on the edge of a gorge.

In the ravines are an occasional Winter Wren, and Black-throated
Blue, Mourning, and Canada Warblers, and Northern Waterthrushes.
The presence of these typical Canadian-zone birds underscores the fact
that the Sand Plains are located on the southern edge of the Tug Hill
Plateau which is noted for its northern affinities. Interestingly, however,
Juncos have never been found in summer in the Sand Plains proper,
though they are fairly common a few miles distant.

Common passerines of the mixed-deciduous areas in the Sand Plains
are the Crested Flycatcher, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted
Nuthatch, Wood Thrush, Veery, Red-eyed Vireo, Redstart (which
makes 16 warbler species in the Sand Plains!), and Cowbird. In 1965
Red-shouldered Hawks raised three young in a nest in a white oak tree
just west of Fish Creek on the periphery of the Sand Plains.

In winter Ruffed Grouse are frequently seen feeding in the aspen and
birch. Northern finches find the Sand Plains early in winter and linger
late in flight years, probably due to both the Plains’ geographical location
just south of the Tug Hill and Adirondacks and the abundance of pine
and alder cones and birch and aspen catkins.

Summary

The geological history of the Rome Sand Plains has brought about a
unique botanical association which in turn supports a varied and dis¬
tinctive avifauna. It is greatly to be hoped that the area will be pre¬
served in a natural state for future study and enjoyment.

Acknowledgements

I want to express my gratitude to Paul and Sylvia Paquette, who first
showed me the Rome Sand Plains, to Dorothy Ackley and Anita Rayns-

126

ford, who have guided me on many field trips there and have written a
short guide to the area, and to Fritz Scheider and Walter Spofford, who
have shared their thoughts about its ecology.

220 Ostrom Ave., Syracuse, N.Y. 13210

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ackley, Dorothy and Anita Raynsford. The Rome Sand Plains. 1967. Kestrel v. 13,
no. 3.

Buchsbaum, Ralph M. and Mildred Buchsbaum. Basic ecology. 1957. Pittsburgh,
Boxwood Press.

Kingbird, Region 5 reports.

Scheider, Fritz. Some brief Tug Hill Plateau observations. 1959. Kingbird v. 8: 110.
Stoner, Dayton. Ornithology of the Oneida Lake region. 1932. Roosevelt wild life
annals v. 2, no. 3 & 4, p. 285-286.

Treacy, Edward D. Birds of the Albany County pine-oak barrens. 1953. Kingbird

v. 3:84-86.

21st ANNUAL MEETING

FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS, INC.

APRIL 26 — 28, 1968

ROCHESTER, N.Y,

The 21st Annual Meeting of the FNYSBC was held at the Treadway Inn, the
Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences, and the Sheraton Hotel, Rochester, N.Y.,
April 26—28, 1968, with the Burroughs Audubon Nature Club and the Genesee
Ornithological Society acting as hosts. The Council Meeting was called to order at
9:00 AM, April 27 by Dr. David B. Peakall, acting president, and a quorum was
declared with 28 clubs present.

The minutes of the 20th Annual Meeting were approved as published in the
October 1967 Kingbird.

The treasurer, Mr. Dort Cameron, gave the following report, for 1967, which was

accepted:

Cash on hand 12/31/66

Checking account

$1,340.93

4,240.00 $5,580.93

Savings account
Net income, 1967*

Cash on hand, 12/31/67

950.70

Checking account

Accrued interest, savings account

$1,725.70

215.93

Total Operating Funds
Savings account

1,941,63

4,590.00 6,531.63

Income, 1967

Dues, Individuals & Subscriptions
Dues, New Members
Dues in arrears, collected
Dues, member clubs
Life membership payments
Interest on savings account
Misc. income

2,390.25

233,00

247.70

618.20

350.00

215.93

234.01 4,289.09

127

Expenses, 1967

Kingbird

2,818.11

Membership maintenance

84.58

Postage & stationery

186.65

Conservation

51.00

Annual meeting

66.89

Misu.

131.16

3,338.39

Increase in operating funds

600.70

Increase in Life Membership funds

350.00

950.70*

$4,289.09

The Auditing Committee was absent, but had signed the report.

The corresponding secretary, Mrs. Harriet Marsi, reported that the notice o£ the
Annual Meeting was mailed to all members and member clubs 30' days before the
date, as required in the by-laws. The slate of officers to be presented by the Nomi¬
nating Committee could not be included, as it usually is, due to the sudden death
of our president, Watson Hastings. This was mailed out at a later date when adjust¬
ments had been made.

Mrs. Dorothy Mcllroy, editor of the Kingbird , reported as follows: 633 copies of
the January 1968 Kingbird were sent out, a decrease from January 1967. This in-,
eluded 2,5 free copies sent to authors, advertiser and usual copies sent to Library of
Congress, Patuxent Research Refuge, Biological Abstracts, etc. Paid copies were 608.
There has been no change in printing or mailing charges during the year.

Articles continue to come in somewhat ahead of time, but there is still no backlog .
1 ask you as delegates frequently during the year to remind and urge members of
your clubs to submit articles for publication.

Back copies of all but two issues are still available.

I wish to thank the Regional Editors for their labors on the Regional Reports. This
takes more time than one might expect, from seeing that local birdwatchers submit
their records, through getting additional information or confirmation for unusual
records and writing the introductory summary of the season in the Region, to sending
off the typed copies. I also wish especially to express my thanks, to my two associate
editors, Sally Spofford and David Peakall, who cheerfully respond to requests for all
sorts of advice and information. I could never do the job without them.

Mr. Edgar M. Reilly, chairman of Publications and Research Committee, reported
that about one fourth of the questionnaires sent out to member clubs had been
returned.

Mr. Edward M. Somers, chairman of the Publicity Committee, reported as follows:
At the request of past president Allen Benton a press release was prepared describing
the Federation’s Red-tailed Hawk nesting program. The release was presented in two
forms: One designed to be issued by the Federation president for mailing to daily
newspapers, radio and television stations, and certain conservation publications and
organizations; the other designed to be issued by the presidents of the local clubs
for mailing to local weekly newspapers for more complete coverage. Both release
forms were approved by Dr. Benton and our late president Watson B. Hastings. The
statewide form was mailed to 266 daily newspapers, radio and television stations,
and some 40 additional conservation columnists, conservation publications, and or¬
ganizations; i.e.. National Audubon, New York-New Jersey Trail Association, the
Conservation Foundation, Belle Baruch Foundation, etc, A copy of the local release
was mailed to each member club, along with names and addresses of local weekly
newspapers known to me, as an aid to the club.

Several clubs sent tear sheets of the release taken from their local papers, and it is
generally considered that the release was well received and that our Red-tail pro¬
gram has been given good publicity.

128

The Committee is working on the design of a certificate which will have a photo of
a Red-tail and a message of approval, which can be presented to the recipients of
our rewards. It is hoped that local clubs will be able to obtain photographs of
presentations of such awards and that these photographs along with a small release
can be published in the local papers.

The Committee is also considering the possibility of preparing inexpensive, black
and white postcards with a photograph of a hawk or other bird of prey and a brief
message explaining their value to man. These cards would then be distributed free
through the Federation to the various Conservation Camps run by the State of New
York, 4-H, Girl and Boy Scouts, etc. throughout the state for the children’s use in
writing home.

The Committee is also hoping to send out a press release to papers and radio and
television stations in the state at the start of the hunting season next fall, explaining
the value of birds of prey and urging hunters to do their utmost to protect these
fine and endangered birds.

Mr. Robert S. Arbib, Jr., chairman of the State Bird Book Committee, reported
that John Bull has completed two of the four years of his fellowship as editor and
that the progress would be given in detail by Mr. Bull at the afternoon paper
session.

Mr. John L. Mitchell, chairman of the Waterfowl Count Committee, reported that
there has been nothing new. There is some upward or downward trend in some
species.

Mr. Richard Sloss, chairman of the By-laws Committee, reported that the amend¬
ments approved by the Council last year had been approved by two-thirds of the
member clubs and incorporated into the by-laws. Copies of the by-laws
were available at the meeting and were to be sent to member clubs that
had no representation at the meeting. Suggestions for further changes would be wel¬
comed. No amendments are pending. Mr. Sloss also reported that application has
been made for tax-exempt status, and approval of such exemption was expected
within a few weeks. Bequests to the organization would then become tax deductible.

A motion that the president name a committee of three to study the structure of
the Federation and make recommendations for changes was passed. This was the
outcome of a discussion of the suggestion that a second vice-president be added to
the officers.

The proposed slate of officers for 1969 was presented by Dr. E. M. Reilly, chair¬
man of the Nominating Committee:

President — Dr. David B. Peakall, Syracuse

Vice-president — Dr. Edgar M. Reilly, Jr., Old Chatham

Corresponding Secretary — Miss Frances Rew, Buffalo

Recording Secretary — Mrs. Frederic Knight, Spencertown

Treasurer — Mr. Dort Cameron, Pittsford

The slate was unanimously elected.

Mr. Cameron then resigned as of January 1969.

Mr. James J. Doherty, chairman of the Membership Committee, reported 593
active members and 37 new applicants. Applicants were accepted into membership.
Clubs were urged to try to get new members. A list of delinquents who had not
paid dues was distributed. These would be removed from the rolls if dues were not
received within the time specified in the By-laws.

It was suggested that two Audubon societies on Long Island be approached for
possible membership. It was also suggested that a membership list be published in
the Kingbird.

Mr. Cameron presented the budget for 1969. After some discussion a motion to
increase the allotment for the Conservation Committee from $50 to $100 was passed.
It was suggested that individuals and clubs make contributions toward the work of
the Conservation Committee. The budget adopted is as follows:

129

Income

Dues — individuals and subscriptions . $2,450

Dues — new members. 250

Dues — arrears . 50

Dues — member clubs. 700

Interest . 230

Miscellaneous. 100

$3,780

Expenses

Kingbird. $3,000

Membership maintenance. 250

Postage and stationery. 150

Conservation . . .. 100

Annual meeting. 100

Administrative expense. 150

Miscellaneous . 25

$3,775

It was moved by Mrs. Homer Germond and seconded by Mr. Maxwell Wheat
that the Federation become affiliated with the New York State Conservation Council.
After much discussion the vote was as follows: For —24; Against —9; Abstaining —4

It was moved by Mrs. Homer Germond and seconded by Mr. Allan S. Klonick
that the Federation become affiliated with the National Audubon Society. Again
there was much discussion. The vote was: For — 23; Against — 5; Abstaining — 6

The following report was made by Mr. Nicholas Smith, delegate of the North
Country Bird Club of Watertown:

THREAT TO IMPORTANT HABITAT

Upstate birders know that Eldorado is the place to see shore birds. Several bird
clubs make annual trips there. Individual birders go there in August, September and
October to see the many shore birds, to photograph them and to band them. Readers
of The Kingbird are aware of the many kinds of shore birds that are seen at Eldo¬
rado. Thirty species of shore birds and from twenty to twenty—five species of water-
fowl have been seen there. Included are golden plover, whimbrel, willet, all three
phalaropes, purple sandpiper, western sandpiper, Baird’s sandpiper and sadly
enough, a dead gyrfalcon!

Eldorado is in southeastern Jefferson County on the eastern end of Lake Ontario.
The bed rock along the shore slopes gently into the water. Shore birds find food on
the mud flats and in the material washed onto the shore. The shore line is about
3600 ft. long. The land back from the shore is. of little use for farming. Much of it is
low and wet, but the soil above the rock is so shallow that it is too dry in dry
weather. It has been used for pasture and there are trees in some places.

This is a unique area for birds. We know of no other place like it. It cannot be
reached by a main road. It is isolated enough that it is seldom disturbed by man. It
is large enough so that when birds are driven from one part, they merely fly to
another part of the shore.

The Eldorado property has long been owned by the Wood family, and the present
owner is Willard Wood of Watertown. For years birders have been given permission
to go on his property and he has even encouraged them to do so. This has been a
satisfactory arrangement for the birders even though they knew it was too good to
last.

It now seems certain that parts of the shore may soon be sold as lots on which
cottages will be built. An option to buy the shore (3600 ft.) and about 250 acres

130

can be obtained. The land away from the shore is of little value, except that owning
it is very necessary as a buffer zone. If this property is not obtained now as a bird
sanctuary, parts will be sold and this area will attract more people and fewer birds.
The North Country Bird Club of Watertown believes this area must be saved. The
central New York Chapter of Nature Conservancy has been contacted but Federa¬
tion support is essential.

At first, the cost of this property may seem high. However, compare the cost with
many other desirable projects such as game management areas, parks and recreation
areas. Many require additional money every year. The cost of buying Eldorado is
about $56,000. Little would have to be done to the property and the annual cost of
maintaining it as a stopping place during migration would not be very much.

The Council was sympathetic to this report and suggestions were made.

The Conservation Committee report was presented by the chairman, Mr. Maxwell
C. Wheat, Jr., and approved in its entirety.

Activities and Recommendations for More Effective Operation

This year the Legislature passed the bill adding the Belted Kingfisher to the list
of birds protected in New York State. Thanks should go in large part to Dr. Sally
Spofford, Mr. Dennis Puleston and Mr. Arthur Cooley (the latter two of the Brook-
haven Town Natural Resources Council) for helping to have bills introduced.

Conservation Committee members and Federation officers were asked their advice
regarding the Kingfisher Bill. Several replied with helpful suggestions. This practice
should be continued.

Gratitude and recognition should be paid to a project conducted independently of
the Conservation Committee — the Hawk Reward Project developed by Dr. Allen
Benton and publicized by Mr. Edward Somers, the Federations publicity chairman.

Three issues of CONSERVATION NOW! were published — October, February and
April. It should be issued at least once every two months (September through June).
This might be possible if the work was divided:

1. One to write and (or) edit it

2. One to take charge of printing

2. One to handle distribution

This year copies were sent to both the Presidents and Conservation Chairmen of all
clubs instead of just to one officer as in previous years. However, effectiveness would
be broadened if CONSERVATION NOW! were distributed more widely:

1. To all officers in a club

2. To all Federation members

and a Federation membership application included in each issue.

Because I was in Florida and could not otherwise handle the emergency situation
with regard to S-5588 allowing hunting of Mourning Doves on Long Island, I sent
requests to several Conservation Committee members and others strategically located
geographically and asked them to contact designated clubs to mount opposition to
this bill. Although bred of necessity, I feel that this kind of structure has possibilities.
I urge:

1. Appointment of area or regional Conservation Chairmen ready to go into
action quickly when an emergency arises.

A. The resultant closer contact with clubs would also serve to strengthen the
Federation.

B. When possible these chairmen could be encouraged to be available for
speaking appearances before bird clubs and other groups.

2. That the Federation adopt a general statement of Conservation purposes and
principles.

131

Perhaps a committee of three could prepare such a statement. Under this statement,
the Conservation Chairman, with the approval of two-thirds of the Committee,
would be free to act quickly — which is so often the need. This would not prevent
specific action on issues being taken at Annual Meetings.

For example, one principle could relate conservation to such problems as poverty.
Mr. Harold Mitchell this year was involved in an effort to maintain a flow of poverty
funds for employment of the poor in a Federal Refuge in the Buffalo area. Relating
conservation to other needs further justifies conservation itself.

The problem of how to meet with the Conservation Committee has not been
solved. The Council last year authorized setting up a concurrent meeting at the
same time as the Council meeting. The latter would have a chance to ratify the
findings of the former before adjournment. This possibility has not evolved because
of lack of momentum. Another possibility would be a Friday afternoon session, but
a query in CONSERVATION NOW! did not produce any response.

The time may come when the Federation could hold a Saturday mid-winter
meeting in Albany with delegates, from all clubs. Key legislative persons and experts
could speak at opening sessions with workshops on particular problems following.
Their reports could be ratified as Federation policy at a joint concluding session.

The Federation should budget some money for contributions to fights which are its
fights. These could be made on a majority vote by the Conservation Committee. For
example, a request was made to the Conservation Chairman for a donation to the
effort against the Transportation Bond Issue last year. It was embarrassing to reply
that we did not have the money. Currently there is the Emergency Environmental
Defense Fund which is taking the pesticides battle into court — an expensive effort.

The Federation should be represented at important conservation meetings, work¬
shops, conferences, etc. The Chairman attended one such session that had meetings
on the Forest Preserve, Long Island wetlands and a proposed hurricane dune
project, etc. This was enlightening to the Chairman, enhancing his background in
order to better represent the Federation.

There is increasing talk and movement toward a closer unity and federation among
conservation groups. For example, a meeting of the Constitutional Council for the
Forest Preserve to form itself into a permanent organization will be held at 9:30 AM
May 4, in the Thruway Motor Inn, Albany. This group is made up of representatives
of many organizations as well as individual members. The Federation should be
represented at this meeting and in the permanent organization, for their fight is our
fight. Movements toward federation of conservation groups are developing in West¬
chester and Suffolk Counties and in New Jersey. There are the beginnings of state¬
wide federation. Individual groups belonging to them retain autonomy. Two reasons
seem to be motivating these movements.

1. Need to exert greater power on lawmakers through united action.

2. To obtain more expertise in the many areas increasingly involving conserva¬
tionists: transportation, refuse disposal, zoning, community planning, etc.

Funds allowing, the Federation should join the National Audubon Society whose
fight today is our fight.

The recent introduction of a bill to allow hunting of the Mourning Dove demon¬
strates the need to be a member of the New York State Conservation Council, a
sportsmen’s group.

The Conservation Forum of the Annual Meeting is a responsibility ; of, the Con¬
servation Committee. The program arranged for the 1968 Forum presented Assem-
bleyman Constance Cook of Ithaca, who introduced the Kingfisher Bill, and Dr.
David Peakall, president of,the Federation, speaking on new findings in pesticides.

Proposed Conservation Action by the Council

1. In Congress, S-2951 by Senators Alan Bible, Howard Cannon, Frank Church
and a rash of similar bills would give primary authority to states overfish and

132

wildlife on Federal lands. A very dangerous bill that could affect protection of
the Bald Eagle, allow hunting in National Parks, etc. OPPOSITION is recom¬
mended.

2. In Congress, S-2984 by Sen. Ralph Yarborough of Texas would prevent impor¬
tation of endangered species into the U.S., and would prevent interstate ship¬
ment of reptiles, amphibians, etc., taken contrary to state law. Would be helpful
in saving the alligator. This and similar legislation should be APPROVED.

3. In the State Senate, S-5588 would permit hunting of Mourning Doves on Long
Island. OPPOSITION recommended.

4. In the Legislature, S-4255 by Sen. Bernard Smith would provide for issuance
of license to be known as falconry license with fee to be $10, with no game
birds to be taken or killed in open season and to fix qualifications therefore.
After some discussions, it was suggested that the bill be changed to permit
use of Sparrow Hawks, Goshawks and Red-Tailed Hawks only.

5. Support the efforts of the Citizens Committee for the Hempstead Plains on
Long Island to preserve a remnant of prairie where Upland Plover and Grass¬
hopper Sparrows are now found nesting. APPROVAL recommended.

6. Support the effort of the North Country Bird Club to preserve Eldorado Shores,
shoreline property on Lake Ontario in southern Jefferson County, it being the
only major shorebird area left in the region. APPROVAL recommended.

7. Commend Presiding Supervisor Ralph Case and the Town Board of the Town
of Hempstead for their action in requiring a referendum for disposition of
Town-owned wetlands for purposes not consistent with conservation. APPRO¬
VAL recommended.

8. If still needed, urge continuation of funds for the Office of Economic Oppor¬
tunity in Buffalo for a Job Corps Center supplying labor for development of
the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, 35 miles northeast of Buffalo. APPRO¬
VAL recommended.

9. Endorse and do what we can to support efforts of the Environmental Defense
Fund which has taken the pesticide fight into the courts. Its chairman is Federa¬
tion member Dennis Puleston of Brookhaven. APPROVAL recommended.

10. Endorse the Bill of Rights Legislation by Assemblyman Stockmeister. APPRO¬
VAL recommended.

The Nominating Committee for 1969 was elected as follows: Mrs. Harriet Marsi,
Dr. Allen H. Benton, Mrs. Watson B. Hastings.

The present Auditing Committee, consisting of Mr. Allen E. Kemnitzer and Mr.
John Foster, was reelected.

The following resolutions were read by Mr. Richard Sloss and passed:

We, the officers, delegates and members of the Federation of New York State Bird
Clubs record with the deepest sorrow the sudden death of our President, fellow-
member and friend Watson B. Hastings. His efforts and devotion to the interests of
the Federation were an example for us all and his death not only deprives us of his
wise, sympathetic advice and invaluable services, but has made us keenly aware of
our great loss of his personality and friendship.

As an expression of our appreciation of his efforts and to record our deep personal
loss, be it resolved that the foregoing be spread upon the minutes of this meeting
and a copy thereof be forwarded to his beloved wife.

Rochester, New York, April 27, 1968

Whereas, the officers and members of the Genesee Ornithological Society and the
Burroughs Audubon Nature Club have generously given of their time and effort to
plan, organize and provide facilities for the twenty-first annual meeting of the Fed¬
eration of New York State Bird Clubs, and

Whereas, it is the desire of the Federation to record its appreciation and gratitude
by these minutes, be it

133

Resolved: that the Federation express its recognition and thanks to the Genesee
Ornithological Society and the Burroughs Audubon Nature Club for their outstanding
work and hospitality that was responsible for the success of the 1968 annual meeting
of the Federation.

Rochester, New York, April 27, 1968

It was announced by Dr. Peakall that the 1969 meeting will be at Cortland, with
the Cortland County Bird Club as host.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Hortense B. Knight
Recording Secretary

JOHN J. ELLIOTT MEMORIAL PRIZE—1968

“The Elliott Memorial Prize shall be given each year at the annual
banquet to that author of a paper published during the preceding
year, in the Kingbird , deemed the most worthy by a panel of judges.”

At the annual banquet April 27, Dr. Edgar M. Reilly presented the
Elliott Prize to Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr. for his series of articles “Conserva¬
tion News”, with special mention of “Conservation and State Secrets”
and “ ‘Natural Beauty’ Is a 20th Century Phrase.”

THE PAPER SESSION
Annual Meeting — April 27, 1 968

The following papers were given at the Saturday afternoon paper session:

1. Remarks on the Ecology of Bird Fleas.Dr. Allen H. Benton

2. Wetland Valuation and Appraisal.Allan S. Klonick

2. Present Status of the New York State Bird Book..John Bull

4. Use of Birds in Poetry.Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr.

5. Maintenance Behavior of the Black-crowned Night Heron.

Dr. George R. Maxwell II

6. The Nassau County Museum of Natural History .Robert G. Wolk

7. Vocalizations and Life Histories of the Com won Crow and the Northern Raven

Dwight R. Chamberlain

ANNUAL MEETING FIELD TRIPS REPORT —APRIL 27 AND 28

Field trips to various habitats were conducted: one early Saturday morning for
delegates; several during the Council meeting for non-delegates; several Sunday
morning all of which ended with box lunch at the Hawk Lookout, Braddock’s Bay.

A total of 131 species were observed, including 12 which are rare to uncommon
in the Rochester area. The two nesting Bald Eagles at Hemlock Lake were un¬
doubtedly the outstanding birds of the weekend. Saturday being quite cold with
northerly winds produced no small bird migration and no hawks. Although Sunday
winds were westerly and rather cool, a hawk flight developed about 9 a.m. and
lasted until 2 p.m. No exact count was kept, but approximately 1,000 hawks passed

134

Hawk Lookout during this time, including Turkey Vulture, Sharp-shinned, Cooper s.
Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, Broad-winged, Rough-legged and Marsh Hawks, Osprey,
Peregrine Falcon and Sparrow Hawk.

Some of the other more interesting species seen were: Common Loon; 2 Red-
throated Loon; 1 Common Egret; 2 Whistling Swan; 20 species of ducks; 1 Western
Sandpiper in spring plumage with a Semipalmated Sandpiper and Dunlin for com¬
parison; Caspian Tern; Great Horned Owl; 7 species of woodpeckers; Red-breasted
Nuthatch; 1 Carolina Wren; Loggerhead Shrike; only Yellow, Myrtle, Pine and Palm
Warblers and Yellowthroat; 2 Western Meadowlarks; 16 species of Fringillid in¬
cluding Evening Grosbeaks and 2 Red Crossbills.

Warren Lloyd, 1756 Ridge Road, Webster, N.Y. 14580

A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF

NEW YORK STATE ORNITHOLOGY — 1966

Ackley, Dorothy and Anita Raynsford. Birdwatching places: the Rome sand plains.
Kestrel 13(3): 5.

Ackley, Mrs. Willard D. More notes on Red-headed Woodpeckers near Oneida.
Kingbird 16:214.

Anes, Shelia Lee, Frank Enders, and Fred Heath. Breeding-bird census, ditched
salt marsh. Audubon Field Notes 20: 660-1.

Anonymous. Banding geese. New York State Conservationist 21(1): 34.

Anonymous. Bird birth control. N.Y.S. Cons. 20(4): 36.

Anonymous. Hun releases (Hungarian Partridge). N.Y.S. Cons. 21(1): 36.

Anonymous. Murder (of Bald Eagle). N.Y.S. Cons. 20(3): 34.

Anonymous. Prefab goose nests. N.Y.S. Cons. 20(4): 35.

Anonymous. Wintering waterfowl low. N.Y.S. Cons. 20(5): 37.

Arbib, Robert S. Jr. Sight records, specimens, and regional lists (further discussion).
Linnaean News-Letter, 20(3): 1-3.

Arbib, Robert S. Jr., Olin Sewall Pettingill Jr., and Sally Hoyt Spofford, for the
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Enjoying birds around New York City. Hough¬
ton Mifflin Co., Boston.

