W.KINGBIRD

VOLUME VI, No. 1 MAY • 19!

FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS

§.KINGBIRD

PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS

Vol. 6 No. 1

May 1956

Pages 1-36

CONTENTS

The President Speaks_

The Ipswich Sparrow on the Northeastern

Seaboard — Part II_John J. Elliott

Activity in Sapsucker Woods___Arthur A. Allen

A Summary of the 55th Christmas Bird Count

in New York State_George E. L. Lippert

Sassafras Bird Club__

Regional Reports_

2

3

11

13

15

16

Editor — Gerald R. Rising

John B. Belknap
Leslie E. Belmont
Allen H. Benton
Eugene Eisenmann

Editorial Board

Sally Hoyt
Allan Klonick
Fritz Scheider
Minnie B. Scotland

John J. Elliott

Business and Circulation Manager — Allan S. Klonick

Cover Design — Douglas L. Howland

THE KINGBIRD is published four times a year (May, July, October and January)
by the Federation of New York State Bird Clubs. Publication office is 72 Allen's
Creek Road, Rochester 18, New York. Publication is sent free to all individual
members of the Federation. Membership in the Federation is $2.50 per year.
Single copies: Sixty cents.

APPLICATION for membership should be sent to the chairman of the member-
ship committee. Miss Audrey Louise Wrede, 3109 Beverley Road, Brooklyn 26, N. Y.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS, EXCHANGES AND BACK COPIES are handled by the
Treasurer, Allen S. Klonick, 901 Sibley Tower Bldg., Rochester 4, N. Y.

The Kingbird

1

THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS

(Ed. Note: Before Paul Kellogg left for Africa he perpared an interest¬
ing and informative message for the Federation. I am taking the liberty of
holding that paper for the next issue and printing instead a letter he sent
from Africa where he was visiting the group there recording bird songs for
the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Dr. Kellogg is in charge of that ex¬
pedition.)

1956 East African Expedition
Nairobi, Kenya
6 April 1956

Dear Gerry,

I wish I could tell all members of the Federation, indeed all bird lovers,
what a wonderful place Kenya is.

First I was impressed with the variety of species and the numbers of
individuals even around the City of Nairobi. Not only are many of the spec¬
ies very colorful but many of them have unusually beautiful songs. One rela¬
tive of our thrushes, Heuglin’s Robin-Chat, may, I believe, be judged to be
one of the world's finest songsters, but there is much to be learned about the
song of even this fine singer. We have at least 25 minutes of recorded song
from three individuals but I'm sure we have only begun to appreciate the
bird’s ability to vary and improvise.

Most impressive were the Flamingos. In the Bahamas I have seen a thous¬
and birds in one flock. Here I first saw an estimated 20,000 Lesser Flamingos.
I could hardly believe it, but then on Lake Rudolf, in Ferguson's Gulf, I
estimated a flock to have 30,000 birds and then another 40,000. The larger
flock was beginning to nest and the birds did not move far away as we walked
among the nests. Already the mouths of the local Turkana tribesmen were
beginning to water for what they knew would be a rich harvest and change
of diet. We are assured that no egg in this huge colony would hatch, unless
by accident, for the Turkana are very hungry and have very sharp eyes.
Even though the Flamingo has been declared to be “Royal Game”, the Turk¬
ana don’t understand and continue to eat every egg they can find. Some¬
where there must be a nesting ground which is invoilate. It is rumored that
it is on an island to the south in the middle of an impenetrable swampy lake
which is alive with hungry crocodiles—and believe me, the natives have great
respect for the lowly croc.

This letter is getting longer than I intended but there seems to be no end
to the wonders of bird life here in an area which seems hardly larger than
New York State. Within a range of a few hundred miles you have steaming
jungles at sea level, towering mountains up to 19,000 feet which are per¬
petually snow-capped even on the equator, upland plateaus of 5 to 8,000
feet which remind you of central New York in June, and deserts as dry and
hot as almost any in the world. The roads are good but the remote ones are
likely to be very dusty and during the rainy season there are likely to be delays
of a few hours to several days while the streams subside. However stream-
sides are good places to see birds, so we've enjoyed every minute of our safari.

I do hope that everything is going well with The Kingbird and with
plans for the Westchester meeting. I expect to be in Ithaca after April 15.

With best wishes, I am.

2

Cordially yours,

Paul

The Kingbird

THE IPSWICH SPARROW ON THE NORTHEASTERN
SEABOARD — PART II

John J. Elliott

With an insular nesting habitat of limited extent such as the Ipswich
Sparrow has on Sable Island considerable interest and speculation is aroused
as to the prospective future of its flora and fauna in warring against wind and
waves. Furth ermore wide correspondence to collect information for Part
1 of this article (1955, Kingbird IV (4):91-6) many individuals showed an
interest in Sable Island as to location, size and general characteristics which
are described here. Only brief mention will be made of its history, as good
accounts were written by Jonathan Dwight, Jr. (1895), and Harold St.
John (1921) and there is a good bibliography of Sable Island's past in the
latter. Bibliography and summary of Part 1 will also be included in Part 2.

Geographical Features

Situated at intervals on the Continental Shelf, east-northeast of Cape
Cod, Massachusetts, are a series of shoals and banks of considerable size.
Progressing northeastward from the cape they are Cultivator and Georges
Shoals and Brown's, LeHave, Emerald and Sable Island Banks. Shallowest
of these is a long, narrow submerged bar on Georges Shoal. For several
miles it is only two and one-quarter to three fathoms below the surface. A
similar, slightly deeper, submerged bar with a whistle bouy exists on Cul¬
tivator Shoal. Emerald and LeHave Banks, quite in contrast to the shoals,
have soundings averaging about 45 and 48 fathoms respectively. Sable Island
Bank, the shallowest, averages about 20.5 fathoms.

On the eastern half of Sable Island Bank lies unique Sable Island,
“Graveyard of the Atlantic," the only land between Cape Cod and New¬
foundland. Between the major banks occur depths of over 100 fathoms.
Some 30 miles to the south-southeast of Sable Island the shelp drops away into
the deep Atlantic, with a sounding of 1,303 fathoms! These measurements
were taken from map 0949, Cap Cod to Cape Breton including Sable Island,
Hydrographic Office, Washington, D. C., December, 1944.)

This gives some conception of the irregularities of the ocean floor on the
Continental Shelf and of the difficulties confronting a shifting, sandy island
moving eastward in the storm-tossed North Atlantic. Dwight (1895) states
that Sable Island is possibly the remains of the sand continent which was of
remote glacial origin, or was heaped up by ocean currents. At any rate, it is
gradually shrinking in size as well as receding with the subsidence of the
Continental Shelf. Its predicted fate is that in time it will disappear—the
last of many tracts believed to have occurred in this region. Submergence of
the others have isolated the Ipswich Sparrow to this, its present insular and
only nesting grounds.

To this island, simetimes fog-bound for weeks at a time, Ipswich Sparrows
must travel from the mainland each spring, although an estimated one-fifth
winter on the island. Residents there say returning numbers increase over
the wintering population in late April and May.

Physical Features

Sable Island (sable means sand in French) is about 24.5 miles long with

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S

a maximum width of about one mile. It is gradually washing away on the
west end and building up more slowly on the east. Its east end is about
100 miles off Nova Scotia, east-southeast from Halifax. From shipboard it
appears as a long, sandy cliff facing the ocean and tapering down on the ends.
Its western tip is low, flat sand and eastward for about two miles supports a
few windrows or sand dunes, with shaggy crests of beach grass (Ammophila ').
This broadens a mile further east into an attractive, peaty interior, protected
from the ocean and containing five or six fresh water ponds, well vegetated
around the borders. Near this area, about four miles from the west end, on
higher, grassy slopes are the west lighthouse, main station and radio station.
A mile further east is the weather station. For some nine miles this por¬
tion of the island is narrowed by Wallace Lake. About 100 years ago it had
an inlet from the ocean, but shortly afterward became completely rimmed
with an outer beach as it is today. About 1913 Wallace Lake was divided by
a broad, sandy flat. East of Wallace Lake the substantial “backbone” of the
island extends about six miles to the east lighthouse. It is in this stretch that
Sable Island reaches its maximum width, and the well vegetated tracts are
known as the “old land.” It is here also that the island attains its maximum
height of about 80 feet. From the east light-house the island tapers gradually
into a curved projection of bare sand jutting out into the ocean for four or
five miles like a long serpentine tail.

