W.KINGBIRD FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS, INC. THE KINGBIRD, published four times a year (January, May, July and October), is a publication of The Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc., which has been organized to further the study of bird life and to disseminate knowledge thereof, to educate the public in the need of conserving natural resources and to encourage the establishment and main¬ tenance of sanctuaries and protected areas. Individual member’s dues are $5.00 annually, of which $4.00 is for a subscription to The Kingbird. A member wishing to make an addi¬ tional contribution may become a Sustaining Member ($7.50), a Supporting Member ($10), or a Life Member ($100 — “payable over a four-year period in equal installments," if member so desires). Single copies: $1.50. Student membership $3.00. KINGBIRD subscription for non-members $5.00 per year on calendar year basis only. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP should be sent to the chairman of the membership committee, James D. Doherty, 913 Winton Road North, Rochester, N.Y. 14609. Send CHANGES OF AD¬ DRESS to the Treasurer, Edward M. Somers, Box 7273, Capitol Station, Albany, N.Y. 12224. Order SINGLE COPIES, BACK NUMBERS, and REPLACEMENT OF DAMAGED COPIES from Dr. Frederick C. Dittrich, c/o Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. Publication office is 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. Second class postage paid at Ithaca, N.Y. Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation 1. Filed September 25, 1969 2. 3. The Kingbird, a quarterly with 4. Publication offices at 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 5. Business offices at 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 6. Publisher — The Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc. c/o Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 Editor — Mr. Joseph W. Taylor, 20 Parish Rd., Honeoye Falls, N.Y. 14472 Managing Editor—None 7. Owner — The Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc., a non-profit organization, c/o Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 8. Known bondholders, mortgagees and other security holders — None 9. The purpose, function and non-profit status of this organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes have not changed during preceding 12 months. 10. Ave. no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months Single issue nearest filing date A. Total number copies printed (net press run) 694 700 B. Paid circulation 1. Sales thru dealers and carriers, street venders and counter sales None None 2. Mail subscription 611 600 C. Total paid circulation 611 600 D. Free distribution (including samples) by mail. carrier or other means 20 T8 E. Total distribution 631 618 F. Office use, left-over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing 63 82 G. Total (sum of E & F) 694 700 I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. (Signed) Frederick C. Dittrich, Circulation Manager KINGBIRD PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS. INC. Vol. XIX No. 4 October, 1969 Pages 185-241 CONTENTS President’s Page.David B. Peakall 186 Photograhs of New York State Rarities 19. Hawk Owl.David B. Peakall 187 Reappearance of the Black Rail on Long Island.William Post and Frank Enders 189 Selected Maintenance Behavior in a Great Blue Heron Colony on Ironsides Island.James E. Parker and George R. Maxwell 192 1968 Hawk Watch at Mt. Peter.Stephen F. Bailey 200 Field Notes King Rail at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge . . . Walter E. Benning 205 Ruff at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.Walter E. Benning 205 Red-bellied Woodpecker Nesting at Old Field, Suffolk Co., New York.Thomas H. Davis 205 A Cooperative Venture in Raising Young Robins .Mrs. Newell R. Washburn 207 Unusual Oriole at Oneida .Dorothy Ackley 208 Black-headed Grosbeak at Watertown.David C. Gordon 208 Highlights of the Summer Season June 1-August 15.Allen E. Kemnitzer 209 Regional Reports . 210 Editor — Joseph W. Taylor Associate Editors Field Notes — Sally Hoyt Spofford Regional Reports — Allen E. Kemnitzer Editorial Board John B. Belknap Dorothy W. McIlroy Allen H. Benton David B. Peakall Stephen W. Eaton Eugene Eisenmann Fritz Sciieider Cover Design — Douglas L. Howland PRESIDENTS PAGE It is the tradition for retiring presidents to send a last message, if only to exhort their successors to do the things they failed to do themselves. One of the potentially most valuable ideas that has come forward in my term of office was that of regional vice-presidents. I see this concept as useful in forging a stronger band between the Federation and its member clubs. It goes hand-in-hand with the regional conservation chair¬ men recently set up. It should aid conservation and bird study in the State. For example, more complete coverage of the heronry survey should be possible if each of the three areas had someone directing this survey. To digress from the main theme for a moment, I hope that this survey will be continued. A sharp decrease of heron numbers as shown by the National Survey Heronry Census in Great Britain did not occur until recently. Thus, if pesticides are the cause, it appears to be a slower chain reaction than with some species of hawks. Federation field-trips, perhaps regionally organized but open to all members has recently been sug¬ gested to me by our new recording secretary, Mary Ann Sunderlin. I hope that this idea will be tried in 1970. Since the annual meeting is to be in the fall, perhaps a spring foray could be arranged. I would like to offer one suggestion to the Federation based on my ex¬ perience as your President. It is necessary either for the President to have a good deal of free time or a secretary on to whom he can place a good deal of the routine work.This imposes restrictions on persons avail¬ able for this office which could be easier if the corresponding secretary was near enough to assist the President. In conclusion, I would like to thank the members of the Federation for their support and to wish the new officers of the Federation all the best. David B. Peakall 186 PHOTOGRAPHS OF NEW YORK STATE RARITIES 19. Hawk Owl Photograph by A. J. Wright II Near Transit Road, Millersport, Niagara County Dec. 1962 The Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) is a bird of the dense coniferous forest of the tiaga belt across the entire holarctic, its distribution being limited by the tundra in the north and the deciduous forest in the south. Two other owls have a similar holarctic distribution, the Boreal Owl (Aegolius funerea) and the Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa). However the Boreal Owl breeds further south in eastern Europe and western Asia and the Great Gray Owl is missing from the eastern Canada tiaga but breeds in the high mountains of the west as far south as California. 187 All of these owls irrupt into more southern regions much more infre¬ quently than the more northerly Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca). This can be explained by the greater diversity and hence stability of the prey of the tiaga belt as compared to the massive cycle changes of the tundra. Of the tiaga owls the Great Gray is the rarest in this State which is hardly surprising considering its western distribution in North America. There are more records of Hawk Owls than Boreal Owls but this may reflect the conspicuous nature of the former rather than a real difference in scarcity. Eaton (1914) listed 23 records from 12 counties, with the northern counties of Lewis and St. Lawrence in the lead with four spe¬ cimens each. Since 1950 the following records are known to the author: December 20, 1955, Middle Grove, Saratoga County December 11, 1958, Three Mile Bay, Jefferson County March 16, 1960, Oneida, Oneida County March 16, 1961, Binghamton, Broome County October 25, 1962, Braddock’s Bay, Monroe County November 18, 1962, Peterboro, Madison County December 28, 1962, Millersport, Niagara County December 20, 1962, Potsdam, St. Lawrence County January 4, 1963, Fargo—North Bridge, Jefferson County February 9, 1963, Sears Pond, Tughill, Lewis County December 24, 1964, Black River, Jefferson County November 24, 1965, Tupper Lake, Franklin County February 1, 1969, Elizabethtown, Essex County Of these, nearly half refer to the invasion of 1962/63. As in Eaton’s day most of the records come from the northern part of the State. There have been no records from Long Island since 1900. David B. Peakall , Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University DATE FOR 1970 ANNUAL MEETING The date for the 1970 Annual Meeting of the Federation has been set for September 11-13. The meeting will be in Watertown under the spon¬ sorship of The North Country Bird Club. 188 REAPPEARANCE OF THE BLACK RAIL ON LONG ISLAND William Post and Frank Enders Since 1967, we have been studying Ammospiza sparrows in the Oak Beach marsh (Suffolk County), on the south side of Great South Bay. On the night of 29-30 March, Post was sleeping in the marsh. His tent was pitched in a patch of Spartina patens surrounded by a tall, extensive stand of Phragmites communis. Starting about midnight, he heard a cuckoo-like “who-who-ivho ....” on the ground around the tent. The sound seemed to be coming from 6-8 meters away. This call kept up, at intervals, for several hours. Believing this to be the call of a female Black Rail, (Laterallus ja- maicensis ), and knowing that this species bred at Oak Beach 30 years before, we decided to attempt to capture some Black Rails. We made a Low shorebird trap, modified to trap rails (Low, 1935; Adams and Quay, 1956). We made it from half-inch hardware cloth. We placed the trap in a patch of S. patens and ran two half-inch mesh leads, each about 15 meters, from either side. This trap was put into operation on 26 April 1968. On 4 May, we caught our first Black Rail, but this bird was cap¬ tured in a mist net left open overnight. Our rail trap subsequently made four more captures. TABLE I. BLACK RAILS BANDED AT OAK BEACH, NEW YORK R. WING NUMBER DATE TIME WEIGHT CHORD CULMEN 72-161044 4 May 68 0540 25.4 gm.* 72.0 mm. 14.0 mm. 72-161055 23 May 1940 36.3 72.5 15.2 72.161056 23 May 1940 32.4 72.1 15.2 72-161056 (Repeat) 17 June 1615 37.9 — — 72-161064 20 June 1310 32.3 - 17.1 {* The weight on 4 May: the bird may have been in the net more than six hours). The tarsus and toe color of these birds fits the description of Meanley and Stewart (1960): “Grayed-off blackish-brown.” The bills were black- ish-grey. The irides were brownish-red. (The latter two color descrip¬ tions are from the color chart in Palmer, 1962). We have color photo¬ graphs of two Black Rails captured on 23 May. In the hand, the Black Rails were defensive, and they bit our fingers. One bird gave a distress call, a “who-who-who” resembling the call heard in March. This can be 189 taken as evidence that the cuckoo-like call is indeed produced by the Black Rail. (Ultimately, all references to this call can be traced to Wayne (1905). His description was republished in Birds of South Carolina (1910): “As soon as she entered the standing oats she began to call, which notes resemble the words, croo-croo-croo-o , and then again almost exactly like the commencement of the song of the Yellow-billed Cuc¬ koo”) From banding and observations, we estimate that there were at least three pairs of Black Rails resident in the Oak Beach marsh. The size of our study area was 10 hectares. The marsh at Oak Beach is 90% Spartina alterniflora, growing 50-150 cm. high. The marsh is interspersed with shallow pools. It is of fairly recent origin, and has not been ditched. The S. alterniflora marsh is bordered on the south by a thick, 2-3 meter high, growth of Phragmites. This zone is 30-40 m. wide, the Phragmites being replaced on the south by a dense growth of Rhus radicans and Myrica pensylvanica. Here and there in the Phragmites are patches of S. patens and a little Distiehlis spicata , probably remnants of the former dominants in this zone of the marsh, plants now being excluded by Phragmites. These patches are, at the most, 10 X 20 m. Black Rail activity seems to center around the patches, although the birds were found as far as 100 m. away from them, both in S. alterniflora and in Phragmites. One bird (or birds) was seen regularly in an area of sparse, flooded Phragmites. Virginia Rails ( Rallus limcola) were common breeding residents in the same area of the marsh, but they nested and fed in the wetter part of the marsh. Besides the cuckoo-like call heard in March, what we believe to be the male Black Rail call was heard regularly. For example, on 9 May, there was a quarter-moon, a slight wind, and the temperature was 9 C. A rail was calling 15 m. away, from 2130 to 2150. The call was repeated every 4-5 seconds. This call can be described as “ Kik-kik-Kerrrr with the last syllable dropping in pitch. The call is described in Kellogg (1962). We disagree with Robbins’ statement in that paper that the “Yellow Rail” call on the Kellogg-Peterson record (Kellogg, Allen and Peterson, 1959) is a Black Rail. (It is now known that the “Yellow Rail” call is a Virginia Rail—see Callin, 1968). In connection with our Ammospiza study, we made extensive searches through the marsh for all bird nests. We never found Black Rail nests. However, patches of dense, almost impenetrable Phragmites may have held nests. The Black Rails were first found at Oak Beach in May 1937. At the same locality on 20 June 1937, Carleton found a nest with eight eggs. Since 1937, the environment at Oak Beach has changed radically. By the 1950’s, Phragmites had become common (G. Carleton, personal communication). It has now replaced the “salt meadow” species such as 190 S. patens, which are considered the preferred cover for Black Rails. How¬ ever, the Black Rail may be more resilient to environmental changes than is thought. Short grass marshes are usually considered optimal habi¬ tat, but the Black Rails at Oak Beach were ranging into pure stands of Phragmites and into the wetter, S. alterniflora zone of the marsh. It should be mentioned that there have been no observations of sum¬ mering Black Rails on L.I. since 1940 (Bull, 1964; T. Davis, personal communication), and this may be related to the ditching of marshes for mosquito control. Such a ditched marsh can be found, for example, in the Tobay (Kennedy) Sanctuary, 13 km. west of Oak Beach. Tobay has been worked intensively by ornithologists, and, although S. patens is much more common than at Oak Beach, Black Rails seem to be absent. We are suggesting that the better food supply of an unditched marsh may be an attraction for Black Rails, and that the species can adapt, within certain limits, to changes in the plant cover. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We want to thank Thomas H. Davis and John Bull for helpful ob¬ servations and comments. LITERATURE CITED Adams, D. A. and T. L. Quay 1958 Ecology of the Clapper Rail in Southeastern North Carolina, foumal of Wildlife Management, 22:149-156. Bull, J. 1964 Birds of the New York Area. (New York). Callin, E. M. 1968 Vocalization of the Virginia Rail: A mystery solved. Blue fay, 26:75-77. Kellogg, P. P. 1962 Vocalizations of the Black Rail ( Laterallus jamaicensis) and the Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) . Auk 79:698-701. Kellogg, P. P., A. A. Allen, and R. T. Peterson 1959 A Field Guide to Bird Songs. (New York). Low, S. H. 1935 Methods of Trapping Shore Birds. Bird Banding, 6:16-22. Meanley, B. and R. E. Stewart 1960 Color of the Tarsi and Toes of the Black Rail. Auk, 77:83. Palmer, R. S. 1962 Handbook of North American Birds. VOL 1 (New Haven). Wayne, A. T. 1905 Breeding of the Little Black Rail, ( Porzana jamaicensis), in South Carolina. The Warbler, 1:33-35. 1910 Birds of South Carolina. Contributions from the Charleston Museum, No. 1. Department of Zoology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. 191 SELECTED MAINTENANCE BEHAVIOR IN A GREAT BLUE HERON COLONY ON IRONSIDES ISLAND James E. Parker and George R. Maxwell This paper is concerned with a two month study of some selected maintenance behavior of the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodicis) and presents a description and interpretation of the activities observed. The maintenance behavior in this paper includes perched position, alert posi¬ tion, scratching, stretching, shaking, care of feet, throat pulsation, bill wiping and feeding of the young. Field observations were made on Ironsides Island, Jefferson County, New York in the St. Lawrence River during the summer of 1968. The island is one of the Thousand Islands which exist near the junction of Lake Ontario, and the river. The 18 acre island is approximately four miles down the river from Alexandria Bay, New York and one mile up the river from Chippewa Bay, New York (Fig. 1). The island is composed of red granite partially covered with sandy soil. This is similar to many of the islands which were formed during the last ice age. The island vegetation exhibits an elm-ash-oak edaphic cli¬ max. Near the center of the island is a small swamp which contains ap¬ proximately one foot of water in early summer, but it becomes nearly dry by autumn. (Fig. 1). The Great Blue Herons nest in the highest branches of the American elms ( Ulmus americana), red maples ( Acer rubrum), red oaks ( Quercus rubra) and white ash ( Fraxinus americana) which surround the swamp. The colony has 240 nests, which were counted in early spring before the leaves were out. Not all are active during the breeding season. Ben- ning (1968) reports that 110 nests were active in 1967 and that the nests contained a total of 240 young. The herons were observed and photographed from a small ground blind which was erected in the center of a small clearing that exists near the center of the island (Fig. 1). Photographs were taken with a Miranda single lens reflex 35mm camera coupled to a 13X Bushnell telephoto lens on a gunstock. Drawings were made from the photographs. Total ob¬ servation time was approximately 52 hours. BODY POSITIONS Perched Position— The perch position is the common position that the Great Blue Heron assumes when perching. The heron grasps the branch with its feet. The phalanges curve around the branch. The tibiotarsus and the tarsometatarsus form an angle of approximately 160 degrees with each other. The body is at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with the 192 horizontal (Fig. 2). The head and neck are not fully retracted nor are they fully extended. The head assumes a position parallel to the ground. Meyerriecks (1960) noted that when the Great Blue Heron assumes the perched position the feathers were neither erected nor sleeked. Alert Position —When alarmed the heron assumes the alert position (Fig. 3). In this position the legs are straight. The tibiotarsus and the tarsometatarsus form an angle of 180 degrees. The body is at an angle of approximately 90 degrees with the horizontal. The head and neck be¬ come extended. The greater the alert response the greater the extension of the neck and head. The feathers are sleeked concomitantly (Meyer¬ riecks, 1960). BODY MAINTENANCE Scratching —The Great Blue Heron scratches by bringing the foot di¬ rectly up to the head (Simmons, 1957) (“Vornherum” of Heinroth, 1930). The leg is brought straight up and the head is lowered slightly, however, the wing is not drooped. Contact is made with the pectinated claw on the middle toe. The head is rotated slowly as the toe works it over. The crest appears to become erected. This scratching process is similar to the scratching behavior of the Black-crowned Night Heron as reported by Maxwell and Putnam (1968). Meyerriecks (1960) de¬ scribes this behavior similarly for some Great Blue Herons which he ob¬ served. Stretching —Stretching can occur during a preening bout or as an iso¬ lated incident. The heron has two ways in which it may stretch. In one method its weight is shifted to one leg and the head and neck are placed in the position that they assume when in the perched position. The leg, without the weight upon it, is bent until the femur and the tibiotarsus are nearly parallel with each other and with the ilium. In this position the tarsometarsus is at right angles to the ilium. The wing is then ex¬ tended out, followed by the leg. This same manner of stretching can be accomplished with the weight being placed on the opposite leg. This method of stretching is similar to the method used by the Black-crowned Night Heron as described by Maxwell and Putnam (1968). The second method of stretching is accomplished by bringing the two humeri to¬ gether and parallel to each other above a horizontal body. The head and neck are fully extended (Fig. 4). Upon completion of the stretch the heron assumes the perched position. This manner of stretching is similar to that observed by Meyerriecks (1960) in the Green Heron. Shaking —Shaking may occur during a preening bout or it may be an isolated activity. The heron leans forward slightly, presumably for bal¬ ance, extends its wings and erects its feathers. The heron then moves its body vigorously back and forth around the anterior-posterior axis, causing the wings to move in and out. The session may last as long as 15 seconds. 