Bader, Frank, et al. Breeding-bird census, heron colony. Audubon Field Notes 20:
662-4.

Belknap, John B. Eugene Pintard Bicknell (biography). Kingbird 16: 145.

-. The Rough-legged Hawk in New York State. Kingbird 16: 133-136.

-. The Turkey Vulture in Northern New York. Kingbird 16: 92.

-. Winter bird population study, mixed hardwood-hemlock forest. Audubon Field

Notes 20: 464.

Bemont, Leslie E. Region 4 — Susquehanna. Kingbird 16: 36—39, 104—106, 162-166,
. 224-226.

Benning, Walter E. 1965 Heronry survey. Kingbird 16: 79-80.

Benson, Dirck. What’s happening to Black Ducks? N.Y.S. Cons. 21(2): 14-15, 37.
Boyajian, Ned, et al. Breeding-bird census, coastal scrub with mosquito ditching.
Audubon Field Notes 20: 662.

Browne, Stephen D. Roundup of geese. N.Y.S. Cons. 20(3): 8-11.

Bull, John L. Present status of the New York State bird book. Kingbird 16: 142-144.
Burtt, Harold E. and Maurice Giltz. Recoveries of Starlings banded at Columbus,
Ohio. Bird-Banding 37: 267-273.

Carleton, Geoffrey. Regional Reports: Hudson-St. Lawrence Region. Audubbn Field
Notes 20: 19-22, 404-406, 488-490', 555-556.

Chamberlain, Dwight R. Common Grackles catching European Chafers on the wing.
Kingbird 16: 213.

135

Clark, Donald F. Goldfinch picking on salt block. Kingbird 16: 92.

Cleaves, Howard H. Gulls and bridges. High Rock Nature Notes No. 4 (Feb. 1966).

Cohen, Richard. Banding notes on the Snowy Owl. Kingbird 16: 73-77.

-. Saw-whet Owls at Atlantic Beach. Kingbird 16: 90.

Daly, Edwin J. An eagle in Jamaica Bay. Linnaean News-Letter 19(9): 4-5.

Davis, Thomas H. The 1965 Saw-whet Owl invasion. Kingbird 16: 69-72.

-. A wave of Saw-whet Owls. Linnaean News-Letter 20(1): 5.

-. Age composition of migrating Tree Swallows at Tobay. Linnaean News-Letter

19(8): 4-5.

-. Tobay Operation Recovery — 1965. Linnaean News-Letter 19(9): 5-6.

-. Some birdbanders’ high counts. Linnaean News-Letter 20(6-7): 4—5.

Davis, Thomas H. and Fred Heath. Region 10 — Marine, Kingbird 16: 59-64, 123-
128, 185-187, 242-245.

Delafield, Harriet L. Region 7 — Adirondack-Champlain. Kingbird 16: 49-51, 114-
116, 174-176, 233-236.

Doig, H. Albino swallow (Tree Swallow). N.Y.S. Cons. 20(3): 33.

Dunham, David W. Maintenance activities of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Wilson
Bulletin 78: 68—78.

-. Reaction to predators in the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Wilson Bulletin 78:

279-282.

Eaton, Stephen W. and Terry L. Moore. Age and sexual variation in the skeleton of
the Wild Turkey. Science Studies 23, 1965-66: 25-40, St. Bonaventure University.

Edsall, F. E. (Letter to Editor) Off-color Hun (Hungarian Partridge). N.Y.S. Cons.
21(1): 44.

Enders, Frank. Fat increase in Tree Swallows banded at Tobay. Linnaean News-
Letter 19(8): 1-2.

Ficken, Millicent S. and Robert W. Notes on mate and habitat selection in the
Yellow Warbler. Wilson Bulletin 78: 232-233.

Frenette, Bill. Hawk Owl in Adirondacks (Franklin Co.). Kingbird 16: 91.

Gera, Joseph and Robert. Breeding-bird census, fresh-water marsh and woodland
swamp. Audubon Field Notes 20: 659.

Glunt, Ruth. (Letter to Editor) Duck story (Black Duck, Ulster Co.). N.Y.S. Cons.
20(6): 44.

Gochfeld, Michael. Mortality among the Common Terns of the Short Beach, L.I.,
colony. Linnaean News 1 -Letter 19(9): 1-3.

Gordon, David C. Louisiana Waterthrush in Jefferson Co. Kingbird 16: 25-6.

-. Region 6- St. Lawrence. Kingbird 16: 45-48, 112-114, 172-173, 231-232.

Groesbeck, Mr. & Mrs. W. M. Behavior of swallows, warblers and swifts at Hornell.
Kingbird 16: 150-151.

Groesbeck, William M. Waterfowl at Almond Dam, Steuben Co. Kingbird 16: 151.

Hagar, Joseph A. Nesting of the Hudsonian Godwit at Churchill, Manitoba. 5th
Annual The Living Bird 1966: 5-43. (References to recordings in Cbrnell Library
of Natural Sounds.)

Hamel, Paul and Richard McCarthy. Breeding-bird census, maple forest. Audubon
Field Notes 20: 611-612.

Haugh, John R. Some observations on the hawk migration at Derby Hill (Oswego
Co.). Kingbird 16: 5-16.

Haugh, John R. and Tom J. Cade. The spring hawk migration around the south¬
eastern shore of Lake Ontario. Wilson Bulletin 78 : 88-110.

Hays, Helen. Night heron scatology. Linnaean News-Letter, 19(8): 3-4.

--. Activity in some of the heron rookeries in the New York area. Linnaean News-

Letter 19(9): 3-4.

Heath, Fred and Frank Enders, Jr. Breeding-bird census, ditched salt marsh and
coastal scrub. Audubon Field Notes 20 : 661—2.

136

Hemphill, Ernest. Notes on behavior of nesting Coopers Hawks (Tompkins Co.).
Kingbird 16: 206-209.

Kelsey, P. M. Duck leg in a trout. N.Y.S. Cons. 21(2): 34.

Kelsey, Paul. Chimney Swift nest. N.Y.S. Cons . 20(6) : 39.

Koeppel, Richard J. Notes on an Atlantic crossing. Linnaean News-Letter 20(6-7):

6 .

Lanyon, Wesley E. Hybridization in meadowlarks. Bulletin American Museum of
Natural History 134: 1-26.

-. Melanism in the Ovenbird (Long Island). Wilson Bulletin 78: 474-475.

Leek, Charles F. The history and status of the Ruff in eastern North America. Auk
83: 473-474.

Lowery, George H. Jr. and Robert J. Newman. A continent-wide view of bird migra¬
tion on four nights in October. Auk 83: 547—586.

McEntee, Elinor G. A new look at the House Finch spring migration. EBBA News
29: 255-262.

Mcllroy, Dorothy W. Region 3 — Finger Lakes. Kingbird 16: 101-104.

Maguire, H. F. Ruffed Grouse leads small game take. N.Y.S. Cons. 21(2): 10-12.
Mathews, Edward J. (Letter to Editor) Rare white cygnet. N.Y.S. Cons. 20(4): 45.
Mayfield, Harold. Fire in birds’ nests. Wilson Bulletin 78:234—235.

Meleney, Grace Coit. Chat recovery. EBBA News 29: 150.

Meritt, James K. A summer record of Rough-legged Hawk in Jefferson County.
Kingbird 16: 213-214.

Meyerriecks, Andrew J. Egg dates of the Green Heron for the New York City area.
Linnaean News-Letter 20(4): 4-5.

Miller, Howard S. Region 2 — Genesee. Kingbird 16: 31-33, 99—101, 157-159, 220—

221 .

Mitchell, John L. January Waterfowl Count 1966. Kingbird 16: 87-89.

Moisan, Gaston. The Green-winged Teal in the Atlantic Flyway. Naturaliste Canadien
93(2): 69-88.

Murphy, Dennis M. (Letter to Editor) Friend or foe? (Kingfisher). N.Y.S. Com.
21(1): 45-46.

Murphy, Robert Cushman. Erroneous identification of a Long Island Gannet. EBBA
News 29: 72.

Peakall, David B. Highlights of the fall season. (August 16-November 30, 1965)
Kingbird 16: 26-27.

-. Highlights of the winter season. (December 1, 1965-March 31, 1966) Kingbird

16:93-94.

-. Highlights of the spring season. (April 1-May 31, 1966) Kingbird 16: 152.

-. Highlights of the summer season, (June 1-August 15, 1966) Kingbird 16:

215-216.

Perry, Robert F. Farm game management. N.Y.S. Com. 21(2): 18-21, 37-38.

Phillips, Allan R., Marshall A. Howe, and Wesley E. Lanyon. Identification of the
flycatchers of eastern North America, with special emphasis on the genus Em-
pidonax. Bird-Banding 37: 153-171.

Post, Peter W. Photographs of New York State rarities (Smew). Kingbird 16: 2-3.

-. Photographs of New York State rarities (Scissor-tailed Flycatcher). Kingbird

16: 130-131.

-. Photographs of New York State rarities (Common Murre). Kingbird 16:

190-191.

Post, Peter W. and Dennis Puleston. Photographs of New York State rarities (Mag¬
nificent Frigatebird). Kingbird 16: 66-67.

Proud, John C. How and where turkeys roam. N.Y.S. Com. 20(5): 6-8.

Reilly, E. M. Jr. Our grosbeaks, crossbills and their kin (with colored plate). N.Y.S.
Com. 20(3): 22-26.

-. Hawks: slaughter unlimited. N.Y.S. Com. 21(2): 2-3.

137

Rosche, Richard C. Region 1 — Niagara Frontier. Kingbird 16: 28—31.

-.Yellow-bellied Sapsucker with abnormal bill. Kingbird 16: 148.

-. An unusual Blue Jay nest. Kingbird 16: 212.

-. Regional Reports: Western New York. Audubon Field Notes 20: 38-41,

418-422, 504-506, 566-568.

Rusk, Margaret S. Another Oswego County Boreal Owl. Kingbird 16: 91.

Schaeffer, Frederick S. Thick-billed Murre on Staten Island. Linnaean News-Letter
20(1): 4-5.

-. Thick-billed Murre. EBBA News 29: 154.

-. Operation Recovery, 1966, Tobay banding station near Jones Beach, Long

Island, New York. EBBA News 29: 247-254.

Scheider, Fritz. 1965 Fall shorebird migration in central New York. Kingbird 16:
17-23.

-. Water Pipits mobbing Cooper’s Hawk. Kingbird 16: 149.

-. An encounter between two Snowy Owls. Kingbird 16: 150.

-. Hooded Merganser x Common Goldeneye hybrid at Fulton, Oswego Co.

Kingbird 16: 149-150.

-. Region 5 — Oneida Lake Basin. Kingbird 16: 39-45, 107-111, 166-171.

Scheider, Fritz and Margaret S. Rusk. Region 5 —Oneida Lake Basin. Kingbird 16:
226-230.

Schuster, Carl N. Jr. The nature of a tidal marsh. N.Y.S. Cons. 21(1): 22-29, 36.
Sheldon, William G. Wildlife dynamics. N.Y.S. Cons. 20(5): 16-19.

Simmers, Richard W. Jr. Breeding-bird census, deciduous floodplain forest and edge.
Audubon Field Notes 20: 632-633.

Spainhower, Ernest. (Letter to Editor) Mink vs ducks. N.Y.S. Cons. 20(5): 42.
Spofford, Sally Hoyt. Nuthatch claw caught. Bird-Banding 37: 126.

-. Example of need for caution in publishing reports of rare birds. Kingbird 16:

214-215.

-. Region 3 — Finger Lakes. Kingbird 16: 33-36, 159-162, 221-224.

Street, Phillips B. (reviewer). (Book Review) Birds of the Niagara Frontier Region.

An annotated check-list. Beardslee & Mitchell. Wilson Bulletin 78: 328-329.

Treacy, Edward D. Region 9 — Delaware-Hudson. Kingbird 16: 56-59, 120-123,
181-185, 239-241.

Ulrich, Alice E. and Edward C. Region 1 — Niagara Frontier. Kingbird 16: 94-98,
153-157, 216-219.

Wagner, Richard H. and Timothy G. Marples. The breeding success of various
passerine birds under chronic gamma irradiation stress. Auk 83: 437-440.

Walker, Robert C. and David C. Gordon. A strange goose in Jefferson Co. Kingbird
16: 212-213.

Watson, George E. Pomarine Jaeger near Lake Saranac (Franklin Co.). Kingbird
16: 25.

Weeks, John A. Protected and unprotected wildlife. N.Y.S. Cons. 21(2): 22—27, 39.
Weld, Paul W. and Allan Klonick, eds. Getting acquainted with birds in Genesee
Country. Rochester Academy of Science, pp. 1-73, Reviewed by D. W. Mcllroy,
Kingbird 16: 246.

Wheat, Maxwell C. Jr. Conservation news — Forever wild wetlands? Kingbird 16:
23-24.

-. Keep the forest preserve “wild forever”. Kingbird 16: 85-87.

-. We must educate the “good guys”. Kingbird 16: 146—147.

-. Courts, constitution and conservation. Kingbird 16: 210-211.

Wickham, Peter P. Region 8 — Mohawk-Hudson. Kingbird 16: 52-56, 116-120, 177-
181, 236-239.

Willoughby, Ernest J. Wing and tail molt of the Sparrow Hawk. Auk 83: 201-206.
Yunick, Robert P. Data gathered from the Redpoll flight of 1966. Kingbird 16:
193-205.

138

Zupan, Jeff and Frank Enders Jr. Winter bird population study-reservoir. Audubon
Field Notes 20: 476-477.

Sixty-sixth Christmas Bird Count —New York State. Audubon Field Notes 20:
134-151.

Corrections or omissions should be called to the attention of the Bibliography
Committee: Sally Hoyt Spofford, Chairman, John B. Belknap, Allen H. Benton, and
Kenneth C. Parkes.

CONSERVATION AND POLITICS

Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr.

The newest gimmick in political campaigning was reported in the
June 15 issue of the Audubon Leaders Conservation Guide. It was a
Birdwalk for Eugene McCarthy organized in East Hampton by wildlife
writer Peter Mathhiessen. The price for watching birds in support of
someone’s presidential candidacy was $15 per binocular squinter.

Birding had now been used for politics—but has politics been used
very much for conservation? Used, that is, by conservationists? This
extremely political year raises the question that has quite often been dis¬
cussed, but mostly in secluded corners at conferences. Should conserva¬
tionists become active in politics?

Incumbents and aspirants for Congress, the Legislature, a host of other
offices as well as those for President will probably at some time this fall
say something positive—and general—about conservation, just as they
will about motherhood, fighting and sin. Conservation has been elevated
into that “nobody is against it” league.

But where is the political leverage to implement these platitudes,
particularly if no conservationists—or very few—can maneuver around in
the swivel seats of some law making hall or scribble their signature on
laws placed before them on wide, neat mayoralty desks? How many
members of legislative or congressional conservation or related commit¬
tees have merely inherited these posts by seniority or have been as¬
signed them until something more to their interest opens up? How many
county supervisors and municipal councilmen are conservationists? How
many members of planning, zoning and other commissions (and I don’t
include the honorific advisory committees whose recommendations, other
than planting some trees on Arbor Day, are magnanimously received
and filed for future, very future, reference) are conservationists? The
answers to these questions will provide a good estimate of how much
power conservationists can exercise.

One of the most helpless experiences is to be politely, even enthusias¬
tically, received at some hearing that can determine the fate of a par¬
ticular pristine area and you know that the commission members have
never sloshed into a bog while trying to get a closer look at a Rose

139

Pogonia, or been in an oak-beech woods on a May morning with the
warblers waving through, or taken their youngsters on a summer s walk
along a meadow brook of clear, cool water. How can they defend the
human values, as well as the ecological ones, of these resources unless
they have experienced them (presupposing, of course, that they were
moved to speak for them, which so often isn’t the case)? It’s on such a
commission and behind the closed doors, when plans are being devel¬
oped and finalized, that conservation needs an effective voice. But con¬
servation does not have a voice there. Why?

Conservationists generally are not active politically. There is even a
resistence to political involvement. Yet, it is the governmental-political
system that makes the decision about routing a highway through some
marsh.

What may be wrong with politics is that it is left by default to those
who are not really interested in issues, but who are concerned more with
enjoying some sense of power—and occasionally even personal gain.
There’s a lot of talk these days about “The New Politics.” I don’t think
any clear definition has crystalized yet. But one phenomenon is ob¬
servable—the many, issue-orientated people involving themselves in poli¬
tics who had never been closer to it than once a year in the polling
booth. Conservationists are issue conscious. How wonderful it would be
if the government structure was filled with people concerned with the
issues—and even the party structure permeated with such people serving
as committee members and even chairmen.

The committeeman or woman is the person who covers an election
district, canvassing and getting out the vote for his or her party. The
position in itself doesn’t embrace much power, but it involves you on the
periphery of the power-exercising structure—the mesh of government
and party organization. There you can begin urging policies and ap¬
pointments. Should you become a zone leader or town chairman, for
examples, you would be in even a stronger position to urge that some
biologist be appointed to a county public works department.

Organize a Committee of Conservationists in support of an incumbent
who has achieved an outstanding conservation record or of a candidate
who has taken a clear, comprehensive stand. There is a gamble here—
probably considerable influence if your man wins, and not so much if
the other wins. For this reason, although you can’t form committees in
support of a man without strong assurances, conservationists can be ac¬
tive in both major parties so that in either case some conservationist will
have access to the victor.

Should conservationists contribute money to campaigns? Probably not
as specific organizations, but perhaps as individuals or groups of indi¬
viduals. Especially if a Committee of Conservationists has been organ¬
ized. Its members might each make a donation so there would be a
good total. At testimonials, which are really means to pay a candidate’s

140

campaign debts, a group could take a table or two. All this is in the
interest of a better working Democracy. If more of the public—and
especially those who care about one or more issues—contribute, then the
office seekers and political parties have to be more responsive to them
than to a few large givers who then can swing a lot of power. This has
been the idea in back of the annual Dollars for Democrats and Dollars
for Republicans campaigns conducted by party committeemen and
women.

We are being taxed of our natural resources without representation.
Unless conservation has strong representation in the decision making,
our Nation may, through obssession with progress plus lack of under¬
standing, be taxed irretrievably beyond the capacity of its natural re¬
sources to renew themselves.

IN BRIEF—The bills to allow Mourning Dove hunting on Long Island
and to license falconry failed to pass the Legislature. Suggestions and rea¬
sons as to what Federation policy should be on allowing or not allowing
falconry can be sent to the conservation chairman... . Federation mem¬
ber David M. Bigelow, artist and Curator of the Buffalo Museum of
Natural Sciences Education Department, has been named a regional vice
president of the Constitutional Council for the Forest Preserve. Follow¬
ing its organization to maintain "forever wild” protection of the Preserve
in the new and subsequently defeated state constitution, it was made
permanent at a meeting in Albany, May 4. Individual memberships of
$3.00 can be sent to its offices: 3rd Floor, 15 East 53rd Street, New York,

N.Y. The Long Island Naturalist, published by the Baldwin Bird

Club and edited by Paul W. Liebold, 58 Hardy Lane, Westbury, New
York, 11590, is now available for $1.00 (two issues) per year.... I never
realized that conservation articles in The Kingbird would be eligible for
the John J. Elliott Memorial Award for an article in that publication. So
I really couldn’t believe the words I was hearing at the Annual Meeting
when Dr. Edgar M. Reilly, Jr., announced for the committee that I
received the award for the conservation articles. I must say I felt some¬
what sentimental at receiving this award from the Federation in which
I have so many good associations and friends. Also, personally it was
the best award I could have received anyplace because of my friendship
with Mr. Elliott who taught me so much about identification—and even
more about the close sense of appreciation one can feel about nature.

333 Bedell Street, Freeport, N.Y. 11520

141

FIELD NOTES

Observations on a young Long-eared Owl from Allegany County. A young Long-
eared Owl ( Asio otus ) was found by Rex Brown on June 24, 1966 near Belvidere,
N.Y. about 2 miles north of Belmont, the Allegany County seat. The bird was sitting
on the limb of an aspen tree ( Populus tremuloides) about 10 feet from the ground.
The tree was one of a stand of 25 to 30 foot aspens covering about 200 acres of a
wet Genesee River flat. No nest was seen and neither of the adults were about. The
young could not fly and made no effort to get away until it was in hand. Brown kept
the bird until July 9 when he gave it to Olmstead who kept it in captivity until Aug.
14, and took a series of seven kodachrome slides between June 25 and Aug. 10.
Eaton kept the bird in captivity from Aug. 14 to Oct. 18 when the bird died,
apparently of a lung infection.

The major changes in plumage during this time in captivity were obtained from a
review of Olmstead’s slides. June 25: iris yellow; body covered by barred juvenal
down feathers—back darker grey than breast; allula and other flight feathers ap¬
peared quite fully formed; bill horn color. June 26: facial disc dark brown, some
slight suggestion of ear tuft feathers. July 12: Downy ear tufts obvious; brown facial
discs with broad white outer trim; body still covered by juvenal down. July 16: white
trim below and around sides of facial discs; ear tufts still downy; downy body
feathers still horizontally barred with greyish brown but not vertically barred; facial
discs with broad white outer trim; body still covered by juvenal down. July 16: white
ear tufts lost; the brown facial discs more prominent. Aug. 10: second set of ear
tufts now prominent and contour feathers appeared to be complete being vertically
and horizontally marked on the lower breast. Sept. 11: last picture taken; typically
plumaged Long-eared Owl; white feathers between eyes and bill increased in full¬
ness during Aug. and Sept.; the ear tufts reached full development about the end of
Aug.

During June, July and Aug. Olmstead fed the bird hamburg, mice, rabbit entrails,
snakes, and liver. The bird took quite readily to captivity and after July 9 was kept
in cages 6 feet by 6 ft. by 6 ft. and larger so that it could fly a few strokes of the
wings before perching. From Aug. 15 to Oct. 18 Eaton fed the Owl 18 Deer Mice,
12 Short-tailed Shrews, 5 Field Mice, 3 Long-tailed Shrews, 2 Red-backed Voles,
3 Chipmunks and about a pound of liver.

When a mouse was placed on a post within the cage the owl flew to the post,
grabbed the mouse with its foot and mouthed the mammal in a manner not unlike
a bitch ridding its pups of fleas. Then the owl moved the mammal to its bill and
flew to a sheltered end of the cage. First it picked at the skin over the occiput until
the skin was broken. It then took the head in its mouth, and pulling the head free of
the rest of the mammal, swallowed it with a slight pumping action of the head and
neck. The bird then picked off the forelimbs. Next it attacked the entrails and ate
most everything, occasionally flicking off and away, rather large pieces of small intes¬
tine. If the small mammal was not too large the rest of the trunk was swallowed
whole—the last piece to disappear was the tail.

The bird was heard to give a weak, high pitched whistle in July and Aug. at night.
It was, for the most part, almost mute. In bright light the bird would wink, its long
eye lashes moving in a rather seductive manner and when attempting to localize
sounds would weave and bob its head.

The bird was prepared into a skeleton and is now No. 1073 in the bird skeleton
collection at St. Bonaventure University.

Edwin A. Olmstead, Belmont and Stephen W. Eaton, St. Bonaventure University,
St. Bonaventure, N.Y. 14778.

142

Saw~ivhet Owl nesting at Tobay Sanctuary, Long Island: Over the last four
years, Roy Barth of Malverne, L.I., has erected several dozens of well-constructed
wooden nest-boxes at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Wildlife Refuge (Tobay
Sanctuary), Nassau Co. On March 26, 1968, Mr. Barth, who was casually examining
and cleaning all his boxes saw a Saw-whet Owl ( Aegolius acadicus) fly out of a
box. He communicated this fact to me, but at the time, I felt this was just one of the
wintering Saw-lwhets. I was surprised when Mr. Barth observed the owl at this box
again on April 7, 1968. I examined the box on April 7th and found a Saw-whet
within. It was sitting on a rough lining of dried grasses with some loose downy
feathers on top of this. I banded the Saw-whet and noticed the beginning of a brood-
patch.

Now definitely on the alert, I revisited the box on April 20, 1968 and found six
eggs. The adult, which was the one I had banded and therefore must be a female,
was not too aggressive and allowed me to take a few color photographs. The pictures
shown here I took on May 5, 1968 when I found three young and three eggs. On
May 11 there were five young and one egg.

About this time, Mr. Ed Kirchmeier of the Queensboro Bird Club had also peeked
into the box and published this occurrence in his newsletter. Luckily, and for this I
sincerely thank him, he did not disclose the location of the box. Had mobs of
observers come to see this bird, I am fully confident the young would not have sur¬
vived. The young attained ju venal plumage by May 26th. The remaining egg was
infertile and was removed from the box on May 30th.

White-footed Mice ( Peromyscus leucopus ) seemed to be the main food supply of
this bird. I learned from Frank Enders, who had done a study of the mice of Tobay,
that this was the commonest rodent.

The location of this particular nest is quite unusual, although a nest in a Wood
Duck box was recorded in 1966 in Region 5 [ Kingbird 16(3): 168, 1966], Saw-whet

Photographs by Frederick S. Schaffer
Tobay Sanctuary, L.I., N.Y. 5 May 1968

143

Owls normally nest in extensively wooded areas in mountainous country although
they have been found breeding in the dense pine barrens of New Jersey and Gape
Cod, Massachusetts. The habitat surrounding the Saw-whet’s nest at Tobay is low,
coastal scrub. The box is located on the edge of one of the many mosquito control
ditches in the vicinity of the observation tower. Low reeds {Phragmites communis)
are in the immediate foreground and medium-sized Bayberry bushes ( Myrica
pensylvanica) , Poison Ivy ( Rhus radicans ) and High Tide ( Baccharius halimifolia)
form a background. About 100 feet north of the box are the salt marshes adjoining
South Oyster Bay. Nearby nest boxes are occupied exclusively by Tree Swallows
(Iridoprocne bicolor). These swallows have been seen chasing the owl when it left
its nest for short periods early in the day.