With permission of the Canadian Board of Transport, “to study the nest¬
ing ground of the Ipswich Sparrow, “I sailed to this island, July 29, 1948, on
the supply ship “Lady Laurier” out of Halifax, N. S., returning August 2.

Bird And Mammal Associates

Associates of the Ipswich Sparrow found on the 1948 trip were varied and
abundant. Upon arrival I was surprised to hear the harsh chirping of House
Sparrows around the barn of the Main Station, although literature stated as
late as 1946 that the Ipswich Sparrow was the only nesting land bird on the
island. I found out later from old residents that the House Sparrow was
there at least since 1930. Other associates were large colonies of Arctic
Terns; Semipalmated Plovers found nesting around the numerous ponds; a
Red-breasted Merganser with young seen on a lilly pond; Least Sandpipers
which hovered and called plaintively above the well-vegetated dune slopes;
their spindly young hiding below in the grass; small flocks of migrant sand¬
pipers—Dowitchers, Sancierlings and one White-rumped—which nattered
around the muddy pond edges. A Barn Swallow was seen on a telephone
wire at the weather station. It reportedly had been around since June, but was
not known to breed. While riding along the shores of Wallace Lake I watch¬
ed a night heron fly up in the fog past the high sand cliffs. On the beach
I found a dead Leach s Petrel. A mile off-shore a Parasitic Jaeger was seen
as Arctic Terns chased it from feeding grounds in the lee of the anchored
supply ship. Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls nested on the stretch of
beach which divides Wallace Lake into two parts. Wild horses have been
present for several centuries, with an estimated population in 1948 of 200 to
300. Another important mammal is the Gray or Oceans Seal, occasionally
seen swimming off-shore or disporting themselves in groups on some isolated
beach.

Weather

Sable Island, like Newfoundland, is noted for its fogs which are common

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in June and July and throughout parts of earlier spring. On my 1948 visit it
was foggy two days out of five. Summers are cool and winters are moderate
compared to the Canadian interior. In late winter, and especially in March,
windstorms carry large amounts of flying sand and almost prohibit traveling
abroad in the daytime, but towards evening the wind usually subsides. A
member of the lifesaving crew remarked that after such a day, a walk on the
beach would, at times, reveal four or five Ipswich Sparrows feeding along
the tidal drift.

Nesting

The only known nesting range of the Ipswich Sparrow extends down the
interior of Sable Island from about a mile west of the radio station to the east
lighthouse, a distance of about 17 miles.

Dwight examined nine or ten nests as he traveled into the heavily vege¬
tated juniper tracts Quniperus horizontalis ) on the eastern half, as well as in-
i.o the turty areas heavily covered with the low shrubbery of blueberry (Vac-
cinium pennsylvanicum) , crowberry (Einpeirum nigrum ) and bayberry
(Myrica ) of the western half of treeless Sable Island. He remarks that the
nests were very well concealed, especially deeply-hidden ones in the juniper.
He writes: “No matter where situated, each nest is placed in a cup-shaped hol¬
low about four inches in diameter and fully two inches in depth, scratched
in the sand by the birds.” Nests are compactly woven with two distinct parts,
an outer shell of coarse material disposed on the rim and an inner cup finely
woven. The excavation is filled in at the sides and around the margin with
coarser material. Of six nests he gives the average inside diameter as 58.33
millimeters, outside diameter 114.5, the inside depth as 45.5, outside depth
72.

W. E. Saunders (1902 a, b) arrived on Sable Island earlier in spring than
Dwight and found nests readily by locating the excavation which showed
black soil as the nest was started. He discovered about 30 sites. Nests were
described as larger than those of the Savannah Sparrow. In 1948 I found the
Ipswich Sparrows still in a state of breeding agitation around the terraced,
horse-trodden paths and well vegetated dune slopes near the half-dozen
small ponds about three or four miles from the west end. The terrain here
was attractively dotted with pink wild roses facing upward barely two or
three inches out of the sand. Flowering meadow rue ( Thalictrum ) stood
the tallest of all vegetation thereabouts (some two feet) and the attractive
little yellow-flowered silver-weed ( [Poientilla anseria ) was blossoming in
damp places. Stunted blueberry and bayberry barely a foot high border the
higher terraces and crowberry grows profusely in strung-out tracts. The
area was favorable for nesting and it was still frequented on August 1 by
agitated birds. At the abandoned Lifesaving Station No. 3, east of Wallace
Lake and near the east lighthouse, Ipswich Sparrow juvenile groups, apparent¬
ly past parental attention, were observed, but nesting activity was undoubtedly
through for the year except on the west end.

Eggs

Dwight writes that the eggs “average a little larger than the eggs of a
Savannah from which they are otherwise indistinguishable, and they re¬
semble the eggs of several other sparrows.” He described the ground, color
as bluish or grayish white often so washed with brown as to appear olive

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5

brown, splashed or sprinkled with different shades of amber and van dyke
brown as well as with purplish and grayish brown markings. He further
decribes the eggs as usually ovate, but in one case long and slender. Average
size: length 21.6 mm., width 15.5 mm. He states that according to the
Sable Island residents four eggs were the usual clutch, but sometimes five
are laid. Saunders (1920a) says that four out of seven clutches contained
five eggs. The egg-laying season fluctuates, sometimes clutches are well ad¬
vanced in late May as described by Saunders (1902a,b), whereas Dwight
found his first nest containing three eggs on June 2. Neither found any
young.

Y oung

Juveniles were distinguishable from the gray adults. Brown as the Sa¬
vannah Sparrow above, they were pale yellow buff below, paler on the
chin and abdomen. These trim juveniles in late July, early August, some¬
what suggested the huffy brightness on the sides of the head of the Sharp¬
tailed Sparrow QAmmosfiza caudacnta caudacuta ). Evidence of two broods
is shown by the discovery of a fledgling on July 31 near the weather station
on the 1948 visit. This huffy juvenile was barely able to flutter along the
path, being out of the nest perhaps a day or two. Presuming that the Ip¬
swich Sparrow has a similar incubating and fledging period as the Savannah
Sparrow, and on the basis of a 14 day fledging period and two days out
of the nest, this would make the 1948 Sable Island fledgling’s hatching date
about July 15 and the egg laid early in the month.

Other evidence of second broods into very early August was the obser¬
vance of an adult carrying food, preoccupied birds about the ponds and
juveniles seen abroad, still being cared for and calling to be fed.

Molts

The young of the year were brown and trimmer in late July than the
molting and raggedy adults. These young would soon go into their post-
juvenile molt which would make them almost indistinguishable from the
adults by the time they appeared on the mainland. Dwight (1900) states
that the postnuptial molt, which is complete, is acquired in August, an as¬
sumption derived from the examination of the birds sent to him. Feather
growth may actually come in August, but numerous individuals in late July,
1948, were raggedy and tailess. Among these, some had considerable dimin-
ishment of feathers about the face. In others the superciliary line was
mostly gray with a few very small patches of yellow still showing. One or
two individuals were practically bald on the crown; these suggested pugn¬
acious males which may have fought during the courtship period as described
by Dwight (1895).