193 Shaking appears to place the feathers in order. This description is simi¬ lar to the shaking behavior of the Black-crowned Night Heron as de¬ scribed by Maxwell and Putnam (1968) and of the Green Heron as described by Meyerriecks (1960). Care of Feet— The Great Blue Heron pecks at its feet infrequently. We noted this behavior only during a preening bout. It does not appear to serve any useful purpose. Maxwell and Putnam (1968) describe this behavior similarly in the Black-crowned Night Heron and Meyerriecks (1960) describes a similar behavior in the Green Heron. Throat Pulsation— The gular region will move rapidly in and out for long periods of time. Throat pulsation occurs more frequently during hot weather. Lowe (1954) states that on hot sunny days the nestlings of the Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea ) appear to suffer from a lack of shade and they may be seen sitting with open mandibles and pouches vibrating with rapid panting. Maxwell and Putnam (1968) noted this behavior in the Black-crowned Night Heron and they termed it “throat pulsation.” They have suggested that it serves as a heat regulatory device. Bill Wiping— Bill wiping occurs infrequently during or after a preen¬ ing bout. The head is lowered and the bill is repeatedly wiped in a stropping action on each side of the branch upon which the heron is perched. Similar behavior was noted in Black-crowned Night Herons by Maxwell and Putnam (1968) and in the Green Heron by Meyerriecks (1960). FEEDING BEHAVIOR Feeding the Young— There are two generalized methods by which the young are fed. One method involves the very young and is partly a result of their lack of maturation. In this method the adult dominates the be¬ havior with the young heron being quite passive. The adult takes a posi¬ tion near the edge of the nest. The young herons begin shaking and bobbing their heads with widely opened mouths. This behavior appears to stimulate the adult to begin retching. After a few minutes of retching the adult succeeds in regurgitating the food and places it with its bill in the young heron s open mouth. The young do not vigorously grasp the adult’s bill during the transfer. Feeding behavior similar to this was noted in the Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea ) by Lowe (1954). Cottrille and Cottrille (1958) noted that after feeding of the very young Great Blue Herons the adults arranged the young in the nest and then brooded them. When the young herons become more mature a second type of feeding behavior ensues. In this type of feeding behavior active participation of 194 both adult and young is evident. This feeding method may vary in dura¬ tion and sequence of events. However, it usually occurs in the following manner. In the pre-transfer behavior the adult enters the nest area. The nestlings make a series of thrusting and bobbing actions as the adult ap¬ proaches with head lowered. The most aggressive of the young places its mandibles outside and to the base of the adult's mandibles. Then the adult and young sway until the young’s mandibles slide off the adult’s. Noble, Wurm, and Schmidt (1938) described a similar behavior in the Black-crowned Night Heron and labeled it “bill grasping.” This behavior apparently stimulates the adult to begin retching, which may last from two to 10 minutes. If the young become too aggressive during any part of the feeding bout then the adult may assume the stiff-necked upright display which is a threat display (Meyerriecks, 1960). This serves to re¬ duce the aggressiveness of the young heron. When the adult has com¬ pleted regurgitation of the food, the actual transfer occurs. The adult then permits one of the nestlings to place its mandibles out¬ side the adult’s mandibles from below and to the side (Fig. 5). The young’s mandibles are at an angle of 65 degrees with the horizontal. This differs from the description of the process given by Cottrille and Cott- rille (1958). It also differs from the food transfer ot the Black-crowned Night Heron as described by Maxwell and Putnam (1968). This juxta¬ position of bills (Herrick, 1935) allows the food to be regurgitated without being lost. During this bill contact they shake their heads vigor¬ ously and flap their wings. The young heron grasps the food and with¬ drawal ensues with the young heron retaining and swallowing the food. On July 7, 1968 we took a qualitative sample of food by using the method of systematic regurgitation (Kirkpatrick, 1940). This method in¬ volved startling the young by walking under the nest thus causing re¬ gurgitation. The analysis of 34 fish yielded 28 or 82 % alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus ), 5 or 15% rockbass (Ambloplites repestris) and one or 3% lake chub (Semolitus plumbeus). These results would seem to indi¬ cate that in years of high alewife populations the Great Blue Heron may serve to reduce alewife numbers. SUMMARY A preliminary field study of some selected maintenance behavior of the Great Blue Heron was conducted on Ironsides Island in the St. Lawrence River, New York, in the summer of 1968. Descriptions of be¬ havior patterns associated with body maintenance and feeding of the young are given. A qualitative sample of the Great Blue Heron diet was taken. 195 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study was made possible by the State University College of New York at Oswego and Rice Creek Biological Field Station. The Nature Conservancy granted us permission to use their island as a research area. We wish to thank Peter N, Gaskin for his help in obtaining maps of the island. LITERATURE CITED Benning, Walter E. 1968 1967 Great Blue Heronry Survey. The Kingbird, 18:82-84. Cottrille, W. P., and B. P. Cottrille 1958 Great Blue Heron: Behavior at the Nest, Misc. Pub., Mus. Zool., U. Michi¬ gan, No. 102, 15pp. Heinroth, O. 1930 Uber bestimmte Bewegungsweisen der Wirbeltiere. Stizungsber. Ges. Naturf. Freunde: 333-342. Herrick, F. H. 1935 Wild Birds at Home. D. Appleton—Century Co., New York. Kirkpatrick, Charles M. 1940 Some foods of young great blue herons. Amer. Midi. Nat., 24:594-601. Lowe, Frank A. 1954 The Heron. London: Collins. Maxwell, George R., and Loren S. Putnam 1968 The maintenance behavior of the black-crowned night heron. The Wilson Bull., 80:467-478. Meyerriecks, Andrew J. 1960 Comparative Breeding Behavior of Four Species of North American Herons. Publ. Nuttall Ornith. Club, No. 2. Cambridge, Mass. Noble, G. K., N. Wurm, and A. Schmidt 1938 Social behavior of the black-crowned night heron. Auk, 55:7-40. Simmons, K. E. L. 1957 The taxonomic significance of the head scratching methods of birds. Ibis, 99:178-181. R.D. #1, Box 112, Redwood, New York, 13679 and Rice Creek Biological Field Station, State University College, Oswego, New York 13126. 15 August, 1969. 196 CO -1 Fig. 1 Location of Ironsides Island on the U.S-Canadian border. 198 Fig. 2. Perched Position Fig. 3. Alert Position 199 Fig. 4. Stretch Position Fig. 5 Great Blue Heron Feeding a Nestling. 1968 HAWK WATCH AT MT. PETER Stephen F. Bailey September 1968, our tenth at Mt. Peter, was our biggest September ever. In only 18 days of observation, less than some other years, we counted 6645 Broad-wings and 7182 total hawks, both counts new rec¬ ords by a big margin. The Quarry in Upper Montclair also did well with 6903 Broad-wings and 8031 total hawks through the 29th, in 23 days of observation. Reports have reached us that Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania broke its record for August-September. However, it must be remembered that Hawk Mountain has continuous coverage from late August on and, since last year, two lookouts in operation. Montclair also has more ob¬ servers per day than Mt. Peter. Experience proves repeatedly that the more observers the more hawks are seen. Our high counts also reflect the fact that our more experienced watchers have learned to look, and bi¬ nocular-scan, in all directions (yes-including south) from the horizon to the zenith for Broad-wings. Although some Broad-wings and most other hawks (especially in October and November) fly fairly low and along the ridge, many Broad-wings go uncounted because they are so high and/or fly across or parallel to the ridge, missing the lookout. Thus, with more and better coverage, our records should be surpassed. After a weather disturbance, September 12th began 2 weeks of unin¬ terrupted fair and mild weather. Nearly all Broad-wings migrated during this period. Our 671 on the 12th included 86 Sparrow Hawks, our only good flight of this species in the month. On the 15th a light northeast wind brought 2962 hawks over Mt. Peter, eclipsing our old single-day record of 2444. The 16th produced 1628 (our third biggest day ever) and the 17th 1049. By the 18th smog reached us and it probably con¬ tributed to the cessation of the Broad-wing flight. A temperature inver¬ sion with smog is, after rain, the worst flight weather, as thermals and wind are absent. The northeast wind is excellent at Mt. Peter because, a tailwind, it helps Broad-wings in gliding from thermal to thermal. Many Broad-wings were observed very low on the 15th and 16th between 5 and 6 P.M., and on the 16th and 17th around 10 A.M., because kettles of them, their flight interrupted by night, settled into the woods nearby. Counts of most other species were good, but Sparrow Hawks, booming in recent years, proved quite disappointing in September. 3 Peregrines and 1 Pigeon Hawk, all on the 21st, were encouraging, however. After our record September count, October and November were somewhat anticlimactic. Good weather was, for the most part, timed against us. After a good beginning weekend, the hawking during our 17 day continuous watch in October (our longest ever at this time) became very dull during almost 2 weeks of variable and thoroughly unfavorable 200 weather. It is a pity that our first 2 week October watch coincided so closely with this extended period of bad weather. Finally, on the 19th, a low-pressure system associated with Hurricane Gladys passed through and produced another worthwhile flight. Although our leaders were not instructed to record other (non-raptor) interesting migrants (waterfowl, winter finches, etc.) and thus our records are far from complete, Purple Finches and Red-breasted Nuthatchs were seen throughout this period. Gulls seemed more common this year, being seen in “kettles” of up to 25 or more. Canada Geese were recorded in this period: 302 on the 5th, 170 on the 6th, 460 on the 7th, 600 on the 8th, 40 on the 10th, 75 on the 13th, 29 with 3 ducks mixed right in with the formation on the 20th, 604 on the 21st. The waterfowl highlight had to be the 8 Whistling Swans on the 8th. A few loons were seen, and 5 Water Pipits bounced overhead on the 7th. Although we do not count Turkey Vultures as migrant raptors (and watchers at other lookouts are gradually ceasing to count them), in October and November ( not in September) obviously migrating “T.V.’s” may be seen. This year obviously migrating T.V.’s were noted as follows: 22 on the 7th, 5 on the 20th, 11 on the 21st. After this period, scheduled coverage was limited to the next 4 week¬ ends. However, all but 2 of these 8 days were rained out. The best flights at Hawk Mountain were almost entirely on weekdays. However, Oc¬ tober 27 proved very rewarding. It produced a late Pigeon Hawk and our first Golden Eagle, a fully adult bird which circled for a while up the ridge before sailing directly overhead at a moderate altitude. Incidentally, this eagle showed light shoulders above, a mark I have since noted on other Golden Eagles elsewhere. Most of the 89 hawks passed and/or circled very low near the lookout, especially the Red- shoulders—excellent views. Our day’s count of 22 was our second-best ever for this species. Other birds on the 27th: 3 migrating T.V.’s, 187 Canada Geese, 360 Brant, 100 Evening Grosbeaks (the first of this flight year), 12 Purple finches, 1 Pine Siskin, and 1 Greater (?) Yellowlegs. On November 2nd, mild weather held the count at 53 hawks and 150 Even¬ ing Grosbeaks. It is, again, unfortunate that rain ruined our November weekends; this was a Goshawk flight year. We’ll never know how many Goshawks passed Mt. Peter on weekdays from late October on. There were certainly many good migration days. Despite our weather problems in October and November, however, quick glances at the statistics for our good days and at our season totals reveal 1968 as our best year in the ten-year history of our count. It should be noted, however, that this does not indicate that more hawks passed Mt. Peter, only that we saw more. 194 West Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, N.J. 07450 (Mt. Peter is located near the New York-New Jersey border and the hawk watch is conducted by the Fyke Nature Association of Ramsey, New Jersey. An article on Mt. Peter appeared in The Kingbird for July, 1967. Ed.) 201 MT. PETER 1968 DAILY HAWK COUNT The number of hours of observation is listed for each day, as November 1968 and for the preceding 3 October-November is the number of observers. Totals are given for September, periods; and for the total season 1965-1968. 1968 and for the preceding nine Septembers; for October- Date Gos SsH CH RtH RsH BwH R1H BE GE MH Os Per Pig SpH Uni Total Hrs Obs 9/7 _ _ _ 1 33 . _ 2 _ _ _ 3 4 43 8 3 9/8 - - - 2 - 57 - - — 2 1 _ _ 7 5 74 7 8 9/9 — - 1 3 - 33 - - — 1 _ _ _ 1 2 41 7/2 2 9/10 — 4 - 2 — 3 — — — — 2 _ _ 2 13 7 4 9/11 - 1 1 1 - - - - - 1 9 3 16 4 3 9/12 — 1 — 2 — 575 - — — 3 3 _ _ 86 1 671 8 12 9/13 — 4 — 2 2 189 — — - 1 4 _ _ 29 3 234 10 4 9/14 - 8 1 4 _ 39 — - _ 6 _ _ _ 4 10 72 8/2 2 9/15 - 3 - 1 - 2928 - - _ 24 _ _ 3 3 2962 9/2 12 9/16 — 5 1 1 1 1608 _ _ 1 3 _ _ 7 1 1628 10 3 9/17 - 7 4 - - 1030 - - - _ 3 _ _ 3 2 1049 8 7 9/18 — 11 — - 3 60 — — _ 3 _ _ 8 _ 85 8 8 9/19 — 5 — 7 2 68 _ — _ 4 5 _ _ 14 3 108 8 8 9/20 - - - - 2 6 - - _ _ - _ _ 3 2 13 8 5 9/21 — 7 1 4 - 8 — — 2 1 3 1 5 6 38 10 17 9/22 — 3 — 3 — 8 _ _ _ 2 5 _ _ 32 13 76 8 10 9/28 — 8 1 5 _ _ — _ _ _ 2 _ _ 7 3 26 7 11 9/29 _ 8 1 5 2 — — _ _ 1 _ _ _ 12 5 34 6 6 Total - 85 11 43 12 6645 - - - 26 56 3 1 235 66 7183 142 1967 _ 33 4 43 6 756 _ _ 18 30 _ _ 130 43 1063 127 1966 — 29 7 18 1 1321 _ _ _ 18 46 _ _ 280 22 1743 114 1965 — 162 21 37 9 1508 _ _ _ 30 128 3 2 401 69 2370 137 1964 . — 116 12 19 — 3489 _ 4 _ 16 86 _ _ 101 48 3891 126 1963 — 62 7 19 2 1428 _ _ _ 29 31 _ 2 199 74 1852 134 1962 - 44 8 8 12 3701 _ _ _ 16 58 3 1 157 32 4030 142 1961 — 37 5 29 5 1113 _ 1 _ 23 12 1 2 68 38 1347 1960 - 61 2 9 - 1293 - 1 8 24 _ - 55 70 1528 1959 1781 bo s 10/5 - 40 2 14 1 6 — — _ 5 10 1 1 43 4 127 9 10/6 _ 76 _ 10 2 2 _ _ _ 1 6 _ _ 5 11 113 7 10/7 _ 19 _ 3 - 2 _ _ _ 1 1 _ _ 1 _ 28 4 10/8 - 2 1 1 _ 3 _ _ . 2 1 2 3 15 8 10/9 _ 3 1 8 _ _ _ _ _ 1 1 _ _ 3 4 21 7 10/10 4 _ 10 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12 1 27 8 10/11 10/12 Rain 1 1 4 10/13 - 7 1 7 2 _ _ _ 2 1 _ _ _ 6 26 8 10/14 28 — 7 _ _ _ _ _ 2 _ 1 6 1 45 6 10/15 - 5 1 _ _ _ _ _ 1 _ _ _ — _ 7 3 10/16 _ 6 — 3 1 _ _ — _ _ _ _ 3 1 14 4/2 10/17 _ 10 _ — _ - _ __ — 1 _ _ _ 5 3 19 4 10/18 _ 13 _ 5 _ _ _ — 1 1 — _ 5 3 28 8 10/19 10/20 9 61 11 5 1 Rain 5 9 101 8 10/21 - 6 1 42 6 _ _ _ _ 2 1 _ _ 5 5 68 6 10/26 1 _ 3 _ _ _ _ _ 1 _ _ _ _ 6 11 2 10/27 _ 12 _ 45 22 __ 1 4 1 _ 1 _ 3 89 10 10/31 — — 1 8 _ _ -- _ _ - - _ _ 1 10 3 11/2 - 3 - 41 5 - - - - 2 - - - 1 1 53 7 11/3 11/9 11/10 11/16 Total 244 7 269 50 13 1 32 24 1 Rain Not Covered Snow and Rain Rain 3 98 62 803 116/2 1967 1 127 2 108 7 61 1 _ _ 15 10 4 5 134 62 537 74/2 1966 1 135 18 195 43 72 _ _ 21 14 1 3 258 26 787 83 1965 - 206 18 161 53 24 - 1 - 36 17 1 1 72 65 644 1968 329 18 312 62 6658 SEASON TOTALS (August-N ovember) 1 58 80 4 4 333 128 7986 258/2 1967 1 160 6 151 13 817 1 _ _ 33 40 4 5 264 105 1600 201 1966 1 164 25 213 44 1393 _ 39 60 1 3 538 48 2530 197 1965 - 368 39 198 62 1532 - 1 - 66 145 4 3 473 134 3025 202 1 6 13 3 1 7 1 3 LD rj! CM CO CO CM REPORTS FOR NEST-RECORD CARD PROGRAM We would once again like to remind contributors (old and new) to return their completed cards to the Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, or to their nearest Regional Center (complete listing in Audubon Field Notes). We are also interested in records from previous years, and if anyone has extensive notes from earlier years, we are willing to undertake the task of trans¬ ferring the data. During the past few months considerable progress has been made in editing and punching data and writing computer programs for analysis of data. Any serious worker interested in using the material should contact the Director of the program, Dr. David B. Peakall at the Laboratory of Ornithology. ADVERTISING All our members are reminded that The Kingbird welcomes adver¬ tising. We urge you to consider possible advertisers and turn their names over to the Circulation Manager, Dr. Frederick C. Dittrich, 20 Drumlin Terrace, Syracuse. Your cooperation will be most appreciated. PATCHES A recent article in the New York State Conservationist Magazine of¬ fered a salute to conservationists. The article consisting of a double page photo of club emblems had this to say “Club patches are a colorful sight. We offer this picture of New York emblems as a salute to all conserva¬ tion and sportsmen groups, for without their constructive works, prog¬ ress in the field of conservation (soil, water, forest, and wildlife) would be more deplorable than it is today!” The only error in this article is one of omission, for without exception the patches represented Rod and Gun, Archery, Target or general sportsmen's clubs, not one member club of the N.Y.S.F.B.C. could be found among them. In an effort to expose the readership of that journal to the opposite side of the coin I am asking your co-operation in obtaining club patches, not only those of you whose clubs are members of the Federation but also those who are individual members or those who know of local clubs not specifically sport oriented that have patches. Please forward patches or car stickers to me as soon as possible for in¬ clusions in a future article in the Conservationist. Jerome Kerner, Hastings Drive, Grahamsville, New York 12240 204 FIELD NOTES King Rail at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge: On June 22, 1969 at a little after 7 A.M. along the drive to the Headquarters Bldg, at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge I noted a chicken-sized bird standing in a small pool of water on the edge of the cattails about 200 feet to my left. Looking at the bird with 7 X 35 binoculars I found it looked like the common Virginia Rail ( Rallus limicola ) which I have seen frequently on the Refuge but was much larger. The back and wings were a bright reddish brown, while the breast, neck and face were a lighter more huffy brown. The flanks were prominently barred with vertical lines of black and white. The bill w'as large, long and slightly down curved. The upper mandible was generally dark and the lower mandible yellow. I studied the bird in bright sunlight with the sun to my back for perhaps two minutes. The bird then disappeared into the cattails. I identified it as a King Rail ( Rallus elegans). There are few records of this species in Central New York. I proceeded to the Refuge Headquarters where I reported the find to the manager, Mr. Clayton Hardy, We returned to the spot where I had found the bird and watched the area for some time but the bird did not reappear. W. E. Benning, Clyde. New York 14433 Ruff at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge: At about 5 P.M. on July 5, 1969 I was scanning a mudflat just south of the New York State Thruway on the Monte¬ zuma National Wildlife Refuge looking for shorebirds which were just beginning to show up on their way south for the winter. In a group of Lesser Yellowlegs ( Totanus flavipes) I noted a bird which was about the same height as the Yellowlegs but with a heavier, less streamlined body. The bill was shorter and thicker than the Yellowlegs. The bird had an overall brown appearance with a light belly. The legs were bright orange and in the bright late afternoon sunlight they stood out more conspicuously than the somewhat yellower legs of the Yellowlegs. The brown of the back, wings and tail was prominently barred with black. There were no markings on the brown Wash which covered the head, neck and breast except for some white feathers on each side of the neck just above the shoulder of the wing. These ap¬ peared to be the remnants of a ruff about the neck. The throat was lighter than the rest of the neck and breast. I identified the bird as a male Ruff ( Philomachus pug- nax ), a bird which I have found at Montezuma on five previous occasions beginning in 1963. Observations were made with a 30X Balscope in good light. W. E. Benning, Clyde, New York 14433,, Red-bellied Woodpecker nesting at Old Field, Suffolk Co., New York: This sum¬ mer a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers ( Centurus carolinus) was reported nesting for the first time in the New York City area. Mrs. Myrna Hemmerick of Setauket, Long Island, writes, ‘T)n May 30, 1969 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. Lewis Homire, Old Field, we Watched a noisy pair of Red- bellied Woodpeckers that had been in the area for several days. Lone birds had been seen here before in the spring of 1966 and 1968, in a habitat consisting of deciduous woods, mostly oak with an understory of laurel and huckleberry. On June 9 the Homires discovered them visiting a woodpecker hole in a dead white oak with the top broken off. There were four holes in a vertical row; the Red-bellieds were at the lowest, approximately 30 feet above ground. Over the next few weeks while incubating, the adult pair became much quieter. The ‘churring’ calls were replaced by an alarm cry of ‘chad, chad’ when disturbed. Young were hatched by June 28. A parent arriving with food would often land first 205 in a nearby tree, calling ‘chad’ several times, then fly to the nest tree. At the entrance of the cavity it would call into the nest, ducking its head in and out many times be¬ fore entering with the food. The young were very quiet in the nest; only when a parent was inside feeding them were we able to hear them. The adults were never seen to clean the nest cavity. On the evening of July 15 I saw a young bird stick its head out for the first time; on July 17 two young were fledged and left. Although Red-bellieds are still heard in the area, the young have not been seen since. Nesting nearby were Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Yellow-shafted Flicker and White-breasted Nuthatch. Also on June 1 a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers was seen calling and examining a nearby tree cavity. On 16 July one was seen on the Red-bellied’s nest tree. This pair is still seen in the area but it has not been es¬ tablished whether or not they nested.” Dennis Puleston who took the accompanying photograph commented that the four holes in the Red-bellied Woodpecker’s nest tree “looked like Hairy Woodpecker excavations from previous years.” John Bull (Birds of the New York Area, Harper and Row', 1964: 285) writes of the Red-bellied Woodpecker that “Judging from its northward spread and increase locally, breeding can be expected in the near future.” This past spring witnessed the largest Red-bellied Woodpecker incursion ever on Long Island, with over two dozen individuals reported (T. Davis, in press). Thomas H. Davis, 8613-85 Street, Woodhaven, New York 11421. 