The only other definite breeding record in our area was a nest with five eggs at
Miller Place, Long Island in 1879 [Bull, 1964, Birds of the New York Area: 277].
A young Saw-whet Owl with traces of juvenal plumage was found at Quogue Beach,
Suffolk Co. on July 21, 1966 [Kingbird 16(4): 244, 1966]; possibly a pair bred that
year in the Long Island pine barrens. Both the above records followed big winter
flights. The wintering Saw-whet Owl population last winter was about normal in
numbers.

Frederick S. Schaeffer, 139-48 85th Drive, Jamaica, N.Y. 11435.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPRING SEASON

April 1—May 31

David B. Peakall

“Things ain’t what they used to be”. This is the standard lament of the
old-timer but many birders seem to be making this comment. One can
see it expressed in many regional reports, most clearly in that of Region
10 whose editors cannot be classed as old-timers. Davis and Post mention
the possibilities for the low numbers of warblers and vireos—weather,
pesticides, and habitat destruction. On the last mentioned it should be
remembered that destruction of wintering habitat south of the border
may also be of importance. They also mention on the positive side that
radar shows that large migrations of birds are passing unseen. Radar is
a useful way of studying migration, it can monitor flights on a hundred
mile front at one time and is virtually independent of weather; whereas
the visible record is often the result of abnormal migration. Anyone in¬
terested in this fascinating field should read Eastwood’s book “Radar
Ornithology”. However it should be remembered that quantitation of
flights is rough and species identification is almost impossible. A pre¬
liminary analysis of the breeding bird survey recently issued by the Fish
and Wildlife Service for 1966-67 covers 29 species. In general the figures
show a fairly stable population, with the increases balancing the de¬
creases, and most changes are not statistically significant. All three warblers
studied show small decreases. Although these decreases are not signifi¬
cant for the one year period under study it will be interesting to watch
long-term trends. The value of this survey will increase from year to
year.

144

Although probably due to poor conditions for observing migration
rather than to a real scarcity of birds, all regional editors agreed that no
major waves of warblers were observed. Besides the lament on the poor
showing of warblers and vireos one experienced observer who spends
much time in the field commented to me that the arrival of warblers was
later than it used to be. I wondered if this impression was correct. Using
the data from her home region—Region 5—1 calculated the average date
for the peak number for nine species of warblers for the period 1955-58
and 1965-68. The figures showed no change for two species, earlier in the
second period in one case, and in six cases it was earlier in the fifties. I
also looked at first arrival dates and found that in two-thirds of the cases
the arrival dates were earlier in the late 1950’s than they are today. A
more detailed analysis would be necessary to prove Jean Propst’s point
but it is an intriguing idea. Possible explanations would include climatic
changes and delay in the onset of the migratory urge due to decreased
hormone levels caused by increased breakdown by pesticide-induced
enzymes. This latter possibility has been examined elsewhere (Peakall,
Atlantic Naturalist 22: 109, 1967) and cannot be discussed in detail here.

The continued observation of a large number of migrating hawks
along the shores of Lake Ontario has been not only a joy to observers but
a comfort in view of the continued scarcity of breeding hawks in the
state. Thus it is disturbing to read in the Region 5 report that the num¬
bers were lower this year despite good coverage and good weather con¬
ditions.

Record appearances of scoters, together with some Ruddy Ducks, in
Regions 3 and 4 can be correlated with a heavy movement of scoters
along the eastern shore of Lake Ontario; although peak counts at the
western end of the lake occurred earlier. High counts of Canada Geese
were noted at Montezuma and Oak Orchard. A steady increase of this
species over the last decade has been noted in the Atlantic Flyway on
the wintering grounds counts.

The nesting of the Raven in the Adirondacks is the first nesting record
in the state for many years. Eaton (1912) refers vaguely to nesting in
the north country but gives no details. There has been an expansion of
the range of this species in Vermont and New Hampshire since the late
1950 ? s so that this interesting record is not completely unexpected.

Langmuir Laboratory , Cornell University , Ithaca, N.Y. 14850

Abbreviations used in regional reports: arr—arrival, arrived; Co—County; imm—
immature; L—Lake; max—maximum one-day count; mob—many observers; Pk—Park;
Pt—Point; R—River; Rd—Road.

All numbers given are numbers of individuals unless otherwise stated.

145

REGION 1—NIAGARA FRONTIER

Robert A. Sundell

During many years April weather is characterized by an early cold pattern with
occasional snow and a gradually moderating trend, particularly throughout the
second half. May often brings a continuation of the modifying trend with increasingly
warm temperatures sometimes giving way to midsummer-like heat. This year April
was unusually warm and dry practically throughout while May was generally cold
and wet although there were no late snowfalls as during the past two years. The
sometimes spectacular waves of migrants produced by periods of fair weather punc¬
tuated with intermittent low pressure systems combined with southerly or south¬
westerly winds did not occur and most birders complained of a rather lackluster
spring migration in general.

There were certain responses to the reversal of the usual spring weather patterns.
Although very few migrants arrived early during April as might have been expected
because of the warm temperatures, at least one breeding species,, the Eastern Blue¬
bird, started nesting several weeks earlier than usual in April. This produced disas¬
trous results for the nestlings after the weather changed in May. Details will be
presented in the next report. More noticeable was, the general lack of good or even
fair birding during the first half of May due to the scarcity or absence of the usual
migrants. Examination of the arrival dates of many late April and May migrants,
especially warblers, will reveal that the first individuals were observed from three to
sixteen days later than usual. Several regularly occurring warblers were not listed
since earlier arrival dates, were obtained in adjacent southeastern Ontario. The only
notable hawk flight occurred on April 23.

Rarities included the Cattle Egret, Common Teal, Little Gull, Worm-eating,
Yellow-throated and Connecticut Warblers, Western Meadowlark and the only Pine
Grosbeak seen during the past winter. For an indication of how slow this spring was,
compare this list with that of last year [Kingbird 17 (3): 1531.

Abbreviations: ABC—April Bird Count; Bflo—Buffalo; BOS—Buffalo Ornithological
Society; Catt—Cattaraugus; Chaut—Chautauqua; Han—Hanover Township (Alle¬
ghany Road), Chautauqua County; INWR—Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge;
MBC—May Bird Count; Nia—Niagara; Ont— Ontario ;OOGMA—Oak Orchard Game
Management Area; TGMA—Tonawanda Game Management Area.

Contributors: RFA—Robert F. Andrle; PB—Paul Benham; TLB—Thomas, L.
Bourne; RB—Richard Brownstein; JB—Joanna Burger; LDB—Lou and Doris Burton;
DD—Dorothy Danner; FE—Flora Elderkin; AF—Arthur Freitag; PH—Paul Hess;
JK—Joseph Kikta; CK—Clarence Klingensmith; VL—Virgil Lunardini; WAM—Willard
and Alice McKale; ECP—Elizabeth C. Pillsbury; FMR—Frances M. Rew; AGR—
Archie G. Richardson; WGS—William and George Smith; RAS—Robert A. Sundell;
OS—Ora Swanson; GW—Gertrude Webster; MMW—Marie and Margaret Wendling.

LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: very poor spring flight with max four at
several localities. Red-throated Loon: only report-two Apr 27 Red House L,
Alleghany State Pk (Harris Johnson, William Highhouse). CATTLE EGRET : one
Apr 29, May 5 TGMA (Dodge,WAM). Common Egret: one May 28 OOGMA
(PB), Least Bittern: decreasing in recent years—singles May 19 on, at four scattered
localities.

Whistling Swan: late—one May 30 Alleghany Reservoir (AGR). Canada Goose:
max 57,520 Apr 7 mostly OOGMA—TGMA—INWR complex (mob). Blue Goose:
last—one Apr 28 Lyndonville (WAM). COMMON TEAL : adult male with two
pairs of Greenwings Apr 14-28 TGMA (RB,PB,RAS et al). Shoveler: max 49 Apr 11
Oak Orchard area (AF). Bufflehead: late—two May 31 Riverside Marsh (AGR).

146

Oldsquaw: good spring concentration—1200 Apr 7 northern Nia Co BOS ABC.
Scoters: good spring count Apr 21 L Ont, Orleans Co—White-winged, 520 Pt Breeze
to Yates; Surf, two Yates; Common, 11 Lakeside (RB,JB); other reports of Surf,
two Apr 19 Cassadaga L (FMR) and four Apr 27 Alfred (CK).

HAWKS—OWLS: A fine hawk migration occurred on Apr 23 at Jerusalem Corners
(southwest of Hamburg); Sharp-shin 78, Cooper’s 1, Red-tail 14, Broad-wing 3126,
Pigeon 1 (RFA). A small movement was, observed at Han on Apr 14: Turkey Vul¬
ture 7, Sharp-shin 71, Cooper’s 3, Red-tail 42, Broad-wing 24, Rough-leg 2, Marsh 5,
Osprey 1, Sparrow 4 (VL). Other reports of interest: Han (VL)—Goshawk singles
Apr 16, 19; Broad-wing 109 May 4; Rough-leg last, one May 4; from elsewhere—
Rough-leg max 15 Apr 7 Lyndonville area BOSABC; Bald Eagle (only report) one
Apr 7 Hamburg area BOSABC; Marsh max eight Apr 4 Lyndonville (WGS); Osprey
40 reports mostly of individuals, max three Apr 25 Belmont (LDB), three May 3
Ceres (LDB); Pigeon one May 5 Town of Amherst (Inskip).

Rails arr late in small numbers with the only exception the near-normal date of
Apr 14 for the Common Gallinule TGMA (RB). The spring flight of Am. Coot was
exceptionally poor, max 55 in southern Chaut Co Apr 7 BOSABC. Shorebirds: usual
poor to mediocre spring flight inland and along south shore L Erie. Am. Golden
Plover: one Apr 21 INWR (AF et al). Black-bellied Plover: earliest regional record
—one Apr 21 Scio (LDB). Upland Plover: arr three Apr 13 Lancaster (JK). Sand¬
pipers: Solitary, max eight May 10 Canadaway Creek (FMR); Pectoral, max 100
Apr 15 INWR (GW et al) well below usual counts; four Least, one Dunlin, two
Semipalmated May 12 Cuba L (LDB); Dunlin, 25 May 21 Riverside Marsh (AGR);
Short-billed Dowitcher, early—eight May 15 TGMA (MMW). Glaucous Gull: one
Apr 19 Sturgeon Pt (TLB). LITTLE GULL: one Apr 25 Bay View (TLB), three
Apr 25 Lewiston (PB). Caspian Tern: max 10' Apr 27 Dunkirk Harbor (RFA et al ).
Black Tern: arr two May 3 Wellsville (LDB).

Owls: Barn, one May 6 Belmont (LDB); Snowy, last-one Apr 1 Jamestown air¬
port (AGR); Long-eared, singles Apr 6, 7 Lyndonville (WGS), May 23 Hamburg
(TLB); Short-eared, max seven Apr 6 Lyndonville (WGS).

GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Whip-poor-will: arr late—one May 4 Delaware
Pk, Bflo (WAM et al); three other singles at scattered localities. Common Night-
hawk: arr late—one May 16 Bflo (PH). Chimney Swift: arr one Apr 24 Lyndonville
(WGS). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: arr one May 8 Lyndonville (WGS). Eastern
Phoebe: excellent counts on BOSABC and MBC—370 Apr 7 and 282 May 19.
Observed on normal early arr dates, when many other insectivorous species were
late, were two flycatchers: Yellow-bellied one May 10 Elma (DD) and Traill’s one
May 15 Akron (MMW).

Swallows,: retarded migration again this year with more large numbers on
BOSMBC May 19-Tree 2332; Bank 2004; Rough-wing 407; Barn 3045; Cliff 100;
Purple Martin 1877. House Wren: arr one Apr 22 Hamburg (TLB). Carolina Wren:
one May 6 Athol Springs (TLB). Short-billed Marsh Wren: singles May 11 Bear L
Outlet (FMR), May 21 Eden (TLB), May 30 Randolph (RAS,AGR).

Mockingbird: eight reports from five scattered localities mostly in southern Tier-
four of these may well represent birds moving with spring migrants. Catbird: arr one
May 3 Water Valley (TLB). Brown Thrasher: arr early—two Apr 6 Orchard Pk
(HS); four (three scattered southern county locations) Apr 7 BOSABC; one Apr 8
Cazenovia Pk, Bflo (JK). Thrushes: Hermit, arr Apr 7 BOSABC, two Hamburg area,
six Cuba L area; Swainson’s, arr late—one May 11 Spring Brook (DD); Gray¬
cheeked, average arr date—singles May 11 Delaware Pk, Bflo (M.L.Emerson), May
11 Belmont (LDB). Eastern Bluebird: 138 May 19 BOSMBC (116 last year). Blue-
gray Gnatcatcher: early—Apr 15 East Eden Pond (TLB). Golden-crowned Kinglet:
unusually late—two May 31 Panama (RFA et al). Water Pipit; peak Apr 7 BOSABC
—100 Hamburg area, 75 Elma area, 23 Jamestown area; last—eight May 19 Elma

147

(DD). Loggerhead Shrike: only four reports of three birds on L Out plain in
northern Nia and Orleans Cos.

VIREOS—WARBLERS: In very few other years has there been a complete lack
of vireos during April. Arr this, year: Yellow-throated, one May 12 Akron (GW et
al ); Solitary, very late—one May 1 Bflo (PH) ; Red-eyed, late-two May 13 Lakeview
(TLB ); Warbling, three May 3 Bflo—Hamburg area.

Warblers: Prothonotary, male observed twice during later half of May examining
nest box occupied by Tree Swallows along Chadakoin R in Jamestown (Raistricks);
WORM EATING, one closely observed and heard singing May 18 Delaware Pk,
Bflo (G.Hammond,MMW,WAM); Golden-winged, one May 4 Brocton (FMR);
Blue-winged, one May 5 Charlotte (FMR), 60 May 19 BOSMBC; Orange-crowned,
singles May 11 Delaware Pk, Bflo (J.Thill et al), May 19 Bflo area, Belfast area
BOSMBC, May 21 Cazenovia Pk, Bflo (JK) ;Nashville, two Apr 30 Dunkirk (FE
et al); Parula, late and scarce—one May 18 Delaware Pk, Bflo (MMW et al); three
May 19 Vandalia area, Wellsville area BOSMBC; Yellow, one Apr 28 Alabama
(FMR); Cape May, one May 6 Athol Springs (TLB); Myrtle, one Apr 7 Belfast area
BOSABC; Black-throated Green, two Apr 27 Alfred (CK); Cerulean, one May 8
Evans (RFA); Blackburnian, one May 2 Water Valley (TLB,Booth); YELLOW-
THROATED, second Chaut Co record,—one seen and heard at close range for
thirty minutes May 19 Westfield (OS,N.Bates,L.Buck); Chestnut-sided, singles May
10 South Pk, Bflo (JK), Belmont (LDB), Canadaway Greek (FMR); Pine, singles
Apr 22 Lyndonville (WGS), Athol Springs (TLB); Prairie, unreported; Palm, early-
one Apr 17 Scio (Larson); Ovenbird, one Apr 30 Spring Brook (Schafer); Northern
Waterthrush, one May 4 Riverside (FE); Louisiana Waterthrush, one May 14
Chestnut Ridge Pk (TLB); CONNECTICUT, one closely studied and ideally com¬
pared with Nashville May 22 Jamestown (AGR); Mourning, one May 18 Jamestown
(FE); Yellowthroat, singles May 7 Riverside (FE), Belmont (LDB), Chestnut
Ridge Pk (TLB); Hooded, two May 14 Chestnut Ridge Pk (TLB); Canada, one
May 11 Spring Brook (DD); Am. Redstart, two May 8 Riverside (FE), one May 8
East Eden Pond (TLB).

BLACKBIRDS-SPARROWS: Bobolink: arr three May 4 Riverside (FE).
WESTERN MEADOWLARK: two Apr 20 Yates (PB,R.Rybczynski); birds present
last two years at Fredonia and Center Rd, Sheridan Township, Chaut Co did not
return. Orchard Oriole: male May 12, 18, 19 Caneadea (LarryWilson). Baltimore
Oriole: 1068 May 19 BOSMBC.

Cardinal: 449 May 19 BOSMBC. Evening Grosbeak: 205 Apr 7 BOSABC in
Allegany and Catt Cos; last—15 Apr 28 Alfred (CK). Purple Finch: large spring
count 180 Apr 7 BOSABC. PINE GROSBEAK : only report of winter—one female
Apr 7 Niobe (ECP) BOSABC. Pine Siskin: last—two May 30' Randolph (RAS, AGR).
Am. Goldfinch: highest MBC total 4545 May 19. Red Crossbill: five Apr 7 Vandalia
area BOSABC; three Apr 17 Water Valley (TLB); 13 Apr 28 Hamburg (JK) ;14
May 19 unspecified localities BOSMBC. Rufous-sided Towhee: very high totals on
BOSABC and MBC—58 Apr 7 and 506 May 19 ( 580 last year May 21 was highest
ever).

Sparrows: Grasshopper, arr one Apr 24 Langford (TLB); Henslow’s, arr one Apr
21 Hamburg (RFA), about twice usual total—41 May 19 BOSMBC; Tree, last—one
Apr 30 Dunkirk (ECP,FE,OS); Field, high count 512 May 19 BOSMBC; White-
throated, poor flight with no outstanding concentrations; Lincoln’s, one May 8 Eden
(TLB), five May 19 BOSMBC; Song, large numbers on ABC and MBC—4554 Apr
7 and 2808 May 19.

ADDENDUM. Kingbird 18(2). 92, May 1968, Region 1 report: insert after Eastern
Phoebe: first winter record—one Dec 30 (Hamburg CC).

19 Chestnut Street, Jamestown, N.Y. 14701

148

REGION 2 —GENESEE

Howard S, Miller

April was very warm with the temperature averaging 4.5° above normal. Pre¬
cipitation was less than one half of normal, but the lake and ponds remained at a
high level. May was cool, with the average temperature 3.5° below normal. Rainfall
was slightly above average. Owing to the warm weather in April, the spring migra¬
tion was well ahead of average by the end of the month. The cool weather of May
slowed this early trend down to average or slightly behind schedule by the middle
of the month.

The spring flight of geese and ducks was about average with some of the latter
remaining in numbers rather late. The peak of the hawk flight was April 23 but
numbers were recorded through May. This was especially true of the Broad-winged
which occurred in higher than average numbers through the latter part of the period
on favorable days. The early shorebird flight was good, but the late flight was
rather poor. This was probably due in part to lack of suitable feeding areas. Terns,
except for the Black, seemed scarce. Eastern Bluebirds were reported more fre¬
quently. Owing to the cool weather in May, the early arriving species of warblers
were late and seemed to be in below average numbers. The late arriving species
were average. There wasi hardly any return spring flight of northern finches.

Noteworthy birds included the Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis, European Widgeon,
Harlequin Duck, Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Prairie Warbler and Western
Meadowlark.

Groups cited in text: NYF—New York State Federation of Bird Clubs.

Observers cited in text: GD—Gertrude Davis; JJD—James J. Doherty; JWF—John
W. Foster; AEK—Allen E. Kemnitzer; WCL—Walter C. Listman; WLL—Warren L.
Lloyd; TM—Ted Mack; AM—Alfred Maley; RGM—Robert G. McKinney; JM—
Joseph McNett; TM—Thelma McNett; HSM—Howard S. Miller; LM—Laura Moon;
NM— Dr. Neil Moon; RTO—Richard T. O’Hara; FHP—Frank H. Phelps; ES—Esther
Stiles; TET—Thomas E. Tetlow; RJW—Robert J. White.

Locations: BB—Braddock’s, Bay; ELS—East Lake Shore; LS—Lake Shore; WP—
Webster Park; WLS—West Lake Shore; WS—West Spit.

LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: max 350 Apr 18 ELS (AEK). Red-throated
Loon: scarce, one to two Apr 19-28 ELS (several). Red-necked Grebe: scarce com¬
pared to last year, max four Apr 6 Manitou (WCL), four Apr 26 WLS (RGM).
Horned Grebe: max 80 Apr 18 ELS (AEK). Common Egret: one Apr 28 BB
(NYF), one May 11 Manitou (HSM,RTO). CATTLE EGRET: two Apr. 13 BB
(AEK), one Apr 29-May 14 BB (Mrs.H.W.Lowden et al). GLOSSY IBIS: one to
five May 18-31 BB (several)—never more than one bird at a time previously.

Whistling Swan; two Shore Acres Apr 28 (NYF). Snow Goose: four Apr 26 WLS
(RGM). Blue Goose: four Apr 26 WLS (RGM). European Widgeon: one adult
male Apr 20-26 Parma (RGM,NYF). Ring-necked Duck: max 80 Apr 26 Hamlin
(RGM). Common Goldeneye: 13 May 19 BB (WCL,TET) late for this number.
Olds qua w: 200 Apr. 26 WLS (RGM) late for this number. HARLEQUIN DUCK:
a sub-adult male May 18-19 BB (WCL et al ) —while late, we have at least two
previous May dates.

HAWKS—OWLS: Goshawk: one Apr 19 BB (RTO). Sharp-shinned Hawk: max
150 Apr 23 BB (WCL), 76 May 8 BB (LM,TET). Broad-winged Hawk; max 5000
Apr 23 LS (several). GOLDEN EAGLE: two Apr 13 Hilton (AEK,WCL), one
Apr 23 Hilton (WCL). Bald Eagle: one imm Apr 13 BB (RTO et al ), two Apr 23
Hilton (WCL), one imm May 8 Hamlin (TM,RJW), two imm May 24 WLS
(WCL). The pair reported last year from the Finger Lakes area returned to their

149

nest and were incubating April 28. Peregrine Falcon: two Apr 23 WP (WLL), one
Apr 23 BB (WCL), one Apr 24 WP (WLL), one Apr 28 BB (NYF).

Am. Golden Plover: two Apr 4 Hamlin (WCL)—this date is early and the bird is
scarce in the spring. Spotted Sandpiper: two Apr 20 WP (AEK) rather early.
Pectoral Sandpiper: max 203 Apr 13 WLS (AEK,WCL), 126 Apr 26 WLS (RGM).
Dunlin: 21 May 19 WLS (HSM,RTO). Semipalmated Sandpiper: one Apr 27-28
WLS (NYF) early. Western Sandpiper: one Apr 27-28 WLS (NYF) very early.
Sanderling: four May 26 BB (RTO), very uncommon in spring. Wilson’s Phalarope:
one May 19 WLS (WCL,TET). Northern Phalarope: one May 30 Hamlin (WCL)
—very rare locally in spring, although not uncommon in fall.

Iceland Gull: one Apr 27 Manitou (NYF). Bonaparte’s Gull: 400 Apr 26 WLS
(RGM).

Bam Owl: the pair that raised ten young in a silo in Parma last year again nested
there this year. They hatched and were raising only one bird this year. They were
reported by the caretaker on the farm to have spent the winter there. Snowy Owl:
one Apr 14 WLS (WCL). Long-eared Owl: one May 21 Webster (AEK), only
report for the year. Short-eared Owl: two Apr 20 Newark (ES) last report,

GOATSUCKERS-STARLING: Whip-poor-will: one May 3 Penfield (GD)-the
species generally arrived late. Pileated Woodpecker: reported from Mendon, Pen-
field and Webster. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: one May 26 BB (HSM,FHP). Tufted
Titmouse: reported more frequently from wider areas,. Carolina Wren: a singing
bird frequently reported from the Durand-Eastman Pk area; a second-hand report of
one from Penfield. Water Pipit: 44 May 8 BB (LM,TET).

VIREOS-WARBLERS: Yellow Warbler: one Apr 23 WS (AM) very early. Pine
Warbler: one Apr 28 (A.Starling); one May 5 Durand-Eastman Park (JM,TM).
Prairie Warbler: one May 14 Kendall (WCL), the only report this spring. Louisiana
Waterthrush: nine Apr 25 Canadice L (AM).

BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS; Western Meadowlark: one to four Apr 1-May 31
Hamlin (several), identified by song, call notes and plumage characteristics: a
specimen was collected in this area in 1952. Evening Grosbeak: Durand-Eastman
Pk, Apr 28 (TM); one May 15 Penfield (GD). Pine Siskin: a few reports of one to
two birds. Red Crossbill: two Apr 27 Parma (TET) only report. Lincoln’s Sparrow:
max three May 19 WLS (HSM,RTO). Lapland Longspur: two May 19 Parma
(RGM) very late, two May 26 Hamlin (RTO) very late.

2080 East Main Street, Rochester, N.Y. 14609

REGION 3 —FINGER LAKES

Sally Hoyt Spofford

Again we had an unusually wet and cool spring, but without the extreme low
temperatures of 1967. (However 24 days in May had below normal readings.) Mi¬
gration seemed slightly delayed, with a few exceptions. May had heavy rains, and
undoubtedly many nests were destroyed. Elmira had flooding at the end of the
month, and ground nesters in particular suffered. Of interest in waterfowl migration
was the dropping in on the Chemung River the night of April 26—27 of unusual num¬
bers of waterfowl including: 20 Homed Grebes, 120 Buffleheads, 25 Oldsquaws, 25
White-winged Scoters, 30 Common Scoters, two Surf Scoters, and 10 Ruddy Ducks.
With 15 Common Scoters noted at another Elmira location, this marked not only
the first record but unusual numbers of the species.

Purple Martins seem to have suffered a serious set-back, with bad weather of the
last few years, scarcity of insect food, and perhaps pesticide effects. Some colonies
were deserted or almost so this, year.

150

The only good warbler migration occurred on the weekend of May 18-19, and
this was not outstanding.