Voice

In 1948 I heard no singing other than on the west end where nesting was
in evidence. On July 31 singing was heard in mid-afternoon and continued
irregularly until after dark. Although that day broke clear and sunshine
continued all morning, fog swept in covering landmarks at 2:30 p.m. and re¬
mained into the night. As dusk came on singing increased until four or five
could be heard from various directions. The muffled hoof beats of wild
horses as under darkness they approached the dwellings, the continual.distant

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roar of heavy surf along the south shore, and the rythmatic musical and hyla-
like piping of Arctic Terns in a nearby colony, all served as a subdued
chorus which made singing Ipswich Sparrows the principal performers and
this the only place on earth where such a combination could be heard.

Singing was resumed in mid morning, August 1, a day of bright sunshine.
One individual usually started and then the chorus would be in progress;
later it would dwindle down and stop. Birds sang from weed stalks, poles,
or the stays of the radio tower. The song is very similar to that of the
Savannah Sparrow, but is slightly more .musical and lower. Richard H.
Pough (1946) writes that the song ends “with a sound like the Common
Tern’s tee-aar.” This is the ending which Dwight says usually swings out
with a vim, and it was noticeable in 1948 in some, but not all, of the singing
July and August birds. Besides the musical “tsip” heard in winter, a thick¬
er “tsick” or “tsuck” is used repeatedly by adults on the nesting grounds and
also given by the young when calling for food after leaving the nest. I have
heard this note used on two occasions away from Sable Island by November
birds, although the musical “tsip”is the only note mentioned by writers as
used on the mainland. Inquiry reveals only three records of off-island sing¬
ing: two from Long Island and one from Massachusetts. All three were
heard in April.

Enemies

On Sable Island there have been many recognized enemies of the Ipswich
Sparrow. Like all insular species this bird is subjected to tbe introductions of
man, but because of its good flight ability and its migration off the island dur¬
ing the severe wintry period it has survived. Historians record the introduc¬
tion of many pests, Dwight (1895) reveiws these, stating that around 1880
cats were turned loose to exterminate rabbits which were depleting the island's
vegetation. Soon afterward the cats succumbed to winter hardships. In
1889 seven cats were brought from Halifax and 30 more in 1890. In 1891,
with surviving cats still eating rabbits, seven red foxes were brought over and
in a single season made an end of both. Dwight accused foxes of being very
destructive, as well as killing terns on their nests and sucking duck eggs.
He remarks: “That the Ipswich Sparrow has been on the bill-of-fare of all
these rats and cats and foxes ... we can hardly doubt—will it be spared
their fate?” Saunders (1902a) reported finding the intervening time from
1894 auspicious for the Ipswich Sparrow and considered them much more
abundant than Dwight represented them in his visit. He reported the exter¬
mination of foxes, presumably, with the cats, largely responsible for the in¬
crease of the sparrows.

Apparently there were few enemies of the Ipswich Sparrow on Sable
Island in 1948, as evinced by their abundance. Inquiry revealed that there
were only two or three cats—household pets—and no foxes at that time.
Some unidentified predator, however, was on the Arctic Tern’s nesting ground
near the west end of the island. Six adults and about a dozen full-grown
young were found dead on the sand with several bitten-off wings. Rats had
come ashore from a recent shipwreck. These were being reduced in num¬
bers according to Captain Solawan (Superintendent of the island) and there
seemed to be no other natural enemies affecting the Ipswich Sparrows’ pro¬
ductivity. :The elements are perhaps as great an enemy as such pest invasions.
Saunders (1902a) relates that during winter weather Ipswich Sparrows were

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7

sometimes picked up exhausted and chilled and were then sheltered and fed
until a better season arrived. After the winter of 1947-48, described as
severe, Arthur MacDonald, a crewman at the main station on Sable Island,
told me he found here and there on upper edges of abrupt dunes fully a doz¬
en dead Ipswich Sparrows. These were in several groups lying in and about
the matted grass roots torn away by wind erosion and apparently had died
of winter hardships.

Sable Island is composed of white quartz sand. In 1948 I saw a fair abun¬
dance of spiders and crawling beetles, but winged insects were rather scarce.
On this sandy island weather influences its sterility. History discloses that
due to an unusually severe series of sand storms in 1825 many of the hundreds
of wild horses died of starvation. Such conditions naturally influence the
Ipswich Sparrow population.

Summer Behavior

Ipswich Sparrows were not found at any time on the beach during the
1948 visit. One followed along the crest of the dunes as I walked along the
ocean edge; it uttered the musical “tsip”, the recognized winter note. In
midsummer they are very tame and on July 31, 12 to 15, in response to my
squeaking, flew up out of the grass and alighted on poles or on the lone
telephone wire stretching down the length of the island. On the nesting
ground curious birds keep 25 to 30 feet distant; if one moves in their direc¬
tion they increase this to about 50 feet. Off the nesting ground and on
telephone lines an approach can be made to about 20 feet.

In calm summer, feeding birds need not fear being whisked away by a
gale from the crest of a dune. They show a complete abandonment of the
winter crouch or low, huddled creep employed on the mainland. Upright,
they hop about on the sand, only occasionally resorting to running. Hop¬
ping on our eastern seaboard of the mainland declines rapidly as autumn
advances. With winter comes running and even walking. Writers allude
to this in comparing the Savannah Sparrow, which hops and runs, to the
Ipswich Sparrow s running and walking. An example of summer behavior
comes from my notes, as follows: “One bird flew out on the clean white sand,
hopped several feet, picked at a seeding silver-weed blossom, eating the cen¬
ter, and again hopped through a patch of sedges; then flew away. A mom¬
ent later it flew out again, hopped 20 feet, once breaking into a run of two
feet and then resorted again to hopping.” On the east end of Sable Island
a bird without a tail hopped for several minutes on the sand, flapping its
wings together rapidly and frequently. It was not seen running to any ex¬
tent, the hopping steps averaging about five inches.

Status

A perusal of “Enemies” tends to show that there are years of population
variations in the Ipswich Sparrow on Sable Island. Introduction of predators,
invasions of rats from shipwrecks, and sterility from series of wind storms,
indicate that these cycles of scarcity and abundance are due to other causes
than the gradual shrinking of Sable Island.

Concerning the latter, if Sable Island is shrinking, so are our barrier
beaches. Great stretches from Coney Island through the Rockaways and
Long Beach and intermittently to Shinnecock and the Hamptons on Long

8

The Kingbird

Islands south shore are built upon, as are areas down the coast from Cape
Cod, on both sides of Long Island Sound, in New Jersey, and to a lesser
degree southward.

Travels abroad on Sable Island in 1948 and careful examination of the
wide correspondence from numerous observers on the mainland since are
encouraging, however, and indicate that there are sufficient areas of island
and barrier beaches remaining to provide for this big gray sparrow for many
years to come.

It is the concensus of opinion down the coast that the Ipswich Sparrow
is maintaining its usual numbers. By far the greatest number ever listed on
any National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count was in 1949 with 38
recorded. Also in 1949-50 the writer observed over 30 during the winter
with five seen on two occasions.

As to Sable Islands prospects, one thing appears certain and that is its
disappearance in the somewhat distant future. St. John (1921) after discuss¬
ing its physical history states: “In any case the island is . . . wasting away.
Three hundred years from now Sable Island, in all probability, will have
vanished and then there will be no lighthouse to warn the mariner . . .
The study of its fauna and flora will then be ancient history, only to be pur¬
sued by consulting the few specimens in the large museums and herbaria/’
At any rate we can still agree with Dwight who wrote 60 years ago, that this
island’s fate is for future generations to ponder and its conclusion: “not
likely in our day or generation.’’