206 A Cooperative Venture in Raising Young Robins: During the evening of June 9, 1966, there was a hard wind and rain storm in Endicott. The next morning we found that a Robin’s nest about 10 feet up in a blue spruce had disintegrated during the storm, spilling out the approximately week-old nestlings (we had first noted them on 6 /2/66) ■ two were on the gound and the third hanging head down in one of the branches. The female was hammering away at an earthworm on the front sidewalk when we went out to remove the supposedly dead birds. To our surprise, all three were still alive, although covered with ants as well as being cold and wet. We brought them into the house and quickly improvised a nest from a small box and some Kleenex. As we were preparing to feed them a little “Instant” oatmeal mixed with milk one of the two that had been on the ground died. The other two gulped down the food with considerable enthusiasm, although we had to pry open their beaks to shove it in. We lit the oven at its lowest setting and left them in it, with the door open, for about an hour. In the meantime Newell put a small wooden platform in the tree at the site of the original nest and replaced the nest, which was now only a wet handful of muddy grass. By now the two young were warm, dry and relatively lively. Since the female was still fussing rather aimlessly around the yard, we put the nest box back under the spruce tree where we had found the young ones. After a few minutes she walked past within a foot of the nest, turned back, hopped up on the edge and pro¬ ceeded to brood one of the birds (our hasty and clumsy attempts at nest building had produced a structure somewhat larger than the normal Robin’s nest). When she left the nest, we replaced it with a chicken wire and feather arrangement that was rather unsatisfactory because the feathers kept getting in the birds’ mouths. We fur¬ ther modified the nest by sewing an old washcloth around the circumference. The female alternated brooding and feeding her family, apparently accepting the new arrangement. Half an hour or so later, we saw the female light on the edge of the old nest, so we quickly transferred the young ones, still in their chicken wire nest, to the old site and awaited developments. The female showed no interest in the nest in the tree, but continued to hop about on the ground, so we returned the nest to the ground and waited. After about half an hour she returned, and continued feeding and brooding. We left them alone the rest of the day. By dusk the female showed no interest in brooding the young for the night. About 9 p.m., since it was still quite cold (50-55°) and windy we brought nest and all in the house and put it in a box on the stove, where the pilot lights provided some warmth. The next morning, about 5:30 a.m., I fed both birds 2-3 pea-sized pellets of raw hamburger and put them out under the spruce tree. Before I was back in the house the female arrived with a beakful of insects. Later that day we replaced our makeshift nest with a “second-hand” Robin’s nest we had found. This seemed to be a most satisfactory arrangement. We continued to bring them in about 9 p.m. and put them back out about 5 a.m. After a day or two the male showed up and began to help out with the feeding. The young were feathering out and becoming quite active, one a little more so than the other. Finally, on June 16, nearly a week later, the larger bird took off from the nest about 11:30 a.m., and the other followed about an hour and a half later. We have seen them occasionally since then, following their parents around begging for food; they have apparently overcome any set-back they may have had due to their night out in the cold and rain. The persistence of life continues to amaze us. Mrs. Newell R. Washburn, 2008 Galaxy Drive, Vestal, N.Y. 13850 Editors Note: This suggests a possible course of action in the numerous cases we all encounter of well meaning but overly enthusiastic (at first) individuals who set out to raise young birds single handed. In most cases, however, it is recommended that the entire job be left to the parents. 207 Unusual Oriole at Oneida: On August 26, 1968, Harmon Nodecker observed a strangely colored bird in his yard at Kenwood, Oneida, which at first looked like a molting Scarlet Tanager, although it was not the right shape. He succeeded in trap¬ ping the bird for banding and called me to assist in identifying it. When examined in the hand the bird was evidently an oriole, presumably a Balti¬ more Oriole, as it had the proper size, bill shape and other morphological charac¬ teristics of an oriole. Its color, however, was most unusual, as may be seen from this detailed description: Crown and mantle: reddish suffusion over entire head, caused by red feathers in¬ terspersed with those of dark greenish-brown; some red feathers scattered over most of the back, seen when bird was examined closely, but most apparent in upper tail coverts, this area being distinctly pinkish-red. Under parts: throat pinkish; breast and belly dull yellow mingled with red, the red feathers increasing toward the center breast to make an irregularly defined band of red from throat to tail; under tail coverts of same reddish color. Wing-bars: lower, white; upper, pinkish-buff. Tail feathers: yellow underneath; dark greenish-gray above. Bill: pointed, typical oriole shape; lower mandible light-colored, upper mandible dark. Distress call in hand: typical oriole rattle. It will be noted that in general the bird was pinkish-red in most of the areas where the male Baltimore Oriole is yellow or orange. Comparison with plumages of various western orioles did not produce any other possibility than an aberrant Balti¬ more Oriole. Dorothy Ackley, Kenwood Sta., Oneida, N.Y. Black-headed Grosbeak at Watertown: In December, 1968 I saw an excellent 8 mm. color movie film of birds made by the late Arthur W. Allen. I was surprised to see a sequence with an adult male Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melano- cephalusQ. on a feeler shelf outside a window. Being familiar with this species in the western states I was sure of my identification, especially after reviewing the film at holds many times. Originally, Dr. Allen thought the bird might be an immature male Rose-breasted Grosbeak as it sang a couple times from the trees in his yard, but he was puzzled by the coloration. Two color prints made from the movie frames were submitted to John Bull at the American Museum of Natural History who confirmed my identification. The date of this record is April 30, 1959 which is probably the most northern one for this accidental visitor to New York State. David C. Gordon, 1347 Sherman St., Watertown, N.Y. 13601 208 HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SUMMER SEASON June 1 — August 15 Allen E. Kemnitzer In most sections of the state the early part of the summer was wetter and cooler than usual. A tornado and several other less violent storms killed many nestlings in Region 1, and a spell of cold, windy, rainy weather in late June was thought to have ruined nestings in Region 5. Toward midsummer both precipitation and temperature approached more normal levels throughout much of the State. The continuation of extensive breeding bird studies in several areas during the past summer contributed additional interesting and useful in¬ formation about the often neglected nesting season in New York State Among the passerines, blackbirds continued to thrive in contrast with the smaller numbers of many other species reported. In particular. Red¬ winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles appeared to be continuing their increase in numbers. A late Rusty Blackbird record provided the first June sighting of this species ever recorded from New York City. Birds of prey numbers generally were down following the discourag¬ ing trend of recent years. The reported successful nesting of the Golden Eagle, location undisclosed, was cause for much rejoicing among Adiron¬ dack Mountain birders. Apparent good nesting success for the Sparrow Hawk was reported for the entire Finger Lakes Region. Of interest, too, were the breeding records of Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, and Short¬ eared Owl in Region 1 where these three species are considered un¬ common during the summer months. Near Orleans, a Saw-whet Owl was recorded Aug. 12. With the disappearance or disturbance of more and more of their suitable habitat, marsh birds and all the herons were notable this sum¬ mer only for their continued scarcity and small numbers. Post-season wanderings of egrets were mainly unnoticed or unreported. The unpredictableness of the finch family was demonstrated once again by the numerous observations this summer of both Red Crossbills and White-winged Crossbills in several regions. Of special interest was the Jones Beach, July 26 record of 13 Red Crossbills landing on a jetty and flying out to sea. One regional editor mentioned the late cone crop in the north woods as a possible explanation for the number of crossbill reports. Some observers wondered whether this summer’s crossbills were only the vanguard of much heavier fall and winter flights. The shorebird migration was well underway by mid-July, but, because of the high water levels in upstate New York, shorebirding was fair to poor in many of the usually productive locations. In spite of this, a num- 209 ber of rarities were observed including Avocet, Piping Plover, Whimbrel, Hudsonian Godwit, Willet, and Ruff. Some of the other features of interest for the summer season were: (1) the first authentic breeding record of Myrtle Warblers for western New York, (2) the successful nesting of Brown Creepers behind a shut¬ ter at Geoffrey Carletons home near Elizabethtown, (3) observations of Lawrence's Warblers and Kentucky Warblers, and (4) a Linnean Boat Trip off Jones Beach which recorded Greater Shearwaters, Wilson’s Pe¬ trel’s, and Gannet. 969 Five Mile Line Road, Webster, New York 14580 REGION 1—NIAGARA FRONTIER Robert A. S undell Report for period April 1-May 31. The weather during the spring of 1969 saw a reversal of the usual pattern. April was considerably warmer and with somewhat more precipitation than average. The last five days were unusually mild. Most of May was cooler and wetter than average. A tornado caused considerable damage in the Chautauqua County village of Sin- clairville on May 16. General trends included: (1) a poor showing of herons, rails and other marsh birds, except in the Oak Orchard refuge complex, (2) low counts for most forms of waterfowl, (3) relatively small numbers of hawks moving on several days in April with a substantial flight on the 26th, (4) a poor showing of shorebirds, (5) a gener¬ ally modest or poor showing by most passerine groups during April, excepting the warblers and blackbirds, (6) an excellent showing of warblers with thirteen species during April and thirty two species plus one hybrid during May, (7) continuing high numbers of icterids, except the always rare Orchard Oriole, (8) record or near¬ record counts of Cardinals, (9) a fine return flight of Evening Grosbeaks with a few other reports of northern finches, (10) excellent spring counts of several other fringillids including the Slate-colored Junco, Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow and Song Sparrow. Noteworthy records include Ruff, Common Raven, White-eyed Vireo, Prothonotary Warbler (away from usual locality, Oak Orchard), Connecticut Warbler, Western Meadowlark, Summer Tanager, Dickcissel, Oregon Junco and Harris’ Sparrow. Abbreviations: ABC—April Bird Count; Alleg Rd—Alleganny Road, Hanover Township, Chautauqua County; Bflo—Buffalo; BOS—Buffalo Ornithological Society; Chaut—Chautauqua; INWR—Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge; MBC—May Bird Count; Nia—Niagara; OO—Oak Orchard; OOGMA—Oak Orchard Game Management Area; TGMA—Tonawanda Game Management Area. Contributors: RFA—Robert F. Andrle; HHA—Harold H. Axtell; RA—Rachel Ax- tell; PB—Paul Benham; TLB—Thomas L. Bourne; EB—Elizabeth Brooks; LDB—Lou and Doris Burton; FE—Flora Elderkin; AF—Arthur Freitag; RH—Paul Hess; JK— Joseph Kikta; VL—Virgil Lunardini; WAM—Willard and Alice McKale; HDM— Harold D. Mitchell; FMR—Frances M. Rew; WGS—William and George Smith; RAS—Robert A. Sundell; OS—Ora Swanson; JT—Joseph Thill; GW—Gertrude Web¬ ster. LOON—DUCKS: Common Loon: arr 4 Apr 11 Prendergast Pt (RAS, Penoyer); max 33 Apr 19 Cuba L (LDB). Red-throated Loon: only report—1 Apr 23 Pt 210 Breeze (PB). Horned Grebe: max 68 Apr 8 Cuba L (LDB). Common Egret: 1 Apr 5 TGMA (PB, R. Rybuzynski). Black-crowned Night Heron: max 26 Apr 20 Nia Falls (Andrles). Least Bittern: continuing to decrease, only report—May 18 Batavia area BOSMBC. Whistling Swan: poor flight—max 66 Apr 4 OO area (PH, Hammond). Canada Goose: max 64,612 Apr 13 BOS ABC mostly OOGMA—TGMA—INWR complex (mob). Snow Goose: max 10 Apr 4 OO area (HHA,RA). Blue Goose: max 98 Apr 4 OO area (HHA,RA). Pintail: 5000 Apr 1 INWR (AF). Blue-winged Teal: good spring count—246 Apr 13 BOSABC. Surf Scoter: 6, 4 Apr 26, 29 Cuba L (LDB); 4 Apr 29 Chaut L (FMR,OS); 3 May 6 Cassadaga L (OS). Common Scoter: 2 Apr 13 Pt Breeze BOSABC; 3 Apr 17 Athol Springs (TLB); 1 Apr 29 Chaut L (FMR, OS). Ruddy Duck: 10 Apr 9 Chaut L (FE). Red-breasted Merganser: max 5394 Apr 13 BOSABC. HAWKS—OWLS: light hawk flights along L Erie and Ont plains Apr 6, 19, 21, 27, 29—major flight Apr 26. Turkey Vulture: 31 Apr 6 over Alleg Rd (HHA, RA). Sharp-shinned Hawk: 50 Apr 26 over Alleg Rd (VL); late—2 May 28 over Athol Springs (TLB). Cooper’s Hawk: 8 Apr 6 over Alleg Rd (HHA,RA). Red-tailed Hawk: 99, Red-shouldered Hawk: 42. Broad-winged Hawk: 950 Apr 26 over Alleg Rd (VL). Marsh Hawk: 15, 15 Apr 1, 29 Lyndonville (WGS). Bobwhite: 1 Apr 12 Lyndonville (WGS). Rails: exceptionally poor showing for all species. Shorebird flight well below aver¬ age for recent years. Greater Yellowlegs: 12 Apr 26 TGMA (GW, Wolfe). Lesser Yellowlegs: 25 Apr 27 Kiantone (RAS). RUFF: first spring record for Region 1— female photographed May 6 INWR (PB). Glaucous Gull: last—1 May 1 Hamburg Town PK (TLB). Common Tern: 1 April 13 Chaut L BOSABC. Caspian Tern: this species must now be regarded as a regular spring and fall migrant in small numbers along the south shore of L Erie—max 16 Apr 19 Bflo Harbor (JK); 4 May 9 Dunkirk area (FMR et al). Black Tern: arr 5 May 1 TGMA (AF). Barn Owl: 1 May 18 Wellsville area BOSMBC. Long-eared Owl: 1 Apr 6 Elma (HDM); 1 Apr 29 Lyndonville (WGS); 1 May 14 Hamburg (TLB). Short-eared Owl: max 16 during Apr Lyndonville (WGS); 4 May 22 Ransomville (JT). GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Whip-poor-will: arr 1 May 3 Delaware Pk, Bflo (PH); 1 May 9 Sturgeon Pt (HDM); 1 May 19 Hamburg (TLB). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: arr 1 May 2 Eggertsville (WAM). Eastern Kingbird: arr 1 Apr 27 Portland (RAJT). Eastern Phoebe: as last year, excellent counts on BOSABC and MBC—458 Apr 13 and 329 May 18. Olive-sided Flycatcher: more than usual—9 at scattered localities from May 19 through end of period. Swallows reduced drastically over last years counts except for Barn( twice last year’s high count) and Cliff (nearly same as last year). Tree Swallow: especially hard hit—639 May 18 BOSMBC compared with last year 2332 May 19. Barn Swal¬ low: 7392 May 18 BOSMBC compared with last year 3045 May 19. Purple Mar¬ tin: 754 May 18 BOSMBC' compared with last year 1877 May 19. COMMON RAVEN: seen and heard in direct comparison with Common Crows—1 May 2 Eg¬ gertsville (A. McKale). Red-breasted nuthatch: a good suattering of migrants throughout region both months. Winter Wren: late migrants—1 May 20 Gowanda (FMR,OS); 1 May 20 Pt Gratiot (FMR,OS). Carolina Wren: singles May 5, 7 Athol Springs (TLB), May 9 Sturgeon Pt (FMR et al), May 18 Olean area BOSMBC, May 22 East Aurora (PB). Short-billed Marsh Wren: unreported—this species is disappearing from the region. Mockingbird: 13 individuals at scattered localities. Swainson’s Thrush: arr 1 May 1 Alfred (EB); 2 May 1 Belmont (LDB). Eastern Bluebird: 147 May 18 BOSMBC (138 last year, 117 in 1967). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: arr 1 Apr 21 Elma (JK). Golden-crowned Kinglet: last 1 May 22 North Boston (Brockners). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: last 1 May 29 Forest Lawn Cemetary, Bflo (PH). Northern Shrike: last 1 211 Apr 6 TGMA (AF). Loggerhead Shrike: only report of an increasingly rare species -1 Apr 3 TGMA (PB). VIREOS-WARBLERS: WHITE-EYED VIREO: 1 May 7-15 Lakeside Ceme¬ tery. Hamburg (RFA, TLB et al); May 19-27 Riverside Marsh (mob). PROTHONOTARY WARBLER: early arr ad male May 1 Mayville (OS et al)- very rare away from regular breeding station at 00. “Brewster’s” Warbler: 1 May 15-18 Lakeview Cemetery, Hamburg (PH et al). Orange-croWned Warbler: 1 May 13 Kenmore (GW); 2 May 18 Belfast area BOSMBC. Parula Warbler: 1 May 7 Lakeview Cemetery, Hamburg (RFA); 2 May 7 Spring Brook (Dorothy Danner); 1 May 12 Eden (TLB); 1 May 20 Dewittville (FMR,OS). Cape May Warbler: arr early 1 Apr 27 Youngstown (WAM). Black-throated Blue Warbler: arr 1 Apr 29 Scio (LDB). Myrtle Warbler: max 200 May 7 Alfred (EB). Blackburnian Warbler: 6 Apr 27 Town of Ward (LDB). Pine Warbler: 1 Apr 17 Water Valley (TLB); 2 Apr 26 Cassadaga L (RAS et al). Prairie Warbler: 1 May 6, 8 East Eden Pond (JK,TLB). CONNECTICUT WARBLER: 1 May 24 West Seneca (JK). Yellow¬ breasted Chat: 7 at scattered points. Canada Warbler: early arr 1 Apr 29 Riverside Marsh (FMR,OS). American Redstart: arr 1 Apr 29 Riverside Marsh (FMR,OS). BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Bobolink: arr early 8 Apr 28 Riverside (FE, E. C. Pillsbury). WESTERN MEADOWLARK: 2 Apr 20 Shadigee (Wagner, Filor). Bal¬ timore Oriole: arr 1 Apr 26 Tonaw'anda Indian Reservation (GW, Wolfe). SUMMER TANAGER: adult male May 13, 14 Rushford (Stafford, Palmer, Brown, Hales). Cardinal: 515 Apr 13 BOS ABC. DICKCISSEL: imm male to adult plumage at Sondell feeder in Fluvanna with flock of House Sparrows Dec 26 to Apr 14 (RAS et al). Evening Grosbeak: large numbers through mid-Apr—675 Apr 13 BOSABC; small flocks, some at feeders, through mid-May—last 3 May 22 West Falls (Brock- ners). Purple Finch: high spring count 282 May 18 BOSMBC. Red Crossbill: 2 Apr 13 Findley L BOSABC. White-winged Crossbill: 1 May 16 Allegany State Pk (JK). Rufous-sided Towhee: high spring count 524 May 18 BOSMBC. Slate-colored Junco: highest count ever 6668 Apr 13 BOSABC, OREGON JUN- CO : 1 Apr 16-24 Bflo (PH). Chipping Sparrow: 808 May 18 BOSMBC. HARRIS’ SPARROW: imm at feeder of Tom Welch. Blanding Rd, Silver Creek Dec 7 re¬ mained until May 6 (mob; photographed). Fox Sparrow: 37 Apr 13 BOSABC. Lincoln’s Sparrow: 2 May 11 Hamburg area (TLB,RFA); 5 May 18 Belmont area BOSMBC. Lapland Longspur: last 4 Apr 23 Athol Springs (TLB). Report for period June 1-August 15. Weather for the summer of 1969 was generally more pleasant than usual. Tem¬ peratures for June averaged one half degree below normal and precipitation was about one inch above normal. This basic pattern continued during July and August with only a few short periods of very hot and very humid days that often charac¬ terize much of the mid and late summer. On June 20 a tornado destroyed some large deciduous trees at the new Long Point State Park near Bemus Point on Chautauqua Lake. This storm and several others that were less violent killed many young nest¬ lings. It seems likely that, during the nesting season, storms with strong winds and peri¬ ods of several days or more with moderate or heavy rain and cold temperatures may represent one of the most important natural limitations controlling population size for many, if not most, bird species. While quantitative data on this subject are not obtained easily, it would be valuable for all abservers to attempt to correlate weather conditions with degree of nesting success. Trends for the summer were: (1) all herons continue occurring in small numbers, (2) marsh birds were present in only limited numbers and had minimal breeding success except for good results in the in¬ tensively managed Oak Orchard refuge complex, (3) favorable brood counts of 212 waterfowl with the exception of the Black Duck, (4) a slightly above average show¬ ing of early shorebirds in terms of species but the usual small numbers, (5) single breeding records of three owls uncommon during the summer months, Bam, Long¬ eared and Short-eared, ( 6) only a single report of the Whip-poor-will which has now virtually disappeared from western New York during the summer, (7) extremely small breeding populations of Tree Swallows and Purple Martins, (8) excellent num- bes of Red-breasted Nuthatches and Brown Creepers in Southern Tier counties, (9) an above average showing of several uncommon warblers, (10) the long-term steady increase in breeding Redwinged Blackbirds and Common Grackles continuing with dreary monotony!, (11) an unseasonal cluster of three reports of the White¬ winged Crossbill, perhaps presaging events of the coming winter, (12) an increase in the number of nesting Savannah Sparrows but continuing scarcity of the Hen- slow’s and Grasshopper Sparrows. Nesting records of special interest were those of the Carolina Wren—possibly only the second for western New York, Myrtle Warbler— first authentic breeding record for western New York, and White-throated Sparrow— active nests near Alfred and an incredible occurrence in downtown Buffalo. Of particular significance is the survey of spruce plantations by Dr. Robert F. Andrle of the Buffalo Museum of Sci¬ ence. Golden-crowned Kinglets, including several broods, were found at over twenty locations, and it can be stated categorically that a majir extension of the breeding range for this species has taken place, A detailed report will be published elsewhere. The only rarities observed were a pair of Clay-colored Sparrows and the first summer occurrence of the White-crowned Sparrow. Abbreviations: Alleg—Allegany; Bflo—Buffalo; C'att—Cattaraugus; Chaut—Chautau¬ qua; INWR—Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge; OOGMA—Oak Orchard Game Man¬ agement Area; TGMA—Tonawanda Game Management Area. Contributors :RFA—Robert F. Andrle; PB—Paul Benham; TLB—Thomas L. Bourne; EB—Elizabeth Brooks; LDB—Lou and Doris Burton; CWK—^Clarence W. Klingen- smith; JK—Joseph Kikta; WAM—Willard and Alice McKale; HDM—Harold D. Mitchell; AR—Archie Richardson; RAS—-Robert A. Sundell. LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: 1 Jun 14, 16 (dead) small pond near Ham¬ burg (RFA et al); 2 Jul 18 Chaut L (K. Close). Pied-billed Grebe: adult with 7 young first week of July Belmont (McNinch. Double-Crested Cormorant: only spring report, late—1 Jun 2 Lake View (TLB). Great Blue Heron: colony of 15 nests at Belmont during Apr and May (LDB). Common Egret: singles during Jul and mid Aug at Beaver Meadow Refuge and Bflo area. Black-crowned Night Heron: 1 June 11 Buckhorn Island State Pk (WAM et al); 3 Aug 11 South Pk, Bflo (R. Rybczynski; JK). Least Bittern: singles Jun 9 Bflo (JK), Jun 18 Eden (TLB). American Bittern: very scarce. Canada Goose: several broods at INWR and OOGMA on Jun 29; brood of 5 at Riverside Marsh in Jun and Jul (mob). Pintail: 2 Jul 17 East Eden (RFA, Hauser). Green-winged Teal: 2 adults with 6 young May 25 Cuba Marsh (R. Keople). Wood Duck: excellent breeding success throughout region. Hooded Merganser: female with 5 young Jun 21 Riverside Marsh (AR); 7 downy young Jun 29 INWR (HDM et al); 1 young Jul 17 North Java (RFA, Hauser). Red-breasted Merganser: 1 Jun 29 OOGMA (HDM et al). HAWK-OWLS: Turkey Vulture: 41 Jun 29 INWR (HDM et al). Goshawk: two of three nests known to be active but details unavailable. Sharp-shinned Hawk: 4 at scattered locations in Alleg Co and 1 Catt Co report during Jul undoubtedly reflect increased summer field work rather than actual increase. Cooper’s Hawk: 1 Aug 11 Belmont (LDB). Red-tailed Hawk: good success at 12 nests under observa¬ tion. Red-shouldered Hawk: no data to compare with known decline in breeding population of northeastern states. Bald Eagle: imm Aug 11 over Hamburg (TLB). 