Observers cited: WEB—Walter E. Benning; JB—Jamesine Bardeen; JBr—Jack
Brubaker; AF—Albert Fudge; FG—Frank Guthrie; WMG—William M. Groesbeck;
CH—Clayton Hardy; VH—Vincent Hannan; WH—Wilifred Howard; BJ—Brad Ja¬
cobs; CKK—Cameron and Kay Kepler; DAL—Douglas A. Lancaster; DM—Dorothy
Mcllroy; FGS—Fritz G. Scheider; BS—Betty Strath; MS—Mary Smith; WRS—Walter
R. Spofford; JW—Jayson Walker; MPW—Mary P. Welles.

Area Compilers: Jamesine Bardeen, Walter E. Benning, William M. Groesbeck,
Frank Guthrie; Clayton Hardy, Jayson Walker; Mary P. Welles,

Localities: Cay L—Cayuga Lake; Conn Hill—Connecticut Hill; MNWR—Monte¬
zuma National Wildlife Refuge; Sen L—Seneca Lake; SWS—Sapsucker Woods Sanc¬
tuary.

LOONS-DUCKS: EARED GREBE : May 5-12, MNWR, (Hardy, Scheider, Ben¬
ning et al) full spring plumage; fewer than five previous records. Pied-billed Grebe:
slight increase noted at Hornell, 1—3 regularly (WMG). All herons were reported as
scarce at Elmira. Great Blue Heron: only nestings known in Region were near
Reynoldsville (JB) and near Montezuma. Common Egret: one Apr 13 MNWR
(DAL and class), an early date. Cattle Egret: one Apr 25 MNWR (C'H et al), only
report. Black-crowned Night Heron: 14 max May 19 MNWR is above usual spring
max. Yellow-crowned Night Heron: one, May 11-12 Stewart Pk, Ithaca, near same
area as May 20, 1967; one May 19 Horseheads (WH); rare in Region. Least and
American Bitterns continue to be difficult to find; none of latter at Hornell, for third
successive year (WMG). Glossy Ibis: no reports.

Whistling Swan: one May 4 MNWR last report (WEB). Canada Goose: 70,000
max week of Apr 21 MNWR, highest ever; most left May 8. Snow Goose 200 max
and Blue Goose 800 max Apr 21 MNWR, also high, BAR-HEADED GOOSE and
perhaps two, undoubtedly escapees, noted at MNWR first on Apr 21, present into
early May (CH and mob). Brant: one only, May 26 Ithaca marina area (R.Robin-
son). Mallard: first brood Apr 29 SWS, earliest date ever. Black Duck: fewer than
usual MNWR at period end, but Gadwall abundant. Pintail and American Widgeon:
no records for Apr at Keuka—usually present. Blue-winged Teal: pairs on various
farm ponds, never abundant but regular. European Widgeon: one Apr 16 MNWR
(CH); this species is seen regularly there, but does not seem to increase. Wood
Duck: 15-20 pairs SWS, normal; reported as increasing at Keuka (FG). Ring¬
necked Duck: several observers reported this species missing from usual stopping-off
places in migration, WEB said scarce at MNW 7 R. HARLEQUIN DUCK: female
May 7-9 Sheldrake Pt Cay L (DM and others; verification report on file), first
record for Region. White-winged Scoter: one Apr 27 Hornell Reservoir (WMG);
seven May 12 Keuka L (FG) but no reports, from Cay L Basin. Surf Scoter: three
May 14 Keuka L near Penn Yan—rare in spring. See also introductory remarks for
Chemung R report of unusual numbers of scoters. Ruddy Ducks: arr in numbers
Apr 13-14 MNWR (CH). All mergansers in lower numbers this year than normal.
Hooded Merganser: raised brood of 12 near Tompkins Co Airport (J.Hauck).

HAWKS-OWLS: Turkey Vulture: 35 Apr 9 MNWR (WEB) unusually high
count; nest in Marengo swamp active again, one egg May 22; three adults May 18
Elmira (AF), usually singles only. Goshawk: one adult May 9 Hawley Hill Elmira
(WH); two active nests s.e. of Ithaca late May. Sharp-shinned Hawk: no nesting
sites, almost no sightings. Coopers Hawk: one Apr 13 Ludlowville (DAL et al);
one May 24-26 near Texas, Hollow (JBr et al); one May 21 Mills Rd Waterloo
(JW); no nesting sites known. Red-tailed Hawk: most known nesting areas occupied,
plus several new. Red-shouldered Hawk: still decreasing; SWS pair present, but
silent, and no nest found. Broad-winged Hawk: first migrants Apr 26 near Etna
(WRS). Rough-legged Hawk: Apr 14 last date in Cay Basin; none in period in

151

Keuka area (FG). Bald Eagle: one report only, May 7 near Etna (WRS). Marsh
Hawk: one-two MNWR during period, no reports, elsewhere. Osprey: scattered re¬
ports Apr 2 through mid-May. No verified Peregrine or Merlin reports. Sparrow
Hawk: reports vary from “completely missing in area” to “present at usual nesting
sites”.It would be worthwhile to have some careful studies locally of the popula¬
tion of these little falcons. Ring-necked Pheasant: good numbers everywhere, though
some reports of scarcity of cocks. Turkey: sightings at Conn Hill, Watkins Glen and
near Dry den.

Virginia Rail: missing most Elmira stations this year (MPW); few reports any¬
where. Common Gallinule: numbers seem considerably below those of a few years
ago at MNWR, but exact figures are hard to obtain. American Coot: all observers
mentioned fewer numbers of this species this year. American Golden Plover: four
Apr 13 MNWR (WEB) rare in spring. WHIMBREL : rare at anytime, esp. in
spring—one dead on road May 10', Town of Caton (Matt Welles). Upland Plover:
at most usual stations, but arr late (late May). White-rumped Sandpiper: 12 max
May 26, high count. Dunlin: 60 May 18 Chemung R flats (MS) highest spring count
for Elmira area; 250 max May 19 MNWR (WEB) same high as in ’67. Western
Sandpiper: very rare in spring, one May 30 MNWR (WEB). Wilson’s Phalarope:
female May 10 MNWR (WEB); female May 22 Hor&eheads near A and P plant
(mob). The almost annual spotting of this species in spring may simply represent
more field work than was the case ten or 20 years ago or it may mean a change in
migration pattern. Northern Phalarope: two females May 30 MNWR (WEB) un¬
usual in spring. Bonaparte’s Gull: first arrivals Apr 1-6 ;800 Apr 15 Cay L (DM) s.
of Canoga extremely high count, seven there Apr 21; 55 max at Elmira, Chemung
R (WH) a high count there also. Caspian Tern: none reported from MNWR; one
seen s. end Cay L May 17. Scattered Common and Black Terns at MNWR through
May. Snowy Owl: last dates Apr 2 Ithaca, Troy Rd, Apr 17 Horseheads, Ridge Rd.
Barred Owl: fledged two young in SWS, mid May, one killed on road two weeks
later.

GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Common Nighthawk: very scarce and first reports
later than usual. Whip-poor-will: one May 4 Ithaca (K.Hakes); one May 9 Elmira,
one May 12 Texas Hollow (JBr). Belted Kingfisher: missing from several former
locations in Ithaca area; Benning reports scarce MNWR. Red-headed Woodpecker:
population at Keuka improving, four pairs known (FG). No increase Ithaca area.
Continuing report of fewer Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers at feeders. Flycatchers
in general were a few days late in arriving; Eastern Kingbirds, Least Flycatchers
and Wood Pewees were relatively scarce. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: one report only.
May 18 Elmira (WH). ACADIAN FLYCATCHER : very few Regional records of
this southern species, one May 26 North Hornell (WMG), Olive-sided Flycatcher:
one May 30 Pinewoods, Rd six miles e. of Ithaca (J. Patter son); one May 30 Texas
Hollow (JBr).

Swallow migration noted along Seneca Lake May 2 (BS). No new colonies of
Bank Swallows reported. Changes made in the barns on the Sweetland farm south
of Dryden resulted in temporary abandonment of the site by the only local Cliff
Swallows. By the end of May, a dozen or so birds had returned and apparently
accepted things. Purple Martin: very scarce throughout Region, and those present
returned in May, not April, The SWS colony did not return this year. Common Raven:
one (rare) over valley between Combs Hill and Mt. Zoar, Elmira May 14 (WH).
Tufted Titmouse: have disappeared in Keuka area, none reported there during
period; present elsewhere. Red-breasted Nuthatch: rare Regional breeder, found
regularly during the period Conn Hill, s.w. Ithaca (JBr). Marsh Wrens: none found
Keuka or Elmira; scarce MNWR. Mockingbird: several definite nestings at Elmira,
suspected at Ithaca. Numerous reports of failure of first nestings of Wood Thrush
and Bluebird, possibly due to bad weather.Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: nestings reported
Elmira, Ithaca.

152

VIREOS—WARBLERS: Again, with monotony and regularity, I must report: no
waves of warblers and vireos; most species noted, but few individuals. At Homell,
WMG remarked on poor migration, with absence of Black-throated Green Warblers
and Redstarts. Yellow-throated Vireos were scarce everywhere. Philadelphia Vireo:
one (only report) May 19 Brooktondale (CK). Prothonotary Warbler: one, May 13
Mills Rd, Waterloo (JW); no other reports. Golden-winged Warbler: this species
continues to disappear from former locations, as Blue-winged Warblers become well
established. Brewster’s Warbler: two reports at Ithaca. Cerulean Warbler: missing
from several former stations; a rare species at best. Prairie Warbler: no reports.
Species noted as scarce or missing as residents or migrants by various observers were
Tennessee, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided,
Bay-breasted, Pine, Mourning, and Redstart.

BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Bobolink: with one exception (WEB) all observers
noted an increase in this species, though not back to numbers of 20 years ago. Red¬
winged Blackbird: extremely abundant. Orchard Oriole: one, May 22-25 Starkey on
Sen L (JB) third report for area in 20 years,; pair Campbell Ave w. Ithaca, same
location as 1967 (VH). Rusty Blackbird: few migrants noted. Scarlet Tanager: arr
late (mid-May) and scarce, Ithaca and Homell. Indigo Bunting: fewer roadside
singers noted (SHS). DICKCISSEL: bright male May 15-16, Danby Rd, Ithaca
(Miller,DM); this species when present is usually a winter visitor, in dull plumage.
Evening Grosbeak: last dates Ithaca Apr 11 (J.Hutt), Apr 30 (BJ). Purple Finch:
abundant in Hornell area, fairly so elsewhere, but no big flocks, or incursion noted.
Crossbills: no reports. White-throated Sparrow: scarce in migration (WEB,SHS).
White-crowned Sparrow: abundant. Fox Sparrow: numerous in migration at Keuka,
scarce at Ithaca. Lincoln’s Sparrow: one, May 3 Mills Rd, Waterloo (JW); two at
different locations at Elmira May 4.

Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850

REGION 4 —SUSQUEHANNA

Leslie E. Bemont

This report will cover both the winter and spring periods, from December 1
through May 31, since there was no report for the Region in the last issue.

Reasonably mild in December, temperatures were rather severe during January
and February when there were 18 days with sub-zero temperatures. Snowfall,
however, was below normal. From mid March through the first three weeks of
April temperatures were above normal and bird arrivals seemed to be ahead of
schedule. The last week of April and most of May was cool and very wet and the
bird migration fell behind schedule, but there was little indication of early nesters
being in serious trouble.

Mockingbirds continue to increase their numbers in the Region substantially, not
•only in the winter months, but during the breeding season, too. One definite breeding
record, the first for the Region, was obtained and one other situation was reported
where breeding was, suspected.

Snowy Owls and Rough-legged Hawks were quite prominent in some parts of the
Region. The winter finch flights, while disappointing, were better than last year.
Several half-hardies, such as a Baltimore Oriole, a Catbird and a couple of Brown
Thrashers survived at least until the severe January weather set in. A Varied Thrush
and Caspian Terns represent new additions to the Region list and other rarities in¬
cluded a Yellow-crowned night Heron, a Clay-colored Sparrow, an Orchard Oriole
and a Sharp-tailed Sparrow.

Observer’s initials: DB—D. Bemont; LB—L. Bemont; LC—Mrs. L. Clark; GC—
G. Corderman; WC—W. Corderman ;MC—M. Cubberly; M,AD—M. & A. Davis;

153

RD—R. Dirig; EF—E. Feldhusen; CG—C. Gerould; BG—B. Gorton; CGo—C.
Gottschall; JAG-J. Gustafson; J,MH-J. & M. Harris; MH-M. Hills; CH-C. How¬
ard; VH—V. Hudson; PK—P. Kalka; EK—E. Kirch; AL—A. Levy; ML—M. Lynch;
HM—H. Marsi; JO—J. Osadchey; JR—J. Ranney; HR—H. Rinker; RJS—R. & J.
Saunders; DS—D. Sawyer; MS—M. Sheffield; AS—A. Stratton; E,NW—E. & N.
Washburn; DW-D. Weber; MW-M. White; R,SW-R. & S. White; BW-B. Wil¬
liams ;RW—R. Williams,; SW—S. Wilson.

Abbreviations: Bing—Binghamton; Chen—Chenango; CC—Choconut Center; Pep
Res—Pepacton Reservoir; WP—Whitney Point.

LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: one Jan 20 Cortland (JAG), waterfowl count;
Mar 24 Conklin, SE of Bing (J,MD); Apr 27 WP (MS); May 18 Pep Res (MC);
May 19 Owego (MW,CG); eight at WP May 19 (MS); May 19 Unadilla (DS).
Red-necked Grebe: one Mar 22 Bing (CH); one Mar 31 and Apr 7 Conklin (J,MH);
one Apr 1 WP (J,MH); an infrequently reported species in Region. Homed Grebe:
Mar 23, Johnson City (GC,WC); 10 reports to Apr 1 then three more reports to
May 4. Pied-billed Grebe; Mar 24 Owego (MW,CG) and three at Norwich (R,SW);
in mid-May at Oneonta (JN), otherwise none after Apr 27; a total of eleven re¬
ports. Double-crested Cormorant: May 19 WP (BG); seldom reported in Region.
Great Blue Heron: one wintered at Candor (DW); one at Delhi Jan 4 (LC); one
at Chen Forks Dec 8 (M,AD); three returned to Candor rookery; 18 nests at East
Freetown rookery—young half grown May 25 (JAG). Green Heron: Apr 27 WP
(J,MH), early. Black-crowned Night Heron: Apr 29 Owego (MW,CG); the only
report. YELLOW-CROW NED NIGHT HERON: one adult May 19 Apalachin (HM,
GC,CGo,EK); only one or two previous records in Region. American Bittern: Mar
29 CC (MS). Whistling Swan: numerous reports from Mar 23 to 30 in Broome,
Chenango, Cortland & Tioga Cos; max 82 Mar 24 Smithboro Flats in Tioga Co
(MW,CG); also 26 in Greene-Oxford area mentioned by several observers. Canada
Goose: a flock heard flying over just s. of Bing Dec 22 and seven counted flying
over the same area Dec 29 (CGo); one Jan 21 Kirkwood (RJS); migrants from
Mar 7 to May 21, mostly between Mar 20 and May 5. Brant: Mar 24 Smithboro Flats
(M W, CG); May 20 Oneonta (JN).

Mallard: approx. 250 at Sherburne Game Farm, plus small numbers at Candor,
Deposit, Bing and Cortland wintered; more frequent reports after mid Mar. Black
Duck: only about 60 wintering at Sherburne, but larger numbers dispersed along
rivers and creeks throughout make total wintering population nearly as great as that
of Mallards; more frequent reports from Mar 23. Gadwall: three Apr 27 WP (J,
MH); one May 4 Norwich (R,SW). Pintail: Mar 20 Berkshire (ML); three more
reports to Apr 25. Green-winged Teal: Mar 24 at Smithboro Flats (RW,BW) and
two at Norwich (R,SW); five more reports to May 4. Blue-winged Teal: Mar 24
Smithboro Flats (MW,CG) and ten Mar 31 Homer (JAG), both early ;next report
Apr 26. American Widgeon: Mar 14 to Apr 1, ten reports; max seven Mar 14 Bing
(CH). Shoveler: two Mar 30 1 WP (MS); two Mar 31 Homer (JAG); two Apr 28
and four May 4, Norwich (R,SW). Wood Duck: two Jan 1 Sherburne; migrants
Mar 23 at Oxford (AS) and Deposit (SW). Redhead: four Jan 1 Skaneateles L
(JO); Mar 23 and 24 and May 19. Ring-necked Duck: 23 reports (max 10) from
Mar 16 to 31. Canvasback: one Jan 1 Little York (JAG); ten reports of migrants
Mar 23 to Apr 1, max 20 Oxford Mar 23 (AS). Lesser Scaup: two Jan 1 Skaneateles
L (JO); eleven reports Mar 21 to May 4, max approx. 400 Apr 27. Greater Scaup:
50 Apr 27 WP (J,MH). Common Goldeneye: 45 Jan 1 Skaneateles L (JO); 14
more scattered reports to Apr 7. Bufllehead: one female Jan 24 Candor (DW); one
Feb 14 Bing (CGo); eight reports Mar 24 to Apr 28; max 250 Apr 27 WP (J,MH).
Oldsquaw: 76 Apr 1 WP (J,MH); also at Conklin Forks Apr 1 (PK) and WP Apr
27. White-winged Scoter: Apr 1 and 76 Apr 27, WP (J,MH). Common Scoter: 20
Apr 27 WP (J,MH,MS). Ruddy Duck: two females Apr 1 and a male and two

154

females Apr 27, WP (J,MH). Hooded Merganser: two Dec 30, Bing Christmas
count; one Jan 1, Cortland Christmas count; migrants Mar 10' to Apr 1, 17 reports
(max 24). Common Merganser: a few all winter in much of Region; migrants until
Apr 27 ;May 19 Endwell (HM et al). Red-breasted Merganser: Jan 14 Owego
(RW,CG,MW); migrants Mar 23 to May 8, ten reports.

HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: Mar 25 Hancock (RD); eight other records,
all from Delaware, Broome and Tioga Cos. Goshawk: Dec 31, Owego Christmas
census (CG); one imm Feb 4 CC (MS), sitting on feeder; Feb 14, Chen Valley
State Pk (CGo); Mar 11 Deposit (SW), adult sitting on nest—both adults and three
young at nest May 23; also nesting at Scott—three young (JAG). Sharp-shinned
Hawk; Dec 30, Bing Christmas census; one banded at Deposit Feb 11; six other Feb
and Mar records. Coopers Hawk: at least nine records from Feb 26 to end of May;
at Candor a “nest with 5 downy young early in season” (DW). Red-tailed Hawk;
three Dec 10 Norwich (R,SW), all at one time; two Dec 30, Bing Christmas, census;
eight Jan 1, Cortland Christmas census; more frequent reports than in any recent
year, especially after Mar 19. Red-shouldered Hawk: an imm Jan 13 Oxford (AS),
sitting on suet post—not seen eating suet; Mar 19 Owego (RW) and four Apr and
May records. Broad-winged Hawk: Apr 27 North Owego (CG) and Homer (JAG);
common. Rough-legged Hawk: four Dec 30, Bing census and three Jan 1, Cortland
census fourteen other reports. Golden Eagle: one Jan 7, Pep Res, (MC), flying—
“whitish at base of tail-wing linings not streaked—smaller head than bald eagle-seen
twice well.” Bald Eagle: “as usual, about three wintered around Pep Res and fed on
deer carcasses in the ice”; Feb 18 and 20, between Walton and Delhi (LC). Marsh
Hawk: Mar 13 Bing (HM); two other Mar and one May record. Osprey: one Apr 10
Oxford (AS); twelve other records all between Apr 26 and May 11. Pigeon Hawk:
Mar 5 Bing (HM).

Bobwhite: heard calling on a hill near Cortland in Apr or May (JAG). Turkey:
three Feb 10 Hancock (RD), known to have been in area all fall and winter; Mar 31
Vestal Center (CGo). Killdeer: five Dec and Jan records, thru Jan 5; migrants Mar 2
Unadilla (DS). Am. Woodcock: Mar 18 Chen Forks (M,AD). Common Snipe: Mar
21 Berkshire (ML). Upland Plover: May 11, three at Homer and two at Cortland-
ville (JAG). Spotted Sandpiper: Apr 21. Solitary Sandpiper: May 11 Oneonta (JN).
Ring-billed Gull: flocks of over 100 at Bing Mar 22 (EK) and WP Mar 24 (J,MH),
early for such numbers. Bonaparte’s Gull: Mar 22 Owego (MW,CG); five more re¬
ports to Apr 27. Common Tern: Apr 27 WP (MS,J,MH) and six May records, all in
Broome and Tioga Cos; an irregular migrant in Region. CASPIAN TERN : seven or
more May 19, WP (MS); first record for Region. Black Tern: May 19 Owego
(MW,CG); ten May 19 Norwich (R,SW). Yellow-billed Cuckoo: four records from
May 19. Black-billed Cuckoo: twenty records from May 16.

Screech Owl: five distinct records in Broome Co and also reported in Cortland
and Owego areas. Horned Owl: ten Dec 30, Bing census,, an all time high; numerous
other reports. Snowy Owl: A. Christopher saw five in one morning and seen in
several places in Cortland Co all winter; several reports from Tioga Co also; one Jan
28 Hancock (RD). Barred Owl: recorded several times throughout periods at Can¬
dor (DW) and south of Bing (GC,WC,EK); a nest with two young at Scott in May
(JO); also recorded at Nichols (HR) and Hancock (RD). Long-eared Owl: May 23
Delhi (LC). Short-eared Owl: one Dec 10 Bing (J,MH), Saw-whet Owl: one Jan
28 Bing (Mrs. Leon Lyman); one heard regularly from late Jan thru mid Feb at
Ingraham Hill, just south of Bing (CH); one heard regularly from Feb 28 thru Mar
25 at Candor (DW); one heard Mar 2 and Mar 19 at another Bing locality.

GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Whip-poor-will: May 10 Bing (R,JS); May 15
North Owego (CG). Common Nighthawk: May 5 Owego (MW), early; next report
May 15, Oneonta (EF). Chimney Swift: May 1 Bing (MS). Ruby-throated Hum¬
mingbird: May 12 CC (MS). Yellow-shafted Flicker: Mar 24 Deposit and Bing; at

155

Oxford one observed on two different days, during hard rain, seeking shelter close up
under a bluebird box; two Dec 30 Bing census. Pileated Woodpecker: 16 reports
in the six months. Red-headed Woodpecker: May 2 Nichols (VH,HR); May 11
McGraw (JAG), three males fighting over nesting site and mate. Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker: Mar 28 Hancock (RD). Eastern Kingbird: May 4 Bing (J,MH). Great
Crested Flycatcher: May 1 Conklin Forks (PK). Eastern Phoebe: Mar 17 Vestal
(GC). Traill’s Flycatcher: May 18 Oneonta (JN). Acadian Flycatcher: May 6,
North Owego (CG), “identified by call”. Eastern Wood Pewee: May 12 South
Owego (CG) and Oneonta (EF). Olive-sided Flycatcher: May 18 Delhi (LC); two
others.

Tree Swallow: Mar 20 Owego (MW). Rough-winged Swallow: Apr 27 Greene
(MS). Barn Swallow: Apr 24 Bing (J,MH). Cliff Swallow: Apr 28 Johnson City
(JR). Purple Martin: Apr 6 Endicott (MH); promising numbers in spite of the last
two years. Tufted Titmouse; 28 Dec 30; Bing census. Red-breasted Nuthatch: three
Dec 30, Bing census; one Jan 1, Cortland census; spring migrants scarce. Brown
Creeper: the usual small winter population; six May records. House Wren: Apr 19
Nichols (HR); next report Apr 27. Winter Wren: three Dec 30, Bing census;
singing Mar 31 Castle Creek (MS); six Apr and May records, the last May 12
Owego (MW). Carolina Wren: at feeder in Owego all winter and still present in
Apr and May (MW); also two reports in Broome Co. Mockingbird: winter reports
from Franklin (Mrs. Ralph Simmons), Delhi (at least four birds) (LC,EF), Homer
(A. Christopher), Newark Valley (L.&W. Dean), CC (MS) and Greene (S.&H.
Hayes); young birds, just off the nest, at CC from May 25 (MS) after several good
mimicking concerts during Apr and May and discovery of an apparently false nest;
spring records also from Bing (J,MH), Conklin Forks (PK), Vestal Center (E,NW),
North Owego (CG,MW), Oxford (regularly from May 7) (AS), and Delhi (LC).
Catbird: Jan 4 Owego (CG); first migrant Apr 29 South Owego (CG). Brown
Thrasher: one Dec 30, Bing census; Mar 6 Owego (D. Bendle); migrants Apr 15
Oxford (AS).

VARIED THRUSH : one at Candor in Jan and Mar the first for Region; see field
note in May Kingbird for details. Robin: migrants Mar 12 and in force Mar 16.
Hermit Thrush: one Dec 2 Endwell (LB); Mar 26 Conklin Forks (PK); a number
of May records. Swainson’s Thrush: four reports around Bing May 19—no other re¬
ports. Eastern Bluebird: a male Mar 17 CC (MS), the first; in Cortland area “nesting
success poor, too wet in May” (JAG). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: May 2 Chen Forks
(M,AD); May 30 Berkshire (ML); the only two reports. Golden-crowned Kinglet:
an estimated 400 at Bing Mar 29 (J,MH); still at Bing (B. Bozdos, Kintner) and
Owego (MW) May 19. Water Pipit: 20 Mar 24 Owego (RW,BW); May 7 Berkshire
(ML); May 11 Cortlandville (C. Wilkins). Northern Shrike: six records Dec 28 to
Feb 24. Loggerhead Shrike: Mar 24 South Apalachin (CG); one Mar 27 Bing
(J,MH); Apr 1 WP (J,MH).