Summary

Part 1 gives a resume of the early history of the Ipswich Sparrow from
the time it was collected at Ipswich, Mass., and its subsequent discovery on
Sable Island until its present acceptance as a regularly wintering species
down the Atlantic seaboard. Fall and Winter studies, through a wire corres¬
pondence, are discussed, disclosing that this bird occurs casually in winter
in Nova Scotia, uncommonly in Maine and regularly from Long Island
southward. Its southern penetration (with several reports) brings it to
Cumberland Island, extreme southern Georgia. It is found only in spring in
New Brunswick, Canada, although present both in spring and fall in Nova
Scotia. Winter data from Nova Scotia, Maine, New Jersey and the Carolinas
are given, along with actions and behavior in mild weather as well as during
intervals of flood, snow and ice storm. Migration occurs off-shore as on Block
Island and a three way route traverses the length of Long Island: along the
south shore and on both sides of Long Island Sound. It was revealed that
Spring dates may range as late as April 14 for the southernmost range
(Cumberland Island, Ga.), April 8 for South Carolina, April 26 for Long
Island and May 7 for Kent Island, New Brunswick. Evidence points to a
rapid northern movement in Spring, as compared to a more leisurely fall flight
with the greatest number of birds in November. Goodly numbers have been
recorded in recent years, especially in 1949 and 1950.

In Part 2 geographical locations of shoals and banks on the Continental
Shelf showing irregularities on the ocean floor are described, as are Sable
Island’s physical features down its 24.5 mile length. Only Spring behavior
of the Ipswich Sparrow and nesting studies at that season have come from
Sable Island in the past. The writer’s 1948 midsummer trip allows treatment

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9

of the latter stages of nesting behavior, descriptions of molding adults and
juvenile birds, the singing of late-nesting birds as well as Summer behavior.
Descriptions of nest and nest discovery by Dwight and Saunders are given
as well as the color and dimensions of eggs. The present status of Sable
Island and the Ipswich Sparrow is discussed.

Bibliography — Part 1 and Part 2

Cruickshank, Allan D. 1942. Birds around New York City. New York, Am,
Mus. Nat. Hist. Handbook Series, No. 13. P. 450.

Dutcher, William. 1886. Bird notes from Long Island, N. Y. Auk 3: 441.

Dwight, Jonathan H. Jr. 1895. Mem. No. 2, Nuttal Ornithological Club.

1900. Sequence of Plumages and Moults of the Passerine Birds of New York.
Annals Acad. Sci.

Forbush, Edward H. 1929. Birds of Massachusetts and other New England States,
Part 3. Boston, Mass. Dept, of Ag.

Godfrey, W. Earl. 1950. Ltr. dated Feb. 8, Ottawa, Can. Rep. Nat. Mus. of
Canada.

Gross, Alfred O. 1952, Bull. Maine Audubon Soc., 8 (2): 39-40.

Kraus, Douglas. 1950. Ltr. dated Jan. 10, Kingston, R. I. Rep. R. I. State College.
Latham, Roy. 1949. Ltr. dated April 3, Orient, L. I., N. Y.

Nichols, Charles K. Ltrs. during winter, N. Y. C. Rep. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.

Palmer, Ralph S. 1949. Maine Birds, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoology, Harvard, 102:

548-549.

Peterson, Roger T. 1949. Ltr. dated Mar. 25, Glen Echo, Md.

Potter, Julian. 1949. Ltr. dated Feb. 16, Collingswood, N. J.

Pough, Richard H. 1946. Audubon Bird Guide. Garden City, L. I., Doubleday &
Co. Pp. 242-243.

Rabb, George B. 1949. Ltr. dated Aug. 24, Charleston, S. C. Rep. Charleston
Mus.

St. John, Harold. 1921. Sable Island, with a catalogue of its vascular plants.
Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 36:1-103.

Saunders, W. E. 1902a. Birds of Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Ottawa Naturalist,
16:15-31.

1902b. Auk, 19: 267-271.

Sprunt, Alexander Jr. 1950. Ltrs. dated early in the year, Charleston, S. C.

Squires, W. A. 1950. Ltr. dated Feb. 2, St. John, N. B., Canada. Rep. New
Bruswick Museum.

Tufts, R. W. 1950. Ltr. dated June 8, Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

3994 Park Avenue, Seaford, Long Island, New York

10

The Kingbird

ACTIVITY IN SAPSUCKER WOODS
Arthur A. Allen

Director, Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University

There is an interesting woodland of about 130 acres some two miles as the
Crow flies northeast of the Cornell Campus that we call Sapsucker Woods.
It was christened in 1909 when the author, Louis Fuertes, Francis Harper
and James Gutsell discovered that the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker nested there,
together with Canada Warblers and Northern Water-Thrushes. This gave it
the distinction of being somewhat Canadian and different from the Campus
and adjacent woodlands. We found Ruffed Grouse there that Sunday
morning and Pileated Woodpeckers and Red-shouldered Hawks and Florned
Owls and many other unusual birds that made us want to return.

Through the ensuing years we returned many times, as have successive gen¬
erations of Cornell students, and we have always found it rewarding. The
Arthur Lanes, now the caretakers, moved in and tamed the Chickadees and
the woodland gradually became a mecca for bird classes. Graduate students
in ornithology selected research problems on the birds nesting there. Paul
Kellogg and Albert Brand studied Grouse; Sewall Pettingill, Woodcock; J.
Southgate Y. Hoyt, Pileated Woodpecker; Heinz Meng, Cooper’s Hawk;
Robert Stein, Alder Flycatcher; while Oliver Owen worked out the bird
ecology of the area.

In 1954, Lyman K. Stuart interested his family in giving the woods to
Cornell University as a memorial to his father and his uncle, Charles H. and
Kenneth E. Stuart, who also had been much interested in nature. The Walter
C. Heasleys added twenty acres of their woodland to round out the Stuart
gift and make the sanctuary a complete unit. The Stuarts also financed three
miles of chain link fencing to surround it and provided an endowment for
maintaining it . In addition, Stuart, through the Arcadia Foundation is pro¬
viding funds for a field headquarters and research building for the Cornell
Laboratory of Ornithology.

In accepting the gifts from the Stuart family, the Cornell trustees not only
set aside the area in perpetuity as a bird sanctuary, but they also set up the
Laboratory of Ornithology as a separate department in the university. For
forty years the Laboratory had existed as a non-administrative unit attached
first to the Department of Entomology, more recently to the Department of
Zoology and finally to the Department of Conservation. In its new role, the
Laboratory of Ornithology is not attached to any college or department but
has two directors, Professors Arthur Allen and Paul Kellogg, who are also
members of an advisory council responsible directly to the president of the
university. The laboratory will not supplant any of the ornithological teach¬
ing or research in other departments, but will supplement their work with ad¬
ditional facilities as well as carry on its own projects, for which it has gained
an enviable reputation through the years. It will provide a scientific, edu¬
cational, and cultural center for the study of living birds.

The activities of the Laboratory are not limited to the local birds. This
past Winter, for example, the Donald McChesneys and the James Passes
of Syracuse are financing an expedition to Kenya to obtain films and record¬
ings of African birds and their songs for the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithol-

The Kingbird

11

ogy and its Library of Natural Sounds. The Lawrence Grinnells have just
returned from a similar trip under the auspices of the laboratory, and Pro¬
fessors Allan and Kellog will continue their expeditions to various parts of
the World.

The Laboratory of Ornithology is designed to be self-supporting and the
trustees have established the “Cornell Trust for Ornithology” which may
receive tax-free gifts for general maintenance or for specific ornithological
purposes. A number of such benefactions have already been received and,
in addition all royalties from the Cornell Bird Records have been turned
over to this trust by Professors Allen and Kellogg.

In addition to the fence surrounding Sapsucker Woods, many improve¬
ments are planned or have already been initiated to make the area attractive
to as great a variety of birds as possible as well as to visitors. At the north
end, for example, where the building will be placed, about ten acres of
water have been impounded to form a partially wooded pond, and already
Wood Ducks, Blacks, Mallards, and Pied-billed Grebes have moved in
and Herons, Bitterns, and Rails are looking it over. About four miles of
trails have been constructed which will serve for fire protection as well as for
making the area more accessible for classes and more desirable for those birds
that prefer the “edges” so created,

A fireproof, ranch-type building, 170 feet long by 50 feet wade has been
designed with a connecting observation room 25 feet by 50 feet at the edge
of the pond. This room will have picture windows overlooking the water on
the west and the bird feeders on the southern woodland side. The plans
provide for offices, laboratories and an aviary for studies in bird behavior as
well as for a sound room, dark room, library and reading room. A seven-ton
memorial boulder has been placed among ferns and hemlocks near the gate¬
way to the woods. Here also there will be a small open-air classroom facing
the bird feeders.