213 Sparrow Hawk: moderate success in 6 nests under observation—probably continuing slow but steady decrease. Turkey: hen with 14 young Jun 21 south of Wellsville (K. Carey). Virginia Rail: adult with 2 downy young Jul 26 Falconer (Burgeson). Sora: nest with 10 eggs May 31 TGMA (PB). Common Gallinule: 6 adults with 18 young Jun 29 INWR (HDM et al). American Coot: two broods of 5 and 3 young Jun 29 INWR (HDM et al). Semipalmated Plover: 1 Jun 20 Bay View (TLB)—probably late spring migrant. Black-bellied Plover: arr 1 Aug 10 Prendergast Pt (RAS). Whimbrel: 1 Jul 15 Woodlawn (TLB). Solitary Sandpiper: arr 1 July 9 Prendergast Pt (AR); 1 Jul 11 Riverside Marsh (AR). Pectoral Sandpiper: arr 1 Jul 8 Prendergast Pt (AR). Short¬ billed Dowitcher: unusually scarce—1 Jul 19 Hamburg Town Pk (TLB); 1 Aug 8 Athol Springs (TLB). Stilt Sandpiper: arr 1 Jul 16 Prendergast Pt (AR). Forsters Tern: early arr 1 Aug 12 Derby (TLB). Caspian Tern: 1 Jun 24 Ham¬ burg Town Pk (TLB). Barn Owl : nest with 3 young Jun 14 Hamburg (RFA et al). Long-eared Owl: 5 young fledged by Jun 10 Evans Township, Erie Co (RFA et al). Short-eared Owl: 2 adults with 3 young Jun 14 Lockport (RFA et al). GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Whip-poor-will: only report—1 Jul 31 Hamburg (TLB)—this species no longer breeds and is apparently only a casual summer visitor anywhere in western New York. Pileated Woodpecker: 2 young fledged from nest at Riverside Marsh Jun 21 (AR et al). Red-bellied Woodpecker: adults brought 2 young in mid-May and 2 different young in mid-Jul to Webster feeder on Bellview Rd southeast of Bemus Pt at same location as first Chaut Co breeding record in 1968. Eastern Kingbird and Traill’s Flycatcher: slight increase (perhaps very local) in number of nesting birds. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: late 1 Jun 11 Chestnut Ridge Pk (TLB). Olive-sided Flycatcher: last 1 Jun 2 Lake View (TLB). Tree Swallow: very small numbers of breeding birds. Purple Martin: breeding population at very low level but successful nesting noted in most colonies, now concentrated along Chaut L and L Erie. Red-breasted Nuthatch: individuals or pairs at 10 scattered mostly Southern Tier localities, nearly all spruce reforestation plantings. Brown Creeper: presumed breeding at 10 mostly Southern Tier locations including 2 nests located. Winter Wren: 1 Jul 20 Allenberg Bog (Axtells et al). Carolina Wren: adults with 2 young which left nest May 18 Salamanca (L. C. White); 1 Jul 29 Jamestown (RAS). Short-billed Marsh Wren: 1 to 3 at four scattered localities. Mockingbird: singles at three localities. Robin: large numbers and excellent breeding success, as last year. Golden-crowned Kinglet: 21 spruce plantations, mostly on higher elevations in Chaut, Catt and Alleg Cos, had breeding pairs or families (RFA). Starling: usual high rate of breeding success with no repeat of slight downward trend in number of nesting pairs noted during summer of 1968-unfortunately! VIREOS—WARBLERS: Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos continue at unusu¬ ally low breeding population levels. “Brewster’s” Warbler: singles at Deer Lick Sanctuary near Gowanda Jun 12 (Wendling) and Jun 29 (WAM); Lakeside Cemetery, Hamburg Jun 14, 16 (RFA) and Jul 1 (TLB); two singing males near Cold Spring, Catt Co Jun 14, 17, 18 (RAS et al). Nashville Warbler: singles Jun 6 Hamburg (TLB), jul 27 Angelica (LDB). Parula Warbler: singing male Jun 14, 17 mouth of Pierce Run north of Onoville (RAS et al). Myrtle Warbler: first definite breeding record for western New York—male feeding newly fledged young Jun 16 in Scotch pine plantation at Foster L, Alfred (EB); adults feeding 4 young Jul 4 in red pines at same location (CWK); 1 Jun 7 Alleg State Pk (RAS et al); 2 Jun 29 McCarty Hill near Ellicott- ville (RFA). Cerulean Warbler: 3 including female carrying food Jun 14, 17, 18 Onoville (RAS et al). Yellow-breasted Chat: 6 individuals at widely scattered locali¬ ties during Jun and Jul (mob). 214 BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Redwinged Blackbirds and Common Grackles con¬ tinue to increase above record levels previously noted. White-winged Crossbill: adult male Jun 29 Busti (RAS); 1 Jul 6 Lakeside Ceme¬ tery, Hamburg (RFA); adult male Jul 11 Hamburg (RFA). Savannah Sparrow: considerable recovery from last year’s slump in numbers. Grasshopper and Hen- slow’s Sparrows continue scarce and local, as last summer. CLAY—COLORED SPARROW: 2 Jul 6, 1 Jul 7, 8, 12 Amherst (G. Inskip). White-crowned Sparrow: first summer record for western New York—1 Jul 12 Farmersville Station (D. F. Clarks). White-throated Sparrow: adults carrying food mid-Jun through mid-Jul Al¬ fred (EB,CWK); 1 Jul 8 Birdsall (RFA); 2 Jul 19 North Java (RFA et al); adults and 2 young Jul 31 Bflo (RFA et al). 19 Chestnut Street, Jamestown, N.Y. 14701 REGION 2 —GENESEE Howard S. Miller Temperatures for both June and July averaged about 1/2 degrees below normal while the first half of August averaged about 1 degree above normal. Rainfall for June was very heavy, almost 2 inches above normal. The rainfall for July was about 1 inch below normal. Rainfall for the first half of August was about normal. The early shorebird flight was very poor, due mostly to lack of suitable habitat because of continued high water levels. Screech Owls seemed to show a slight in¬ crease. Purple Martins appear to have recovered from their very low’ numbers of two and three years ago. As usual, many of the late flycatchers and warblers lingered until the first week of June. There seems to have been some increase in the meadow sparrows, especially the Henslow’s. In spite of many interesting records, the only really outstanding report was of a small flock of Red Crossbills the middle of July. Observers cited: MC—Michael Carlson; JJD—James J. Doherty; AEK—Allen E. Kemnitzer; BK—Beatrice Kemnitzer; WCL—Walter C. Listman; RGM—Robert G. McKinney; JM—Joseph McNett; TM—Thelma McNett; HSM—Howard S. Miller; RTO—Richard T. O’Hara; FHP—Frank H. Phelps. Localities: BB-Braddocks Bay; BS-Bergen Swamp; WL-West Lakeshore. LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: 1 June 14 Canadice Lake (Alfred Maley) — while this bird has been reported here previously, there is no evidence of nesting. Double-crested Cormorant: 1 June 12 Irondequoit Bay (TM)—very late date. Black- crowned Night Heron: maximum 12 June 16 BB (WCL)—this species seems to be increasing somewhat recently. Whistling Swan: 1 June 6 WL (RGM)—this bird was reported occasionally all summer by area residents. Mallard: 350 June 16 BB (WCL)—this was a flock coming into the bay at dusk; this species has mainly replaced the Black Duck as a breeding speuies. Green-winged Teal: 2 July 12 Hamlin (WCL—this bird is known to occa¬ sionally nest locally. Common Merganser: 1 June 6 WL (RGM). HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: 35 June 8 BS (GOS Hike). Cooper’s Hawk: Aug 5 Henrietta (Alfred Starling). Sparrow Hawk: 10 June 22 Avon area (GOS Hike)—also increasing in the Rochester area, where up to 5 or 6 birds can be seen in a morning’s birding. Upland Plover: 14 June 22 Rush-Avon area (GOS Hike). Least Sandpiper: 1 June 29 Hamilin (WCL). Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1 June 29 Hamlin (WCL). Sanderling: 15 July 20 Ontario Beach (HSM,FHP)—early for this number. Bona- 215 parte’s Gull: 200 July 26 Charlotte (HSM,RTO) — the species had been scarce pre¬ viously but continued fairly common after this date. Caspian Tern: maximum 8 August 10 Summerville (HSM,FHP). GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Whip-poor-will: 1 June 29 Irondequoit (Laura & Neil Moon). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: 1 all of June Webster (AEK). Yellow- bellied Flycatcher: 8 (2 netted) June 6 BB (RGM). Bank Swallow: an estimated 27,000 July 26 BB (WCL)-not unusual. Blue Jay: 200 June 6 BB (RGM)-the last of a heavy spring flight except for stragglers. Brown Creeper: 1 June 8 BS (GOS Hike); 1 June 22 Powder Mills Park (HSM, FHP); 1 July 22 Penfield (Gertrude Davis)—the first two records probably represent nesting birds. With the large num¬ ber of suitable nesting sites provided by countless dead elms, the bird may increase as a nesting species. Winter Wren: 1 June 14 C’onsesus Lake (MC,RTO)—this was a singing bird found in a deep ravine and may represent a nesting bird as the area is suitable. Short-billed Marsh Wren: 1 July 1 BB (WCL); 1 July 21 Chili (WCL). Mockingbird: 8 June 26 Webster (JM,TM); 10 July 28 Webster (JM,TM)—the first record represents the birds in two broods, the second the number of birds (mostly adults) found in a survey of the general area. Golden-crowned Kinglet: 2 July 28 Ossian Township, southern Livingston County fide Robert Andrle)—no nest was found, but the date indicates the birds were or had been nesting. The area where the birds were found was ideal for nesting—groves of mature spruue trees simi- liar to the spruce areas in Letchworth Park where the birds has been recorded in summer. This species probably breeds in very small numbers in suitable habitat in the southern parts of both Wyoming and Livingston counties. VIREOS-WARBLER: Black-and-white Warbler: 8 June BS (GOS Hike)- this bird nests fairly commonly here. Blue-winged Warbler: 1 June 7-8 Kendall (WCL et al). Nashville Warbler: 4 June 8 BS (GOS Hike)—this is probably the only place in our region where this species nests. Black-throated Blue Warbler: 1 June 6 Manitou (WCL). Black-throated Green Warbler: 2 June 8 BS (GOS Hike). Northern Waterthrush: 3 June 8 BS (GOS Hike); 1 June 8 Kendall (JJD et al). Louisiana Waterthrush: 1 July 6 Letchworth Park (WCL)—only report, not re¬ ported at Conesus Lake where it has been regularly seen. BLACKBIRDS-SPARROWS: Rusty Blackbird: 2 June 5 Manitou (WCL)-an extremely late date, one of the birds seemed injured. Evening Grosbeak: a pair was seen occasionally up to at least July 14 in Webster (Rosemary Trenkler fide TM). While no further evidence of possible nesting was observed it is possible that this pair may have nested as a pair did a few years ago in Pittsford. RED CROSSBILL : 15 July 14 Webster Fred Swift fide Warren Lloyd)—the birds were along Drumm Road searching for gravel, one bird had been injured, apparently by a car, and was picked up and brought to Warren Lloyd who verified the identification. Eaton’s “Birds of New York” mentions a record in July, 1903. White-throated Sparrow: 3 June 8 BS (GOS Hike)—this is the only place in our region where the species is known to nest. 2080 E. Main St., Rochester, New York REGION 3 —FINGER LAKES W. E. Benning June was cool and wet with a couple of hot days near the end of the month, then back to cool and wet until mid-July brought high temperatures and less moisture. The final three weeks of the period had normal summer temperatures with some heavy local showers. 216 At the Summer Seminar held at the Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell Univer¬ sity reports indicated the following species were up in numbers: at MNWR, Pied¬ billed Grebe, Black-crowned Night Heron, Gadwall and Common Gallinule; in Re¬ gion 3 as a whole, Sparrow Hawk, Ring-necked Pheasant, Barn Swallow, White¬ breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Long-billed Marsh Wren, Robin, Red-eyed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, American Goldfinch and Song Sparrow. Species reported as down in numbers were Black Duck, Ruffed Grouse, Common Nighthawk (at Ithaca), Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Phoebe, Tree Swallow, Short¬ billed Marsh Wren and Eastern Bluebird. Both Cuckoos were reported as slightly more abundant with the Black-billed doing better than the Yellow-billed. Reports were received from four of the 25 mile Fish and Wildlife Breeding Bird Surveys conducted in the Region. The Trumansburg census (DM) tallied 55 species on June 22, six more than last year and the largest total in four years. Up in numbers were Ring-necked Pheasant, Blue Jay, Crow and Field Sparrow. Yellow-shafted Flicker and Wood Thrush were down. The Rushville run, June 6, (FG) had 51 species and the Branchport survey (FG), June 22, 49. There were increased numbers of Ring-necked Pheasant, Bank Swallow, Brown Thrasher, Veery, Starling, House Sparrow, Redwinged Blackbird, Common Grackle and Savannah Sparrow. The Or¬ leans count (PPT) came up with 57 species on June 7. The breeding bird census in Sapsucker Woods (DBP) was taken June 10 and tallied 53 species, down 6 from 1968. Observers cited:RFA—Robert F. Andrle; WEB—Walter E. Benning; JBr—Jack Brubaker; AFG—Alfred and Florence Graham; CH—Clayton Hardy; CL—Charles Leek; DBP—David B. Peakall; LP—Louise Proskine; PPT—Paris and Pepper Trail; CW—Cathy Walsh; JW—'Jayson Walker; RW—Ruth Williams. Localities: Cay L—Cayuga Lake; CSCC—Clifton Springs Country Club; Conn Hill—Connecticut Hill; MNWR—Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge; SWS—Sap- sucker Woods Sanctuary; Sen C—Seneca Castle; Sen L—Seneca Lake; WD—Water¬ loo dump. LOONS-DUCKS: Common Loon:l Jun 6 MNWR (JW); 1 Sen L (Barry Strath). Pied-billed Grebe: good breeding success, 100 young MNWR (CH). Great Blue Heron: Bennetsburg-Reynoldsville heronry active (JBr); Marengo Swamp heronry down to 100 nests (WEB). Green Heron: 2 all summer at CSCC (CW); normal at MNWR. Common Egret: 4 late Jul MNWR (RW). Black-crowned Night Heron: Nested in cattails at MNWR, 60 birds were in the air when the nests were visited in Jun (CH). Least Bittern: Nest with 4 young Watkins Marsh (JBr); singles seen MNWR (CH etal). American Bittern: 1-2 frequently at MNWR. 1969 WATERFOWL PRODUCTION MNWR (CH) Estimated Change Broods observed total young from ’68 Canada Goose 31 122 + 15 Mallard 30 660 - 44 Black Duck 2 35 - 2 Gadwall 21 420 -150 Pintail 10 - 1 Green-winged Teal 20 + 12 Blue-winged Teal 6 396 -364 Shoveler 10 - 12 Wood Duck 30 570 + 90 Redhead 6 60 - 94 Hooded Merganser 2 9 - 2 * Figures from Oct. 1968 Kingbird 217 Mallard, Black Duck and Blue-winged Teal nested at Watkins Marsh (JBr). HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: 2 young raised in Marengo Swamp, 21 birds sighted there Aug 3 (WEB); 2 at CSCC all summer (CW). Sharp-shinned Haw'k: 2 young Hornby, Steuben Co (RFA). Red-tailed Hawk: normal thruout Region. Marsh Hawk: 1 Jul Dryden (DBP). Sparrow Hawk: Apparent good nesting suc¬ cess in entire Region. Bobwhite: sighting at Jacksonville (AFG). Ring-necked Pheasant: good breeding success, numbers on the increase. Turkey: holding their own in hills S of Ithaca. KING RAIL: 1 Jun 22 MNWR (WEB) (see Field Note in this issue). Virginia Rail: 1 Jun 29 MNWR (JW). Common Gallinule: 28 broods, estimated 65 young MNWR (CH). American Coot: 69 broods, estimated 260 young MNWR (CH). Unless otherwise noted all shorebird records for MNWR and WD are those of WEB. First dates refer to first sightings of southward bound migrants. Semipalmated Plover: first 1 Jul 25, max 30 Aug 15 MNWR; 3 Aug 2 WD (JW). Killdeer: max 59 Jul 19 MNWR..American Golden Plover: 1 Aug 10 Sen C. (CW). Black-bellied Plover: last spring date 9 Jun 1 MNWR (JW); first fall date 1 Aug 10 Sen C (CW), 4 Aug 15 first MNWR, 2 Aug 14 first WD (CW). Lesser Yellow- legs: first 6 Jul 2 max 49 Jul 9 MNWR; max 23 Jul 17 WD. Pectoral Sandpiper: first 1 Jul 4 max 41 Aug 15 MNWR; first 1 Aug 3 WD (JW). White-rumped Sand¬ piper: first 1 Aug 10 MNWR (JW). Baird’s Sandpiper: first 1 Jul 17 WD. Least Sandpiper: first 1 Jul 4 max 62 Jul 26 MNWR; first 8 Jul 17 WD. Short-billed Dowitcher: first 1 Jul 2 max 10 Jll 25 MNWR; first 2 Jul 21 WD (JW). Stilt Sandpiper: first 1 Jul 16 max 2 Aug 13 MNWR; first 1 Aug 7 WD (JW). Semipal¬ mated Sandpiper; first 2 Jul 19 max 87 Aug 15 MNWR. Ruff: male with remnants of white ruff Jul 5 MNWR (WEB and PPT) (see Field Note in this issue); 1 Aug 7 WD (JW). Sanderling: single bird Jul 25 MNWR. Wilson’s Phalarope: 1 Aug 7 WD (JW); 1 Aug 15 MNWR (DBP). Northern Phalarope: 1 Aug 14 WD (CW and PPT). Ring-billed Gull: 150 all summer Cay L Inlet (CL); 50 on Sen L (CW); very few at MNWR. Common Tern: 1-6 at MNWR. Black Tern: Nested in good numbers at MNWR, many had left by the end of the period. Mourning Dove: good numbers except in Geneva area. Cuckoos: both species apparently up a little from recent low point. Barn Owl: pair nested in silo on Slaterville Rd., Ithaca, 6 young, 5 fledged, 1 drowned in water trough (DM). Screech Owl: no reports. Great Horned Owl: juvenile sighted near Geneva (CW). Saw-whet Owl: 1 Aug 12 near Orleans (PPT). GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Common Nighthawk: 1 all summer at Waterloo (JW), 2 Aug 13 and 3 Aug 15 (DBP). Chimney Swift: few reports; 100 plus mi¬ grating Aug 15 Waterloo (JW). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: generally scarce. Red-bellied Woodpecker: more around Geneva (CW); this species continues to spread from its former limited range around MNWR. Red-headed Woodpecker: family group Jun 15 Dryden (DBP); 30 at CSCC (GW); up in Keuka L area (FG); 1 Jun 14 Waterloo (JW); nesting north of MNWR (WEB). Flycatchers: all but Eastern Kingbird and Eastern Wood Pewee down somewhat in numbers with the Least especially so. Olive-sided Flycatcher: 1 Jul at Keuka L (FG). Horned Lark: nested at CSCC (CW). Swallows: few reports. Tree and Bank Swallows definitely down at MNWR (WEB); dead trees which provided nesting habitat there for Tree Swallows are disappearing; max Bank Swallows sighted on wires 1800 compared to 8,000-10,000 a few years back. Cliff Swallow: normal num¬ bers returned to Voak colony in Benton Twnshp, Yates Co. (81 nests in 1968); in June most of the birds suddenly disappeared; the fact that the birds disappeared immediately after local alfalfa fields were sprayed for alfalfa weevil may or may not be purely coincidental; a few nests fledged young. Purple Martin: situation still dis¬ mal; 4 seen on SWS breeding bird censls did not nestt (DBP); 1-3 seen occa- 218 sionally around pools at MNWR but the houses at the Headquarters were empty (WEB); none at Waterloo (JW). Red-breasted Nuthatch: 1 at Hornby, Steuben Co (RFA). House Wren: reported up in numbers. Marsh Wrens: good numbers of Long-bills but no Short-bills at MNWR. Mockingbird: reported at Ithaca Marina, 3 young fledged from 2nd nesting; these are in addition to the 5 reported in the Jul Kingbird (Rathnell fide DM); 1 Jul 27 Waterloo (JW) reported by residents to have been there all summer. Brown Thrasher: reported doing well. Robin: abundant, good nesting success. Eastern Blue¬ bird: in the Keuka L area a slight increase with 10 successful nestings (FG); in the Watkins area early broods fared poorly but later broods had better success (JBr); at Trumansburg only two verified nests where there have been 8-10 in recent years; 1 other nesting report was not verified; 1 nest fledged 4 young (LP); 1 male sighted Jun 22 Waterloo (JW). Golden-crowned Kinglet: singing regularly during Jun Conn Hill (JBr); 2 Jul 28 Greenwood, Steuben Co (RFA). Cedar Waxwing: nestings near Geneva (CW). VIREOS-WARBLERS: The following species were found on the breeding cen- suses. SWS Orleans Trumansburg Branchport Rushville Yellow-throated Vireo 1 1 Red-eyed Vireo 14 8 3 5 1 Warbling Vireo 2 Yellow Warbler 3 17 6 5 6 Northern Waterthrush Chestnut-sided Warbler 2 1 Ovenbird 6 1 Yellowthroat 8 3 18 12 2 Redstart 1 1 2 1 Canada Warbler 5 Prothonotary Warbler: 2 pairs nested MNWR, 5 young fledged (CH). Golden¬ winged and Blue-winged Warblers: both seen Ellis Hollow Creek Rd, Ithaca (Doris Brann fide LP). Brewster’s Warbler: seen in the same area (LP). Nashville Warbler: One in fall plumage mist-netted Aug 9 Geneva (CW). Yellow Warbler: apparent migrants moving Jul 27 MNWR (WEB); also at Dryden Aug 4 and 5 (DBP). Cerulean Warbler: present at usual nesting site near Waterloo. Blackpoll Warbler: lingered near Geneva to mid-Jun (CW). Mourning Warbler: 1 Jun 12-20 Clifton Springs (PPT); 1 Aug 9 Marengo Swamp (PPT,CW,WEB). Redstart: nest near Marengo Swamp (WEB). BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Orchard Oriole: nested successfully on West Hill, Ithaca (LP); young bird found the first week of Jul Keuka L is the first record of young in that area (FG). Sc arlet Tanager: reported up in most of the area. Cardinal: continues to hold the advances made in recent years. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: very successful nesting at Keuka L (FG). Grasshopper Sparrow: present in the usual site on Mills Rd north of Waterloo (JW); on the increase at Geneva (CW). Other Spar¬ rows which nest in the Region seem to holding their own with Song Sparrows being especially abundant. P.O. Box 72, Clyde, N.Y. 14433 219 REGION 4 —SUSQUEHANNA Leslie E. Bemont Temperatures averaged near normal all summer and there were few oppresively hot days. Precipitation was near normal in June but tapered off thereafter making the season progressively drier as it wore on. Again most of the valuable information collected during the summer is a result of the Fish and Wildlife Service Breeding Bird Surveys. The composite totals from the seven available surveys are reported below for every species recorded on at least one of them in the form “(14-5)” meaning in this example a total of 14 individuals reported on five survey routes. Comparisons with the results similarly reported in previous years should be interesting, although it should be borne in mind that the list of surveys reporting is unfortunately different from year to year. Another Kentucky Warbler was added to the list of interesting southerners re¬ corded during the spring migration. And Chenango County again contributed re¬ ports of species such as Swainson’s Thrush and Red-breasted Nuthatch that suggest ecological affinities with more mountainous or northern areas. An interesting situation over the past dozen years or more has been the irregular presence during the breeding season, and even some actual breeding records, of Common Mergansers in Delaware County, somewhat south of the central New York limit mentioned in the Fifth Edition AOU Checklist. This year they were again present on the Pepacton Reservoir and a breeding record was obtained from east¬ ern Broome County. Breeding Mockingbirds seem a little more firmly established and a few Tufted Titmouse nests were found, suggesting that that population, too, is expanding. Abbreviations used: BBS—Fish and Wildlife Service Breeding Bird Survey; Bing¬ hamton; WP—Whitney Point. Observers' initials: DB—Donald Bemont; LB—Leslie Bemont; LC—Mrs. Lynn Clark; GC—Gail Corderman; MC—Mitchell Cubberly; A,MD—Anna & Marilyn Davis; CJD-jC arleton & Jeanne Davis; EF—Elizabeth Feldhusen; HM—Harriet Marsi; MM —Michael Moore; RP—Robert Pantle; MS—Mary Sheffield; RS—Robert Sheffield; HS—Harvey Spivak; JT—Josepine Tuttle; DW—Donald Weber; CW—Cora Well¬ man; R,SW—Ruth & Sally White; SW—Stuart Wilson. LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: 2 seen regularly all summer on the Oneonta Reservoir (EF). Great Blue Heron: (3-3); 4 nests at Sharon Springs (CW). Green Heron: (1-1). Black-crowned Night Heron: (4—1), Coventryville BBS (LB), the only report in the region this year. Ring-necked Duck: 2 males Jul 20 Whitney Point (RS,MS). Hooded Merganser: young and adults Jun 10 German, in Cortland County, (S. Willcox). Common Merganser: Jun 13 Oquaga Lake, a female with at least 8 young,—“saw very clearly the white neck, reddish head, sharp line of demar¬ cation between red and white, long cresty feathers on head, merganser bill. Also, she dived repeatedly.” (SW); 18, in a group of 15 and a group of 3, Aug 3 the high count on Pepacton Reservoir (MC). HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: over 20 Jul 23 perched on rocks along river between Walton and Cannonsville Reservoir (R,SW); two other reports. Sharp- shinned Hawk: (1-1), Lisle BBS (RP), the only report during the period. Cooper's Hawk: three reports. Red-tailed Hawk: (8-4); 26 other reports during the period. Red-shouldered Hawk: Jul 31 south of Bing (GC), the only one. Broad-winged Hawk: 5 reports. Bald Eagle: an immature over Pepacton Reservoir Jul 7 (MC); one at Deposit Aug 8 (SW). Marsh Hawk: (2-2), Jun 25 Cooperstown BBS (Ken Hanson); Jun 27 Oxford BBS (HM); the only ines reported. Sparrow Hawk: (13-5). Ruffed Grouse: at Delhi “much fewer” (LC). Bobwhite: Jun 30 Delhi 220 (LC). Ring-necked Pheasant: (2-2). Killdeer: (45-6). Common Snipe: 1 Aug 2 Sherburne (R,SW). Upland Plover: 1 Jun 29 South Plymouth, Chenango County, (LB,DB), the only report. Spotted Sandpiper: (2-1). Solitary Sandpiper: 1 Jul 20 Sherburne (R,SW); Jul 31 Milford (CW). Greater Yellowlegs: 4 Aug 10 Sherburne (R,SW). Lesser Yellowlegs: 2 Aug 10 Sherburne (R,SW). Pectoral Sandpiper: 3 Aug 10 Sherburne (R,SW). Least Sandpiper: 3 Jul 20 Sherburne (R,SW). Ring¬ billed Gull: 6 or more at WP Jul 2 and 2 Jul 9(LB,DB). Rock Dove: (17-2). Mourning Dove: (24-6). Yellow-billed Cuckoo: (4-3). Black-billed Cuckoo: (3-1). Screech Owl: 4 reports, all in Triple Cities area. Barred Owl: Jul 13 a young bird at Bing (GC); also “heard several times” at Andes (MC). GOATSUCKERS—STARLING; Chimney Swift: (58-3), surprisingly missing from 4 of the 7 BBS available. Belted Kingfisher: (7-4), generally quite common. Yellow- shafted Flicker: (81-7). Pileated Woodpecker: (1-1); only two other reports all summer. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: (13-4). Downy Woodpecker: (9-3). Eastern Kingbird: (60-7); 27 on die Cooperstown BBS; “great numbers” in Norwich area (R.SW). Great-crested Flycatcher: (13-6); missing from Cooperstown BBS. Eastern Phoebe: (62-7). Traill’s Flycatcher: (7—2). Least Flycatcher: (47-6). Eastern Wood Pewee: (23-6). Horned Lark: (2-2). Tree Swallow: (22-5); “12 families” at Andes (MC). Bank Swallow: (1-1). Rough-winged Swallow: (14-1), Cooperstown BBS. Barn Swallow': (188-7). Cliff Swallow: (1-1); at Greene all summer as usual (C, JD); 1 banded Jun 24 Candor (RP). Purple Martin: “20 to 30 individuals” in 2 houses at Unadilla until Aug 8 or 10 (JT). Blue Jay: (88-7). Common Crow; (194- 7). Black-capped Chickadee: (46-5). Tufted Titmouse: a nest found west of Endi- cott (MM); an adult brought 4 young to a feeder at Chenango Forks almost all Jul and into Aug (A,MD); reported at Unadilla (JT). White-breasted Nuthatch: (6-4). Brown Creeper: 3 or 4 at Cortland Jun 1 and 6 (HS); Jun 22 Endwell (LB); Aug 7 Chenango Forks (A,MD). House Wren: (69-7). Carolina Wren: Jun 21 “and earlier” Vestal (Mrs. James Putnam). Long-billed Marsh Wren: 12 Jul 13 Sherburne (R,SW). Short-billed Marsh Wren: none “tho’ we searched the regular places” (R,SW). Mockingbird: (3-2), 2 Cooperstown BBS and 1 Lisle BBS; 4 records with evidence of breeding, including 2 with 2nd attempt noted after 1st attempt failed. Catbird: (78-7). Brown Thrasher: (31-7). Robin: (516-7). Wood Thrush: (131- 7). Hermit Thrush: (21-4); 2 singing males at Candor in early Jun (DW); 1 sing¬ ing at Pharsalia Aug 9 (R,SW). Swainson’s Thrush: (1—1), Oxford BBS; singing at Pharsalia Jun 8 and Jul 12 (R,SW). Veery: (74-7); reported regularly until Jul 22. Eastern Bluebird: (2-1), Lisle BBS; at Candor “poor luck nesting—1 nest of 5 made it” (DW) and none too frequently reported in the western part of the Region— progressively better results towards the east—a 2nd nesting at Oxford (Anne Strat¬ ton); 4 pairs known to have raised families within 10 miles of Unadilla (Dorothy Sawyer); 4 families raised at Andes (MC); “quite successful this year—20 young reached maturity in nest boxes on our property—several friends had successful nest¬ ings” at Delhi (LC). Cedar Waxwing; (37-5). Starling: (654-7), VIREOS—WARBLERS: Yellow-throated Vireo (4-3). Solitary Vireo: (2-1), Oxford BBS. Red-eyed Vireo: (71—7). Warbling Vireo: (10-4), all in Broome and Chenango Counties. Black-and-white Warbler: (4-2). Worm-eating Warbler: (1-1), Lisle BBS, extra time taken for identification (RP). Golden-Winged Warbler: (1-1); fairly com¬ mon locally around Bing. Brewster’s Warbler: 1 Jun 8 Endwell (LB). Blue-winged Warbler: a pair carrying food Endwell Jun 8 (LB). Nashville Warbler: (3-2); 2 nests found at Chenango Forks (A,MD). Yellow Warbler: (59-7). Magnolia War¬ bler: 4 heard singing Jul 12 Pharsalia (R,SW). Black-throated Blue Warbler: Jun 21 Andes (EF,MC, et al). Myrtle Warbler: Jun 21 Andes (EF,MC, et al). Black- throated Green Warbler: (8—2). Blackburnian Warbler: 6 reports. Chestnut-sided Warbler: (52-6). Blackpoll Warbler: Jun 21 Andes (EF,MC, et al), unusually late. 221 Prairie Warbler: regularly thru Jun to Jul 3 Vestal Center (Elizabeth and Newell Washburn). Ovenbird: (34—6). Northern Waterthrush: (1-1), Coventryville BBS; 2 Aug 10 Sherburne (R,SW). Louisiana Waterthrush: Jul 28 Delhi (LC). Kentucky Warbler: Jun 8 Endwell (LB), song and all field marks at about 30 feet—2nd one in Bing area this year. Mourning Warbler: Jun 21 Andes (EF,MC, et al), the only one all summer. Yellowthroat: (187-7). Yellow-breasted Chat: Jun 13 Bing (LB). Canada Warbler: (2-2); 6 other reports. American Redstart: (38-6). BLACKBIRDS-SPARROWS: House Sparrow: (199-6). Bobolink: (116-7). East¬ ern Meadowlark: (126-7). Redwinged Blackbird: (1476-7). Orchard Oriole: the pair reported at Bing in the previous issue present to at least Jun 12 (LB, W. Sutliff, R. Smith). Baltimore Oriole: (44-7), 18 on Delhi BBS, where there were “more than the usual” (LC)—still the overall total doesn’t seem up to general impressions. Com¬ mon Grackle: (360—7), 225 on Cooperstown BBS, but only 5 on Delhi BBS and 7 on McDonough BBS (Claude Howard). Brown-headed Cowbird: (52-6). Scarlet Tanager: (32-7). Cardinal: (18-5), missing from Cooperstown and Delhi BBS. Rose¬ breasted Grosbeak: (19-7). Indigo Bunting: (34-5). Purple Finch: (15-3), 12 on Cooperstown BBS; “nesting somewhere” around Candor (DW). American Gold¬ finch: (147-7). Rufous-sided Towhee: (139—7). Savannah Sparrow: (54-6); at Delhi “fewer than usual” (LC). Grasshopper Sparrow: (3-2). Henslow’s Sparrow: (1-1), Coventryville BBS; still singing at Choconut Center, 2 miles north of Johnson City, Aug 10 (RS,MS). Vesper Sparrow: (12-2). Slate-colored Junco: (5-1), Oxford BBS; 6 at Pharsalia Jul 12 (R,SW). Chipping Sparrow: (150-7). Field Sparrow: (98-7), White-throated Sparrow: (16-3); 10 singing at Pharsalia Jun 8 and 7 Jul 2 (R,SW); at Andes Jun 21 (EF,MC, et al). Song Sparrow: (358-7). 710 University Ave., Endwell, New York, 13760 REGION 5 —ONEIDA LAKE BASIN M. S. Rusk and F. G. Scheider Early June was warm, green, and fresh with the abundant rain of April and May. An almost idyllic three weeks of decent weather ended in a five-day spell in late June of protracted cold, high winds, and chilling rain, undoubtedly ruining many nestings, particularly amongst swallows, vireos, and warblers. Early July rapidly warmed up, and muggy nights and mosquito days were common in the first two weeks. By July 10 shorebird and early landbird migration had begun. Few areas of shorebird habitat were present by July 15, but a four-week dry spell engendered a fair supply of mud-rimmed ponds and marshes by mil-August. The promise of an early landbird migration, however, was completely wiped away by the continuous hot weather and southerly winds of early August, and no migrant warblers other than Yellow Warblers and American Redstarts were detected by the end of the period. Extensive breeding bird investigations were undertaken in the Oswego County por¬ tion of the Tug Hill Plateau, the highlands of southern Madison and Onondaga Counties, and the southwestern Adirondacks above Old Forge and Big Moose. All of the nine regional U.S. Fish and Wildlife Breeding Bird Surveys were covered this year, and the data accruing from these and other indicated explorations produced a wealth of information in suspected but, until now, undocumented distribution. Positives for the summer include 1) an upswing in the locations of Upland Plover; 2) spread of Red-bellied Woodpecker and increase in Red-headed Woodpecker; 3) excellent tallies of Least Flycatcher and a panregional influx of Cedar Waxwing; 222 4) some increase in warblers numbers on the U.S. F&WBBS and excellent counts of same from the Tug Hill Plateau and the southern highlands; 5) an apparent increase in Baltimore Oriole and Scarlet Tanager; and 6) increasing numbers of breeding Grasshopper, Henslow’s, and Lincoln’s Sparrows. Negatives are unfortunately many—1) severe losses in the largest local Great Blue Heron colony and some attrition in others; 2) no white herons or Black-crowiied Night Heron for the entire period; 3) continued decline, virtually to extirpation, of Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, Red-shouldered, and Marsh Hawks; 4) no improvement in the dismal cuckoo situation; 5) a continued drop in both local goatsuckers and in Ruby-throated Hummingbird; 6) a sharp decline in certain marsh and swamp pas¬ serines—Traill’s Flycatcher, Tree Swallow, Long-billed Marsh Wren; 7) extremely low Bluebird counts; 8) the complete loss of the Ontario lakeplain Hooded Warbler colonies; and 9) a reduction in numbers of fringillids of disparate habitat—Indigo Bunting, Savannah Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow. Rarae aves of the period include Rough-legged Hawk, Whimbrel, Willet, Hud- sonian Godwit, Ruff, Franklin’s Gull, Gray Jay, Western Meadowlark, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and White-winged Crossbill. Abbreviations: Places: CV—Camillus Valley; FHBSP—Fair Haven Beach State Park; FR—Fox Ridge sugar beet waste impoundments near Port Byron; HIGMA— Howland Island Game Management Area near Port Byron; HVGMA—Happy Valley Game Management Area near Parish; LJGMA—Littlejohn Game Management Area near Redfield; On on—Onondaga; SP—Sandy Pond; Syr—Syracuse; THP—Tug Hill Plateau. Others: F&WBBS—U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 25-mile breeding bird survey—Alder Creek Jul 1 by KGH, Cicero Ctr Jun 20 by JWP, Clinton Jun 21 by SM, Kasoag Jun 10 by MSR, McKeever Jul 9 by KGH, N Victory Jun 11 by JWP, N Wilmurt Jun 11 by FGS, Oneida by B&SP, and Oriskany Falls by C&E Farnham. Observers: DWA—D. W. Ackley; VB—V. Billings; GLC—G. L. Church; DC—D. Crumb; EE—E. Evans; FLF—F. LaFrance; KGH—K. G. Hanson; GM—G. Maxwell; SM-S. Morgan; B&SP-B. & S. Peebles; JWP-J. W. Propst; MSR—M. S. Rusk; FGS— F. G. Scheider; GS—G. Smith; RJS—R. J. Sutliff. The editors wish to thank the many observers for their data and particular thanks must be given to D. Crumb, F. LaFrance, J. W. Propst, and R. J. Sutliff for aid in the compilation of the numerous reports. LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: 1 Aug 5 Oneida L (DS) is undoubtedly a summering bird. Pied-billed Grebe: new location at Rice Creek near Oswego (GM); up to ten per day at FR (RJS,FLF). Great Blue Heron: the largest Re¬ gional colony, at Cross L, was virtually wiped out this year by a tornado—only sur¬ viving young were two in one nest and one each in two others (SM); at Scott Swamp near Phoenix 19 nests had a total of 47 young (SM); at Morrisville Swamp 24 nests had 60 young (GLC); the Old Fly colony (in Pompey) was halved (from seven to four active nests) by windstorm (FLF); also a newly discovered colony of about 20 active nests at Brookfield (GLC). Green Heron: about 60 at Utica marsh Jul 27 (VB) is period max. No Black-crowned Night Heron nor white heron for entire pe¬ riod. Least Bittern: max 4 Utica marsh Jul 27 (VB); 1 each at FR and FHBSP, both new sites. Canada Goose: summer max 105 Jul 30 HIGMA (RJS); nesting success there fair. Mallard: good breeding success with many eight-to-ten duckling broods at HIGMA, FR, and Old Fly; flocking by early Aug with 50 Aug 5 at Oneida L. Black Duck: definitely down as a breeder—max 32 Aug 5 Salmon R (EE); very few broods noted, even at HIGMA-FR. Gadwall: max 8 HIGMA-FR Jun 16; none away from there. Green-winged Teal: summer max 9 males and 1 female FR Jun 22; arr Aug 14, 2 Onon L. American Widgeon: max 3 FR Jul 19 (FLF,RJS); unreported else¬ where. Shoveler: 1 Aug 4 Onon L is early arr (MSR). Wood Duck: summer max 28 223 HIGMA-FR Aug 2 (GS): fall counts will be interesting, as breeding success seemed low this year. Summering diving ducks include a male Ring-necked Duck at FR; Canvasback Jul 9 Torpy Pond in Madison Co (FLF) and Common Merganser Oneida L Aug 11 (DWA). Ruddy Duck: 3 males and 2 females FR Jun 16 with lesser tallies to Jul 6 —are they breeding in that area or are they Montezuma NWR spillovers? HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: singles at HVGMA Jun 8 (FGS); Centerville Jun 20 (EE); and Hannibal Jul 8 (FLF); the last east of the N Cayuga Co popula¬ tion; there is a distinct hiatus for this species between Oswego and Pulaski on the lake plain. Goshawk: singles at Pineville, a sub-THP (i.e. S of Rt. 13 but north of Oneida Lake) location, Jun 25 (JWP); and one near Big Moose Jun 18 (FGS). Sharp-shinned Hawk: one bird Navarino Jul 22 (GS)—from 20 observers—absolutely dismal. Cooper’s Hawk: 2 Peterboro Jul 1 (FLF), and Jamesville Jul 14 (DC) from 20 observers—equally dismal—both small accipiters are near extirpation as breeders here. Red-tailed Hawk: small numbers (1-4 per day) thru summer, with max 8 Jun 2 near Eaton (GLC); an ad and an imm near Big Moose are unusual as the habitat there is most atypical for this species. Red-shouldered Hawk: eight locations of 1-2 birds this summer—4 in THP; 2 in S Madison Co; 1 at HIGMA; and 1 near Utica— now unreported from all the wooded swamps of the Ontario lake plain. Broad-winged Hawk: widely reported, primarily from Adirondacks, THP, and S Onon and Madison Co; also noted at Sandy Creek, Pineville, and HVGMA. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK: light-phase bird Jul 8 at Syr Airport (FGS) and the same or a second bird at Pom- pey Jul 21 and Aug 3 (DC) is unprecedented—first summer records! Bald Eagle: an adult Jun 21 Oneida L (Duane Morgan) is only report. Marsh Hawk: 4 reports from hill country sectors—THP and S Madison Co—and only 2 from the Ontario lake plain—Deer Creek 1 male, FHBSP a pair (MSR); like Red-shouldered Hawk, virtually gone from the L Ontario marhses and Seneca R lowlands. Osprey: Big Moose L pair returned—breeding success unknown. Sparrow Hawk: local numbers appear to be holding up with 8 plus broods reported; appears to be fairly common in sub-THP and Ontario lake plain, quite, the reverse of the other hawks. Coot: 1 Jul 27 Utica marsh (VB) is most unusual; also 2 at FR Jul 4—this species is very scarce at HIGMA-FR in contrast to its abundance at Montezuma NWR. Breeding shorebirds: Woodcock: 1 still sky-dancing Jun 26 Toad Harbor on Oneida L (MSR). Common Snipe: 2 near Oswego Jul 7 (GM) and 1 Jun 13 Nine Mile Pt on L Ontario (MSR) represent new locations and are most unusual on the Ontario lake plain; none noted in either the Pimpey area or the Oswego Co portion of THP. Upland Plover: widely noted and with increased frequency—new locations are on Alder Creek F&WBBS, near Salisbury, and in Onon Co at Brewerion, Jamesville, and Apulia; repeated sightings near Caughdenoy and Pompey Center, and 4 on Clinton F&WBBS at Frankfort; 1 migrating S Jun 26 (extremely early) near Jewell. Shorebird rarities: WHIMBREL : 4 on Jul 27 Onon L (RJS, FGS) are most un¬ usual. WILLET: 1 Jul 3-5 Onon L, a very large bird—? western race (FGS,mob). HUDSONIAN GODWIT: ad female in breeding plumage Jun 13 SP inlet (MSR, mob) is first Regional spring record. RUFF : ad male in winter plumage Aug 4-11 Onon L (MSR,mob). Wilson’s Phalarope: only 1 reported, Aug 6-7 Onon L (FGS, mob). Migrant shorebirds listel below with arr and period max as indicated: Semi- palmated Plover: arr Jul 10 1 SP (FGS); max 15 Aug 11 Onon L (RJS). Killdeer: summer max 112 Aug 12 Fernwood (FGS). Golden Plover: arr Aug 10 1 Fernwood (MSR); max 11 Aug 14 Fernwood (DC,FGS). Black-bellied Plover: arr Aug 11 Fernwood (JWP). Ruddy Turnstone: arr Jul 28 2 Onon L (FGS); max 3 Aug 9 FHBSP (MSR). Spotted Sandpiper: max 33 Jul 21 Onon L (RJS). Solitary Sand- 224 piper: arr Jul 15 1 Bolivar (MSR); max 3 Aug 3 Bolivar (MSR). Greater Yellow- legs: arr Jul 3 1 Onon L (JWP); max 17 (large number for so early) Aug 10 Fern- wood (MSR). Lesser Yellowlegs: arr Jul 2 2 Onon L (GS); max 280 Jul 18 Onon L (JWP). Pectoral Sandpiper: arr Jul 17 3 Onon L (GS)- max 6 Jul 28 and Aug 8 both Onon L (FGS,FLF)—very scarce. White-rumped Sandpiper: arr Aug 6 1 Onon L (GS); max 3 Aug 7 Onon L (JWP,FGS). Least Sandpiper: arr Jul 2 1 Onon L (FGS); max 174 Jul 21 Onon L (RJS). Short-billed Dowitcher: arr Jul 9 6 Nine Mile Pt, with matched max 6 Jul 19 FR (RJS)—very scarce this fall. Stilt Sand¬ piper: arr Jul 17 1 Onon L (RJS); max 19 Aug 9 Onon L (S. Hosier, GS)—a very high count and particularly so when compared with the scarcity of Short-billed Dowitchers! Semipalmated Sandpiper: arr Jul 17 1 Onon L (RJS)—late; max 310 Aug 7 Onon L (JWP). Sanderling: arr Jul 19 1 SP (FLF,RJS); max 50 Aug 10 SP (MSR). Ring-billed Gull: summer max 1100 Jun 17 SP inlet; almost entirely subadults. FRANKLIN’S GULL : an ad in breeding plumage Jun 8 Nine Mile Pt impoundment (JWP) is first Regional record in five years. Bonaparte’s Gull: present thru summer at SP (max 7 Jun 13), Delta L (4 Aug 15, VB), Oneida L (20 Aug 11, DWA). Common Tern: 3004- birds in marsh-based colony at Hart Is, SP (M. Sunderlin, W. Lloyd). Black Tern: max 45 SP colony; 12 at N Syr; smaller groups (4-7) at Sage Creek and Grindstone Creek marshes on L Ontario; and 2 at Utica marsh Jun 12. Mourning Dove: summer max 45 Fayetteville Jun 20 (MSR); many Jun nestings ruined by windstorms. Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 19 individuals reported in period from 20 observers—still quite scarce. Black-billed Cuckoo: 44 from 20 observers—up slightly from last year; new sites at Smartville, Williamstown, Rome, and Boonville (mob). Barred Owl: after two years’ absence, pair at Labrador Pond in S Onon Co (JWP). Great Horned Owl: new locations for individuals near Jewell (B&SP) and Clinton (SM,GS). Long-eared Owl: 1 calling vigorously near Elpis Jun 4 (JWP, MSR)—usually undetected in summer period. GOATSUCKERS—STARLINGS: Whip-poor-will: summer counts of this appar¬ ently disappearing species are 3 Rome Sand Plains Jun 24 (B&SP); 4 Jun 4 W Vienna Twp (JWP,MSR); 4 Jul 6 Boonville (KGH); 4 Gravesville (VB); and 1 near Oswego ( GM—the last is most unusual as it is rare on the lake plain. Common Nighthawk; summer max only 6 Utica (VB); down in Syr with only 1—2 per evening in downtown. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: very scarce thru summer—max 4 on several occasions in THP; some active observers saw none thru the period. Pileated Woodpecker: 2 new stations near Boonville probably reflect increased observations there rather than a rise in numbers; 1 at Mycenae Jul 9 (MSR) prob¬ ably does represent expansion locally. Red-bellied Woodpecker: nesting confirmed in CV (M. Thomas) and 3 birds (all new sites) on N Victory F&WBBS. Red-headed Woodpecker: some 26 sites located this year in peripheral areas about Oneida (DWA); at least 10 sites in hill country of S Onon and Madison Co (FLF, GS, GLC); also new sites at Ilion and Little Falls (KGH). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: widely reported with counts of 14-15 per day in THP and SW Adirondacks (mob); a pair at HIGMA Jun 16 (FGS) may indicate regular breeding there. Eastern Kingbird: first migrants Jul 11 Onon L (FGS). Eastern Phoebe: scarce on F&WBBSs—max 12 N Wilmurt, 4 Clinton, 6 McKeever, with most counts (surveys or daily) lower. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: dep Jun 9 Herlihy Rd in Fabius (FGS). Traill’s Flycatcher: numbers seem down panregionally for both “fitzbew” and “we- beo” forms—max only 11 Jun 11 Forestport-Boonville; no other count over ten per day. Least Flycatcher: THP numbers excellent—71 in five miles of trail Redfield Twp. 27 in five miles LJGMA; Ontario lake plain counts lower—2 Cicero and 4 N Victory F&WBBSs. Olive-sided Flycatcher: 1 Jun 7 Oneida (B&SP) is dep date; pair in Boylston Twp is only THP record; LJGMA pair not present this year. 225 Tree Swallow: summer counts strikingly low, with counts of only 45 per day from both FR-HIGMA Jun 16 and Big Moose-Stillwater Jun 18 (FGS); most counts much lower and late summer flock counts are dismal—max 70 Jul 30 Big Moose (B. Barnum). Bank Swallow: newly counted active colonies—170 holes Victory Twp, 700 holes Camillus Twp, and 250 holes Fulton (all MSR), also 65- and 70-hole colonies near Erieville, 46 holes Nelson, and 37 holes Eaton (all FLF). Rough¬ winged Swallow: in decline locally—summer max at CV is only 2 (FGS); a few at Caughdenoy and Phoenix. Barn Swallow: the local swallow—many small (6-8 nests) “colonies” reported, and large flocks reported in late Jul and early Aug (e.g. 500 in an hour Jul 20). Cliff Swallow: newly noted colonies of 20 nests at Holland Patent (J&E VanDresar) and 4 nests at Georgetown (FLF); only Ontario lake plain colony noted this year is at Cicero Ctr (MSR). GRAY jfAY: an adult Jul 22 in N Herkimer Co (FGS) is only Regional record so far this year. Black-capped Chickadee: after huge fall flight of 1968 (but they did not return spring ’69) very scarce as breeder—3-4 per day Jun 18-19 at Big Moose- Stillwater, and THP nearly as low with max 10-12 per day; 12-14 per day S Onon Co; notably absent from small mixed landbird flocks in early Aug. Boreal Chickadee: 2 newly found locations, Nick’s Pond and Woods L in N Herkimer Co. Red-breasted Nuthatch: 3 breeding sites in plantations in S Onon and Madison Co; 5 pairs in THP, one of them in natural habitat near Redfield (the first natural conifer location known—as opposed to plantation conifer sites—in the Oswego Co part of the THP). House Wren: max 25 Morrisville (A. Carter); numbers seem generally to be in¬ creasing from the low of 1966 and ’67. Winter Wren: THP max 9 in five miles Red- field Twp; down somewhat in THP with most counts only 3-5 per day; numerous single birds from Onon Escarpment gullies—CV, Clark Reservation, and from wooded swamps of S Onon and Madison Co. Carolina Wren: 1 at Syr Jun 30 (D. Dawley) and 1 at Oswego Jul 6 (GM)—both new locations. Long-billed Marsh Wren: counts notably down-max 10 Scott Swamp, 4 Utica marsh, 3 Selkirk Shores State Park, 3 SP, 4 Clay Swamp. No Short-billed Marsh Wren. Mockingbird: a singing bird at Jamesville, a new location. Brown Thrasher: 15 on N Wilmurt and 9 on Kasoag F&WBBS; smaller numbers (1-3 per day) in brush-plantation areas of S Onon Co. Robin: steady increase on Cicero Ctr F&WBBS; many other counts document in¬ creasing numbers, and counts of 35^50 per day were panregional. Wood Thrush: 20 Cicero Ctr and 21 N Victory F&WBBS, counts of 15—16 per day in Big Moose-Still¬ water area attest to this bird’s increase there; counts of 23 Alder Creek and 24 Mc- Keever F&WBBS are also good. Hermit Thrush: numbers still increasing—13 singing birds in ten miles HVGMA (FGS); 26 on McKeever and 17 on N Wilmurt F& WBBS; 6 in 4.2 miles around Williamstown-Redfield; small numbers at Highland Forest in SE Onon Co Jun 9 and Spafford Jun 1 (MSR), the last a new location. Swainson’s Thrush: dep date Jun 7 near Jamesville (DC); approximately 7-9 per 5 miles in multiple areas of Redfield Twp (FGS), up somewhat from previous years; newly located on road to Jerseyfield L in Salisbury Twp Herkimer Co (MSR). Veery: counts thru summer fair—33 in ten miles HVGMA; 33 in five miles Redfield Twp; 22 on Kasoag F&WBBS; 10-14 per day from southern highlands wooded swamps and even from plantation situations (normally Hermit Thrush habitat) at Highland Forest, Herlihy Rd, and Georgetown (FLF). Eastern Bluebird: still very scarce—3 pairs had 5 broods at Taberg (Lynes fide H. Aspinwall); small numbers (3-5 per day) in N Oneida Co and E central Herkimer Co; 1 pair with 2 broods at Jamesville (DC) is only breeding report from S Onon Co; very scarce in THP with only 1 nesting pair reported (FGS). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: newly located at Peterboro Jul 1-2 (FLFJRJS); summer max 10 in I 2 mile CV Aug 2 undoubtedly represents multiple broods. Golden- crowned Kinglet: pairs in four separate sites in Fabius Twp, in each case utilizing thick 30-year-old spruce plantations (JWP,FLF); also found in similar plantation 226 sites at HVGMA and in at least two such areas in Redfield and Boylston Twp (FGS); also found in natural spruce bog near Boonville (MSR). Cedar Waxwing: comments range from “common” to “everywhere”—summer counts of 30-75 per day thru Jun with 300 Jun 9 at Boonville (JWP); still at nests as of Aug 15. Loggerhead Shrike: three separate locations on Ontario lake plain in Oswego Co (EE, Eric Freeborn fide RJS, FGS). VIREOS—WARBLERS: Yellow-throated Vireo: max 11 in five miles Redfield Twp Jun 10 and 12 at HIGMA Jun 16; numerous other reports, with 3 on Kasoag F& WBBS in THP, Solitary Vireo: 1-2 per day in both conifer plantations of Fabius Twp and mixed woodlands of HVGMA; max 10 in nine miles Big Moose-Stillwater. Red-eyed Vireo: really abundant in THP and SW Adirondacks with 98 on McKeever and 60 on N Wilmurt F&WBBS; numerous THP counts of 30-65 per day. Black-and-white Warbler: 1-6 per day reported regularly in THP; now quite scarce at CV with only 1 Jun 14; 2 at Peppermill Gulf at S Onon Jun 14. Golden¬ winged Warbler: definitely continuing to expand—6 in HVGMA; 5 in O’Hara Rd- Williamstown area; and 3 on N Wilmurt F&WBBS; numbers appear slightly in¬ creased at CV but down in the Otisco Hill-Navarino sectors. Blue-winged Warbler: new locations at Pompey; at two separate sites in Fabius Twp (FLF); and at Spaf- ford (MSR); expanding in the southern hill country but, interestingly, not in country previously occupied by the Golden-winged Warbler. Nashville Warbler: summer max 8 around Boonville May 31 (MSR) and 6 in 7.2 miles Highland Forest (FGS); 1-3 per day in various bogs from Old Forge to Big Moose. Parula Warbler: small numbers (1-3 per day) in N Herkimer Co—this species is now in an ecological squeeze as it apparently requires in the Adirondacks open stands of mature red spruce with small moss clusters thereon; such stands are regularly lumbered in the forested sectors and equally regularly sprayed in the re¬ sidual decorative clumps about camps and lakeshores. Yellow Warbler: 30 on N Victory and 27 on Cicero Ctr F&WBBS, both counts slightly increased; 111 in 5.4 miles HIGMA, obviously the warbler there; migrants on the move Jul 11 N Syr and Onon L, with max 30 Aug 3 SP dunes (FLF, RJS). Magnolia Warbler: 1-7 per day in spruce plantations in S Onon and Madison Co, and singles in natural balsam bogs in Nelson Swamp (FLF) and Sangerfield Swamp (MSR). Black-throated Blue Warbler: 16 Jun 10 and 13 Jun 13, both in five miles of different roads in Redfield Twp (FGS); also reported at Pulaski Jun 24 (EE); of interest is that no Black- throated Blue were reported in the southern highlands of Onon and Madison Co where they were intermittently present heretofore, this despite marked increase in observing there (FLF,RJS,FGS). Myrtle Warbler: definite breeding at Smartville in THP; numerous sightings in pine-spruce plantations of THP and 1 pair in natural pine-hemlock swamp near Redfield Jun 21 (FGS); 1-2 per day in Highland Forest and other conifer plantations of Fabius Twp (FLF); 17 in nine miles Big Moose- Stillwater Jun 18. Black-throated Green Warbler: max 33 in 7.2 miles Highland Forest Jun 9, and 26 in five miles THP Jun 10; despite these counts the general picture for this species is poor—none on Alder Creek or McKeever F&WBBS, only 8 on N Wilmurt F&WBBS, and 7 in nine miles Big Moose-Stillwater; located again at Muller Hill near DeRuyter (FLF) and at Fish Gulf near Otisco L. Cerulean Warb¬ ler; max 10 HIGMA Jun 16; newly located at Swamp Rd N of HIGMA, Scott Swamp, S end of Coss L. and FHBSP (MSR); not reported at Tully and numbers down at CV (max only 8). Blackburnian Warbler: max 25 in five miles Redfield Twp Jun 10; also 36 in nine miles Big Moose-Stillwater Jun 18; singles discoverel this year in pine plantations of S Onon ;o (fulfilling a 10-year-old prediction) and in mixed conifer-deciduous woods at Georgetown Jun 28 (FLF). Chestnut-sided Warbler: abundant in THP with 25 in five miles Jun 10; 32 in 4.2 miles Jun 21; and 32 in 10.4 miles HVGMA (sub-THP) Jun 8; low on Adler Creek and Mc¬ Keever F&WBBS with 4 and 9 respectively, but 37 on N Wilmurt F&WBBS; counts 227 also much lower in southern highlands of Onon and Madison Co—only 1-6 per day. Blackpoll Warbler: dep Jun 3 CV (F. Dittrich); 1 in Woods Lake bog in N Her¬ kimer Co Jun 18 (FGS) is an enigma—? late migrant, territorial male, possible breeder?—this area should be checked repeatedly again. Pine Warbler: new locations include at least 4 separate singing males in a mixed White Pine-Scotch Pine area E of Boonville in Jun (MSRJWP) and 2 at Centerville E of Pulaski Jun 3 (EE). Ovenbird: excellent counts in sub-THP and THP—71 in 10.4 miles HVGMA Jun 8 and 22 in 4.2 miles near Williamstown Jun 21; much more scarce in woods about Syr (1-6 per day). Northern Waterthrush: 9 in three miles Sangerfield Swamp Jun 21 (MSR); 15 in five miles Redfield Twp Jun 10 (FGS); only 1-5 per day in wooded swamps of Ontario lake plain and definitely decreased at Three Rivers Game Management Area where formerly a common breeding bird. Louisiana Waterthrush: 2 pairs at Fish Gulf and 1 in Peppermill Gulf; also pair located at 1800’ in Highland Forest (DC)—is there an altitudinal cut-off for this bird in the southern highlands? Mourning Warbler: 14 in five miles Redfield Twp Jun 10; 3 on both McKeever and N Wilmurt F&WBBS; up to 4 in a mile CV; in all sectors appears to be on the in¬ crease. Yellowthroat: abundant!—38 Alder Creek, 33 N Wilmurt, 29 Kasoag, 13 N Victory F&WBBS; also 34 in 10.4 miles HVGMA Jun 8, 26 in 4.2 miles along O’Hara Rd near Williamstown, and 14 in three miles Sangerfield Swamp Jun 21; 3-18 per day in brushy and marshy areas around Syr and Oneida. Yellow-breasted Chat: newly located singles W of C'V (FGS, Ken & JWP) and at Mycenae (MSR); how¬ ever, all known 1968 sites deserted! Hooded Warbler: both THP stations (Redfield Twp) active!; none reported from any Ontario lake plain locations or any of the former Onon Escarpment locations. Canada Warbler: moderate numbers (5—12 per day) in THP; on F&WBBSs very low—none on Alder Creek, McKeever, or Kasoag; best counts 18 in nine miles Big Moose-Stillwater Jun 18 (FGS) and 12 in three miles Sangerfield Swamp June 21 (MSR). American Redstart: counts from woodlots and valleys about Syr very low, e.g. max 6 from CV; southern hill country counts similarly low—3-7 per day (FLF, RJS,FGS), and Adirondack tallies likewise poor—10 in nine miles Big Moose-Still¬ water Jun 18; THP numbers appear stable—83 in five miles Redfield Twp Jun 10 and 50 in five miles LJGMA Jun 13; first migrant Aug 11 in a warbler “troop” near Smartville. BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Bobolink: counts of 12-20 per day primarily from farm country of S Onon Co and hay country of N Oneida Co; also 23 N Victory, 20 Cicero Ctr, and 12 both Kasoag and Clinton F&WBBS. WESTERN MEADOW¬ LARK: single singing and calling bird still present near Brewerton to Jun 14 (FGS). YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD: brilliantly plumaged male at Lacona Jul 6-13 (Mr. M. Miller, mob), third Regional record in 15 years. Baltimore Oriole: 20 at CV and 25 at HIGMA in Jun; impressive are 20 near Stillwater area Jun 19; appears to be increasing in various creek ravines S of Syr. Rusty Blackbird: max 7 in nine miles Big Moose-Stillwater Jun 18 (FGS); none in THP. The usual hordes of Redw'inged Blackbirds, Grackles, and Cowbirds received mostly check marks and such com¬ ments as “abundant,” “too many,” “everywhere.” Scarlet Tanager: 18 in five miles Redfield Twp in THP; other counts also document THP increase; numbers at CV are also up somewhat. Cardinal: continues to spread into available habitat, particularly so in S Onon and S Madison Co; new station near E end of L Ontario at Deer Creek; a pair at Redfield Jun 21—26 was in sharp contrast to White-throated Sparrows and Myrtle Warblers in the same woods. Indigo Bunting: numbers down 1969 compared with ’67 on both N Victory (15 to 5) and Cicero Ctr (8 to 1) F&WBBS; usually only 2-10 per day with max 23 Fabius Twp Jun 22. Purple Finch: numbers down in THP with only 5—10 per day; however, high in Adirondacks with 50 per day at Big Moose (B. Barnum) and 20-25 per day at both Stillwater and Beaver R. Pine Siskin: 2 228 mist-netted Jul 11 Big Moose (E. J. Fisk) and many in small flocks of 4-10 in N Herkimer Co Jul 22 (FGS). Eastern Goldfinch: an “everywhere” species—counts of 20-40 per day, even in just a few hours of birding; max 100 Jun 16 Fabius Twp; still feeding young in nest first week of Sep. Red Crossbill: none in period. WHITE¬ WINGED CROSSBILL: three Smartville Jul 11-13 (RJS mob)—might presage an invasion this fall or winter. Rufous-sided Towhee: increasing in both THP and SW Adirondacks—24 in 4.2 miles on O’Hara Rd and 18 in 5.5 miles on Teachout Rd, both near Williamstown; 15 on McKeever and 21 on N Wilmurt F&WBBS; 6-30 per day from brush and plantation country of S Onon Co (FLF,FGS). Savannah Sparrow: definitely de¬ creasing in intensively cultivated farmlands of Ontario lake plain, with almost all counts less than 10 per day; however, counts of 16—28 per day in hay and dairy areas of the hill country between Skaneateles and Cazenovia. Grasshopper Sparrow: max 8 in colony at Syr Airport (DC, E. Farnham); newly located at Spafford, Parish (3 sites), Nine Mile Point (2 sites) and N Cayuga Co (4 sites (JWP,MSR), and Jamesville (DC); also 1 at Prospect in Trenton Twp (J. & B. Barker). Henslow’s Sparrow: definitely up from last two years—one in Boylston Twp in THP where very scarce (JWP); 4 different birds at Meeker Hill and 3 on Woodmancy Rd, both in Tully Twp (JWP); at least 6 birds in various areas between FR and Port Byron; newly located in Ira Twp; most impressive are 10 singing birds in N Clay-NW Cicero Twps (MSR); in all cases found in fallow farm—and grassland abandoned for one- two years. Vesper Sparrow: decreasing locally with max 4-9 per day (GLC, MSR); has virtually disappeared from sprayed agricultural lands of N Onon and S Onon and S Oswego Co. Slate-colored Junco: 18 in 7.2 miles at Highland Forest Jun 9; counts of 10-16 per day, usually in about five miles, in THP; Adirondack counts good—40 in nine miles Big Moose-Stillwater Jun 18; various pairs located at George¬ town (FLF), Boonville (J. & E. VanDresar), Spafford (MSR). Field Sparrow: summer max 23 on Alder Creek F&WBBS. White-throated Spar¬ row: repeatedly located at Morrisville, Nelson, Peterboro, Georgetown, Highland Forest, and Labrador Pond (FLF, mob), all S Onon and Madison Co sites; THP counts very good—8-18 per day; Adirondack counts, of course, very high—75 in nine miles Big Moose-Stillwater and 30-40 per day in other sectors of N Herkimer Co. Lincoln’s Sparrow: max 6 Woods Lake bog Jun 18 (FGS)—a thriving colony and easily the largest number located to date in Herkimer Co. Song Sparrow: abundant and definitely on the upswing—84 on N Victory, 37 Cicero Ctr, 51 Kasoag, 29 N Wilmurt, 64 Alder Creek, 37 McKeever, 60 Clinton F&WBBS; also 40 in 10.4 miles HVGMA, 20 at Fish Gulf, 45 SP. 427 S. Main Street, North Syracuse 13212 REGION 6 —ST. LAWRENCE David C. Gordon The wettest June in 12 years was recorded in Watertown with over five inches rain. June temperatures averaged below normal, There was little rain in July with several hot and humid days. The first half of August was characterized by cool nights and daytime temperatures in the 80’s with several thunderstorms and more rain than in July. The water level at El Dorado has remained fairly high with varying amounts of exposed mudflats but, surprisingly, the usual die-off of alewives has not occurred and so the beach has not been littered with dead fish. The best bird seen during the period, a Piping Plover, was possibly blown out of its usual flyway by storms three days earlier. 229 Localities: BCW—Brookside Cemetery, Watertown; BWC—Blake Wildlife Sanc¬ tuary, 6 mi E of Watertown; ED—El Dorado; Gouv—Gouverneur; Jeff Co—Jefferson County; LG—Little Galloo Is; MRW—Middle Road Woods, 4 mi E of Watertown; PRGMA—Perch River Game Management Area; St Law Co—St. Lawrence Co.; THGMA—Tug Hill Game Management Area, 2 mi S Rector, Lewis Co; THP Tug Hill Plateau; Wat—Watertown. Observers: JB—John Belknap; JBu—John Buckalew; LC—Lee Chamberlaine; FC— Frank Clinch; MF—Marvin Fairbanks; DG—David Gordon; JM—John Miller; HN—H. Nodecker; ES—Edward Sibley; MS—Mary Ann Sunderlin. LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: seen during July at Hyde L (MF), Cranberry L (FC), Crystal L (JM). Pied-billed Grebe: adults and imm. PRGMA Aug 7. Great Blue Heron: visit to the dying PRGMA heronry Jul 8—only five nests found with total of 11 young in three active nests. Old nests and nest trees apparently lost in recent spring storms (DG). American Bittern: thru period. Canada Goose: a few present PRGMA thru period. Fairly high duck production in all N.Y.S. Cons. Dept, marshes (LC). HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: 1 near Richville Jul 8; 6 Gouv Jul 25 (JB). Red-tailed Hawk: seen frequently thru region. Red-shouldered Hawk: 1 near Na¬ tural Bridge Jul 6. Marsh Hawk: several thru period. Sparrow Hawk: common thru period. Ruffed Grouse: several hens with chicks during July. Turkey: 1 Picton Is on St Law R; 2 crashed against plate glass of Nature Center Wellesley Is Aug 4 (FC). Common Gallinule: pair with four young—second brood—PRGMA Aug 7; many imm of first broods at this time. Semipalmated Plover: 1 ED Jun 7—late; Jul 29-Aug 11 ED (DG). PIPING PLOVER: 1 imm, a Regional first ED Aug 5 (ES,DG) observed under ideal condi¬ tions and later seen by others. Black-bellied Plover: 1 Jul 27 (JB) and 1 Jul 29 ED (DG). Ruddy Turnstone: 2 Jul 29 and 15 Aug 11 ED (DG). American Woodcock: specimen dead on joad Hyde L early Jul (MF); near Crystal L, Lewis Co in Jul (JM). Common Snipe: thru period PRGMA. Upland Plover: 3 near Wat Jun 7. Spotted Sanpiper: common on most bodies of water thru Region. Solitary Sandpiper: 1 Jul 29-Aug 9 BCW (DG). Lesser Yellowlegs: many ED Jul 29-Aug 11. Knot: 1 ED Jun 7; 3 ED Jul 29 (DG)—latter is early migration date. Pectoral Sandpiper: 1 Jul 29. White-rumped Sandpiper: 4 ED Jun 21 (MS); 1 ED Aug 11 (DG). Least Sandpiper: Jul 29-Aug 11 ED. Short-billed Dowitcher: 5 Jul 29; 2 Aug 5 ED. Stilt Sandpiper: 3 Jul 29 ED (DG). Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1 Jun 7 (DG), 1 Jun 21 ED (MS)—late spring dates; common Jul 29-Aug 11. Sanderling: common jul 29- Aug 11 ED. Herring Gull: 5 banded Jun 25-26 LG, nesting success poor (HNJBu). .Ring¬ billed Gull: 1907 banded Jun 25-26 LG (HNJBu). Bonaparte's Gull: 3 Jul 29, 1 Aug 5 ED (DG). Common Tern: present thru period ED usual numbers. Caspian Tern: 7 Jun 21; 3 Aug 5-11 ED. Black Tern: locally common at several usual locali¬ ties; large number Jul 29-Aug 5 ED. Black-billed Cuckoo: more often heard than seen thruout Region. GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Chimney Swift: pr nested chimney Gouv, early Aug used as roost for est 75 before migration (JB). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: common on THP. Pileated Woodpecker: near Adams Center Jun 6; PRGMA heronry Jul 8 (DG). Red-headed Woodpecker: pr feeding young PRGMA heronry Jul 8. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: pr feeding young MRW Jul 4 (DG)—new nesting station; seen during period BWS where they have nested in previous years (FC); most com¬ mon woodpecker several trips THGMA (DG). Olive-sided Flycatcher: observed still singing near Highmarket, THP Aug 13 (DG). Cliff Swallow: usually uncommon in region except at Highmarket, THP and near Natural Bridge. Winter Wren: build¬ ing nest Cranberry L Jul 3-5 (FC); singing male Aug 12 THGMA (DG). Mocking- 230 bird: 1 Henderson Jun 1 (LC). Wood Thrush and Veery common in Jul THGMA. Loggerhead Shrike: frequently seen sum res near Sackets Harbor and Henderson Harbor. VIREOS-WARBLERS: Yellow-throated Vireo: MRW Jul 4 (DG). Black-and- white Warbler: common. Golden-winged Warbler: Jun near Gouv (JB). Parula War¬ bler: Jul 4-5 Cranberry L (FC), Magnolia and Black-throated Blue Warblers: com¬ mon THP. Myrtle Warbler: 2 THGMA Aug 12 (DG). Black-throated Green, Black¬ burnian and Chestnut-sided Warblers: all common THP and elsewhere. Ovenbird: nest with four eggs Cranberry L Jul 5—6 (FC). Mourning Warbler: Aug 12 THGMA. Canada Warbler and Redstart: common THP and elsewhere. BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Bobolink: flocks in fall plumage Aug 7-13. Rose¬ breasted Grosbeak: very common Jul-Aug THGMA. Purple Finch: common THP. Rufous-sided Towhee: est 2-5 prs per acre several localities Jeff Co. Grasshopper Sparrow: Jul 29-Aug 5 last observed singing near Wat (DG). Other usual sparrows common in suitable habitat; the White-throated being most characteristic in its Tug Hill stronghold. 