V1REOS—WARBLERS: Vireos: Yellow-throated: May 5 Owego (MW) and
Johnson City (MS). Solitary: Apr 27 Chen Forks (M,AD). Red-eyed: May 7 Owego
(MW); next report May 13. Philadelphia: two reports May 19, Bing (J,MH,HM
et al ) Warbling: May 4, Unadilla (DS) and two at WP (MS).

Warblers: Black-and-white: Apr 27 Chen Forks (M,AD). Golden-winged: May 8
Chen Forks (M,AD). Brewster’s; May 18 Endwell (LB,DB); May 23 Oneonta
(JN). Blue-winged: May 17 CC (MS); also at Oneonta (JN). Orange-crowned:
May 3 Bing (J,MH). Tennessee: May 15-21, and then no more. Nashville: May 3
Bing (J,MH). Parula: May 19 Owego (RW); only two other records, both May 25.
Yellow: Apr 23 South Owego (CG); no more until May 2. Magnolia: May 5
Newark Valley (RW); no more until May 18. Cape May: May 4 Chen Forks
(M,AD); nine records to May 21. Black-throated Blue: May 4 Delhi (LC). Myrtle:
Mar 16 Nichols (HR); no more until Apr 21; still quite numerous May 19 which is

156

unusual. Black-throated Green: May 1 Bing (R,JS). Blackburnian: May 5 Owego
(RW). Chestnut-sided: May 2 Owego (RW); no more until May 8. Bay-breasted:
May 12 Owego (RW); next report May 17 Chen Forks (M,AD). Blackpoll: May 7
Owego (MW)—incredibly early; next reports May 19 Apalachin. Pine: May 7
Owego (MW); May 11 Freetown (M. Rutbell). Prairie: May 3 Vestal Center
(E,NW) and still present there at the end of May, as last year.

Ovenbird: May 4 Conklin Forks (PK). Northern Waterthrush; May 2 Oxford
(AS). Louisiana Waterthrush: Apr 14 Norwich (R,SW) and Endwell (JR). Mourn¬
ing Warbler: May 19 Bing (HM et al ); May 22 Nichols (HR,VH). Yellowthroat:
May 5 Vestal (MS). Yellow-breasted Chat: two reports—May 19 Bing (BG) and
May 22 Nichols (HR,VH). Hooded Warbler: May 23 Nichols (VH), the only one.
Wilson’s Warbler: May 11 Conklin Forks (PK); at least nine other reports all after
May 18. Canada Warbler: May 5 Owego (RW); next report May 10. American
Redstart: May 5 Owego (RW); “several early in month”, Oxford (AS); others all
after May 17.

BLACKBIRDS-SPARROWS: Bobolink: May 1 Owego (CG) and May 4 Unadilla
(DS); no others before May 11. Eastern Meadowlark: two Dec 30, Bing census and
three other Dec and Jan records; migrants Mar 19. Redwinged Blackbbird: migrants
Mar 7. Orchard Oriole: May 22, Nichols (HR, description filed with RW). Balti¬
more Oriole: one at Margaretville, Delaware Co in the early part of Jan (Mrs. H.
Gavette); migrants May 1 Unadilla (DS). Rusty Blackbird: six reports from Mar 22
to May 5. Common Grackle: several Dec records in Bing and Cortland areas; mi¬
grants Mar 6. Brown-headed Cowbird: occasional scattered feeder reports all winter;
migrants, became numerous about Mar 20. Scarlet Tanager: May 5 Newark Valley
(RW).

Cardinal: 114 Dec 30, Bing census; 22 Jan 1, Cortland census. Rose-breasted
Grosbeak: May 3 Chen Forks (M,AD). Indigo Bunting: May 5 Newark Valley (E.
Williams); next report May 17. Evening Grosbeak: numerous reports with a marked
increase about mid Feb, but flocks of over 30 remained exceptional all winter with
only three mentions of flocks over 100; an abrupt decrease in reports after Mar 31,
only five between then and May 5. Purple Finch: present throughout Region all
period although not in impressive numbers; “a large migration in Mar” at Cortland
(JAG). Pine Grosbeak: reported at Scott in Mar and Apr (JO), but nowhere else.
Common Redpoll: six Mar 20 ! Oxford (AS), the only ones. Pine Siskin: “unusually
common all winter” at Deposit (SW); scarce elsewhere. American Goldfinch: com¬
mon all period. Red Crossbill; two Apr 9 Unadilla (DS); ten May 10 Cortland
Water Works feeding on elm seeds (JAG). Rufous-sided Towhee; one Dec 30,
Bing census; Mar 1 Cortland (H. Burtis); Mar 9 Deposit (SW); five reports between
Mar 27 and Apr 6, then seen regularly although not in full numbers until Apr 20.

Sparrows: Savannah: Mar 20 Ingraham Hill (CH). Grasshopper: Apr 29 Oxford
(AS); reasonable numbers, mostly after May 11. Henslow’s: several May 3 CC
(MS); five other records, all in the Triple Cities area. SHARP—TAILED: Mar 31,
WP (ML and five other observers), seen at very close range—“a little buzzy note-
creeping around the undergrowth. Had streaked back and bright line over and under
the eye; very fine streaking on breast; chestnut on shoulder. Flushed up a short
distance then flew back.”; second documented record for Region. Vesper: Mar 23
Vestal (Mrs. J. Kiley). Slate-colored Junco: reduced to small summer population
after Apr 30. Oregon Junco: two Dec 30, Bing census (M. Rutbell). Tree: last one
Apr 19 Nichols (HR). Chipping: one Dec 30, Bing census and a week or so before
and after (M. Rutbell); Apr 7 Nichols (VH), early: next report Apr 13, regular
from Apr 20. CLAY—COLORED: one, possibly two. May 18 Endwell (AL,HM,LB,
DB, and others), incessant buzzy song—distinct facial pattern seen at close range,
bird allowing close approach repeatedly; probably present a week earlier, but not
identified then, and still present May 30; second report in Region. Field: Dec 31

157

Owego (RW); Jan 20 Endwell (Mrs. Rutbell); migrants. Mar 23. White-crowned:
one Dec 30, Bing census; Dec 31, Owego census; one all Jan at Homer (E. Foun¬
tain); migrants Apr 30 through May 23 in good numbers although not as many as
last year. White-throated: quite frequent reports all winter; most migrants between
Apr 11 and May 11, those still present at the end of May probably summer residents.
Fox: most migrants from Mar 23 to Mar 31; a few early Apr reports and May 11,
Walton (EF). Lincoln’s: May 17 Bing (J,MH), the only spring record. Swamp: Mar
27 Conklin Forks (PK), Song: 55 Dec 30, Bing census and 10 Jan 1, Cortland census
suggest larger than normal winter population and the frequency of other winter re¬
ports agrees; migrants swelling numbers significantly about Mar 10. Lapland Long-
spur: Dec 30 Halsey Valley, Tioga Co (RW,BW); infrequently reported in Region.
Snow Bunting: 384 Dec 30, Bing census; 460 Jan 1, Cortland census; several other
reports to Mar 15 but never in large numbers.

710 University Ave., Endwell, N.Y., 13760

REGION 5 —ONEIDA LAKE BASIN

J. W. Propst., M. S. Rusk, and F. G. Scheider

The bright clear days of April, many with south winds, presaged an early spring.
However, most species arrived on time or a few days later than average and only a
handful were even a few days early. These early few also did not cluster in either
date or geography, i.e. along Lake Ontario shoreline, to suggest early migrants
trapped in a tropical airflow and thus hastened northward. Southern winds seemed
capricious and many days at Derby Hill had flights of hawks. Kingbirds, swallows.
Blue Jays, and icterids on west or even easterly winds. May was very hot in the first
ten days with tremendously accelerated leaf growth but few waves of warblers and
very little song from what few warblers did pass through. A cool Spell with rain May
17-23 created a few light waves and one major one May 20. The late May influx of
Wood Pewees, vireos, and female warblers simply did not occur, and Wood Pewees
and other flycatchers and Red-eyed vireos were frankly scarce as migrants.

Positives for the season include: 1) a fair number of southern wader reports; 2) a
record flight of Brant; 3) record counts of Shoveler; 4) a good late-shorebird flight;
5) high numbers of Blue-gray Gnatcatcher; 6) good flights of Baltimore Oriole and
Rose-breasted Grosbeak; 7) some very late winter finches; 8) a marked migration
of Goldfinches.

Some negatives are: 1) very low counts of loons and grebes; 2) poor numbers of
Ruddy Duck and Red-breasted Merganser; 3) lowered hawk counts, at Derby Hill;
4) a poor early-shorebird flight; 5) low numbers of some terns, both cuckoos, and
aerial insectivores e.g. Whip-poor-will, flycatchers, and swallows; 6) lack of Black-
capped Chickadee-nuthatch-Winter Wren migration; 7) low numbers of most vireos;
8) poor and late warbler flight.

Rarities for the season: Cattle Egret, Common Egret, Glossy Ibis,, European
Widgeon, Bald and Golden Eagles, Peregrine, Prairie and Connecticut Warblers,
Western Meadowlark, Orchard Oriole, and House Finch.

Abbreviations: CV—<Camillus Valley; DH—Derby Hill near Texas; FR—Fox Ridge
sugar beet settling impoundments S of Howland’s Island; HIGMA—Howland’s Island
Game Management Area near Port Byron; Onon—Onondaga; SMC—Six Mile Creek
near Phoenix; SP—Sandy Pond; SSSP—Selkirk Shores, State Park near Pulaski; Syr—
Syracuse; Oakwood—Oakwood Cemetery, Syracuse.

Observers: AC—A. Carter; VB—V. Billings; FD—F. Dittrich; C&EF—C. & E. Farn-
ham; FLF—F. LaFrance; KGH—K. G. Hanson; JWP—J. W. Propst; MSR—M. S.
Rusk; FGS-F. G. Scheider; GS-G. Smith ;RJS-R. J. Sutliff.

158

LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: arr Apr 7 (late) DH; max ten (low) on May
9 DH; two still present SP Jun 8 (FLF). No Red-throated Loon or Red-necked
Grebe reported. Horned Grebe: low max for period 20', W half of S shore of Oneida
L Apr 20 (FGS) and 12 DH Apr 27 (RJS); dep May 4 (early) two DH. Pied¬
billed Grebe: max only seven HIGMA Apr 18 and six Woodman’s Pond near
Hamilton Apr 12 (GLC). CATTLE EGRET-, unconfirmed report of 12, May 12,
but at least one, confirmed May 17 (FLF) Manlius Twp. COMMON EGRET: one
DH, Apr 23 (JWP,C&EF) and May 19 (GS). Black-crowned Night Heron: very
scarce—only records two HIGMA May 4 thru end of period (FLF,RJS) and one DH
May 14 (JWP). Least Bittern: continues scarce with only report, one-three Scott
Swamp near Phoenix May 19—21 thru end of period (mob). GLOSSY IBIS : one DH
May 9 (FGS) and nine May 11 Cedarville (VR).

Whistling Swan: from the big late-Mar influx, one Oneida L Apr 2 (JWP), nine
still at L Moraine in Madison Co Apr 3 (AC), one Scott Swamp Apr 15 and 18
(FGS,GS), and one HIGMA Apr 6 (GS). Mute Swan: one with Whistling at
Phoenix Apr 18 and one HIGMA Apr 6. Canada Goose: max 3000 HIGMA Apr 7
(RJS) and, though numbers were heard passing over Syr Apr 13-15 (JWP), 5000
Beaver L Apr 11-20 and 1000 FR Apr 21; migrants in small numbers (14-50) still
present May 19. Brant: only report is of 800, a record spring count, DH May 23
(FGS). Blue Goose: one HIGMA Apr 6 (GS) and one Beaver L Apr 11 (FGS).

Pintail: 800, residua from big Mar flight, still present Seneca R flats Apr 11
(FGS). Gadwall and Green-winged Teal: good max at FR with 24 Apr 25 and 125
Apr 18 respectively. American Widgeon: fair counts of 100-300 FR and HIGMA Apr
7-21. EUROPEAN WIDGEON : a male HIGMA Apr 13-21 (E. Sibley, mob) first
Regional spring record,—however, the species is regular at Montezuma NWR in
spring. Shoveler: max 104 (about twice the previous spring record), mostly males,
FR Apr 18 (FGS), with 20 still present there May 12; also reported one-seven/day
near Phoenix to Apr 29 (JWP). Wood Duck: max ten-12 Old Fly at Pompey Apr
1-30 (FLF) and eight-ten Phoenix vicinity May 4-21—somewhat scarce. Ring-necked
Duck: fair max 240 Seneca R flats Apr 11 (FGS). White-winged Scoter: a sharp
high peak of 300‘ on Apr 27 DH; much smaller numbers, one-five/day, there Apr 7-
May 4 dep—very early (both RJS). Ruddy Duck: scarce—three reports totaling six
birds. Red-breasted Merganser: very low spring max 120 DH Apr 7.

HAWKS—OWLS: The total number of hawks observed at DH, approximately
17,300, is about 2300 fewer tiian last year; excluding Broad-winged (which are down
somewhat despite more S-wind days during their migration period than last year)
the 1968 total is one-sixth less than 1967 counts—this despite two 5000 + days, Apr
23 and 24. Only Sharp-shinned Hawk and the scarce Merlin are up in comparison
with last year. Rough-legged Hawk and Osprey tallied about the same for both
years, both eagles were lower than last year; most common species are also down
(most distressingly so in Red-tailed and Red-shouldered), in some cases by 50%.
In 1967 it was felt that low numbers were due to the many poor flight days with
consequent lack of hawk-concentration, but this year many good S-wind days (the
best, Mar 26 and Apr 23-24) brought fewer hawks than heretofore. The 1968
flight was covered on 50 days of the 90-day period Mar 1- May 30, including vir¬
tually all the “good” (i.e. appropriate weather pattern) days.

Hawks, certainly or probably migrants, other than at DH, include: Turkey Vul¬
tures (one-two) from Mar 19, at Brewerton, Madison L, Pompey, HIGMA, and E
end of Oneida L; Sharp-shinned Apr 14-May 5 at Holland Patent and E end of
' Oneida L; Red-shouldered at Pompey from Apr 5 on, also at Madison L, New
‘ Woodstock, and Ilion; Broad-winged (one-three) from mid-Apr at HIGMA, Camil-
lus, Pompey, Woodman’s Pond, Madison L, New Woodstock, E end of Oneida L,
and Forestport; single Marsh Hawks repeatedly at HIGMA, Phoenix, and Ilion, and
at Pompey Apr 5 and Holland Patent May 5; single Ospreys Apr 18-May 19 at

159

DERBY HILL HAWK MIGRATION

Total

Date range of 90%

Peak day(s)

No. on peak

Species

Date range

of the birds

days

TURKEY VULTURE

Mar

26-May 23

89

Apr 4—May 23

Apr 12

12

GOSHAWK

Mar

7—Apr 24

55

Mar 15—Apr 21

Mar 15&16

9

SHARP-SHINNED

Mar

16-May 19

1877

Mar 28-May 8

Apr 23

317

COOPER’S

Mar

15-May 8

113

Mar 16—Apr 23

Mar 26&28

21; 20

RED-TAILED

Mar

7-May 27

1335

Mar 15-Apr 21

Mar 26

216

RED-SHOULDERED

Mar

9—May 14

490

Mar 15—Apr 12

Mar 26

154

BROAD-WINGED

Apr

12-May 23

12273

Apr 23—May 3

Apr 23&24 5336; 5236

ROUGH-LEGGED

Mar

7-May 14

188

Mar 16—May 3

Mar 28

22

BALD EAGLE

Mar

28&May 3

2

GOLDEN EAGLE

Apr

12-May 8

6

Apr 29

2

MARSH HAWK

Mar

15-May 20

275

Mar 19—May 3

Mar 26&Apr 4 39

OSPREY

Apr

7-May 16

104

Apr 14—May 14

Apr 21

15

PEREGRINE

Mar

30

1

MERLIN

Mar

15-May 8

14

Apr 13&23

3

SPARROW HAWK

Mar

15-May 27

273

Mar 21—Apr 24

Apr 8

44

UNIDENTIFIED

HAWKS

195

HIGMA, Phoenix, Oneida, Trenton, Delta L, Holland Patent, Ilion, Eaton, and
Utica; a Merlin HIGMA May 26 (C. Leek et al, fide S. H. Spofford).

Virginia Rail and Sora: both arr May 2 HIGMA; max four and ten respectively
May 19 (FGS). Early shorebirds,, except Pectoral Sandpiper, seemed scarce, but the
May migrants appeared in fair to good numbers. Semipalmated Plover: arr May 16
Phoenix; max 22 Jun 2 SP (MSR); dep Jun 8 two SP (MSR). Golden Plover: two,
one in winter and one in breeding plumage, SMC Apr 11—12 (FGS) 2nd Regional
spring record. Black-bellied Plover: arr, one SP, May 23 (FD); low max, three SP
Jun 2—which is also dep date. Ruddy Turnstone: arr, four. May 22 SP (FD); max
46 SP Jun 2—also dep.

Woodcock: nine on May 2 on U.S. Fish and Wildlife-N.Y.S. Conservation Dept.
3.6-mile randomized route near Fulton (JWP,MSR) seems good; comparison with
future years will be of interest. Common Snipe: widespread but in low numbers
with max six near Phoenix Apr 4, Upland Plover: arr Apr 16 (about average) Verona
(fide D. W. Ackley). Solitary Sandpiper: arr May 2 (late) Lakeland; fair max,
eight May 9 and dep May 21, both SMC. Greater Yellowlegs; arr Apr 4 DH; low
max 12 on May 19 (FGS) was late; dep May 21 (late) four SMC. Lesser Yellow-
legs: arr Apr 4; max only seven May 9; dep May 21, two—all SMC. No Knot re¬
ported. Pectoral Sandpiper: arr Mar 31 Clay Swamp; record max 130 SMC Apr 14
(MSR) but early dep Apr 21 HIGMA. White-rumped Sandpiper: arr Jun 6 (late)
Onon L (GS); max four SP Jun 8 (S. Morgan). Least Sandpiper: arr May 9 (late)
21 HIGMA ;max 40 there May 19; dep, four, May 26 SMC. Dunlin: arr May 12
(late) two Nine Mile Pt E of Oswego; good max 70 SP plus SMC May 20; last two
Jun 2 SP. Short-billed Dowitcher: average flight—arr May 19 FR; max nine SMC
May 20; dep Jun 2 SP. Semipalmated Sandpiper: arr May 19 (late) SMC; max 75
SP Jun 2 and Onon Creek Jun 6—the latter also dep date. Sanderling: arr May 19
five SP; max only six SP Jun 2—also dep.

Bonaparte's Gull: date range Mar 23-Jun 2 with max 30 May 19 Fair Haven; also
ten Utica Apr 5 and 12 SP May 25, plus a few reports of lesser numbers. Caspian
Tern: very few reports (total six birds) and very late—date range May 4-20. Black
Tern: arr May 4 (late) HIGMA (FLF). Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos:
arr May 11 and May 10 CV respectively; total reports seven Yellow-billed and 12
Black-billed from 17 observers—slight increase? Great Horned Owl: active nests
located at Utica (two), Eaton, Pompey, Syr, Skaneateles, SSSP, and Sandy Creek,

160

Barred Owl: additional new locations this period, with a pair each, Victory Twp
Cayuga Co and near Redfield Oswego Co. Saw-whet Owl: not heard this period.

GOATSUCKERS—SHRIKES: Whip-poor-will: arr May 19 (late) one Cicero
Swamp (JWP); only other locations—Rome Sand Plains three May 19 (D. W.
Ackley) and Boonville four May 25 (KGH). Common Nighthawk: arr May 9
(early) Onon Hill (GS); not reported again until May 19; thereafter, one-four/day
at Syr. Chimney Swift: arr Apr 20 (early) DH (FLF); 20-90/day passing DH May
8-25. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: arr May 11 (somewhat late) N Syr; max nine
DH May 16 (GS).

Yellow-shafted Flicker: max 610 passing DH Apr 13 (RJS); 70—325/day there
Apr 4-21. Red-headed Woodpecker: total of only six migrants noted at DH, May
16-27. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: arr and peak Apr 3, six Thornden Park in Syr (M.
Thomas)—very poor flight; last migrant Apr 28 Oakwood Cemetery,. Syr (JWP).
Eastern Kingbird: max/day only 20 DH May 9 (FGS); many sites not with resident
pair until after May 20! Crested Flycatcher: five-ten/day May 12r-25. Yellow-
bellied Flycatcher: very scarce—only one reported. May 25 SP (FLF,RJS). Traill’s
and Least Flycatchers: arr May 18 Camillus and Boliver Swamp, and May 9 L
Ontario, Pompey, and Syr respectively (both late); both low with max of three and
20 respectively. E. Wood Pewee: arr May 18 (quite late); max only three/day thru
May and many observers had none—very scarce! Olive-sided Flycatcher: arr May 19
Holland Patent (J.&E. Van Dresar); three other migrants May 28-Jun 3—scarce.

Barn Swallow: arr Mar 29 (early) Rainbow Shores on L Ontario (C&EF), Cliff
Swallow: arr Apr 21 (late) DH (FGS). Bank and Rough-winged Swallows both arr
Apr 18 (somewhat late) DH. Peaks for all swallows are low—Tree 700 Apr 4, total
of various places; Bank 700 May 9 DH; Rough-winged 100 May 4 DH; Barn 775
May 4 DH plus Scott Swamp; Cliff seven May 23 SSSP-SP plus Pompey; Purple
Martin 45 May 16 DH.

Blue Jay: peak May counts at DH 256 May 9, 436 May 14, 760 May 16, 182
May 25; also at DH 93 in the first half hour of flight Jun 4 and 90 in a flight lasting
1/2 hours Jun 8—are these late migrants all in breeding condition? Black-capped
Chickadee and White-breasted Nuthatch: migration at DH barely detectable (one-
three/day). Tufted Titmouse: one regularly in CV May 2-19 (JWP,FGS). Red¬
breasted Nuthatch: never more than three/day anywhere, i.e. virtually no migra¬
tion. Brown Creeper: light flight with six-12/day Apr 3—18. House Wren: arr Apr 20
(somewhat early) HIGMA (MSR). Winter Wren; never more than one migrant/
day —several active observers had none until resident birds were on location; these
low counts, are even more remarkable in view of the heavy 1967 fall flight, but
probably many Winter Wrens were killed in the severe Jan 1968 cold. Short-billed
Marsh Wren: one singing Morgan Rd in Clay Twp, mile S of the 1967 location.
May 26 thru end of period (S. Morgan).

Mockingbird: one May 19 N Syr (E. Smith, fide B. Burtt) with perhaps an addi¬
tional individual in that area. Brown Thrasher: arr Apr 15 Oakwood; seemed scarce
with counts only three-five/day. Robin: max DH only 200 Apr 12 (GS) but seemed
common panregionafly this spring. Hylocichla thrushes in fair to poor numbers—
Wood arr Apr 14 (very early) Liverpool (D.B. Peakall); max 25 May 19 and 20
(FGS). Hermit arr Apr 15 Oakwood; max only three Utica Apr 16 (VB); like
Winter Wren, extraordinarily scarce in migration. Swainson’s arr May 16 (late) CV;
max only 12 in big May 20 wave SSSP (FGS). Gray-cheeked arr May 19 (two)
(C&EF); total of only five birds—very scarce—thru Jun 2 (JWP). Veery arr May 9
(late) Tully, but commonly reported from May 10 on, and max 42 (good, especially
in comparison with the others) SSSP May 20 (FGS). Eastern Bluebird; two-ten/day
DH Mar 20-Apr 21; seen elsewhere in small numbers by nearly every observer;
thus apparently increasing.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: arr Apr 14, four DH (MSR), notable as species is an un¬
common migrant along L Ontario; max 16 (high) CV May 18 (FGS); present at

161

Morrisville Apr 16-May 14 (AC), reported Oneida Apr 20 (B.&S. Peebles), one
Tully May 7 (JWP), two Utica May 15 (VB)—rare E of Oneida L even in migra¬
tion. Kinglets,: migrant Golden-crowned Apr 2-May 19 with max 20 on Apr 25
(FGS); Ruby-crowned Apr 13-May 23 with max 35 on May 1 SSSP (JWP)—both
low, especially in comparison with last fall—are low counts secondary to decimation
by Jan 1968 cold? Water Pipit: arr Mar 23 Cicero (FGS); record spring max of 475
May 5 at Cold Brook, Herkimer Co (KGH); next highest count 75 Apr 4 Pompey
(FLF), and not widespread nor common in DH, i.e. lakeshore, migration; last May
13 Pompey (FLF). Loggerhead Shrike: migrants Mar 25 HIGMA (JWP) to Apr 11
DH (GS); max three Mar 28 DH (mob).

VIREOS—WARBLERS: Max for vireos five Yellow-throated May 19 various
places; three Solitary May 20 L Ontario; 18 Red-eyed May 23 SSSP; total Philadel-
phias nine May 17—21 (JWP) with max six May 20 SSSP (FGS); 20 Warbling May

18 S shore of Oneida L (MSR)—tallies of first three species are low.

The largest wave in a warbler-scarce May arrived on May 20, as indicated by the
large number of species maxima on that date. That this was not the “weekend effect”
is shown by the facts that Sun. May 19 was Region 5’s Big Run day and that one of
the Region’s most active observers had available birdwatching time May 16-21, but
made highest counts on the 20th. Lesser waves occurred on May 9 and 17—brief
intense ones which provided many arrival dates but didn’t even last the morning at
Syr. Some compensation for the paucity of warblers in the first half of May was the
continued presence of migrants thru the month, with a number of rather late de¬
partures.