There is considerable open land north of the pond which belongs to the
university and about twenty acres of this has been enclosed within the fence
to make a home for the Bobolinks, Meadowlarks, Henslow’s Sparrows and
other field birds. A part of it may be planted to groups of desirable trees that
will make the area more attractive to certain birds not at present represented
in the list of eigthty-odd nesting species. At one comer of the large .pond,
for example, we plan a thicket of balsam and spruce for Magnolia and
Blackburnian Warblers. Within the woods, near one of the trails, a despres-
sion 75 by 25 feet has been bull-dozed where it is hoped to start a sphagnum
bog and perhaps bring in Nashville Warblers, which do not nest there at pres¬
ent, as well as pitcher plants, sundews, and orchids.

Members of the Federation of New York State Bird Clubs will always be
welcome at Sapsucker Woods and it is hoped by the directors that many of
the readers of The Kingbird will include the refuge in their bird watching
tours. Sapsucker Woods Road, formerly Townline Road, runs through the
woods. It is the next north-south road east of Warren Road which leads
to the Mohawk Airport and which is well marked.

Ithaca, New York

12

The Kingbird

A SUMMARY OF THE 55th CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT IN
NEW YORK STATE

George E. L. Lippert

This paper summarizes the Christmas Bird Counts in New York State
conducted from December 24, 1954 to January 2, 1955 as part of the nation¬
wide count sponsored by the National Audubon Society (See 1955 Audubon
Field Notes 9 (2):84-97). This is the first paper in what is hoped will be
a regular series. It is the purpose of this project to make this record avail¬
able annually. Each year it will indicate the number and kinds of birds found
in New York State in mid-winter; as a continuing record it may show fluctu¬
ations in populations in the state. (Ed. Note: Present plans call for subse¬
quent summaries to appear in the July issue each year.)

In this report Long Island counts are considered separately because of
the difference in populations and species occurence. For each species two
figures are given, first the number of counts on which it was reported, second
the total number of birds seen. An uncommon record is indicated by small
figures in either category.

New York ornithologists are invited to contact the author if they have
comments about or suggestions for this project.

LONG ISLAND — Temperature on the eight counts varied from 25° to 5I°F.
187 individuals cooperated, varying from one to 44 observers per count. 655 hours
were spent in the field, 1 16 in cars, 520 afoot, 13 on boats, 6 on bicycles. 1529
miles were traveled, 981 by car, 470 afoot, 66 by boat, 12 by bicycle. Total
species: 154; total birds 193,678.

Common Loon 9, 119; Red-throated Loon 8, 58; Red-necked Grebe 3, 7;
Horned Grebe 8, 1296; Pied-billed Grebe 7, 216; Gannet 7, 246; European Cor¬
morant 3, 33; Double-crested Cormorant 2, 2; Great Blue Heron 7, 196; Black-
crowned Night Heron 7, 163; American Bittern 5, 14; Mute Swan 7, 298; Canada
Goose 6, 882; Brant 4, 5321; Mallard 7, 1784; Black Duck 9, 16660; Garwall 2,
77; European Widgeon 2, 2; American Widgeon 6, 1398; Pintail 6, 634; European
Teal 1,1; Green-winged Teal 5, 349; Shoveller 2, 40; Redhead 5, 21; Ring-necked
Duck 5, 209; Canvasback 5, 3978; Greater Scaup Duck 9, 47646; Lesser Scaup
Duck 5, 143; American Goldeneye 8, 1251; Bufflehead 7, 786; Old-squaw 9, 837;
Harlequin Duck 1, 2; Common Eider 1, 2; King Eider 1, 2; White-winged Scoter 7,
6840; Surf Scoter 4, 1129; American Scoter 4, 152; Ruddy Duck 6, 248; Hooded
Merganser 5, 176; American Merganser 6, 543; Red-breasted Merganser 9, 1917;
Goshawk 1, 1 (ed.: no details); Sharp-shinned Hawk 5, 8; Cooper's Hawk 2, 4;
Red-tailed Hawk 3, 8; Red-shouldered Hawk 3, 6; Rough-legged Hawk 1, 1; Marsh
Hawk 7, 64; Peregrine Falcon 2, 2; Sparrow Hawk 7, 97; Ruffed Grouse 1, 1; Bob-
white 3, 36; Ring-necked Pheasant 5, 91; Clapper Rail 5, 48; Virginia Rail 1, 6;
Sora 1, 1; Florida Gallinule 4, 7; American Coot 8, 787; Piping Plover 1, 2; Ringed
Plover 1, 2; Killdeer 4, 159; Black-bellied Plover 4, 101; Woodcock 1, 1; Wilson's
Snipe 5, 16; Greater Yellow-legs 2, 4; Purple Sandpiper 4, 119; Red-backed Sand¬
piper 5, 813; Sanderling 6, 551; Glaucous Gull 2, 2; Iceland Gull 1, 1; Great Black-
backed Gull 9, 2815; Herring Gull 9, 43536; Ring-billed Gull 9, 1967; Black¬
headed Gull 1, 1; Laughing Gull 3, 8; Bonaparte's Gull 7, 1794; Black-legged
Kittiwake 1, 1; Black Skimmer 1, 4; Dovekie 1,1,

Mourning Dove 7, 314; Barn Owl 1, 2; Screech Owl 3, 17; Horned Owl 2, 2;
Snowy Owl 2, 5; Long-eared Owl 2, 3; Short-eared Owl 3, 17; Belted Kingfisher 7, 26;
Yellow-shafted Flicker 8, 81; Hairy Woodpecker 7, 40; Downy Woodpecker 8, 167;

-Western Kingbird 1, 1; Eastern Phoebe 1, 1 (ed.: no details); Horned Lark 5, 586;
Tree Swallow 1, 7; Blue Jay 8, 531; American Crow 8, 2407; Fish Crow 5, 23;
Black-capped Chickadee 8, 1094; Brown-capped Chickadee 2, 4; White-breasted
Nuthatch 7, 198; Red-breasted Nuthatch 7, 131; Brown Creeper 5, 17; Winter
Wren 6, 14; Carolina Wren 6, 24; Long-billed Marsh Wren 6, 22; Short-billed Marsh

The Kingbird

13

Wren 1, 1; Mockingbird 1, 1; Catbird 4, 14; Brown Thrasher 3, 7; American Robin
1 , 202; Hermit Thrush 5, 10; Eastern Bluebird 1, 63; Golden-crowned Kinglet 6, 48;
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1, 1; American Pipit 2, 23; Cedar Waxwing 3, 37; Gray
Shrike 2, 5; Loggerhead Shrike 4, 7; Common Starling 8, 18840; Myrtle Warbler
8, 3342; Pine Warbler 1, 2; Palm Warbler 1, 1; House Sparrow 8, 5084; Eastern
Meadowlark 8, 317; Red-winged Blackbird 7, 760; Rusty Blackbird 5, 33; Purple
Grackle 3, 41; Brown-headed Cowbird 7, 959; Cardinal 5, 37; Purple Finch 7, 45;
Goldfinch 1, 330; Common Redpoll 2, 18; Pine Siskin 8, 327; House Finch 3, 49;
Red Crossbill 3, 120; White-winged Crossbill 3, 198; Eastern Towhee 4, 13; Ipswich
Sparrow 3, 8; Savannah Sparrow 7, 400; Sharp-tailed Sparrow 6, 20; Seaside
Sparrow 3, 11; Vesper Sparrow 1, 2; Slate-colored Junco 7, 1990; Oregon Junco 1, 1;
Tree Sparrow 8, 1683; Chipping Sparrow 1, 2; Field Sparrow 7, 199; White-crowned
Sparrow 1, 1; White-throated Sparrow 8, 2182; Fox Sparrow 7, 59; Swamp Sparrow

8, 96; Song Sparrow 8, 1428; Lapland Longspur 3, 12; Snow Bunting 5, 171.