1347 Sherman St., Watertown, N.Y. 13601 CORRIGENDUM: the report of Spotted Sandpiper in last report [Kingbird 19(3): 168, July 1969] should have read ‘‘Spotted Sandpiper: April 19—early (DG)/’ REGION 7 —ADIRONDACK —CHAMPLAIN Harriet L. Del afield In spite of what some of our local newspapers would try to lead us to believe, this has been a dreadful summer for those of us who dislike hot humidity. Night after night the temperature outside did not go below the mid-sixties, while morning after morning one got up in a bag of mist, unable to see out the windows and with the relative humidity at 85 to 100%. I realize that I reported the winter of ’68-’69 as one of the worst in memory—the summer was also. We called one friend to ask how he was and the answer was “sodden.” We called another on a fairly good day and she said, “This is the best day we have had all summer.” By the next day the weather had gone back to its usual pattern. What humans did not care for insects and birds did. Flycatchers and swallows made the air lively and other insect-eating birds were well fed also. Insects stayed with us all summer. We had another odd phenomena: a late cone crop. After a winter of almost no cones these fruiting bodies suddenly appeared in late spring and summer. This fact may account for the numbers of Purple Finches, American Goldfinches and Slate- colored Juncos which stayed over; also the number of Red Crossbills which were reported. There are few rarities in the report though many extraordinary, unsubstantiated reports were sent in. Our finest achievement was the Golden Eaglet which is worth more than anything else could be as far as most of us are concerned. When we say “quad” we refer to the United States Geodetic Survey quadrants. When we say “good numbers” we mean a few more than in previous years unless we used the same term in 1968, in which case the numbers were approximately the same. Mary Sheffield was in the area June 16-29; Frank Schetty was at Elk Lake through July. Francis Singer was here most of the season as biologist with the New York State Conservation Department. His work on the Osprey survey was particularly notable and we are grateful for it. 231 Observers: EA—Elizabeth Anderson; GC—Geoffrey Carleton; GTC—Greenleaf T. Chase; HD—Harriet Delafield; JK—Joseph Keji; MK—Marguerite Kingsbury; RMcI— Robert McKinney; GM—Gordon Meade; RM—Ruth Meier; OR—Orra Phelps, HMR— Howard and Margaret Read; MS—Mary Sheffield; MAS—Mary Ann Sunderlin; FS— Frank Schetty; Singer—Francis Singer. Abbreviations: Aus—Ausable; B—Bay; B’dale—Bloomingdale; Br—Brook; E’town— Elizabethtown; GMA—Game Management Area; L—Lake; LP—Lake Placid; M— Marsh; Mad—Madawaska; M’ville—Morrisonville; P—Pond; Pk—Park; PS—Paul Smiths; RB—Ray Brook; SL—Saranac Lake; SR—Saranac River; TL—Tupper Lake. LOONS—DUCKS: Common Loon: 3 no eggs Elk L (FS); 1 June 7 Whitney Pk; 1 June 10 Weller P; 1 Aug 9 TL (RM); 2 birds called June 21, 3 June 28 Square P near Onchiota; 2 imm size of parents Bay P July 30 (Singer); 1 flying over Rd near PS Aug 8 (MAS,HD); pair Minerva Township June (CG). Pied-billed Grebe: 1 Aug 11 Aus M (GTC); broods GMAs, Aus, Wickham, Monty’s B and Kings B (Singer). Great Blue Heron :2 regularly M’ville, numerous sightings from Valcour Island (HMR); one Elk L (FS); common all GMAs (Singer). Green Heron: 1 July 21 M’ville (HMR); common all GMAs (Singer). Black-crowned Night Heron: 1 imm well described Scomotion near Plattburgh (Singer). American Bittern: 1 pair Elk L (FS), these seem down. Canada Goose: small resident brood L Alice (GTC). Mal¬ lard: 1 Clear P near Elk L (MS); brood L Alice (Singer). Black Duck: occ SR M’ville (HMR); 1 female 3 young Elk L (FS); 3 Aus M Aug 11 (GTC); broods L Alice (Singer). Green-winged Teal: 2 pair Ellenburgh Depot June 18 (HMR). Blue-winged Teal: 4 L Alice (Singer). Wood Duck: 1 female 5 young Elk L (FS); 3 Aus M Pk early in period (HMR); 1 Hatch Br near Malone, 9 Aus M Aug 11 (GTC); broods L Alice (Singer). Ring-necked Duck: 1 pair SL June 2 (HD); 1 adult with 8 young Jones P near Gabriels Aug 8 (HD,MAS). Common Goldeneye: 1 brood L Alice (Singer). Hooded Merganser: 2 families Elk L (FS); 2 Hatch Br Aug 6 (GTC). Common Merganser: family of 9 Elk L (FS). HAWKS—OWLS: Goshawk: 1 imm Aug 10 way to Mad (MAS); pair July 15 Two Bridge Br near B’dale (GTC). Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1 adult seen hunting Elk L (FS); 1 E’town Aug 11 transient (GC). Red-tailed Hawk: 1 adult, 1 imm Elk L (FS); 1 Rte 72 E of St Regis Falls Aug 8 (HD,MAS). Broad-winged Hawk: our most common hawk; 5 Elk L (FS); sw of Northway near E’town (HMR); 2 July 19 RB (JK); 2 Blue Ridge Rd (MS); 1 near Mad Aug 8 (HD,MAS). GOLDEN EAGLE: 1 successful nest, location confilential (fide GTC). Marsh Hawk: pair on territory Two Bridge Br near B’dale July 15 (GTC); nest found in this location by Singer who measured eggs and examined platform, no young observed; 2 young Aus M open marsh nest Aug 1 (Singer). Osprey: HMR report decline in area around M’ville—only 1 seen; 1 July 21 RB (JK); 1 seen Big Cherry Patch P LP quad USGS; nest, 1 large young July 10 Mohegan L Long L quad; 2 birds Oseetah L June 27; 1 adult Ochre L Santa Clara quad June 29, 2 young July 26; 1 with 2 young Rain¬ bow L July 11 (Singer). Sparrow Hawk: numerous Peasleeville-Peru area June, few later (HMR); 1 Rte 30 to Malone July 7 and Aug 4; 1 Westville July 8 (MK); family of 4 PS to Mad Aug 8 (HD,MAS). Ruffed Grouse: 1 Whiteface Mt July 1 (HMR); 9 separate families Elk L (FS). Common Gallinule; 3 Kings B Aug 1; 1 brood Aus M (Singer). PIPING PLOVER: 1 (no details given) Aug 6 Hatch Br near Malone (GTC). Killdeer: numerous Peru area (HMR); 4 July 9 RB (JK); 4 Aug 6 Hatch Br near Malone (GTC). American Woodcock: 1 June 15 Peasleeville (HMR); 1 June 21 SL (HD). Common Snipe: 3 or 4 landed in field near house after Aug 10 Peru (HMR). Upland Plover: 1 June 27 Schuyler Falls (GTC). Spot¬ ted Sandpiper: 2 families Elk L (FS); numerous M’ville and L Champlain in that area (HMR). Solitary Sandpiper: 1 July 25 RB (JK); 5 Aug 6 Hatch Br near Malone (GTC). Lesser Yellowlegs: 12 Aug 10 thru 15 Peru (HMR); 3 Aug 1 Wickham 232 (Singer). Herring Gull: 1 visitor 3 days Elk L (FS); numerous SR near M’ville (HMR); 1 July 3 RB (JK). Ring-billed Gull: 1 Clear P near Elk L (FS); abundant L Champlain near M’ville (HMR). Common Tern: 1 June 6 TL (MK); 1 L Cham¬ plain June 25 (HD). Black Tern: 2 until July 3 Elk L (FS); 6 June 5 L Alice (GTC). Mourning Dove: 1 July 6 St Regis Falls (GM). Black-billed Cuckoo: 1 July 4 E’town (HMR); 1 July 6 St Regis Falls (GM); 1 June 7 LP (OR). Barred Owl: 1 June 19 Moose R Plains Hamilton Co (RMcI). GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Whip-poor-will: 1 June 28, July 11, and July 14 TL (RM). Common Nighthawk: 5 above Plattsburgh thru period (HMR); 3 Aug 14 RB (JK). Chimney Swift: 1 June 1, peak 21 Aug 15 RB (JK); thru period Platts¬ burgh (HMR); 1 June 19 Moose R Plains (RMcI); 6 Aug 10 TL (MAS); 12 pairs in hollow trees Elk L (FS); 1 June 2 SL (HD). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: good numbers from all reporters. Belted Kingfisher: 4 Elk L (FS); one SR at M’ville; 1 July 23 Salmon R at Peasleeville (HMR); 1 June 1 to Aug 14 RB (JK); 1 Aug 10 PS to Ross Pk (MAS); 2 Aug 6 Hatch Br near Malone (GTC); common Aus M (Singer). Yellow-shafted Flicker: numerous all areas. Pileated Woodpecker: 1 July 15 near Essex (HMR); 1 June RB (JK); 1 July 12 SL, 1 Aug 11 Aus M and Half¬ way Br Town of Franklin (GTC); 2 pair Elk L (FS). Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker: common all areas. Hairy Woodpecker: same as previous years. Downy Woodpecker: same also; one banded Speculator second week Aug (RMcI). Black-backed Three¬ toed Woodpecker: 2 families feeding young Elk L (FS). Eastern Kingbird: 3 to 5 Peru thru period (HMR); 1 June 19 Moose R Plains (RMcI); 2 nests Elk L (FS); 1 June 25 Franklin Falls (EA); 1 Aug 8 PS to Mad (HD,MAS). Great-crested Fly¬ catcher: 1 June 7 LP (EA); one June 2 and 4 RB (JK); 1 June 19 Moose R Plains (RMcI); 1 June 8 and 9 TL(RM). Eastern Phoebe: 1 Jlne 2 thru period SL (HD); nesting pair M’ville (HMR); 1 thru June RB (JK); 1 June 19 Moose R Plains; 1 Aug Speculator (RMcI); 1 June 29 LP; one Aug 10 PS to Mad (MAS); 2 nests Elk L (FS). Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: 3 June 19 Moose R Plains; 3 banded 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI). Traill’s Flycatcher: few all suitable areas from Schuyler Falls S to Moose R Plains. Least Flycatcher: good numbers all areas. Eastern Wood Pewee: seems up in numbers; 1 June 10 SL (EA,HD); nesting pair M’ville (HMR); nesting RB (JK); 2 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI); 1 June 29 LP; 1 Aug 10 PS to Mad (MAS); June Raquette L (MS); 12 Elk L (FS). Olive¬ sided Flycatcher: 3 June 19 Moose R Plains (RMcI); 1 June 8 Osgood R at TL (RM); over 25 Elk L (FS); 1 Aug 6 Hatch Br; 1 Aug 11 Halfway Br (GTC); 1 way to St Regis Falls (GM). Horned Lark: 1 June 20 Plattsburgh airport (HMR). Tree Swallow: good numbers all areas. Bank Swallow: constant digging out of old habitat and creating new makes these swallows change location more rapidly than others; colonies reported M’ville (HMR); SL to B’dale, Franklin Falls (HD); RB (JK). Barn Swallow: good numbers all areas. Cliff Swallow: colony Ross Pk near PS (GM); McMasters Rd near Lake Clear (HD); few RB (JK). PURPLE MAR¬ TIN: 1 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI). Gray Jay: 1 Aug ll Halfway Br (GTC). Blue Jay: numerous all areas. Common Crow: common all areas. Black-capped Chickadee: quiet during early part of season as usual but coming back by Aug. Boreal Chickadee: 4, 1 with young Elk L (FS); 2 Aug 8 Mad (HD,MAS). White- breasted Nuthatch: few all areas. Red-breasted Nuthatch: same except more numer¬ ous in woods. Brown Creeper: 1 June 20 M’ville (HMR); 1 July 4 RB (JK); 1 banded 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI); 1 mid-June ElkL (MS); nested suucess- fully behind shutter at GC’s house E’town. House Wren: 2 Moose R Plains (RMcI), still very scarce. Winter Wren: seen singing June 7 by HD LP; heard most suitable places; pair comes back to nest each year at GC’s house E’town though he is sur¬ prised because of lowness of altitude. Catbird: more common each year. Brown Thrasher: 1 SL (HD); 1 June 20 thru July 21 M’ville (HMR); 1 June 1 RB (JK); 1 banded 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI); 1 July 5 TL (RM); 1 mid-June Blue 233 Ridge (MS). Robin: common all areas. Wood Thrush: good numbers all areas. Hermit Thrush: 1 to 4 all areas. Swainson’s Thrush: 4 June 19 Moose R Plains (RMcI); about 23 Elk L (FS). Gray-cheeked Thrush: 1 adult 3400' Sunrise Mt (FS). Veery: down in numbers; only 4 at Elk L as compared to 8 in 1968; same story other places. Eastern Bluebird: 2 pair Peasleeville, 1 building nest May 27 (HMR); 4 Aug 10 PS to Ross Pk (MAS); 1 June 15 Newcomb (MS); 4 thru period Vermontville (Tyler); 4 Aug 5 SL (HD). Golden-crowned Kinglet: 1 June 7 LP (HD); 4 Aug 6 RB (JK); 4 June 27 Mt Esther (HMR); common Elk L (MS,FS). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 1 June 19 Moose R Plains (RMcI); 1 mid-June Raquette L (MS); 2 Elk L (FS). Cedar Waxwing: good numbers all areas. Starling: not quite so noticeable as last year except abundant M’ville (HMR). VIREOS—WARBLERS: Yellow-throated Vireo: 1 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI). Solitary Vireo: 1 June 7 LP (EA); 1 June 25 and July 20 RB (JK); 1 June 19 Moose R Plains (RMcI); 1 June Raquette L (MS); 6 Elk L (FS). Red-eyed Vireo: common throughout. Black-and-white Warbler:1 Aug 15 RB (JK); 4 June 19 Moose R Plains; 6 banded 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI); 8 Elk L (FS). Ten- nesee Warbler: 1 banded 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI); 1 singing male Elk L (FS). Nashville Warbler; 1 July 23 thru Aug 5 RB (JK); 3 June 19 Moose R Plains; 4 banded 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI); 1 Elk L (FS). Parula Warbler: more numerous than usual Elk L (MS,FS); June Raquette L (MS). Yellow Warbler: 1 June 1 thru period SL (HS); 1 June 7 LP (GTC); 1 July 22 TL (RM); 1 Raquette L, 1 Blue Ridge Rd June (MS). Magnolia Warbler: 4 June 19 Moose R Plains (RMcI); 11 singing males, 1 nest with 4 eggs Elk L (FS). Black-throated Blue Warbler: few all areas; 20 singing males Elk L (FS). Myrtle Warbler: seemed down in numbers though common at Elk L (MS,FS). Black-throated Green Warbler: good nesting numbers. Blackburnian Warbler: 1 June 7 LP (GTC); 1 June 10 and 13, July 10 RB (JK); 1 June Raquette L (MS); common Elk L (FS); 1 daily 1st- half July SL (GTC). Chestnut-sided Warbler: good numbers all areas. Bay-breasted Warbler: 1 banded 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI). Blackpoll Warbler: 5 males, 3 females 3000 to 3746' Sunrise Mt Elk L (FS). Ovenbird: heard all areas early June. Northern Waterthrush: 1 June 7 LP (OR). Mourning Warbler: June 7 LP (HD); 2 June 19 Moose R Plains; 1 banded 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI); 8 Elk L (FS). Yellowthroat: good numbers all areas. Canada Warbler: 1 June 22 Wilmington (HMR); 1 June 12 thru July 31 RB (JK); 24 June 19 Moose R Plains; 3 banded 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI); common Elk L (FS). American Red¬ start: up to 7 all areas. BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: House Sparrow: 15 to 20 Peru (HMR); 1 June 6 thru 13 RB (JK); where have they gone? Bobolink: Marcy Trail Rd (MK); SL thru period (EA,HD). Eastern Meadowlark: Peru thru period (HMR); SL thru period (EA,HD). Redwinged Blackbird: good numbers in marshy places and along rivers. Baltimore Oriole: 1 June and July Elk L (MS,FS); 1 June 25 Keeseville (EA); 1 Aug 8 SL (Hillman). Rusty Blackbird: 2 June 19 Moose R Plains (RMcI); 1 family June and July Elk L (MS,FS). Common Grackle: largest number 12 RB (JK); small numbers other places thru period. Brown-headed Cowbird: 1 or 2 all areas. Scarlet Tanager: 1 June 7 LP (GTC); 1 July 4 Santanoni Trail (HMR); 1 June 4 thru July 28 RB (JK); 4 Moose R Plains (RMcI); 3 pairs Mt Morris TL (RM); 5 males Elk L (FS); 1 Aug 8 PS to Mad (MAS). Cardinal: 1 June 19 Cedar R (RMcI); pair thru June Essex and Port Henry (GC); possible territory song June 24 Essex (GTC). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: good numbers all areas. Indigo Bunting: 1 June Elk L (MS); 2 June 27 Schuyler Falls (GTC). Evening Grosbeak: well- established breeding bird in Adirondacks; 12 pair June; 1st young with parent June 26; max number of young 10 July; very young at feeder in Aug, possible 2nd brood (GTC). Purple Finch: stayed thru summer in number as high as 10 to 12 SL (GTC); smaller numbers other areas. Pine Siskin: 10 July 19 RB (JK). American 234 Goldfinch: common summer finch as in previous years. Red Crossbill: many in the NE this year; 10 July 23 and Aug 10 RB (JK); 7 Aug 6 Hatch Br, 2 flocks of 5 to 9 Aug 11 Halfway Br (GTC); pair Aug 3 way to Saranac Inn (HD). Rufous-sided Towhee: 1 male seen and heard daily until Aug 20 TL (RM). Savannah Sparrow: pair thru period 'SL (HD); several pair around Essex S to Ticonderoga (GC). Vesper Sparrow: 1 June 3, 17 and 30 Peasleeville (HMR). Slate-colored Junco; more stayed thru summer than past years; 4 banded 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI); 2 young early July SL (GTC); nest with 4 eggs July 4 near TL (RM); 8 thru pe¬ riod RB (JK). Chipping Sparrow: everywhere; over 30 pairs Elk L (FS). Field >parrow: 1 or 2 heard and reported except from M’ville. White-throated Sparrow: to deviate a little from the cut-and-dried—we often thank St Francis for this modest bird whose cheerful song makes days more musical both at home and on the trail. Swamp Sparrow: 1 June 19 Moose R Plains; 1 2nd week Aug Speculator (RMcI); 8 Elk L (FS). Song Sparrow: common all areas. Trudeau Road, Saranac Lake, N.Y. 12983 REGION 8 —HUDSON-MOHAWK Hazel F. Bundy In general, this past summer could be described as very wet, and slightly cooler than average. Rainfall in June amounted to 5.30 inches (data taken at Albany Air¬ port), 2.05 inches greater than the average. Rainfall in July was reported as 5.08 inches, 1.59 more than the average. 16 breeding bird counts for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were run during the month of June and the first part of July, an increase of one over the number run in 1968. The following observations are based on 15 of these surveys. The seven observers and their assistants compiled a list of 103 species. Dropped from our 1968 compilation of the 25 most abundant species (figures taken from the BBC totals) are the Tree Swallow (less than 50% of last year’s total), House Wren (decreased from 171 to 107), and Yellow-shafted Flicker (a relatively small decrease); added are Bank Swallow, Ovenbird, and Field Sparrow. As in previous years, more than a quarter of all birds counted on all surveys were Red-winged Blackbirds and Star¬ lings (this year 29%). There were very few late spring migrants reported. Many fall migrants were mov¬ ing at the beginning of August—notably warblers and flycatchers. With the exception of the Least Flycatcher, all flycatchers were on the move Aug. 2, ahead of an in¬ coming cold front. Perhaps as a result of the low water level maintained at Vischer Ferry Game Management Area during the summer, breeding activity in that area apparently de¬ creased, as evidenced by the following observations: Green Heron were scarce dur¬ ing June and July—more common in August; the usual nesting waterfowl (Mallards, Black Ducks, Wood Ducks, and Blue-winged Teal) were extremely scarce; no Virginia Rails, Sora, nor Common Gallinule were seen—usually one pair of each is present (RPY). The only highlights of the period were a Prothonotary Warbler, and a Kentucky Warbler. Observers cited more than once: GB—Guy Bartlett; HFB—Hazel Bundy; PC— Paul Connor; P&GE—Paul and Georgia Erlenbach; MLG—Murray L. Gardler; EH— Esly Hallenbeck; CK,HK—Clarissa and Harry Ketcham; WDM—Will Merritt, Jr.; WBS—Walton Sabin; BRS—Benton Seguin; HHS—Harvey Spivak; PPW—Peter Wick¬ ham; RPY—Robert Yunick. Area compilers: Rena Dodd, Betty Laros, and Clarissa Ketcham. Abbreviations: Gr—Greenville; JL—Jenny Lake; Mdale—Meadowdale; Nisk—Nis- kayuna; NWW—Niskayuna Wide Waters; SCR—Stony Creek Reservoir; VFG— Vischer Ferry Game Management Area; BBC—Breeding Bird Census. 235 LOONS—DUCKS: Pied-billed Grebe: 1 adult and 6 young Jun 8 Medusa Swamp (CK), Double-crested Cormorant: 1 Jun 8 Delmar Game Farm Pond (WBS). Great Blue Heron: seemed scarce—max 6 Aug 15 VFG (RPY). Common Egret: 1 Aug 14 NWW (HHS); 1 Aug 15 VFG (RPY), probably the same one. Green Heron: max 6 Aug 15 VFG (RPY). HAWKS-OWLS: Cooper’s Hawk: 1 Jul 19 Wolf Hollow (HHS)-only accipiter report. Red-shouldered Hawk: four reports from three widely-separated areas. Broad¬ winged Hawk: reports from three scattered areas; also a total of 4 on the BBC’s. Bald Eagle: 1 imm late afternoon Jun 12 SCR (MLG); 2 imm about one hour later SCR (HFB). Osprey: only report—1 Jul 7 JL (GB). Bobwhite: Jun 22 Ghent (W & K Applegate); Jul 15 Muitzeskill (Rena Dodd). Virginia Rail: one report— Black Creek Marsh end of Jun (BW). Common Gallinule: one report—Black Creek Marsh end of Jun (BW). Upland Plover: Jun 21, Jul 31, Aug 1 and 12 Colonie (HHS); 6 Jun Argyle BBC (PPW); 4 July 5 Albany Airport (BW); 2 young banded Jul, max 3, last Aug 6 Nisk (RPY), Greater Yellowlegs: 1 Jul 4 Schodack Center (PC). Least Sandpiper: 1 Jul 20 VFG (RPY). Semipalmated Sandpiper: 3 Jul 20 SCR (BRS). Black Tern: 1 in mature plumage Jul 20 SCR (BRS). Yellow-billed Cuckoo: again a total of 3 on the BBC reports; additional reports from six areas. Black-billed Cuckoo: a total of 4 on the BBC reports, also five scattered areas. Screech Owl: 1 Jun North Easton BBC (Bill Gorman). Great Horned Owl: four areas. Barred Owl: max 3 June 26 JL (GB)—only report. GOATSUCKERS—STARLING: Ruby-throated Hummingbird: increasing during Aug, max 3 Aug 15 VFC (WDM,RPY). Pileated Woodpecker: reported from three areas; also 1 on each of three BBC’s. Red-headed Woodpecker: 1 Jun 22, 28 Gr (CK,HK). Great Crested Flycatcher: 2 migrants banded Aug 2 VFG (WDM,RPY). Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: 6 adults banded Aug 2-9 VFG (WDM,RPY). Olive¬ sided Flycatcher: several sites JL area (GB); 2 Jun S. Horicon BBC (BRS) 1 Jul 13 Warrensburg BBC (WBS). Tree Swallow: due to the low water level at VFG, many of the boxes were made accessible to predators along the shore-line and these nests were destroyed; 9 out of 35 were lost; the number of eggs per clutch was low (3.0 ), but the fledging success was high on those eggs which did hatch (82%); most fledging occurred in mid-June, later than usual; the last clutch fledged on Jul 22 (RPY). Bank Swallow: colony of 200+ near Schodack (PC); 2219 banded in May, Jun, Jul at four colonies—Clifton Park, Glenville, Halfmoon Landfill, and Hetcheltown Rd; the Glenville colony, which has been worked for the 6th year, was markedly improved over last year, with about double the hole count—356 holes, of which 290 were believed active; the Halfmoon colony was banded this year for the first time, it consisted of 400-500 holes; the Hetcheltown Rd colony was a re-nesting after the original colony of about 100 holes was dug out by excavators, the colony came back stronger than it started, with about 219 holes, of which 181 were believed active (WDM,RPY). Purple Martin: colony of 16 departed from W. Glenville Aug 15 (Robert McCullough) — increase of only 4 during the summer. Brown Creeper: 1 imm banded Aug 9 VFG— very early (WDM,RPY). Winter Wren: increasing at JL (GB). Cedar Waxwing: “dozens” Jul 27 and into Aug Schodack Center (PC'); large numbers in Aug VFG, with groups of 50+ common (WDM,RPY). VIREOS—WARBLERS: Solitary Vireo: seems to be increasing—reported from four usual nesting areas; also, 9 Jun S. Horicon BBC (BRS); 1 Jul 13 Warrensburg BBC (WBS). PROTHONOTARY WARBLER : 1 adult male in magnificent plumage, caught on the north side of a mist net in a lane set in very thick, low, valley habi¬ tat, banded Aug 2 VFG (WDM,RPY)—the first fall record (three previous spring records) and the first record for Saratoga Co. Tennessee Warbler: 1 Jul 13 Warrens- 236 burg BBC (WBS); 1 iram banded Aug 2 VFG (WDM,RPY). Yellow Warbler: migrating Aug 1 and 2 VFG (RPY). Myrtle Warbler: apparently increasing—13 on a total of three BBC’s; also reported in three additional areas. Bay-breasted War¬ bler: late spring migrant Jun 8 W. Glenville (EH). Blackpoll Warbler: late spring migrants—Jun 1 Gr (CK); Jun 8 NWW (HHS). Prairie Warbler: reported from two areas in Jun—Gr (CK), and Karner Pine Barrens (HHS). Ovenbird: migrants banded—2 Aug 2, and 1 Aug 9 VFG (WDM,RPY). Northern Waterthrush: 1 banded Aug 9 VFG (WDM,RPY). Louisiana Waterthrush: 1 Jul 19 Wolf Hollow (HHS); 1 site JL (GB). KENTUCKY WARBLER: 1 observed carefully and heard singing for a week in mid-June in a swampy, wooded spot in Altamont (BW, Florence Rogers). Mourning Warbler: 1 imm banded Aug 9 VFG (WDM,RPY); former nesting site at Black Pond near JL abandoned (GB). Yellow-breasted Chat: 1 Jun 12 near SCR (MLG); 1 Jul 4 Mdale (HHS). Canada Warbler: 1 early migrant banded Aug 2 VFG, and 1 Aug 15 (WDM,RPY). BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: House Sparrow: total number on BBC reports down almost one-third from previous year. Orchard Oriole: Jun 18-28 Schodack (L&V Burland) and Ghent (P&GE). Baltimore Oriole: migrating Aug 2 VFG (RPY). Rose¬ breasted Grosbeak: migrating Aug 2 VFG (RPY). House Finch: 1 pair Jun 11-13 Nisk (Patrick Kilburn). Grasshopper Sparrow: reported from a new area—1 Jun 12 near SCR (MLG); 3 Jun 13 near SCR (HHS). Henslow’s Sparrow: 1 Durham BBC (CK); 2 Medusa BBC (Jim Bush). White-throated Sparrow: 1 Jun 21 Karner Pine Barrens (HHS) —unusually late; strong evidence of breeding found at VFG, an elevation of less than 200 feet in the Mohawk Valley (RPY)—an unusual nesting situation. R.D. 1, Box 55, Scotia, N.Y. 12302 REGION 9 —DELAWARE—HUDSON Edward D. Treacy Your reporter might better write about the birds of the world rather than the birds of southeastern New York. Most of his contributors gave glowing reports of their birding hours spent outside of the country while on vacation. Those that stayed be¬ hind were pretty much house bound with the abundance of rainy days through the month of July. Only a few usable reports were received and they, for the most part, failed to show any special trends in bird populations. The summer was characterized by the slightly below average mean temperature for June and July, and the well above normal rainfall for the month of July. Better than seven inches for the latter month which is about double the expected total. The sun failed to shine for as much as two weeks in some locations. August was wet in the first half and generally dry for the last. Abbreviations: Dutch—Dutchess Co; Oran-Orange Co; Rock—Rockland Co; Sull— Sullivan Co; Ulst—Ulster Co; USMA—U.S. Military Academy at West Point; West— Westchester Co. Contributors: Robert F. Deed, Mrs. William Grierson, Maj. John Getgood, Eleanor Pink, Fred Hough, A1 Merritt. Observers: EB—Enid Butler; FG—Florence Germond; JG—Maj. John Getgood; SOG—Stanley O. Grierson; FH—Fred Hough; MJK—Mary and Jim Key; A,BM—Al and Barbara Merritt; HM—Helen Manson; EP—Eleanor Pink; EDT—Edward D. Treacy; MVW—Marion VanWagner. LOONS—DUCKS: Pied-billed Grebe: numbers good at Bashakill, Sull. Great Blue Heron: more reports this year than in any recently; as many as 4 in the Moodna Marsh area at Cornwall-on-Hudson; about 10 active nests and 22 young in rookery at Tamarack Swamp near Millbrook, Dutch (WBC). Green Heron: best year for 237 this species in a long time; several dozen birds observed regularly at Moodna Marsh, Cornwall, Oran. Common Egret: Only summer report 4 July 29, 30 at Poughquag, Dutch (EB). Snowy Egret: 1 June 6 Cornwall-on-Hudson; increased to 2 June 8 (A,BM). Least Bittern: observed regularly at Moodna Marsh, Cornwall-on-Hudson. American Bittern: 2 throughout period at Amenia, Dutch (W,TS). Mute Swan: ex¬ cellent resident population in vicinity of Rockland Lk refuses to spread north or west from that area. Canada Goose: many reports with breeding young; several families totalling 17 birds at Queensboro Lk Bear Mt Park by mid-July (EDT). Mallard and Black Duck: numbers good on Hudson River at Cornwall by end of period; anywhere from two to three dozen birds observed. Blue-winged Teal: 2 fe¬ males with young at Amenia, Dutch (W,TS). Scaup: one spent the latter half of July on the Hudson R at Cornwall (EDT). HAWKS—OWLS: Turkey Vulture: normal. Red-tailed Hawk: normal to less. Broad-winged Hawk: normal. Marsh Hawk: 1 July 25 at Tomahawk Swamp, Mill- brook, Dutch (MVW,EP). Sparrow Hawk: normal. Ruffed Grouse: numbers con¬ tinue very low; very few reports. Bobwhite: none reported. Virginia and Sora Rail: usual residents. Common Gallinule: numbers good at Bashakill; observed several times with young; a pair with 5 young observed at Amenia, Dutch (W,TS). Semi- palmated Plover: several at Cornwall-on-Hudson by late July (EDT). Killdeer: 6 or more at Cornwall Bay by late July; remained through rest of period. Woodcock: 1 TriLoba Hill Sanctuary, Katonah, June 20 and Aug 10 (SOG). Upland Plover: as many as 12 individuals at Hamptonburgh, Oran, June 8 (JG). Least and Semi- palmated Sandpiper: the latter outnumbered the former by 8:1 from late July thru early Aug at Cornwall-on-Hudson (EDT). Great Black-backed Gull: numbers much lower than usual, but regularly reported. Ring-billed Gull: unreported thru June and much of July; first observed July 25 at Conn’s Hook, Hudson River at Highland Falls (EDT); by mid-August they outnumbered Herring Gulls by 10:1. Laughing Gull: very low through end of season; only a few reported. Common Tern: 14 July 29 Cornwall-on-Hudson (EDT). Mourning Dove: reported quite numerous in Ulst (FH). Cuckoos: both species extremely scarce; unusual since they were reported in such good numbers last spring. Great Horned Owl: heard regu¬ larly at Cornwall (A,BM); on June 25 a young bird was observed at Amawalk, West (John Kelley). Long-eared Owl: at least 3 heard near Poughkeepsie; first on June 2 and last on July 14 (M,JK). GOATSUCKERS—STARLINGS: Whip-poor-will: especially low at Kripplebush Ulst this season (FH). Common Nightnawk: numbers good in Newburgh (Carrie Carnwright). Chimney Swift: numbers remain high. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: widely scattered reports, but not at all numerous. Belted Kingfisher: residents in usual places, Pileated Woodpecker: only report one resident pair at Cornwall-on- Hudson. Red-headed Woodpecker: continues to breed well at Howells, Oran (Margaret Moon). Hairy and Downy Woodpecker: normal. Flycatchers: as a group, appeared to be down in numbers but not seriously. Eastern Kingbird: normal to less in most areas. Eastern Phoebe: normal. Traill’s Flycatcher: 1 June 17 Iona Is. (JG). Least Flycatcher: normal to less. Eastern Wood Pewee: numbers good in Fludson Highlands. OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER : 1 Dutch June 20 (MK,HM,EB). This is a very late date; not known to breed in that county. Swallows: Most resident spe¬ cies in good numbers. Tree Swallow: earliest migrants observed along Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rock as early as July 24; moving in very abundant numbers by end of period. Cliff Swallow: usually 7 or 8 pairs at Upton Lk, Dutch; this year down to 3 pair (FG). Purple Martin: only active nest in Oran reported at Middle- hope; has failed to recover from kill of several seasons ago; three active areas known in Dutch. Corvids: Usual residents normal. Red-breasted Nuthatch: 1 observed near Poughkeepsie June 30; bird was carrying food but was not proven to be nest¬ ing. Brown Creeper: unreported from usual areas where resident. House Wren: nor- 238 mal. Winter Wren: numbers up at Mohonk, Ulst this season (Dan Smiley). Carolina Wren: 1 June 14 South Salem West (SOG); another Jul 28 South Nyack (Bob Deed); another last half of July at Cornwall-on-Hudson (EDT). Long-billed Marsh Wren: normal to less. Mockingbird: continues to hold its own, but does not appear to be increasing. Hermit Thrush: 1 singing June 28 Mt. Riga, Dutch (WBC). Eastern Bluebird: scattered nesting reports; Waterman Bird Club project reports 36 nesting pair, 5 pair suffered predation, 120 hatched out of 126 eggs laid. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: 1 June 20 in Dutch (MK,HM,EB), not known to nest in that county. Cedar Waxwing: very scarce early in the period; numbers improved by end. VIREOS—WARBLERS: White-eyed Vireo: spring birds at USMA unreported dur¬ ing period. Yellow-throated Vireo: numbers good. Red-eyed Vireo: seemed normal most areas, but nesting numbers down in Ulst for past several years (FH). Worm¬ eating Warbler: more summer reports than usual; observed regularly thru late June and early Aug at USMA (JG); 1 observed feeding young on June 20 near Mohonk, Ulst (Robert Pyle); another July 11, Cornwall-on-Hudson, Oran (A,BM). Golden¬ winged Warbler: 1 being fed by a Blue-winged Warbler at USMA Aug 10 (EDT). Brewster’s Warbler: 1 Aug 17 USMA (JG). Lawrence’s Warbler: 1 Aug 2 USMA (JG). Parula Warbler: 1 very late date of June 15 USMA (JG). Cerulean Warb¬ ler: As many as 4 birds observed throughout June, July and Aug to the close of the period, at the Weyant’s Pond, USMA; last report Aug 17 (EDTJG); no nesting proven; nested as usual in Dutch; 3 June 20 in the vicinity of Pawling, Dutch might possibly mean another nesting area in that county. Chestnut-sided Warbler: num¬ bers down in those areas where they are resident, Blackpoll Warbler: Last report, 1 June 7 USMA (JG). Prairie Warbler: observed in the Hook Mt. area of Rock from June 1 to July 4; singing in early part of period; latter date an imm—bird observed (Ed and Lana Mills). Ovenbird; numbers less than usual. Northern Waterthrush: 1 Aug 2 USMA (JG). Yellowthroat: less than usual in lowlands of Ulst; normal elsewhere. Hooded Warbler: observed regularly thru June, July and first half of Aug USMA (JG). American Redstart: normal. BLACKBIRDS—-SPARROWS: Bobolink: nesting numbers good this year. Orchard Oriole: one pair raised 3 or 4 young in June in Dutch (EB); suspected the same pair nested in July. Scarlet Tanager: normal. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: better than usual. Indigo Bunting: good numbers at Howells, Oran(Margaret Moon); numbers reported lower than usual in Ulst. (FH). Purple Finch: in at least 5 areas of Dutch all sum¬ mer; one other bird reported from West June 15. House Finch: nesting records still reported from Poughkeepsie area, but birds still not increasing as expected. Pine Siskin: one dozen June 25, 26 Mt. Kisco (Mrs. Wm. Grierson). American Goldfinch: numbers good. Rufous-sided Towhee: normal. Grasshopper Sparrow: observed in usual places, numbers never high. Chipping Sparrow: normal. Field Sparrow: low in Ulst, but reported normal elsewhere. Swamp Sparrow: very few reports. Song Spar¬ row: normal. Autumn reports due Dec 5. Pellwood Lake, Highland Falls, N.Y. 10928 REGION 10 —MARINE Thomas H. Davis and Lee Morgan The Marine Region is certainly the most densely populated one in the State with over 10,000,000 humans now in residence. The havoc wreaked upon the environ¬ ment by this multitude is immeasurable. Long Island is fast becoming that sort of sterile habitat typified by Manhattan Island. Many human activities at all seasons work to deplete our wildlife, but it is during 239 the summer when people “return to nature” that the destruction is highest. Most people display a remarkable lack of knowledge regarding the natural world, from not recognizing poision ivy, to not realizing when they are intruding into a tern colony. Other harassments may be intentional or misguided. Examples of interference—intentional or misguided—were noted frequently this summer at many public areas, but especially near Jones Beach. Don Cooper relates how a small tern colony he was studying along the Loop Causeway was abandoned overnight after someone drove a dune buggy through the area. Will Post tells of a man at Oakbeach who fires his shotgun near the pine groves where herons nest. The herons are decreasing, but this fellow insists he only shoots at “pigeons” (?), or “targets.” While studying the gull colony at Captree, Darrel Ford witnessed many human- gull encounters. A young boy was seen walking through the colony with a stick, breaking every egg in every nest he passed close to; at least seven nests containing about 21 eggs. Other boys played catch with eggs, took them home as souvenirs, or gathered them together in one nest. One pair of gulls quickly gave up trying to incu¬ bate 17 eggs! A couple who appeared to have recently arrived from the Carribbean, where such behavior is common, was accosted while gathering eggs into a shopping bag. When told this was illegal and asked why, Darrel was belligerently told to get lost. The man said “we gathered the birds’ eggs to eat where we came from, why shouldn’t we do it here also?” A man told Darrel how he and his son took a gull chick home last year and tried to raise as one does an “Easter chick,” but “it died.” Channel dredging operations have created a number of sandy islands north of Jones Beach, all suitable as tern-skimmer nesting areas. On visits to such an island north of Tobay Beach in 1967 and 1968, Tom Davis found dead adult oyster- catchers. Both appeared to have been shot. Two similar islands near Oak Beach which support tern-skimmer colonies are literally invaded by hordes of pleasure boaters who land there to picnic and swim. Their presence exposes the terns to much the same harassment that gulls suffer at Captree. In addition, many people bring dogs and turn them loose to play. The result can be likened to the proverbial bull in a china shop. Needless to say, terns fare poorly on these islands and others along the south shore of Long Island where an increasing number of pleasure-boaters land. Facing the enormous problem of both willful and unthinking plundering of our wildlife areas is a conservation force not half large enough to do the job. Bill Ward, a Suffolk County officer, states that three men on rotating shifts and assignments spend a little over 80 man-hours a week working an area that is over 300 square miles (from the county line to near Smith’s Point and from the Long Island Express¬ way to the 3 mile limit). About half their time is taken up by the usual bureaucratic paper-work, plus answering questions on what to feed baby birds, what to do about squirrel bites, etc. In the remaining time it isn’t possible for them to cover such a large area effectively, no matter how hard they try. If the State feels it cannot assign more conservation officers, it behooves all interested in the local ecology to publicize and disseminate the conservation message to friend and stranger alike. It is encourag¬ ing that people thus enlightened seem willing to leave critical areas to the birds. Highlists of the breeding season were a heartening report on the Gardiner’s Island Osprey population, the first nesting of Red-bellied Woodpecker at Old Field, and an attempted nesting of Red-headed Woodpecker at Smithtown. Rarities included American Avocet and Gull-billed Tern. European Widgeon, Rusty Blackbird, and Red Crossbills put in unseasonal appearances. Contributors frequently cited: LBT—Linnaean Boat Trip off Jones Beach (R. Har¬ rison, R. Wolk, S. Stepinoff, et al); PB— Paul Buckley; JB—John Bull; WB—Wilma Baumann; DC—Don Cooper; JD—Jeanette Doran; TD—Tom Davis; DF—Darrel Ford; MK—Michel Kleinbaum; WL—Wesley Lanyon; EL—Emanuel Levine; RP— Richard Plunkett; WP—Will Post; GR—Gilbert Raynor; LS—Laurie Schore. 240 LOONS—DUCKS: Red-throated Loon: Jun 12 Southampton (JD,WB,LS); Jul 19 Atlantic Beach (EL)—in winter plumage. Greater Shearwater: 2 plus Jun 8 (LBT). Wilson’s Petrel: 15 Jun 8 (LBT). Gannet: sub-adult Jun 8 (LBT). European Widgeon: male May 30-Jun 1 Tobay Pond (R. Budliger, MK)—latest Regional record. King Eider: sub-adult male Jun 13 Great Gull Is. (RP, K. Parkes)—single individuals recorded nearly every summer in recent years, perhaps formerly over¬ looked. Hooded Merganser: female Jul 11 Tobay Pond (PB). Heron Colonies with numbers of pairs breeding—Jones Beach (N/parking field 3) Jun 21, 30 (WP,TD): Common Egret 10; Snowy Egret 20; Black-crowned Night Heron 15; Glossy Ibis 10. Lawrence Marsh, Jul 12, 25 (TD,DF,JB, H. Honig, E. Rodriguez, et al); Green Heron 4; Little Blue Heron 4 (plus?); Common Egret 2; Snowy Egret 120 plus; Black-crowned Night Heron 20 plus; Yellow-crowned Night Heron 1; Glossy Ibis 30 plus; Single adult Louisiana Herons seen on both visits here. Tobay, Jun 21 (WP): Snowy Egret 25; Common Egret 9; Black-crowned Night Heron 20; Yellow-crowned Night Heron 1; Glossy Ibis 16—first breeding record for Glossies here. HAWKS—OWLS: Marsh Hawk: 6 Jul 11 Tobay (PB) —nesting? Osprey: On Jul 11—13 Dennis Puleston and Paul Spitzer visited Gardiner’s Island where they found at least 28 young in about 38 active nests. Ospreys had begun to reoccupy ground nest sites at Bostwick Pt (7 active nests) in spite of the high gull nesting population there. In further studies of the Long Island Osprey nesting population they found no young in the Orient area (where Ospreys once bred abundantly) and only three young elsewhere. Upland Plover: 2 pairs Jun 27 Kennedy Airport (R. Cohen)—one pair with two young, a new nesting locality for this locally endangered species. Marbled Godwit: Jun 12 Southampton (LS,JD,WB)—very rare spring migrant. Hudsonian Godwit: arrived Jul 20 at Tobay (EL, C. Ward). AMERICAN AVOCET: adult Aug 6 Moriches Inlet (J. Bennett, J. O’Connoll); adult Aug 12-17 Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (H. Kemp, et al). Northern Phalarope: Jun 5 Jones Beach (LS)—late; 4 Jul 24 Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (JB)—early. Glaucous Gull: 2nd year bird Jun Oak Beach (LBT). Iceland Gull: sub-adult Jun 29-Jul 18 Captree (TD,DC, A. L’Oiseau). GULL-BILLED TERN: 2 May 24-25, Loop Causeway at Jones Beach (DC). Gull colonies with numbers of pairs breeding—Captree State Park, 19 visits, Mar 23-Jul 21 (TD,DF, et al): Great Black-backed Gull 22; Herring Gull 1050. Jones Beach (N/parking field 3), numerous visits (A. Lauro, et al): Great Black-backed Gull 1; Herring Gull 37—a new colony. Jones Beach (N/Loop Causeway), Jul 23 (B. Sorman, JB): Great Black-backed Gull “present;” Herring Gull “several hundred pairs”—first report on this colony which has been in existence several years. Tern colonies with numbers of pairs breeding—Jones Beach (West End), numerous visits (M. Gochfeld, TD, et al): Common Tern 1300^1500; Roseate 20; Black Skimmer 60-75; Roseates are increasing slowly here. Fox Island (S Babylon), Jul 21 (TD,DF, R. Budliger, M. Boch): Common Tern 50; Least Tern 20; Black Skimmer 50—much disturbed by weekend boaters, potentially a very large colony. Rockaway Point, Jun 21 (R. Claremont, E. Daly, L. & E. Mills): Common Tern 650 plus; Least Tern 15 plus. Moriches Inlet (GR): “the tern colony increased in numbers again and did well in the early part of the season, but some mammal caused con¬ siderable mortality and terminated the later nestings.” GOATSUCKERS-STARLING: RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: pair nested at Old Field (M. Hemmerick, D. Puleston, et al)—first Regional nest record (see Field Note in this issue). Red-headel Woodpecker: a pair present at Hoyt Farm Park in Smithtown began excavating a nest on July 15. The nest hole was located 35 feet above ground in a dead topless 40 foot oak about 10 inches in diameter. The pair incubated for several weeks, then disappeared in early September for unknown 241 reasons (Steve Pradon, etal). This species has gone unreported breeding in our area since the early 1900’s. Acadian Flycatcher: May 25 Bronx Park (E. Maguire, D. Rafferty, et al); female May 31 Huntington (fide WL)-mist netted and collected; singing bird Jun 8-9 Huntington (fide WL)—tape recorded. Traill’s Flycatcher: singing bird Jul 25 Lawrence Marsh (JB, et al)—new breeding location? VIREOS—WARBLERS: White-eyed Vireo: singing bird Jul 11 Tobay (PB); 2 in post-juvenal molt Aug 9—10, and an adult Aug 16 Tobay (F. Schaeffer)—netted and banded, undoubtedly bred here. Prothonotary Warbler: singing bird Jun 1 Mill Neck (B. Spencer)—evidently a late migrant. Lawrence’s Warbler: Jun 1 Manorville (GR)—“almost certainly same bird banded here on May 21, 1967.” Louisiana Water- thrush: 1 banded on Aug 2 Manorville (GR)—rare Long Island migrant in fall. BLACKBIRDS—SPARROWS: Orchard Oriole: pair present through season at East Marion where found nesting several years ago (GR). Rusty Blackbird: male Jim 11 New York Hospital on 68th Street (D. Gleick)—a straggler, never before recorded in June. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 3 territorial pairs probably nested at Hoyt Farm Park in Smithtown (S. Pradon). Red Crossbill: 13 Jul 26 Jones Beach (EL)—“worked their way right down to the jetty, landed a couple of times, and then flew straight out to sea.” NOTE: Please submit fall reports by December 8. Thomas H. Davis, 8613 85th Street, Woodhaven, New York 11421 Lee Morgan, 4 Windsor Lane, East Northport, New York 11731 242 REPORTING REGIONS I. NIAGARA TRONTItR 6. ST. LAWRENCE S. GENESEE 7. ADIRONDACK-CHAMPLAIN 3. riNCER LAKES 8. HUDSON - MOHAWK 4. SUSQUEHANNA 9. HUDSON-DELAWARE 5. ONEIDA BASIN 10. MARINE For descriptions of Regions see Kingbird Vol. IV, Nos. 1 and 2 FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS, INC 1969 Officers President Dr. David B. Pea kali.Langmuir Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 Vice President Dr. Edgar Reilly, Jr.,.Old Chatham, N.Y. 12136 Corresponding Secretary Miss Frances M. Rew.129 Arbour Lane, Apt. 2, Buffalo, N.Y. 14220 Recording Secretary Mrs. Mary Ann Sunderlin. 505 Bay Road, Webster, N.Y. 14580 Treasurer Mr. Edward M. Somers.Box 7273, Capitol Station, Albany, N.Y. 12224 Editor of THE KINGBIRD Joseph W. Taylor 20 Parish Rd., Honeoye Falls, New York 14472 Appointed Committees Bulletin Exchange: Mrs. Alice E. Ulrich, 193 LaSalle Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. 14214 Conservation: Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr., 333 Bedell Street, Freeport 11520 Finance: Kenneth D. Niven, 61 Broadway, Monticello, N.Y. 12701 Publicity: Membership: Mrs. Ruth Williams, P.O. Box 382, Owego, N.Y. 13827 Publications and Research: Dr. Edgar M. Reilly, Jr., State Museum, Albany Bibliography: Dr. Sally Hoyt Spofford, Box 428, Etna 13062 By daws: 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: Mrs. Harriet Marsi, Binghamton, Ch., Dr. Allen H. Benton, Fredonia; Mrs. Watson B. Hastings, Dobbs Ferry