Unusual warblers—Blue-winged: one at Utica, where it is rare, May 9 and 22
(J.&B. Barker). Brewster’s: one each May 19 Camillus (S. Hosier) and near Tully
(JWP); also one Sandy Creek Twp May 18 (N. Hamer). PRAIRIE: one Camillus
May 16-19 (FGS,C&EF). CONNECTICUT: a singing male on SP dunes May 20
in the big warbler wave (FGS), first spring record in four years. Yellow-breasted
Chat: arr May 10 Camillus (JWP); one at N Camillus May 16 (FGS); one near
Baldwinsville May 16—18 (M. Wooley); one Moon Hill on W side of Otisco L May

19 (FD, W. Brosseau)—the last two sites are new areas for the species,. Hooded:
only report is of the Salmon R Reservoir colony, first noted May 22 (FD), with up
to four present.

ICTERIDS-SPARROWS: Bobolink: arr May 8 (late) five DH; fair max 86
passing DH May 14 (JWP). E. Meadowlark: high max of 465 passing DH Mar 27
(GS). WESTERN MEADOWLARK: bird singing Western’s song Lacona May 16-
19 (N. Hamer, fide FGS) .ORCHARD ORIOLE: a singing imm male CV May 19
(FGS), first record in five years. Baltimore Oriole: DH max 160 May 9 (FGS), 102
May 14 (JWP), 243 May 16 (GS); also 100 May 14 Ilion (KGH)-better-than-
average numbers. Rusty Blackbird: highest count 40 (very low) Apr 25 FR (FGS).
Scarlet Tanager: arr May 9 DH ;moderate max 11 May 19. Rose-breasted Gros¬
beak: arr May 5 CV and Pompey; two good migrational peaks—15 May 12 HIGMA
vicinity and 16 May 20 L Ontario. Indigo Bunting: arr May 11 (late) Oakwood;
low max nine CV May 16 (FGS); scarce thru remainder of May.

Evening Grosbeak: one-eight/day DH to dep date May 9. Pine Siskin: at DH
max 40 on Apr 18 (GS); also 20 on Apr 21 (FGS); last one Jun 4 (MSR). HOUSE
FINCH: singing adult male Liverpool (W. Brosseau feeder, mob) Apr 14-22, first
Regional record. Am. Goldfinch: abundant—high counts include, at DH, 458 May
8, 1100 May 9, 582 May 14, 300 May 25 ;also 300 Columbia Center May 4 (VB).
Red Crossbill: 14 Morrisville Apr 17 (AC), eight Oakwood May 7 (JWP), 12
Baldwinsville May 19 (FGS). Henslow’s Sparrow: arr Apr 21 (early) FR (FGS);
three new colonies plus two 1967 colonies located, perhaps increasing. Slate-colored
Junco: moderate max 160 Oakwood Apr 15 (JWP); no other counts over 100. Tree
Sparrow: dep Apr 16 (early) Pompey (FLF); some observers, had none in Apr!

162

Species

Black- and-white

Golden-winged
Blue-winged

Tennessee

Nashville

Parula

Yellow

Magnolia

Cape May

Black-throated Blue

Myrtle

Black-throated Green

Cerulean

Blackburnian

Chestnut-sided

Bay-breasted

Blackpoll

Pine

Palm

Ovenbird
N. Waterthrush
La. Waterthrush
Mourning
Yellowthroat

Wilson’s

Canada

Redstart

Arrival date,
No., Place

May 2, 1, CV

May 5, 2, CV
May 9, 1, Utica

May 9, 1, Oakwood
Apr. 30, 1, Utica
May 9, 1, Oakwood

May 2, 2, CV
May 10, 1 each,
Pulaski & Oakwood
May 8, 1, DH

May 9, 1 each, Utica
& Oakwood
Apr 7, 1, DH
May 1, 1, SSSP
May 9, 1, Tully L
May 9, 1, SSSP
May 7, 1, Tully L
May 17, 1, Oakwood
May 18, 1, Manlius
Ctr

Apr 15, 1, SSSP
Apr 24, 1, Scott
Swamp
May 5, 1, CV
Apr 28, 1, Tully
Apr 18, 1, Fish Gulf
May 18, 2, CV
May 4, 1, HIGMA

May 16, 1, DH

May 10, 1, Oakwood
May 5, 1, CV

Peak count.
Date, Place

7, May 9, Oakwood
7, May 20, SSSP
10, May 10, CV
5, May 19, Otisco
Hill

12, May 20, SSSP-SP

14, May 29, SP-DH
2, May 19, Fair

Haven

2, May 20, SSSP
2, May 21, Oakwood
140, May 19, HIGMA
38, May 20, SSSP

2, May 18, CV
2, May 21, Otisco

25, May 20, SSSP

212, May 8, DH
32, May 20, SSSP

15, May 18, CV
32, May 20, SSSP

26, May 20, SSSP

16, May 20, SSSP
15, May 28, Oakwood

6, May 4, Scott
Swamp

15, May 20, SSSP
6, May 2 & 7, Tully

2, May 19, CV
20, May 22, SSSP
25, May 25, Boonville
2, May 20, SSSP
2, May 21, CV
2, May 27, Pompey
11, May 20, SSSP

48, May 20, SSSP

Departure date. No.,
Place

Jun 2, 1, Oakwood

May 22, 1, Oakwood

Jun 1, 1, Utica
May 21, 2, Oakwood
May 25, 1, Oakwood

May 30, 1, Oakwood

May 22, 1, Oakwood

May 21, 1, Oakwood

May 25, 2, SP
May 7, 1, Oakwood
May 20, 1, SSSP
May 27, 3, Oakwood
May 23, 1, Oakwood
May 27, 1, Oakwood
Jun 2, 10, Oakwood
Jun 2, 5, SP

May 20, 1, SSSP

May 20, 1, Oakwood
May 21, 1, SSSP
Jun 2, 1, Oakwood

Jun 4, 1, DH

May 27, 2, Oakwood
May 27, 1, DH
May 27, 8, Oakwood

White-crowned Sparrow was relatively more abundant than White-throated, as
compared to the averages of previous springs, with max of the former 50 SSSP May
8 and of the latter 130 Oakwood Apr 28 (both JWP); White-crowned widespread
along L Ontario to May 21, dep date. Fox Sparrow: only one-three/day for a total
of eight reports from 17 observers, nearly all Mar 20-Apr 14. Lincoln’s Sparrow:
total only eight individuals May 11-20. No Lapland Longspur or Snow Bunting in
period.

427 South Main Street, North Syracuse 13212

163

REGION 6 —ST. LAWRENCE

Frank A. Clinch

For about three weeks the weather was warm with little rain. Foliage came out
earlier than usual, and the migration of some birds was early. The latter part of
April and most of May brought cooler weather and frequent rains. Warblers seemed
to be late and in smaller numbers than most years.

The list of unusual birds is rather long and includes Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret,
Blue Goose, Blue Goose hybrid, Mute Swan, Whistling Swan, Stilt Sandpiper, Barn
Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue-winged Warbler and Golden-winged Warbler.

Abbreviations: ED—El Dorado; PRGMA—Perch River Game Management Area
which now includes about 7,000 acres, near Watertown; WHGMA—Wilson Hill
Game Management Area; SLC—St. Lawrence County.

Observers: AA—Arthur Allen; JB—John Belknap; LC—Lee Chamberlaine; FC—
Frank Clinch; DG—David Gordon; RW—Robert and June Walker.

LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: one ED May 4. Horned Grebe: May 5 SLC 1 .
Double-crested Cormorant: only a few at Gull Is. about six May 30, several nests,
some probably old ones (JB). Great Blue Heron: Apr 6; 24 nests PRGMA Apr 20,
down from 37 last year, but nesting not fully underway. Green Heron: May 3.
Black-crowned Night Heron: nests, on Gull and Little Galloo Is. May 30 (JB).
SNOWY EGRET: WHGMA first week in May, seen by Benson (LC). CATTLE
EGRET: May 7-13 PRGMA. Amrican Bittern. May 2. Glossy Ibis: four May 4-14
PRGMA (RW, mob). MUTE SWAN: two until Apr 6, one thru May 31 PRGMA,
origin of these birds not known. Whistling Swan: two imm PRGMA Apr 4-19
(mob). Canada Goose: 2000+ Scotts Comers, Henderson, Apr 16; 4000-5000 over
Smith Rd Town of Henderson in evening Apr 17; about 5000 ! PRGMA Apr 17, also
Henderson Harbor and Black River flats near Lowville; some nesting in area. Brant:
six May 30 ED (DG), Blue Goose: Apr 17 PRGMA (DG), one paired with male
Canada Goose WHGMA (LC). Blue Goose X Canada Goose hybrid: Apr 12
PRGMA, white-headed, white-necked, size of Canada Goose same description King¬
bird 16(4). 212-213 (DG). Gadwall: pair Apr 15 Sherwin’s Bay. Pintail: thru May
18. Green-winged Teal: Apr 6. Shoveler: Apr 6 thru May 30. Redhead: Apr 6.
Canvasback: Apr 6. White-winged Scoter: one female May 30' ED—very late (DG).

HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: four Millsite L Apr 14; one May 5 Edwards;
two May 15 SLC. Sharp-shinned Hawk: Apr 17. Broad-winged Hawk: May 5 S Ed¬
wards. Rough-legged Hawk: May 7—very late (JB). Virginia Rail: May 22 (AA).
Common Gallinule: Apr 19. American Coot: May 3 (AA).

Semipalmated Plover: May 13-31 ED. Black-bellied Plover: two Henderson May
31 (Houghton, FC). Ruddy Turnstone: ED May 30-31. American Woodcock: Apr 2
(AA). Common Snipe: Apr 10 (LC). Upland Plover: Apr 14 (AA)—very early.
Spotted Sandpiper: May 4. Solitary Sandpiper: May 12, Greater Yellowlegs: Apr 6,
May 4. Lesser Yellowlegs: Apr 12, May 4. Pectoral Sandpiper: Apr 15. White-
rumped Sandpiper: May 18 (DG). Least Sandpiper: May 18 Dunlin. May 18.
Short-billed Dowitcher: May 18. STILT SANDPIPER: May 6 PRGMA—beautifully
barred, close range (AA)—first spring date for Region. Semipalmated Sandpiper:
May 13 thru May 31. Sanderling: May 30. %

Glaucous Gull: two ED Apr 16. Great Black-backed Gull: late dates Apr 15, 16,
May 4, 18. Herring Gull; large concentrations of all gulls in late spring probably
attracted by greatest killoff of alewives known, beaches and waters of Lake Ontario
littered with tons of dead fish (DG). Ring-billed Gull: number of nests on Gull Is.
way down from 12-15 years ago, colony on Little Galloo looked as large as ever

164

May 30 (JB). Bonaparte’s Gull: late dates May 4, 18 and max three May 30-31 at
ED. Common Tern: May 13 ED. Black Tern: May 6; numbers at PRGMA have
increased as more land has been flooded.

Black-billed Cuckoo: May 27 (AA). BARN OWL: the desicated remains of one
were found trapped inadvertently in the Vaadi barn, PRGMA Jun 7 or 8. The trap
had been set in late winter for coons and later forgotten, The remains weighed about
six ounces, or not more than a third of the weight of a live owl. The owl must have
been caught earlier and starved. There is nothing to indicate nesting in this area.
Snowy Owl: one near West Wood Comers (Rt 11 west of Evans Mills) throughout
period, still there May 30 (and in Jun) (JB). Barred Owl: Apr 20 S Edwards (AA).

GOATSUCKERS-STARLING: Common Nighthawk: May 24, Chimney Swift;
May 3 (AA). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: May 21. Belted Kingfisher: Apr 6.
Yellow-shafted Flicker: Apr 6. Yellow-shafted X Red-shafted Flicker hybrid: first
two live hybrid flickers, observed in Region at close range thru 7 x 50 binoculars,
both males, black moustaches, only red visible in tails, both red and yellow feathers
in wings seen on both surfaces as they fanned tails and opened wings repeatedly
while chasing each other and perching in trees PRGMA May 31 (see Kingbird
18: 86-87, May 1968). P ileated Woodpecker: one found dead at Boon St. school,
Watertown had been injured by flying against some object like a window early May.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER : May 12 Watertown Center-first Regional record
and most northern record for state (DG). Red-headed Woodpecker: May 11. Yel¬
low-bellied Sapsucker: Apr 7.

Eastern Kingbird: May 5 (RW). Great Crested Flycatcher: May 12, Traill’s
Flycatcher: May 30 (AA). Least Flycatcher: May 11. Wood Pewee: May 27—late.
Olive-sided Flycatcher: May 25 Upper Whetstone Park, Lewis Co. Bank Swallow:
Apr 15. Rough-winged Swallow: Apr 15. Bam Swallow: Apr 17. Cliff Swallow:
May 4. Purple Martin: May 3. House Wren: May 4. Winter Wren: Apr 13. Long¬
billed Marsh Wren: May 30. Mockingbird: near Antwerp (JB). Catbird: May 10.
Brown Thrasher: Apr 21. Wood Thrush: May 10. Hermit Thrush: Apr 8. Veery:
May 11. Eastern Bluebird: May 12; best distribution of breeding birds is in Natural
Bridge-Harrisville-Pitcairn area. Golden-crowned Kinglet: Apr 13. Ruby-crowned
Kinglet: Apr 10-May 4. Water Pipit: May 4 ED. Loggerhead Shrike: in Stony
Point-Dexter section.

VIREOS-WARBLERS: Yellow-throated Vireo: May 31 PRGMA (DG). Solitary
Vireo: May 4. Red-eyed Vireo: May 12. Warbling Vireo: May 4.

Warblers: Black-and-white: Apr 20. GOLDEN-WINGED: May 11 near Gouver-
neur, previously seen May 1964 (JB). BLUE-WINGED: May 18 Middle Roads
Woods near Watertown, only recent record (DG). Tennessee: May 19. Nashville:
May 5 (AA). Yellow: May 8. Magnolia: May 15. Black-throated Blue: May 12.
Myrtle: Apr 6. Black-throated Green: May 4. Cerulean: May 19 (DG). Black¬
burnian: May 15. Chestnut-sided: May 11. Bay-breasted: May 31. Blackpoll: May
26-31. Ovenbird: May 11. Northern Waterthrush: May 5. Mourning: May 19. Yel-
lowthroat: May 12. Canada: May 15. Am. Redstart: May 11.

BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Bobolink: May 10. Western Meadowlark: reported
singing on D'anely Rd near ED (Hughes, Houghton). Baltimore Oriole: May 8.
Rusty Blackbird: Apr 20-21. Scarlet Tanager: May 15. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: May
11. Indigo Bunting: May 18. Pine Siskin: May 5 SLG. Goldfinch: first in spring
plumage Apr 27. Red Crossbill: ten Apr 3 Hammond SLC (RW). Rufous-sided
Towhee: Apr 13. Savannah Sparrow: Apr 5. Vesper Sparrow: Apr 6. Tree Sparrow:
last Apr 15. Chipping Sparrow: Apr 13. Field Sparrow: Apr 6. White-crowned
Sparrow: May 3—23. White-throated Sparrow: Apr 7. Fox Sparrow: Apr 6. Swamp
Sparrow: Apr 6.

173 Haley St., Watertown 13601

165

REGION 7 —ADIRONDACK —CHAMPLAIN

Harriet L. Delafield

April started out cold with light snows as usual, but soon warmed up enough to
make itself something of an historic month. Peepers were heard on April 4. On
April 13 the temperature ranged between fifty-four and seventy-four degrees and on
April 14, between sixty-eight and seventy-two degrees. On April 19 one expert
announced that the month was “warmer than any April since 1941.”

There were some high winds: gusts of sixty to seventy miles per hour on April 9
and up to fifty miles per hour on April 24. The early part of the month was dry but
a heavy rain on the twenty-second made buds pop and grasses shoot.

Despite these records neither resident nor migrant birds returned particularly
early.

May was relatively cold. There was frost on May 6, 7, and 27. On May 9 signals
went out for “high fire danger” and the temperature reached sixty-two degrees.
From then until the end of the month the weather was chilly and damp with tem¬
peratures mostly in the forties and fifties.

The event of greatest interest is the Common Raven’s nest. There were three
young; two, at least, reached the flying stage—there will be more details in the next
issue of the “Kingbird”.

The fact that the Woodcock Singing-ground Survey routes have been “random¬
ized” makes the American Woodcock population of the area less easy to assess as
most co-operators were unable to find time to run their established routes—some
with data going back twenty years or more—as well as the arbitrary routes now as¬
signed to them.

The Red-headed Woodpecker report is of interest as is the fact that there are
four Mockingbird reports: the largest number for Region 7 in any period that we
have noted.

No spectacular spring warbler migration waves were reported.

Observers: EA—Elizabeth Anderson; EB—Elisabeth Barnet; GC—Geoffrey Carle-
ton; GTC—Greenleaf T Chase; ED—Ethel Dyer; HD—Harriet Delafield; JH—Joseph
Hart; RH—Robert Hager; JK—Joseph Keji; MK—Marguerite Kingsbury; RM—Ruth
Meier; HT—Helen Tyler; IW—Isabel Williams; DY—David Young.

Abbreviations: Aus—Ausable; B—brook; LP—Lake Placid; M—marsh; RB—Ray
Brook; SL—Saranac Lake; TL—Tupper Lake.

LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: two May 12 Little Tupper L (MK); two
Duck P near Loon L late May (GTC); two May 31 Sabattis (RM). Great Blue
Heron: one Apr 22, two May 26 RB (JK); one Chazy Landing May 15, one Polli-
wog P near Saranac Inn May 24, one Bloomingdale May 27 (EA&HD). Green
Heron: one May 9 and 13 RB (JK). American Bittern: two May 11 RB (MK); one
King’s Bay May 15 (EA). Canada Goose: two Apr 14 TL, 100 Apr 20 RB (MK);
400 in several Vs Apr 27 Elizabethtown (GC); heard Apr 19, 20 May 1 SL (HD).
Mallard: one West Canada Creek, Hamilton Co May 1 (EA&HD). Black Duck:
two Saranac R near SL Apr 3 (HD); two Apr 8 and May 4 RB (JK); two Apr 14
TL and Little Tupper L (MK). Pintail: Chazy Landing May 25 (HD). Green¬
winged Teal: two pair Apr 20 RB (JK). Wood Duck: eight Apr 7, two Apr 21
Ticonderoga (MK). Ring-necked Duck: four TL and Little Tupper L Apr 14 (MK).
Lesser Scaup: thirteen Apr 14 Little Tupper L (MK); three pair L Champlain near
Ingraham May 15 (EA&HD). Common Goldeneye: two May 12 TL (MK).
Bufflehead: four male, two female Apr 14 TL (MK); pair Wawbeek May 1
(EA&HD). Hooded Merganser: two pair either side of Franklin Falls Apr 3
(EA&HD). Common Merganser: one pair downstream from Franklin Falls Apr 3,

166

pair Wawbeek May 1 (EA&HD); two pair Apr 27 thru May 8 RB (JK); five TL
and Little Tupper L May 12 (MK).

HAWKS—OWLS: Goshawk: one Vermontville April 30 (ED); one Morehouse
May 1 (EA&HD); two eggs Jay nest Apr 20 (RH). Red-tailed Hawk: one Jay
Range area May 3 (GTC). Red-shouldered Hawk: two playing L Colby outlet May
21 (HD), nest Wickham Marsh May (GCT); one Keene May 28 (HD). Broad¬
winged Hawk: two Apr 21 thru period RB (JK); one SL May 24 (HD). Golden
Eagle: one hunting near Mt Van Hovenberg May 28 (GTC). Marsh Hawk: one
Bloomingdale Apr 3, one near L Clear May 22 and 24 (HD); one Apr 7 south of
Westport (MK). Osprey: one Aus R, Clintonville May 3 (JH); one SL May 6
(GTC); one Saranac Inn May 6 (HD); one May 10 and 30 RB (JK). Sparrow
Hawk: pairing May 3 SL, one May 7, 8, 10 and early June SL (HD). Ruffed
Grouse: one or two seen SL, TL, RB, and near Derrick Apr 14 thru May 19. Kill-
deer: one SL Apr 3, one West Chazy May 12, pair Chazy Landing May 15, one on
way to Derrick May 23 (EA&HD); one SL May 25 (ED); one Apr 3 thru May 11
RB (JK). American Woodcock: one Apr 22 RB (JK); one May 9 TL (RM); one
Coreys Apr 14 thru May 19 (MK); three SL May 10 thru 17, one L Clear Junction
May 23, four Bloomingdale May 27 (EA&HD). Common Snipe: three Apr 14, five
May 14 TL (MK). Spotted Sandpiper: one May 18 RB (JK); two May 25 RB
(MK). Herring Gull: two Bloomingdale Apr 3, two SL Apr 9, two King’s Bay May
15 (HD); two May 2-30 RB (JK), Common Tern: three King’s Bay, one Chazy
Landing May 15 (EA&HD). Black Tern: three King’s Bay May 15 (EA&HD);
three TL May 27 (MK). Mourning Dove: two Apr 23 thru period SL (EB); one
May 13 and 25 RB (JK&MK); one May 27 Bloomingdale (HD). Great Homed
Owl: one Mt. View near Plumadore Range May 10 (GTC).

GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Whip-poor-will: one May 18 and occasionally
since, TL (RM). Chimney Swift: one to six May 3 thru period RB (JK); seven May
20 SL (HD). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: one May 14 thru period TL (RM); one
May 19 and 28 RB (JK&MK); one SL May 30 (HD). Belted Kingfisher: two Apr 8
thru period RB (JK); one May 31 Sabattis (RM). Yellow-shafted Flicker: small
numbers arr Apr 17 SL (HD) and Apr 8 RB (JK). RED-HEADED WOOD¬
PECKER: one May 20 Keene (GC). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: one Apr 8 RB
(MK); one May 3 SL (HD). Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers: small numbers all
areas. Eastern Kingbird: one May 11 SL, one May 15 Ingraham (EA&HD); one
May 8 LP (MK); one May 18 RB (JK); one May 26 TL (RM). Great Crested
Flycatcher: one May 18 LP (MK); one May 23 near Derrick (HD). Eastern
Phoebe: first SL Apr 3 (HD); Apr 2 RB (JK). Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: one sing¬
ing May 25 RB (MK). Traill’s Flycatcher: one singing RB May 30 (JK). Least
Flycatcher: first May 10 RB (JK); May 15 TL (MK); May 21 SL
(HD). Tree Swallow: one Apr 7, five eggs May 21 Vermontville (HT); back Apr
10 SL (HD); Apr 12 RB (JK); RM was not in TL in April but saw two birds May
9 on her return. Bank Swallow: six May 1 thru period RB (JK). Rough-winged
Swallow: one early May RB (JK). Barn Swallow: back late Apr to early May all
areas. Cliff Swallow: back SL early May (HD); May 8 RB (JK); May 12 Little
Tupper L (MK).

Blue Jay: quiet, but two to ten present all areas thru period. COMMON RAVEN:
northern Adirondacks, one adult May 27 (GC); two adults and nest May 28 (GTC)
—see introduction. Common Crow: small numbers all areas thru period. Black-
capped chickadee: same as Blue Jay. Boreal Chickadee: one Apr 1 SL (EB). White¬
breasted Nuthatch: contrary to some opinions, this is the more common feeder bird
of the two species in the higher Adirondacks; in an ordinary day’s concentrated
birding there will be more Red-breasted Nuthatches seen, maybe even three or four
to one, but the Red-breasteds will be found in the woods more often than in the
clearings. Brown Creeper: one or two thru period, one nest found RB (JK). Winter

167

Wren: one Saranac Inn May 6, one St Hubert’s May 29 (HD); one Apr 22, May 8
and 19 RB (JK&MK) MOCKINGBIRD : one Sabael May 1 (HD); one May 12
Little Tupper L (MK); one May 12 SL (RH); one May 14 SL (MK). Catbird:
one May 10 thru period RB (JK); one or two May 21 thru period SL (HD); Mat/
30 XL (RM). Brown Thrasher: one May 2, pair May 9 SL, one near Derrick May 6
(HD); one May 2-22 RB (JK); one May 11 TL (RM). Robin: common all areas,
50 Apr 15 RB (JK); fledgeling May 26 SL (Parker). Wood Thrush: first heard
May 10 TL (RM), RB (JK), SL (HD); May 28 Elizabethtown (HD). Hermit
Thrush: one RB Apr 18 (JK & MK); two Saranac Inn May 8, one Bloomingdale May
27 (HD). Swainson’s Thrush: one May 11 and 19 RB (MK). Veery: about ten
days late returning but many reports after second week in May, Eastern Bluebird:
one May 6 SL (HD); one Moffitsville May 12, one near L Clear May 22 (EA); one
Wilmington May 30 (Baker); pair Vermontville May 22 (HT); one May 16-22 RB
(JK); two May 18 LP (MK). Golden-crowned Kinglet: one or two Apr 3 thru
May 14 RB (JK). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Apr 19 thru May 18 RB (JK). Water
Pipit: a few early birds in Apr, main flocks up to 80 mid-May Gabriels (DY). Cedar
Waxwing: six May 30 TL (RM); 12 May 30 RB (JK). Starling: not such large
flocks as 1967 but nesting birds all areas.

VIREOS-WARBLERS: Solitary Vireo: one Apr 21 thru May 14 RB (JK). Red¬
eyed Vireo: one May 9 and 18 SL (HD); one May 18 and 22 RB (JK); several
May 25 RB (MK). Warbling Vireo: one Chazy Landing May 15 (HD).