MAINLAND NEW YORK — Temperature on the thirty-one counts varied from
6° to 50°F. 669 individuals cooperated, varying from one to 75 observers per count.

1355 hours were spent in the field, 823 afoot, 532 in cars, 11 on boats. 7079
miles were traveled, 1324 afoot, 5755 by car, 70 by boat. Total species; 152;
total birds 332,475.

Common Loon 4, 24; Red-throated Loon 3, 12; Red-necked Grebe 1, 4; Horned
Grebe 11, 459; Pied-billed Grebe 12, 60; European Cormorant 2, 23; Double-
crested Cormorant 2, 6; Great Blue Heron 9, 100; Black-crowned Night Heron 5,
115; American Bittern 2, 4; Mute Swan 4, 55; Whistling Swan 1, 1; Canada Goose
4, 336; Snow Goose 1,1; Blue Goose 1, 4; Mallard 16, 2023; Black Duck 21, 8723;
Gadwall 3, 7; European Widgeon 2, 4; American Widgeon 6, 178; Pintail 6, 40;
Green-winged Teal 3, 26; Shoveller 1, 2; Wood Duck 3, 6; Redhead 9, 2149; Ring¬
necked Duck 8, 173; Canvasback 13, 16235; Greater Scaup Duck 14, 21828;
Lesser Scaup Duck 8, 707; American Golden-eye 19, 3816; Bufflehead 9, 633;
Old-squaw 8, 1083; White-winged Scoter 7, 440; Surf Scoter 3, 37; American
Scoter 4, 11; Ruddy Duck 3, 397; Hooded Merganser 1 1, 134; American Merganser
19, 3018; Red-breasted Merganser 11, 1239; Turkey Vulture 1, 3 (ed.: no details);
Sharp-shinned Hawk 8, 15; Cooper's Hawk 15, 22; Red-tailed Hawk 17, 106; Red¬
shouldered Hawk 6, 42; Rough-legged Hawk 6, 16; Bald Eagle 7, 12; Marsh Hawk

9, 22; Osprey 1, 1 (Ed.: no details); Peregrine Falcon 3, 3; Pigeon Hawk 1, 1;
Sparrow Hawk 22, 226; Ruffled Grouse 20, 77; Ring-necked Pheasant 23, 871;
Clapper Rail 3, 7; Virginia Rail 2, 5; American Coot 13, 323; Killdeer 4, 152;
Wilson's Snipe 2, 6; Lesser Yellow-legs 1,1; Purple Sandpiper 2, 166; Sanderling 1,
47; Glaucous Gull 1, 9; Iceland Gull 3, 10; Great Black-backed Gull 14, 497; Herring
Gull 24, 57433; Ring-billed Gull 18, 3387; Laughing Gull 4, 17; Black-headed Gull
1, 3; Bonaparte's Gull 5, 4500; Little Gull 1, 2.

Mourning Dove 15, 460; Barn Owl 2, 2; Screech Owl 13, 44; Horned Owl 9,
22; Snowy Owl 2, 4; Barred Owl 7, 12; Long-eared Owl 5, 7; Short-eared Owl 3, 7;
Saw-whet Owl 1, 1; Belted Kingfisher 21, 64; Yellow-shafted Flicker 13, 54; Pileated
Woodpecker 13, 35; Red-bellied Woodpecker 2, 4 (ed.: no details); Red-headed
Woodpecker 1, 2; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3, 4; Hairy Woodpecker 29, 413;
Downy Woodpecker 30, 906; Eastern Phoebe 1, 1; Horned Lark 6, 107; Blue Jay
31, 2120; American Crow 28, 11370; Fish Crow 3, 28; Black-capped Chickadee
30, 5442; Brown-capped Chickadee 6, 6; Tufted Titmouse 9, 182; White-breasted
Nuthatch 31, 979; Red-breasted Nuthatch 20, 145; Brown Creeper 24, 104; Winter
Wren 8, 16; Carolina Wren 8, 12; Long-billed Marsh Wren 3, 6; Mockingbird 2, 2;
Catbird 3, 6; Brown Thrasher 3, 3; American Robin 15, 108; Hermit Thrush 7, 13;
Olive-backed Thrush 2, 2; Eastern Bluebird 7, 166; Golden-crowned Kinglet 15, 148;
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3, 7; American Pipit 1, 2; Cedar Waxwing 9, 342; Gray
Shrike 14, 47; Loggerhead Shrike 1, 1; Common Starling 31, 145453; Myrtle
Warbler 7, 431; Palm Warbler 1, 2; Common Yellow-throat 1, 1; Yellow-breasted
Chat 1,1; House Sparrow 31, 14023; Eastern Meadowlark 8, 88; Red-winged Black¬
bird 11, 667; Baltimore Oriole 1, 1 (ed.: no details); Rusty Blackbird 6, 15; Purple
Grackle 6, 66; Brown-headed Cowbird 11, 559; Cardinal 23, 443; Dickcissel 1, 1;
Evening Grosbeak 14, 436; Purple Finch 7, 167; House Finch 1, 50; Pine Grosbeak
18, 502; Common Redpoll 11, 337; Pine Siskin 13, 801; American Goldfinch 22,
1086; Red Crossbill 2, 16; White-winged Crossbill 4, 31; Eastern Towhee 5, 13;
Savannah Sparrow 4, 67; Sharp-tailed Sparrow 1, 2; Seaside Sparrow 1, 2; Vesper
Sparrow 3, 6; Slate-colored Junco 29, 2892; Tree Sparrow 31, 4815; Chipping
Sparrow 2, 9; Field Sparrow 7, 199; White-throated Sparrow 13, 895; Fox Sparrow

14

The Kingbird

5, 29; Swamp Sparrow 10, 65; Song Sparrow 26, 948; Lapland Longspur 5, 22;
Snow Bunting 12, 3 833.

Totals for entire state: 178 species; 526,153 individuals.

R. D. No. 1, Brown Road, Albion, New York

CLUB NEWS

SASSAFRAS BIRD CLUB

The Sassafras Bird Club like many others in the state has long realized
the need for furthering conservation practices. On a limited budget, how¬
ever, it has been necessary to weigh the matter of how best to serve this fine
cause. The club decided several years ago to sponsor a two week scholar¬
ship to the Audubon Camp in Maine. The only requirement the club made
was that each student share his knowledge and experience by serving as
leader of Nature Activities at a local boy scout, girl scout, 4-H or day camp
for one season. These organizations have rotated assignment of an able
student as the project has continued on an annual basis.

The staff of the Audubon Camp has been pleased with the type of scholar¬
ship student sent and welcomes word that another is to come this summer.

As years pass former students have spoken often of the broadening ex¬
perience gained and the fine friendships formed while at camp. It is im¬
possible to recount the many advantages of such an experience, but if nature
study is continued as a vocation or an avocation, surely a sound basic under¬
standing of ecology places a person in a fine position in this field. One of
the students remarked that all through his life he would cherish memories
and enjoy the out-of-doors the more for his better understanding of how to
help preserve it.

Sassafras Bird Club members point with pride to this fulfillment of
community responsibility and they urge other clubs to tty out this idea.

The Kingbird

15

REGIONAL REPORTS

HIGHLIGHTS DECEMBER 1955 THROUGH MARCH 1956

This was, as one regional editor put it very well, a rough winter. Decem¬
ber was cold in some regions, extremely cold in others. Those in western
and southern New York who were bothered by frozen ponds, marshs, rivers
and bays should note the 28 day average temperature of -2°F. in the
Champlain Region. Some regions witnessed more raw faces than species on
Christmas Counts. Snowfall records were set in Regions 3 and 5, and the
entire state was blanketed with a heavy mid-March fall. This late blizzard
delayed many early migrants and showed evidence in some regions of exact¬
ing a toll of those which did arrive on time.

Warblers give perhaps the best evidence of the severity of the early winter
cold. Early records are good: a Chat Dec. 1 on Long Island, a Yellow Warb¬
ler Dec. 18 at Cortland. But there is only one record of a possible wintering
warbler upstate: a Yellow-throat at Rochester (found by a peregrinating Buf¬
falo group. Even southern areas found the Myrtle in only small numbers.
Snowy Owls and wintering hawks were also down. Purple Finch popula¬
tions were very poor in most regions with no build-up in March.

Contrary to expectations herons were reported in five of the eight upstate
regions, Wood Ducks in three. A Yellow-crowned Night Heron was found
on the waterfowl count on Long Island. Shrike counts were good; Robins
surprising. Regions 2, 3, 5, 8 and 9 found Robins in unprecedented numbers.
Evening Grosbeaks were state-wide in large numbers; one of the best items
of evidence: Sally Hoyt banding over 700. There were good populations of
other finches except Purple. Six Towhees evidently wintered in widely
scattered parts of the state, and although fluctuations were apparent Snow
Bunting populations appeared to be very good.

Other good records: a Kittiwake and late Little Gulls in the Niagara
Gorge; a Magpie on Long Island; a Barrows Golden-eye near Albany.

REGION 1 —NIAGARA FRONTIER

Clark S. Beardslee

This was a period of severe winter weather, particularly during the first
half. December was the coldest in eleven years and during January the
temperature at no time reached 40°. February was a trifle warmer than aver¬
age, due more to lack of below-zero days than to the presence of warm
days; and March was never-ending disappointment to those who were look¬
ing for two nice days back-to-back. Early March migrants such as swans,
geese, Robins, Red-wings, and Killdeer, were treated to some mightly stiff
weather soon after their arrival, and their powers of endurance were severly
tested. Difficult to explain in light of this unusually cold winter was the
presence of Bonaparte”s Gulls on the Niagara Rive all winter, something
which has happened rarely in the past and then only during a very mild win-

16

The Kingbird

ter. Furthermore, wintering Robis were reported everywhere in far greater
numbers than usual. Other instances of wintering or late lingering will be
found below.

LOONS — DUCKS: Common Loons were last reported 12/11 (Niagara Gorge,
Schaffner, Brownstein) and appeared again 3/27 (L. Chautauqua, Elderkin). Horned
Grebes were present all winter at Dunkirk. A single Pied-billed Grebe remained at
Celeron until 1/15 (Beal). Great Blue Herons had not yet returned to their nesting
sites at the end of the period (unusual). A single hardy (or stupid) Amer. Bittern
was seen twice in January on Grand Island, the second time on the 22nd (Rathbun,
Rew). Whistling Swans returned early, being reported from three places 3/10 and
reaching the northern counties by the 12th. Their numbers were small, 39 being
the maximum reported from any of seven localities. Canada Geese reached Oak
Orchard 3/3, and by the 12th 4700 were reported there. Single Gadwalls were seen
in January and February from Grand Island and Goat Island, and one male stayed
from 1/21 to 3/26 with the Mallards and Blacks in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
(Schaffner et al,). Migrant Pintails showed up 3/10 at Dunkirk (Parker) and 3/12
at Oak Orchard (Mitchell). Ditto for Baldpate, with an additional record on 3/3
at Celeron (Elderkin). A single Ring-necked Duck was seen off Grand Island on
1/22 (Beardslee) and 2/25 (Schaffner, Brownsteins). The largest number of Can-
vasbacks ever counted on the Niagara River (15,196) was a highlight of our Federation
census. Five thousand Old Squaws were in the lower river on that occasion, filling
the air with their “ah, ah-de-let'' calls. Ruddy Ducks were noted as late as 1/28
(three at outlet of L. Chautauqua, Parker), and Robinson reported one there 3/18.
The usual wintering Hooded Mergansers were absent, the year's first record being a
orompt 3/17 (Celeron, Elderkin).

HAWKS — OWLS: The first Turkey Vulture was reported from Chestnut Ridge
Park 3/13 (Coggeshall); the species was not seen at Oak Orchard until 3/27. Bald
Eagles were reported every month, mostly from the Grand Island area. Elderkin
found a Duck Hawk at Frewsburg 3/13. Coots were seen all winter at Niagara
Gorge, Grand Island, L. Chautauqua, and Dunkirk. One had returned to Oak
Orchard 3/18 (Brockner). Our first Killdeer record was of two at Alden on 3/3
(Wolfling). Glaucous and Iceland Gulls were reported throughout the period (mostly
single individuals). One Kumlien's Gull was seen 12/8 at the Falls (Coggeshall) and
one on the lower river 3/18 (North). Wintering Little Gulls (very unusual) were
reported on the Niagara during December and as late as 1/8 (2 at Lewiston,
Schaffner et al.). A Kittiwake was observed in the Niagara Gorge 12/24 (Kemnitzer)
and 12/25 (Axtells). A few Bonaparte's Gulls were seen through January and Feb¬
ruary and as late as 3/11 (12 on lower river, Beardslee). An early Common Tern
was observed by Mitchell off Grand Island 3/31. Snowy Owl records were very few.
Long-eared and Short-eared Owls were frequently seen on Grand Island throughout
the period, and from one to three Saw-whets could almost always be found in the
Lewiston cemetery.

SWIFTS — SHRIKES: The only winter record of a Kingfisher was of one which
appeared out of nowhere 1/29 at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Brockner) and returned to
the same place. A few wintering Flickers were reported. A Red-bellied Woodpecker
was seen at the Bakers' feeder at Belmont from 1/1 to 1/12 (fide McMurtry). Sev¬
eral Red-headed Woodpeckers (max. 8) wintered just east of Youngstown. The
Heilborns' Austrian pines attracted a Sapsucker from 12/1 to 12/26 (most
unusual). Probably the first migrant Prairie Horned Larks were those reported 1/22
from Grand Island (Rew, Rathbun, Verrill) and from Cambria (Nathan et al.). Our
only Northern Horned Lark record comes from Mrs. McMurtry who found one at
Wellsville 2/24. Carolina Wrens were seen at Jamestown (Parker), Hamburg (Avery),
and Olean (Eaton) during the period. Mockingbirds visited the Koch feeder at Dun¬
kirk and the Kuhn feeder at New Leon throughout February. A Hermit Thrush was
seen at Dunkirk 1/7 and 2/1 to 2/5 (Meierhofer, rep. Stanley). The first Bluebird
was noted at Oak Orchard on 3/4 (Brockner). Gray Shrikes were repeatedly seen
throughout the area during all four months. The first Loggerhead Shrike was found
near Wolcottsville 3/23 (Mitchell).

VIREOS — WARBLERS: A Myrtle Warbler was seen in the Youngstown Ceme¬
tery by many observers from 12/11 to 2/19.

BLACKBIRDS — SPARROWS: Mrs. McMurtry reported 75 Red-wings at Bel¬
mont on 2/27. A Rusty Blackbird was seen at Oak Orchard on 3/14 (Creighton

The Kingbird

17

et al.). Grackles were first reported by Wolfling from Alden (6 on 3/3), and Cow-
birds by Mitchell from Oak Orchard (10 on 3/12). Evening Grosbeaks were present
in many localities and in large numbers (100 Frewsburg, 80 Hamburg, 100 East
Aurora, 150 Wellsville). Mrs. McMurtry had Purple Finches at Wellsville all winter;
few were reported elsewhere. Siskins were much more numerous than usual; most of
the flocks were rather small, but many observers reported finding them, and Eaton
writes of “large flocks" wintering. Common Redpolls were well represented, most
being recorded in February. Both species of crossbills were reported rather fre¬
quently, they being most numerous in, but by no means confined to, Cattaraugus
County. A Towhee may have wintered at Chestnut Ridge Park; it was seen there
3/5 (Creighton et al.). From 1/7 to 3/31 a female Oregon Junco was seen daily
at the Klabunde feeding station at Lewiston, where scores of birders were privileged
to study it. A White-throated Sparrow spent the entire winter at the Avery feeder
at Hamburg. I thought Tree Sparrows were especially common this winter. A
single Fox Sparrow visited the Avery feeder in Hamburg from 3/1 1 to 3/15. Our first
Swamp Sparrow record is supplied by Mrs. McMurtry, who observed one at Wellsville
3/5. Longspur records were few, but many Snow Buntings were seen, some in tre¬
mendous flocks, the largest being one of 3000 (2/28 and 2/29, Armor, by Bason
et al.).