Warblers: Black-and-white: one May 1 Elizabethtown (GC); one May 11-21 RB
(JK). Tennessee: one singing May 13 RB (MK); one May 21-25 RB (JK). Nash¬
ville: Apr 30 thru period RB (JK&MK). Parula: one Apr 30 and May 15 RB (JK);
one May 18 SL; two L Colby Outlet May 22 thru period, one Keene May 28 (HD).
Yellow: one May 18 RB (JK). Magnolia: one May 18-22 RB (JK); two SL to L
Clear May 22, one near Derrick May 24, one Bloomingdale May 27 (HD 1 ). Cape
May: one May 14 and 18 RB (JK). Black-throated Blue: one May 10-19 RB
(JK&MK); one Ampersand Bay May 10, one on way to Saranac Inn May 22 (HD).
Myrtle: Apr 21 thru period RB (JK); May 4 thru period SL (HD). Black-throated
Green: May 10 thru period RB (JK); on way to Saranac Inn May 22, Osgood R at
Mt P May 23 (HD). Blackburnian: May 10 thru period RB (JK&MK); near Derrick
May 24 (HD). C'hestnut-sided: May 11 thru period RB (JK); May 16 thru period
SL, Cascades May 28 (HD). Bay-breasted: two May 21 RB (JK). Palm: one May 4
RB (JK). Ovenbird: four to eight singing in ordinary day’s birding RB and SL areas
May 10 thru period. Northern Waterthrush: one May 13 on RB (MK); two, way
to Saranac Inn May 22 thru period; one Osgood R at Mt P May 23 (HD). Yellow-
throat: the most common warbler all appropriate areas mid-May thru period. Wil¬
son’s Warbler: one L Clear airport May 18 (RH); one Osgood R near Mt P May 23
(HD). Canada: one May 18 thru period RB (JK). American Redstart: May 21 thru
period SL (HD); May 23 thru period RB (JK); not as many reports as other recent
years.

BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: House Sparrow: small numbers all areas. Bobolink:
one May 10 TL (RM); three LP May 18 (MK); two McMasters near L Clear May
22 and thru period, pair May 25 SL (HD); two May 22 RB (JK). Eastern Meadow¬
lark; two to four average day’s birding suitable areas RB, TL, SL and Saranac Inn.
Red-winged Blackbird: small flocks early Apr, displaying and pairing Apr 23, many
pairs in marshy areas thru May. Baltimore Oriole; one May 15 TL, two May 19 SL
(MK); one May 16 RB (JK); one Ingraham May 15, one Kiwassa May 18, one
Bloomingdale May 26, one Keene May 28 (HD). Rusty Blackbird: two singing SL
Golf Course Apr 20 (MK). Common Grackle: thru period, flocks of 25 plus early
Apr RB (JK); one to four thru period SL (HD). Brown-headed Cowbird: thru
period, 14 displaying Apr 22 SL (HD). Scarlet Tanager: one or two May 10 thru 21
RB (JK), Cardinal: one female Bloomingdale Apr 3 (IW). Rose-breasted Gros-

168

beak: very good numbers thru period all areas after mid-May, six May 19 RB
(MK). Indigo Bunting: one May 29 SL (Kains). Evening Grosbeak: last large
number 40 plus RB May 4 (JK); small numbers suitable habitat thru period. Purple
Finch: one to two singing males all suitable habitat thru period. Pine Siskin: up to
ten thru period RB (JK); two, one singing, Apr 3 Bloomingdale (HD). American
Goldfinch: small flocks RB, SL and near Derrick thru period (JK&HD). Red Cross¬
bill: thru period, 45 plus May 30 RB (JK). Rufous-sided Towhee: one May 13 thru
period TL (RM); one Apr 4, 5 and 6 SL (RH); one Apr 30 RB (JK).

Sparrows: Savannah: Apr 18 thru period RB (JK); May 10 thru period SL (HD).
Vesper: one Apr 7 south of Westport (MK); one Apr 15—22 RB (JK); one May 18
SL (HD). Slate-colored Junco: no large flocks, few reported thru period RB and SL.
Tree Sparrow: last Apr 22 SL (EB). Chipping: good numbers last week in Apr
thru period all areas. Field: arr Apr 20 RB (JK); heard May 12 SL, May 22 near
L Clear (HD). White-crowned: fewer than last four years, one to three stayed May
9-22 SL (HD); one May 9 Westport (GC); five May 20 RB (JK); six one day
mid-May Vermontville (HT). White-throated: from mid-Apr thru period all areas,
29 singitig May 29 on three-mile stretch of trail. Fox: one first two weeks of Apr
western outskirts of SL (EB); one Apr 5 eastern outskirts of SL (ED). Lincoln’s:
one May 9 Elizabethtown (GC); one May 28 RB (JK). Swamp: three May 12 RB
(JK); two May 15 TL (MK). Song: common early Apr thru period all areas.

Please have summer reports in by Aug 25.

Trudeau Road, Saranac Lake, N.Y. 12983

REGION 8 — MOHAWK — HUDSON

Hazel F. Bundy

The first three weeks of April were warm and dry, with the temperature soaring
to 83 degrees on two consecutive days, April 13 and 14 (weather data taken at
Albany). A rainfall of 2.01 inches on Apr 24 ushered in a week of cooler, wetter,
cloudier days. On more than half of the 30 days the thermometer climbed to 65
degrees or above. The average temperature was 48.4 degrees, 2.1 degrees above
normal. May was cooler and wetter than normal, with the average temperature about
three degrees less than the May norm, and rainfall about one inch over normal.
Almost two inches of the rain fell on a single day. May 29.

The long, unusually warm period the first three weeks of April appeared to speed
the migration of water fowl, for these were conspicuously absent in any large num¬
bers for any appreciable length of time. Homed Grebes were not seen after Apr 27;
Pied-billed Grebes were unreported in May in the northern areas of the Region,
although a few were reported from the southern areas. There were no Goldeneyes
after Apr 13; with the exception of a few isolated individuals, the following were
not seen after Apr 20: American Widgeon, Ring-necked Duck, Canvasback, Hooded
Merganser, and Common Merganser.

The early warmth produced foliage at an unusually early period—perhaps two
weeks earlier than normal. With this condition existing, many observers were expect¬
ing an early migration of all passerines. However, this was a spring of paradox; some
species that were scheduled to arrive early came earlier than usual, while those
scheduled to come late, came later than usual. Phoebes and Tree Swallows were
notably early and nested early; Purple Finches and Slate-colored Juncos passed
through in large numbers about ten to 15 days sooner than usual; White-throated
Sparrows were early, also. The lingerers included the Swainson’s Thrush, Ruby-
crowned Kinglet, and Myrtle Warbler. Most warblers arrived about the usual dates
—in greatly reduced numbers. Many other species arrived about on schedule, al¬
though there were a few conspicuously early individual birds, including a Solitary

169

Sandpiper, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, a Brown Thrasher, and a Myrtle Warbler.

Three important May waves were evident. May 3-5, after a heavy rain on May 3,
the following appeared in large numbers: Eastern. Kingbird, Catbird, Wood Thrush,
two species of vireos, ten species of warblers, and Baltimore Oriole. A second wave.
May 10-12, brought in Great Crested Flycatcher, Veery, more warblers, Bobolinks,
and many additional reports of Eastern Kingbirds. On May 21 and 22 a large flight
appeared to be under way.

Rare or unusual species included: Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis, Black-bellied Plover,
Orange-crowned Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, and Harris’ Sparrow. The location
of a Blue Heron rookery was of special interest, as was an extremely late appearance
of a Snowy Owl.

Abbrevations used: BCM—Black Creek Marshes; Col Co—Columbia C'o; Emb—
Embought; EG—East Greenbush; Gr—Greenville; IL—Indian Ladder; Nisk—Niska-
yuna NWW—Niskayuna Wide Waters; SCR—Stony Creek Reservoir; SL—Saratoga
Lake; SS—Stockport Station; TR—Tomhannock Reservoir; VFG—Vischer Ferry Game
Management Area; ADBC-Alan Devoe Bird Club; GCBC—Greene Co Bird Club;
SBC—Schenectady Bird Club.

Observers cited more than once: GA—Gustave Angst; GB—Guy Bartlett; HFB—
Hazel Bundy; J&BB—James and Barbara Bush; L&VB—Lee and Virginia Burland;
JC—Juanita Cook; PC'—Paul Connor; P&GE—Paul and Georgia Erlenbach; M&AG—
Murray and Alice Giddings; MDG—Monte Gruett; WG—William Gorman; EH—
Esly Hallenbeck; MK—Marcia Kent; C&CK—Clare and Clarissa Ketcham; E&LL—
Edna and Luther Lane; PMcG—Peggy McGuirk; RMcC—Robert McCullough; SM—
Sam Madison; P&MM—Philip and Mary Mickle; J&EP—J. and E. Payne; WBS—
Walton Sabin; BRS—Benton Seguin; R&MS—Robert and Mary Lou Shedd; NS—
Naomi Snare; HHS—Harvey Spivak; H&MW-H. and M. Webb; PPW—Peter Wick¬
ham; RPY—Robert Yunick; bsh—Guy Bartlett, Benton Seguin, and Barrington Havens.

LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: arr Apr 7 (SBC). Red-throated Loon: early
reports—one Apr 13 SL (EH) and two Apr 21 SL (GB,BS); last two May 18 SL
(HFB, PMcG). Red-necked Grebe: singles Apr 7 SL (SBC) and Apr 13 SL (HFB,
PMcG,EH). Horned Grebe: reported to Apr 27 (CK), an early departure date.
Pied-billed Grebe: seemed scarce; last report May 24 (CK), with all May reports
from the southern areas. Double-crested Cormorant: one Apr 28 SL (BS); one May
15 Hudson R near Germantown (JC). Great Blue Heron: heronry found Apr 14
(Warren White) and observed Apr 20' (WBS,RPY) north of Galway in a beeeh-
hemlock forest, at least 19 nests and 18 individuals noted. Common Egret: three
Apr 30 NWW (GA, mob), and three, probably the same birds, May 5-7 at VFG
(mob), CATTLE EGRET: three reports of single individuals—Apr 26 Col Co
(ADBC), May 5 VFG (C. W. Huntley et al). May 17 Col Co (MM). Green Heron:
early report Apr 2 near Castleton (JC); second report Apr 28 NWW (HHS).
American Bittern: arr Apr 6 BCM (R&MS). Least Bittern: heard at VFG—two May
18 and one May 25 (RPY). GLOSSY IBIS : two near West Ghent (M&AG)-third
record for Region. Mute Swan: one May 18 SL (bsh). Canada Goose: max 500 Apr
18 (J&BB); few May 18, the last. Snow Goose: three Apr reports—max 15 Apr 18
Emb (J&BB); also, 53 May 12 Feura Bush Area (MK).

American Widgeon: last, four Apr 20 NWW (HHS), with the exception of
singles May 12 Lock 6 (BS) and May 15 SS (PPW). Pintail: only three reports—five
Apr 1 Meadowdale (GA), two NWW Apr 7 (HHS), and one very late—May 18
(John Fuller). Green-winged Teal: late report, two May 18 EG (MDG, WG,PPW).
Shoveler: three Apr reports, max five Apr 7 SL (SBC); two May 4 reports—four
NWW (PPW), two SCR (BS). Redhead: five Apr 7 SL (SBC); one May 6 Round
L (GA). Ring-necked Duck: last Apr 20, with exception of two May reports—May 4
(CK) and May 5 (HFB,PMcG). Canvasback: last, three Apr 20 NWW (HHS).
Scaup: last, May 18 (SBC). Common Goldeneye: none after Apr 13, when there

170

were three reports. Bufflehead: last report, two May 18 SL (HFB,PMcG). Old-
squaw: very scarce; only one report-ten May 6 Round L (GA). White-winged
Scoter: one male Apr 12 SL (PPW). Surf Scoter: one female Apr 20 (SBC). Com¬
mon Scoter: one Apr 28 SL (BS). Hooded Merganser: a few seen to Apr 20 (SBC);
one female May 5 VFG and one male SCR May 18, probably nesting (HFB,PMcG).
Common Merganser: several reports through Apr 20; one May 15 Castleton (JC).
Red-breasted Merganser: four Apr reports; last—16 on Apr 21 (EH).

HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: several reports in areas farther north than
usual, including six May 25 Thacher Pk (SBC). Goshawk: one in a woods two miles
northwest of Jenny L, actions indicating probable nesting, May 18 (bsh). Sharp-
shinned Hawk: two Apr reports and two in May. Coopers Hawk: six reports from
Apr 21 to May 18. Red-shouldered Hawk: one pair nesting in Apr, Gr (CK); one
May 5 (EH,RMcC), and one May 18 (bsh). Broad-winged Hawk: last report, two
May 26 (SBC). Rough-legged Hawk: one Apr 2 NWW (GA); one Apr 16 Spencer-
town (H&MW); one near SCR May 7 (EH). Bald Eagle: one Catskill area May 10
and 14 (J&BB). Marsh Hawk: several reports, all except one from southern areas of
Region. Osprey: from Apr 13 (EH et al) to May 11 (GCBC). Peregrine Falcon:
three reports—Apr 3 W. Glenville (EH), Apr 20 (SBC) and May 10 Alcove Reser¬
voir (WBS). Bobwhite: reported from two areas in May. Virginia Rail: early report,
two Apr 9 EG (PC); others from Apr 23 on. Sora: three May 5 EG (PC); May 11
and 18 BCM (SBC). Common Gallinule: arr Apr 28 Col Co (MM). American Coot:
few reports-from one Apr 7 NWW (HHS) to May 18 (ADBC,SBC).

Semipalmated Plover: two May 12 EG (PC), and four May 14 EG (PPW).
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER : a rare spring appearance—one May 18 EG (MDG,
WG,PPW). Upland Plover: arr Apr 13 (RPY)—reports during period from six dif¬
ferent areas. Spotted Sandpiper: first Apr 27 NWW (HHS). Solitary Sandpiper; a
very early report, Mar 28 Chatham (MM); others, Apr 28 to May 25. Greater
Yellowlegs: second spring report (first Mar 31)— six Apr 27 NWW (HHS); last,
May 18 (SBC). Lesser Yellowlegs: six reports—from one Apr 30 NWW (GA) to
May 18 (ADBC). Pectoral Sandpiper: three reports—seven Apr 28 EG (PC), one
May 4 NWW (PPW), and five May 26 EG (PPW). White-rumped Sandpiper: one
May 18 NWW (HFB,PMcG). Least Sandpiper: five May 12 NWW (BS) to May 18
when there were several reports. Dunlin: an unusually large flock of 40 May 12 SS
(SM,WBS); three May 18 EG (MDG,WG,PPW); and two May 25 Castleton (JC).
Semipalmated Sandpiper: only one, May 18 (ADBC). Great Black-backed Gull:
last May 5 (EH). Bonaparte’s Gull: 11 reports—from six Apr 6 SL (PPW) to one
May 26 NWW (BRS), max 13 May 6 Lock 7 (GA). Common Tern: four reports
May 4 to May 23, max five May 17 Lock 7 (GA). Black Tern: a few reports of one
to three, May 6-19. Yellow-billed Cuckoo: four reports May 18 (SBC), and one
May 19 (Eleanor Byrne). Black-billed Cuckoo: arr May 8 EG (PPW). Screech
Owl: reported from EG several times (MDG); one found dead May 11 Meadow-
dale (MDG). Great Homed Owl: reported from five areas; one adult and two young
May 2 Lisha Kill (GA). SNOWY OWL: an extremely late date—May 5 and 6
Valatie (ADBC). Barred Owl: two heard at Jenny L May 18 (bsh), and one seen
May 18 IL (WBS et al),

GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Whip-poor-will: first heard May 3 Greene Co
(E&LL). Nighthawk: first reports May 13 (fide Lillian Stoner), and Greene Co
(Marianne Werner). Chimney Swift: one very early report—Apr 9 (PM); second
report, Apr 18 (P&GE); many from Apr 27 on. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: two
very early reports in Gr Apr 17, 20 (C&CK); many from May 18 on. Belted King¬
fisher: seemed scarce. Red-headed Woodpecker: one female May 17 near New
Salem (WBS). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: only nine reports—from Apr 13 (EH) to
May 19 (J&BB). Eastern Kingbird: appeared in two pronounced waves—May 4 and
5, and May 10-12. Great Crested Flycatcher: general influx May 10-12; early report

171

May 2 Castleton (JC). Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: only one—May 18 SL (HFB,
PMcG). Traill’s Flycatcher: several reports May 18, and thereafter. Least Fly¬
catcher: first Apr 29 Gr (CK); several reports within the next few days. Wood
Pewee: early report May 5 (HHS); many beginning May 17. Olive-sided Fly¬
catcher: only two reports—one May 18 (WBS et al), and May 23 Gr (CK).

Tree Swallow: arrived early (last week in Mar), and nested early, between two
to three weeks ahead of last year, with the yield of eggs per nest up to 5.5—the
highest in three years, and with some clutches not yet complete VFG (RPY). Bank
Swallow: a colony active Apr 21 near Alplaus (HFB); a colony of 120 reported
active in May (HHS); a large colony at Glenville Landfill apparently doomed as
landfill changes shape, and will yield little this year (RPY). Rough-winged Swal¬
low: first Apr 21 (SBC). Barn Swallow: early reports Apr 14 Col Co (NS) and
Apr 15 (GCBC); many from Apr 27. Cliff Swallow: first Apr 27 Basic Reservoir
(CK). Purple Martin: observed Apr 22 (J&BB); colony of 12 returned Apr 24 to W.
Glenville (RMoC). Blue Jay: large migrating flocks noted by several observers during
entire month of May. Brown Creeper: appeared in about the usual numbers. House
Wren: first Apr 25 (CK, Lillian Halloran); many from Apr 28. Winter Wren: six
reports; first Apr 6 SL (PPW). Long-billed Marsh Wren: arr May 5 NWW (HHS),
and Meadowdale (GA).

Catbird: waves apparent May 4-5, and May 8-11. Brown Thrasher: one very
early Apr 3 Spencertown (H&MW); next reports Apr 13, 20, and thereafter. Wood
Thrush: early report Apr 16 Ghent (P&GE); general influx May 3-5. Hermit
Thrush: first migrant Apr 7 (EH); several reports, to Apr 28 Nisk (RPY); May
reports of nesting birds in local areas. Swainson’s Thursh: seven reports May 18;
several seen in yard Nisk May 22 and banded to May 29 Nisk (RPY); ten (approx.)
heard flying over at night May 30 (PPW). Gray-cheeked Thrush: one May 8 West
Mountain near Berne (MK). Veery: two May 8 Berne (MK); many reports May
10-11, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: only four reports—from May 1 Catskill (E&LL).
Golden-crowned Kinglet: two late reports May 18 (SBC). Ruby-crowned Kinglet:
continued to migrate during Apr and May; influx Apr 14, yet greater Apr 27, com¬
mon to Apr 30 (RPY); last May 24 EG (MDG). Water Pipit: only one report—six
May 12 Ghent (PPW). Cedar Waxwing: several reports in Apr, max 20 (RPY);
numerous reports in May, usually in small flocks up to ten; one flock of 30 May 2
(EH). Shrike: one Apr 7 (SBC), species undetermined.

VIREOS—WARBLERS: Vireos: Yellow-throated: first two' reports May 4—Emb
(J&BB) and Lock 7 (SBC). Solitary: one TR Apr 21 (SBC); five May reports,
including two May 18, last date. Red-eyed: first May 7 Schodack Center (PC);
observed by ten groups out of a possible 13 groups May 18. Warbling: early report
Apr 25 Gr (CK); many from May 5 on.

Warblers: Black-and-white: six May 4 Greene Co (J&BB,SBC); throughout May.
Worm-eating: located May 18 in usual nesting area IL (SBC), one bird observed
putting leaves singly into a hole in the ground under roots of a tree. Golden¬
winged: first May 12: Canaan (J&EP). Blue-winged: first May 10 Canaan (J&EP).
Brewster’s: one May 26 W. Glenville (SBC). Tennessee: first reports—by six groups
May 18; one in complete fall plumage May 18 (RPY); two reports May 22 the last
ones. ORANGE-CROWNED: one observed at close range May 11 (SBC). Nash¬
ville: several appeared May 3-5; last, May 25. Parula: three May 4 Greene Co
(J&BB,SBC); one May 13 Central Pk (HFB); three reports May 18, the last.
Yellow: seen frequently from arr date May 3. Magnolia: first observed May 18, by
six groups; last, May 28 (PPW). Cape May: ten reports—from May 5 Schodack
(L&VB) to one May 25 IL (SBC). Black-throated Blue: appeared May 11 (late)
Gr (C&CK); last May 25 VFG (RPY); scarce. Myrtle: one very early report Apr 5
EG (PPW); second, Apr 21 TR (SBC); many thereafter, max 30 May 4 Greene Co
(SBC); last, May 22 Nisk (RPY). Black-throated Green: first Apr 14 Emb (J&BB);

172

several May 4-5; throughout month. Blackburnian: first May 10 (PPW). Cerulean:
one in usual nesting area on Schodack Island May 22 (PPW). Chestnut-sided: first
May 5 Col Co (ADBC); one in full fall plumage banded VFG May 18 (RPY).
Bay-breasted: reported by five groups May 18; only one other report-one May 25
IL (SBC). Blackpoll: first May 13 Chatham (MM); several remainder of May,
with max numbers May 30-31. Pine: two Jenny L and Black Pond Rd May 18
(bsh). Prairie: only five reports, first May 11 Gr (CK). Palm: only four reports—
from Apr 14 Gr (CK) to May 4, when three were seen. Ovenbird: first May 5 Chat¬
ham (MM). Northern Waterthrush: first May 3 VFG (RPY). Louisiana Waterthrush:
one very early heard near Duanesburg Apr 28 (SBC); eight additional reports May
16—27. CONNECTICUT: one observed at very close range May 18 W. Ghent (PE).
Mourning: missed entirely in May; one imm male singing June 1 Wolf Hollow
(WBS). Yellow-throat: early report Apr 18 Catskill (J&BB); common from May 5
on. Yellow-breasted Chat; four groups reported this species May 18—only date.
Wilson’s: six reports May 18 (SBC); last. May 25 VFG (RPY). Canada: first two
May 16, with especially numerous reports May 25—26. Redstart: first May 5 Vischer
Ferry (HFB,PMcG) ;most from May 11.

BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Bobolink: first May 5 Gr (CK); general influx
May 9-11. Orchard Oriole: three reports—May 11 Castleton (JC), one imm May 14
Slingerlands (WBS), and May 31 Schodack (L&VB). Baltimore Oriole: one Apr 14
Westmere (MK); second, Apr 25 Castleton (JC). Rusty Blackbird: several reports,
the last May 18 Chatham (MM). Scarlet Tanager: early report—Apr 25, 26 Ghent
(P&GE); numerous after May 8. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: first May 2 (GA), many
from May 6. Indigo Bunting: commonly reported May 11 on. Evening Grosbeak:
most had disappeared by end of April; max 34 Apr 22 Berne (MK). Purple Finch:
many migrants in mid-Apr, passing rapidly in moderate numbers and then becoming
much reduced, migration peaking Apr 19—20 (RPY). House Finch: slight increase in
numbers over previous spring, but lingering for only one to four days; five reports—
one female at feeder Apr 12 Alplaus (HFB); one male Apr 13 Chatham (Gertrude
and Cecil Mapes); Apr 30-May 3, two males and three females in yard, singing,
Catskill (Alice Freeman); one pair at feeder Nisk May 1 (RPY); one pair at feeder
May 28—29 Nisk (GA). Pine Siskin: only two reports—six Apr 20 near Galway
(WBS,RPY); three seen and one heard May 18 (bsh). Red Crossbill: one flock of
14 Apr 9 TR (PC). Rufous-sided Towhee: arr Apr 2 Schodack (Rena Dodd).

Sparrows: Savannah: first Apr 3 Gr (CK); widely reported Apr 12 on. Grass¬
hopper: found in at least three areas—Emb (J&BB), BCM (SBC), and Chatham
(MM). Henslow’s: only one area—BCM May 18. Slate-colored Junco: according to
banding data, migration peaked Mar 30-Apr 10, about two weeks earlier than usual
(RPY). Tree: last Apr 25 (EH). Chipping: one unusually early, Apr 7, at feeder
Jenny L (Barrington Havens). HARRIS': one adult male appeared in the company
of two White-crowns May 7 one mile south of Catskill, and was seen again on May
8; also, one imm May 28 (J&BB). White-crowned: very early appearance Apr 4
Hillsdale (NS); many from Apr 20; last May 24 Gr (CK). White-throated: Apr 27
a most unusual flight observed in yard in Nisk (RPY)—about 25 of this species were
seen early in the morning, and also about 85 passing north through the same yard
within ten to 15 min. in the evening; May reports were fewer than those of Apr.
Fox: reported three times during April; last Apr 22 (EH). Lincoln’s: three banded
May 17 and three May 18 VFG (RPY), and one seen May 18 Ghent (P&GE).

Thanks are due two area compilers: Rena Dodd and Clarissa Ketcham.

R.D. 1, Box 55, Scotia, N.Y. 12302

CORRIGENDUM: the report of Nighthawk Mar 27 in last report [Kingbird
18(2): 110, May 1968] should be deleted.

173

REGION 9 — DELAWARE — HUDSON

Edward D. Treacy

One might think that the only reason this spring season seemed to advance as
rapidly as it did was because of continued comparison with the abnormally cold
spring of 1967. But it actually was a rapidly advancing season. Early May saw the
foliage anywhere from two to three weeks ahead of schedule. March and April
temperatures must have been among the warmest ever with May being more normal.
Precipitation was normal to above for March and April, but May was extremely
wet, approaching double the average rainfall for the month.

Most birders looked forward to a good migration with an eagerness in direct
proportion to the favorable weather they hoped would bring it on. They were only
to have their hopes dashed by a slow uneventful progression of species across the
land. There were no visible waves; only a few good days afield, and very few at that.

Many species of waterfowl remained remarkably late, especially the diving ducks.
Some species of vireos, warblers and swallows, usually common, were very scarce
throughout the entire Region. Other species of birds were only down locally, their
scarcity not representative of the whole region. The period did have its few rarities
as the report will show.

Abbreviations: Dutch—Dutchess Co; Oran—Orange Co; Ulst—Ulster Co; Sull—
Sullivan Co; Putn—Putnam Co; West—Westchester Co; Rock—Rockland Co; MBC—
Mearns Bird Club; RAS—Rockland Audubon Society; WBC—Waterman Bird Club;
USMA—United States Military Academy.

Contributors: RD—Robert F. Deed; JD—James Demes; FG—Florence Germond;
SG—Stanley Grierson; TH—Thelma Haight; FH—Fred Hough; PJ—Paul Jeheber; AJ
—Alice Jones; J,MK—James and Mary Key; ML-Mabel Little; HM-Helen Manson;
JM—John Marsh; A,BM—Al & Barbara Merritt; VP—Vivian Parkhurst; EP—Eleanor
Pink; JS—Jim Southward; F,RS—Frank & Ruth Steffens; W&TS—William & Trixie
Strauss; CT—Czecher Terhune; ET—Ed Treacy; OW— Otis Waterman..

LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: two, Apr 13 Cornwall Bay (A,BM), increasing
to six Apr 14 (ET); one, same date. Conn's Hook, Hudson R (ET); two in Dutch
during May—one each May 11 and 21. Horned Grebe: Mar movement continued
thru first week of Apr; last, four Apr 9 New Hamburgh. Pied-billed Grebe: although
it breeds in Northwest portion, it is not commonly found elsewhere in late spring and
summer; one, May 13 Nauraushaun Res.—rather late for Rock. Double-crested
Cormorant: another rare spring record—three, May 21 Hyde Pk (mob). Great Blue
Heron: more spring records than in recent years; nine active nests at Tamarack
Swamp near Millbrook, Dutch. CATTLE EGRET : first Ulst record Apr 8 at Kripple-
bush (FH); subsequent sightings by Valerie Freer in early May near Kerhonkson;
one appeared in the same pasture near New City, Rock on May 14 as it has on that
date for the past four years (RD); two at Upton L May 18, (Mr. & Mrs. Eugene
Sheldon). YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON: second record in Dutch—one,
Apr 27 Crugers Is. (Margaret Bowman). Least Bittern; usual few reports from
localities in Oran, Dutch, and Sull. American Bittern: more reports than usual.
GLOSSY IBIS: one, Tri-Loba Hill Sanct., Katonah Apr 5 (SG); four, May 19 over
Piermont Pier and Marsh (RD and family); first record for both counties.

Mute Swan: one, Cornwall Bay Apr 2-7; large population in West and Rock for
past several years, refuses to spread northward. Canada Goose: excellent migration
continued thru Apr, some flocks sizeable—300 over Cornwall, Apr 13, (MBC); WBC
reports at least 12 pair nesting in Dutch; many more nesting thru lake regions of
Bear Mt. Pk and USMS, West Point—appears to be best nesting season in recent
years. Brant: peak movement May 19—from 7:15 pm till dark 16 flocks counted over
Hudson at Cornwall, some with as few as 150 and others with as many as 600; con-

174

servative est. about 6,100 birds; flights also reported from Dutch from May 19 thru
26. Snow Goose: 45, Apr 6 Thompson Pond, Dutch; 150, Apr 7 Stissing (TH,VP);
one Apr 14 Swift Pond near Amenia (J,MK).

Mallard and Black Duck: normal. Gadwall: Apr 12 near Millbrook (JS). Pintail:
three, Apr 7, and two, Apr 10, near L Walton, Dutch (JS). Green-winged Teal:
more scarce than usual. Blue-winged Teal: normal; observed with young on Naurau-
shaun Res. May 13 (BD), Am. Widgeon: scarce thru Region; WBC reports one
pair in Dutch. Shoveler: always rare—one male, ninth record for Rock, on Naurau-
shaun Res Mar 30—all previous records Rock L since 1963 (RD); two males and one
female photographed near Poughkeepsie Apr 1 & 2. Wood Duck: mother led eight
young from nesting box near Tri-Loba Hill Sanct, Katonah, May 17 (SG); normal
numbers thru Region. Ring-pecked Duck: fewer than usual ;last Apr 30, Dutch
(WBC). Scaup: Lingered very late but in low numbers; last May 18, Sylvan L
(OW). Common Goldeneye: one pair May 11 Crugers Is. (OW)—very late. Buffle-
head: a female at Piermont Pier till May 19, a new late date for Rock (RD); 17 on
May 4 at Crugers Is and Rhinecliff was a very late date for Dutch. Oldsquaw: only
report, one, Apr 25 Morgan L Dutch (AJJ&MK). WHITE-WINGED SCOTER:
one, Apr 14, Millbrook (CT); two, May 4, Rhinecliff (OW et al ); one May 18,
Peekskill (ET,PJ). SURF SCOTER : three, May 17 Rhinecliff (AJ,MK). COMMON
SCOTER: three, May 19, and three more May 25 at Rhinecliff (EP,FG). All scoter
species are rare. Ruddy Duck: seven Piermont Pier May 19 (RD). Hooded Mergan¬
ser: unusually scarce this season, only four found in Dutch. Common Merganser:
last two May 4 Crugers Is. Red-breasted Merganser: usually reported only in Mar;
good movement of last Mar continued into Apr with five Apr 7 and six Apr 8 Crugers
Is. (Robert Wright, Don Davis).

HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: Normal. GOSHAWK: nesting pair discovered
near Grahamsville, Sull Apr 6 by Jerome Kerner, later photographed by Ken Niven
and Marty Borko. Sharp-shinned Hawk and Coopers Hawks: none reported: Red¬
tailed Hawk: usual to better nesting numbers. Red-shouldered Hawk: WBC re¬
ports two pair regularly observed in Dutch—nesting not proven. Broad-winged Hawk:
arr in good numbers Apr 21, nesting normal. Rough-legged Hawk: all Apr records
were from Dutch—six in Apr, last on 20th at Pine Plains. Bald Eagle: one imm near
Chester Apr 27 (MBC); one adult May 18 USMA, West Pt (ET,PJ,F&RS). Marsh
Hawk: very few spring reports; four during Apr in Dutch, last Apr 30; one Rock
May 13(RD). Osprey: numbers normal, first Apr 9 in Dutch; reported from several
areas Apr 13. Sparrow Hawk: low in some locations but normal elsewhere. Full day
of birding by RD in Rock May 13 produced none. Another full day of birding across
the whole of Oran May 18 produced none. Ruffed Grouse: numbers normal, but
lower than last year; appears scarce in the Carmel area of Putn (ML). Bobwhite: a
few birds in vicinity of Mt. Kisko; WBC reports about 2D or more thru season; small
numbers holding their own in Oran. KING RAIL: one, Iona Is. May 18 observed
from auto at about 20 ft. for 15 min., all marks noted (ET,PJ). Virginia and Sora
Rails: no significant change in numbers. Coot: less than normal.

Semipalmated Plover: always rare in spring-two, May 12-26 north of Pough¬
keepsie (EP); one, May 18-22, Lagrangeville (OW); one, May 18 Howells, Oran
(Peg Moon). American Woodcock: good numbers Common Snipe: good numbers,
breeding usual locations. Upland Plover: eight at VanHaster Farm, Hamptonburgh,
by Apr 20. Yellowlegs: good flight for both species—more than. 50 Greater, and 16
Lesser in Dutch during May. Pectoral Sandpiper: largest spring movement on
record; 14 on Apr 18 at Stormville (HM et al); six at Hamptonburgh on Apr 20
increasing to two or three dozen by end of following week; last, 27, May 24,
Poughkeepsie (AJ). Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers: usual spring numbers.
DUNLIN: one adult in spring plumage, May 10—13 Poughkeepsie (mob); four at
Piermont Pier May 14 (RD)—sixth record for Rock since 1957. Gulls: resident species

175

normal. GLAUCOUS GULL: one, Apr 7, Crugers Is. (JM), well described. Laugh¬
ing Gull: arr Cornwall Bay May 10, two May 12-18 (A,BM). Bonaparte’s Gull: one,
Nauraushaun Res Apr 6 (JD); more than 60 in varying plumages at Crugers Is (no
date given) (EP,OW et al). Common Tern: Hudson R at Cornwall, one Apr 28,
very early date for entire Region—observed standing and flying at 100 yds, with 25 x
scope (ET); four, May 17 Rhinecliff (AJ,MK); two, May 19 Rhinecliff (EP,FG).
Black Tern: one. May 11 Pine Plains (TH,W&TS). Cuckoo: both species rather
scarce. Owls: residents normal.

GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Whip-poor-will: unreported from most areas; one,
May 10 Pine Plains, only record. Common Nighthawk: good flight; six, May 19
Cornwall (A,BM); excellent flight over Dutch May 15-30, peak, May 23. Chimney
Swift: first Apr 23 in Dutch; normal that county, low in Putn and N West. Ruby-
throated Hummingbird: very few reported; only six Dutch records during May, first
May 11. Belted Kingfisher: normal. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER : more reports
than usual; a pair at Nauraushaun from Apr 6-May 18—seventh spring record in
Rock since 1957; one, heard and seen on several occasions Apr 14-May 18 at
Dunderberg Mt., Rock (ET); one west of New Paltz in May (Heinz Meng). Yellow-
bellied Sapsucker: unreported for past several years in Rock, but normal to less else¬
where. Hairy Woodpecker: scarce in Cornwall area (A,BM), though not elsewhere.
Flycatchers: low in Putn, but normal elsewhere. Kingbird: normal to better. Great
Crested Flycatcher: first, May 6; numbers less than usual but not abnormal .Yellow-
bellied Flycatcher: three reports all Dutch-first, May 17; last, May 22. Traill’s Fly¬
catcher: only two reports—singles May 18, Iona Is. (ET) and May 22 Poughkeepsie
(AJ). Least Flycatcher: normal. Wood Pewee: first, from several locations May 18;
only five in Dutch for whole month of May. Horned Lark: 13, May 11 ,Dutch
(WBC). Most species of swallows normal. Tree Swallow very late and very limited
in numbers when compared to usual. Purple Martin: unreported most areas after
severe kills of last two springs; only one colony active in Oran, that at Middlehope
( Carrie Carnright).

Blue Jay: normal; a strange late May migration taking place from May 20—June 1.
Fish Crow: four reports from Dutch; one Apr 30 Cornwall, Oran. Black-capped
Chickadee: unusually scarce some areas, normal others. Tufted Titmouse: normal.
Red-breasted Nuthatch: one Dutch Apr 6, one Apr 19; found nesting at L Mohonk—
long suspected, now proven (Dan Smiley). Brown Creeper: normal; one, May 18,
Mine Rd, USMA, West Pt (F,RS). Winter Wren: three May reports, Thompson
Pond Roosevelt estate, Dutch. Carolina Wren: one, May 16 Standfordville (FG);
one. May 4-11 Crugers Is. (OW et al). Mockingbird: at least four at Cornwall; rapid
increase of last few years seems to have tapered off. Hermit Thrush: normal.
Swainson’s Thrush: very poor numbers—late, and few. Gray-cheeked Thrush: one,
May 11, only report. Veery: very low in Putn, N. West, and Dutch, normal else¬
where. Eastern Bluebird: good nesting, continues to hold. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher:
good numbers, nesting in usual locations. Both species of kinglet very low. Iris
Dean, a very active birder, had only one Ruby-crowned the entire season. Water
Pipit: more than 100 Apr 20, Millbrook (OW); 25, May 4 Moore’s Mills (EP);
two May 13, E. Park (Tom Gilbert), Cedar Waxwing: remains scarce throughout
Region. Loggerhead Shrike: only one, Apr 1 at Amenia (W,TS).

VIREOS—WARBLERS: White-eyed Vireo: more than usual in S, Oran—at least
three singing on Mine Rd. USMA near Weyant’s Pond thru late May. Yellow-
throated Vireo: very scarce; WBC reports only 15 May records. Solitary Vireo: as
usual only a few reported, all normal Apr dates. Red-eyed Vireo: arr very late,
completely missed on WBC census May 11; only 11 reported thru month of May in
Dutch. Warbling Vireo: better than usual; actually outnumbered Red-eyed Vireo on
May 13 in Rock; WBC reports this species as the only normal one.

Warblers: PROTHONOTARY: one, Napanoch Apr 23 (Chandler Young). Worm-

176

eating: nesting usual location Dunderberg Mt., Rock. Golden-winged: especially
numerous in Ulst.- Brewster’s: one, courted by Golden-wing, Basha Kill May 11
(MBC). Parula: scarce; Mabel Little found none all season in Putn and N. West.
Magnolia: most late, and very few at that. Cerulean: more than ever before—mid
May yielded 3 or 4 per trip; a male courting a female at Weyant’s Pond, USMA
May 18, no proven nesting however; persisted in good numbers thru end of season.
Blackburnian: very few reported. Blackpoll: arr as expected in late May, but num¬
bers very low. Pine: most records in the past during Apr; this year only two—one
May 18, (AJ) and one May 21 (MK), both Dutch. Prairie: absent from most of its
usual haunts, numbers unusually low. Louisiana Waterthrush: one, Dunderberg Mt.
Apr 14, very early. Hooded: fewer reported than usual, but nesting in usual loca¬
tions. Wilson’s: unreported from most areas, numbers unusually low. Canada: an¬
other species missed completely by some active birders, very poor for this normally
abundant species. Am. Redstart: very late, but numbers good in late May; only one
reported on WBC census on May 11.

BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Icterids: most species normal to better except Rusty
Blackbird which has been below normal all year. Bobolink: especially good num¬
bers. Red-winged Blackbird: flock of more than 1,000 males reported at New Ham¬
burgh, Dutch May 22, unusually late for migrants (OW). Orchard Oriole: a few
more than usual, most nesting birds on location. Baltimore Oriole: down from pre¬
vious years, but still good. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: far below normal numbers, and
arr generally late. Indigo Bunting: late, first May 14; numbers normal in late May.
Evening Grosbeak: two, Apr 10 at Cornwall (A,BM); 36 through month of Apr
Millbrook, Dutch; four, May 16 Stanfordville, Dutch. Purple Finch: much better
numbers than in recent years. House Finch: continues to increase; male and female
feeding an imm at Cornwall, first nesting for that area; Dutch had about 30 dur Apr
and May mostly in the Poughkeepsie area. EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH : one, in
flock of Am. Goldfinches at a feeder in New City Park Apr 3 & 4 was reported by
Ruth Steffens who knows the species well from her stay in Bermuda; same bird also
reported by a non-birder at a feeder nearby on Mar 30, 31—a new species for Rock.
Pine Siskin: unreported. Savannah Sparrow: WBC reported 61 on May 11 census,
very high. Grasshopper Sparrow: first Rock report since fall of 1954—one May 21
at Nauraushaun (JD); scarce in Dutch—only two. May 13. Slate-colored Junco: last,
four May 8—late. Tree Sparrow: last report Apr 12-18 in Dutch. Chipping Sparrow:
first Apr 5, early; normal after mid-Apr thru most of season; numbers down in S
Putn. and N West (ML). HARRIS’ SPARROW : bird of last winter at Dover
Plains, lingered til May 2, went into fine adult plumage before leaving. White-
crowned Sparrow: less than usual; first, two, May 5; peak, May 17. White-throated
Sparrow: poor flight compared to most years. Lincoln’s Sparrow: only report, one
found dead at Plutarch, Ulst on May 18 (Heinz Meng). Song Sparrow: usual good
numbers.

Summer reports due Sept 1.

Pellwood Lake, Highland Falls, N.Y. 10928.

REGION 10 —MARINE

Thomas H. Davis and William Post

It is difficult to summarize continually poor seasons. All active observers agreed
that this one was just short of being really dismal.

What are the reasons for these poor seasons? Are bird populations declining? This
could be a reality—a long drought followed by last summer’s wet, stormy weather,
habitat destruction, the ubiquitous insecticides do little good. However, radar studies
show that large migrations of birds pass unseen unless the proper weather conditions

177

prevail. (See Nisbet and Drury, 1967, “Scanning the Sky-Birds on Radar” and
“Weather and Migration” Mass. Audubon, summer and autumn issues.)

Ideal meteorological barriers to migration produced two good days this spring—
May 3 and May 17, both Fridays. On the 3rd a strong flow of tropical air met cold
air and rain formed from Washington northeast to Boston. These conditions produced
a large arrival of terns and also die earliest-recorded Olive-sided Flycatcher. On the
17th, moderate southwest winds brought warm air from the Gulf of Mexico into New
York along the east side of a cold front extending along the Appalachians. Birds
reaching our area on the dawn of the 17th found their passage blocked by a second
cold front lying across Long Island. Richard Gohen, who was mist-netting migrants
daily at his home in Atlantic Beach, recorded his highest total this spring on the 17th.
His total was 145 birds, of which 100 were warblers. The top three species were: 34
Yellowthroats, 21 Catbirds, and 13 Redstarts. He also banded all five species of
Hylocichla and a Worm-eating Warbler, a rare coastal migrant.

Like last year, this spring ended on a sad note. It began raining on May 28, and
by the morning of the 29th, 4.88 inches had fallen. On the afternoon of the 29th,
Frank Enders and Will Post found two washed-out Virginia Rail nests (one con¬
tained four just-hatched young and four eggs, all drowned); also inundated: two
Red-winged Blackbird and two Seaside Sparrow nests. On an early June 1st visit to
Lawrence Marsh, Davis found several washed-out Clapper Rail nests and there was
evidence that the heron rookery had suffered damage. Higher-nesting passerines
such as the Tree Swallows at Tobay appear to have suffered no damage.

May temperatures were 2.8 degrees below average. The temperature was above
normal on only four days. Rainfall in May was 7.06 inches, 3.5 inches above normal.

There were few rarities this spring, but a pair of Saw-whet Owls nested in a bird
box at Tobay. A Saw-whet nest was last found in the Region in 1879. Intensive
field work at Oak Beach by Post and Enders revealed the presence of Black Rails.
This species has been recorded breeding in our Region only three times, once at
Oak Beach in 1937.

Abbreviations used: JBWR—Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge; AtlB—Atlantic Beach.
Only the first word is used for Captree State Park, Jones Beach State Park, Tobay
Wildlife Sanctuary.

Contributors frequently cited: LBT—Linnaean Boat Trip (R.Harrison, R.Grant,
T.Davis et al) off Jones Beach; FE—Frank Enders; TD—Thomas Davis; GR—Gilbert
Raynor; RC—Richard Cohen; WP—William Post; BC—Barbara Connolly; AD—Aline
Dove; OD—Orville Dunning.

LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: two, Jun 2 (LBT)—late migrants. Red-
throated Loon: two, Jun 2 (LBT)—late migrants. Sooty Shearwater; five, Jun 2
(LBT). Wilson’s Petrel: 20, Jun 2 (LBT). Gannet: adult, Jun 2 (LBT)—late for
adult. Glossy Ibis: appeared everywhere in large numbers; max counts—185, early
May, Rockaway and Brookville Blvds., Queens Co. (H.Hirschbein, B.Berliner et al)
—highest Regional count; 95, May 6, Oak Beach marshes (WP). European Widgeon:
drake, Apr 20—thru period, JBWR (mob)—latest Regional record. King Eider: hen,
Jun 1, JBWR (M.Kleinbaum et al)—a straggler at this season, perhaps blown inshore
by the May 29 storm.

HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: Apr 1, Far Rockaway (J.Bull); Apr 3, JBWR
(J.Bull). Broad-winged Hawk: territorial pair, May 26, Brookville (BC). Virginia
Rail: at least ten pairs are breeding at Oak Beach in a salt marsh; six nests have
been found (FE,WP). Sora Rail: one trapped and banded at Oak Beach May 4.
Black Rail: the “kik-kik-kerrr” call of this species was first heard at Oak Beach on
Apr 30 (WP,FE). (This call is not to be confused with the “tic-tic-tic-McGreer”
call of the Virginia Rail). On May 4 a Black Rail was netted and banded at Oak
Beach (FE,TD). Clapper Rail: a nest with ten eggs on May 30 survived the high
waters of May 28-29 at Oak Beach. An estimated ten-twelve pairs were heard call-

178

ing from the dike at Lawrence Marsh on May 29 (TD) —'“Although I remained
until 9:15 p.m., this was the only rail species heard.” American Oystercatcher: pair
May 22, JBWR (E.Janvrin, H.Isham et al)~ late migrants? Piping Plover: nest with
two eggs, Apr 18, Jones (D.Cooper)—earliest Regional egg date by six days. Am.
Woodcock: four broods were raised at JBWR (H.Johnson); a singing male was
heard near the dike at Lawrence Marsh on May 29 (TD)—a local breeder in our
area, especially near the coast. Stilt Sandpiper: Apr 23, Oak Beach (WP)—always
rare in spring, and this one very early. Earliest in Bull are Apr 13 and 26. Upland
Plover: arr Apr 14 at Mitchell Field; by May 4, population was 16, including seven
pair (R.Cioffi). Willet: Apr 16, Lawrence Marsh (D.Cooper)— earliest Regional
record. Northern Phalarope: three, Jun 2, LBT.

Pomarine Jaeger: light-phase bird, Jun 2, LBT. Great Black-backed Gull: at Cap-
tree, birds began laying eggs on Apr 26; individuals were still laying as late as Jun 8
(TD). Herring Gull: at Captree birds began laying eggs on Apr 27 (TD)—earliest
Regional egg date. Glaucous Gull: May 15-Jun 3, JBWR (mob). Common Tern:
breeding birds returned to the Jones Beach—Captree strip on May 3 (TD). Caspian
Tern: May 11, Mecox (GR)—rare spring migrant. Great Horned Owl: three pairs
nested in the Glen Cove—Oyster Bay area (O.Heck). Short-eared Owl: May 15,
Moriches Inlet (GR)—late. Saw-whet Owl: nested in a bird box at Tobay (R.Barth,
F.Schaeffer et al)— see Field Note in this issue.

GOATSUCKERS-STARLING: Red-bellied Woodpecker: May 15, Cutchogue,
“present for 4-5 days previously” (P.Stoutenburgh fide GR)—the only report re¬
ceived. Red-headed Woodpecker: May 5, Tobay (T.Lauro, B.Reeves). Olive-sided
Flycatcher: May 4, Prospect Pk (J.Yrizarry)—earliest Regional record. Tree Swallow:
Jun 2, LBT—seen 14 miles from nearest land. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: Jun 4, Lloyd
Neck (AD,BC').

VIREOS—WARBLERS: Vireos: Yellow-throated: Apr 21, Freeport (C.Ward, H.
Hirschbein)—earliest Regional record. Philadelphia: singles banded at AtlB on May
18 and 23 (RC). Warbling: Apr 29, Van Cortlandt Pk (W.Norse)— early.

Warblers: Prothonotary: female, May 21, Belmont L State Pk (K.Malone). Gol¬
den-winged: singing male. May 26, Sagamore Hill (BC,AD,OD)—rare on L.I., has
never bred. Cerulean: May 19, Lattington (RC). Yellow-throated:Apr 21, Bronx
Botanical Gardens (S.Ozard, E.MacGuire, D.Rafferty). Kentucky: May 17, Rye
(R.Arbib); May 28, Alley Pond Pk (OD). Mourning: female banded at AtlB on
May 31 (RC)—rare on coast in spring. Hooded: male banded at AtlB on May 6
(RC) —rare coastal migrant.

BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Orchard Oriole: a sub-adult male and a female,
May 4, Yaphank (GR). Boat-tailed Crackle: the bird mentioned in the winter report
remained in Far Rockaway thru the period (Mrs.J.Sorman). Summer Tanager:
three reports—May 3, Alley Pond Pk (R.Robertson); male, May 5, Central Pk (C.
Austin); sub-adult male, May 11, Central Pk (H.Tetrault, P.Tozzi et al). Ipswich
Sparrow: Apr 13, Moriches Inlet (GR)—very late. White-throated Sparrow: an un¬
injured, banded bird remained at AtlB to Jun 1, at least (RC). Lincolns Sparrow:
banded at AtlB on Jun 1 (RC)—extremely late but perhaps an. overlooked species
during late May; Cohen also has records for May 27, 1966 and May 28, 1967 (two
birds). Swamp Sparrow: a singing male, maybe territorial, was heard at Lawrence
Marsh on May 29 (TD)—rare coastal breeder. Seaside and Sharp-tailed Sparrows:
mist-netting at Oak Beach showed that the first heavy movement of Seasides into
the region took place Apr 30-May 1, of Sharp-tails May 3-May 4. Overwintering
Seasides were singing as early as Mar 27. An egg was found in the oviduct of a
Seaside netted on May 4 (WP,FE).

Note: Please have summer reports in by Aug 22.

T. Davis, 8613-85 Street, Woodhaven, N.Y. 11421

W. Post, 72 Bedford Street, N.Y., N.Y. 10014

179

FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS, INC

1968 Officers

President

Dr. David B. Peakall.Langmuir Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850

Corresponding Secretary

Mrs. Frederick Marsi ...Friendsville Stage, Binghamton 13903

Recording Secretary

Mrs. Frederic Knight.. Spencertown, N.Y. 12165

Treasurer

Mr. Dort Cameron.... .5423 Palmyra Rd., Pittsford, N.Y. 14534

Editor of THE KINGBIRD
Dorothy W. Mdlroy

419 Triphammer Rd., Ithaca, New York 14850

Appointed Committees

Bulletin Exchange: Mrs. Alice E. Ulrich, 193 LaSalle Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. 14214
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 Spofford, 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