132 McKinley Ave., Kenmore 17, N. Y.

REGION 2 —GENESEE

Leo J. Tangiie

The winter of 1955-56 was marked by a total snowfall of 119.6 inches
up to April 10, the largest amount in recent years. Continued cold from
November to the very end of March kept the bird population at a compar¬
atively low level and held back early migrants. The Christmas Census gave
only 64 species compared to high counts of 77 in 1953 and 1954.

LOONS — DUCKS: The Red-throated Loon was last seen on Dec. 4 and did
not appear again until March 1 1; the Common Loon showed up on March 25 after
an absence of 5 months.

A Great Blue Heron survived until mid-January at the Clover St. Locks of the
Barge Canal (Dakins), and a Bittern was seen near open water in the Braddocks Bay
marsh by Listman on Feb. 14.

Four Whistling Swans appeared at Braddocks Bay on Mar. 24. Among the
Geese, only the Canada had been seen by the end of March. These first appeared
at Durand Eastman on Mar. 4 (N. Moon) and built up to a flock of about 1000 at
bays westward along the lake, principally at Shore Acres.

Normal duck population was maintained through the winter months, but the
migrants normally appearing in March were retarded. Pintail was reported once in
January and once in February, but definite migration did not start until about March
1 1. Unusual duck records for the winter were 1 Wood Duck by Klonick at the
southern Tip of Irondequoit Bay on Dec. 26, and 3 American Scoters by Taylor,
Conway and Mahoney in Lake Ontario at Rigney's Bluff on Jan. 2.

HAWKS — OWLS: Red-tailed and Sparrow Hawks, our most abundant hawks
during winter, were reported regularly. The Cooper's and Sharp-shinned were
present in much smaller numbers. The Rough-legged was unusually scarce. After
May 1955, this bird was not seen until Jan. 15, 1956 (McKinney), and then not
until March 25 (Corcoran). The Marsh Hawk was seen sparingly, but in every
month throughout the winter (Dec. 26, by Corcoran; Jan. 29, by Dobson; Feb. 14,
by Listman and March 24, by O'Hara).

First Coot on Lake Ontario near Rochester were seen by L. Moon on Feb. 13.
Possibly these birds had migrated from Canandaigua Lake where a flock of about
100 were reported in Jan. (Whites and Dakins).

Black-backed Gulls were down somewhat from the numbers of recent winters.
Many check lists reported 3 to 5 birds. Iceland and Glaucous gulls were well dis¬
tributed along the lakeshore throughout the winter, but usually only single birds
were reported. A Kumlein's Gull was seen on the Christmas Census (Dec. 26) at
the mouth of the Genesee River. It was first spotted by A. Kemnitzer, but was

18

The Kingbird

seen later by several others. The Bonaparte's Gull was seen on the Christmas census,
and it reappeared on Feb. 26 (A. Kemnitzer). Of the four owls reported on the
Christmas census, the most noteworthy was the Barred seen by Listman at Salmon
Creek, one of the streams flowing into Braddock's Bay.

Mourning Doves were reported regularly throughout the winter. The largest
flock was 60 birds at Ballantyne Rd. on Feb. 5 (Listman).

SWIFTS — SHRIKES: A few Kingfishers and Flickers stayed through the winter.
Pileated and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, both uncommon in this area, were up slightly
from counts of recent winters. A single Red-headed Woodpecker was seen at Payne
Beach by Listman on Feb. 14.

Cold weather late in March held the Tree Swallow back until the 30th. A
Tufted Titmouse was seen on the Christmas Census at the Atlantic Ave. Dugway
by H. and O. Schaefer.

An exception to the overall scarcity of birds during the winter was the abundance
of Robins. Flocks of 50-100 were seen at Durand Eastman, Ling Rd., Powder Mill
Park, and in the back yards of various "non-birders". The whereabouts of these
birds during the late fall and winter leaves much to be explained. The highest
count of these birds during Nov. and Dec. was 6, except on Dec. 26, when 34
Robins, mostly in Durand Eastman, were counted. The high counts mentioned above
were mostly during late Jan. and early Feb. The flock at Ling Rd. built up to a
peak on Jan. 28, with counts as follows: 1 on Jan. 14; 4 on Jan. 21; 67 on Jan.
28; 50 on Feb. 5; 2 on Feb. 12; none on Feb. 26 (Tanghe). By early March migrant
Robins were present in small numbers throughout the area.

Hermit Thrushes were reported in January at Durand Eastman by McNetts, Davis
and Miller, and in February at Highland Park by Holland.

VIREOS — WARBLERS: A Northern Yellowthroat was seen at Ling Rd. on
Dec. 4 by McKinney, and again on March 4 on a combined hike of the Buffalo and
Genesee Ornithological Societies. In the latter case the bird, a male, was discovered
by Miller and Rising and seen under excellent light conditions by about 20 observers.

The Myrtle Warbler, which sometimes winters here, has not been seen after
Oct. 23.

BLACKBIRDS — SPARROWS: Several Red-wings and Cowbirds wintered at the
Flynn Rd. Dump, near Braddock's Bay, and 8 Rusty Blackbirds at Ling Rd. (Tanghe,
Listman).

Meadowlarks were absent during December, but were reported several times
during January and February. Migrants arrived during the first week of March.

Evening Grosbeaks were present throughout the winter, but in smaller numbers
than in Buffalo and Syracuse. Highest count was 17 birds at a private feeder in
Durand Eastman. Redpolls were present in moderate numbers for this species;
high count, 400 at Mendon Ponds by G. Jones on Feb. 18. Pine Siskins, Gold¬
finches and White-winged Crossbills were normal. Single Red Crossbills were re¬
corded by Mrs. G. Davis at Burness Rd. in Webster, and by McKinney at Frisbee Hill
Rd. in Greece, both on March 18.

First Fox sparrows were early: on March 11 by G. Jones and one day later by
Mrs. H. Patterson and C. F. H. Allen. Lapland Longspurs were absent during
December and January, but were seen regularly during February and March. Snow
Buntings were abundant, with several reports of 500-1500 birds.

852 Stone Rd., Rochester 16, N. Y.

REGION 3 —FINGER LAKES

Sally F. Hoyt

This has been generally described as a ‘rough winter in the Finger Lakes
Region. Snow cover was continuous and there was no January thaw. Tem¬
peratures were consistently low, although not to the extremes of February
'48, but lakes and streams were ice-bound. Middle and late March brought
floods, when thawing weather was succeeded by several heavy snows, the
one of March 16 reaching a depth of 18 inches at Ithaca. Birds were driven
to feeders in unusual numbers when natural food was covered or exhausted.

The Kingbird

19

The large flocks of wintering Robins and Waxwings stripped trees and
shrubs of fruits. Multiflora rose hips were gone two months earlier than
usual.

Evening Grosbeaks and Goldfinches were the commonest winter finches.
February and March saw an increase in flocks of Redpolls and Snow
Buntings.

LOONS — DUCKS: Common Loons were scarce on Cayuga and Seneca Lakes
with almost no reports for the winter. Not as many Horned Grebes reported as
usual, and on Seneca, on 12/31 more Pied-billed (13) than Horned (4) were seen
(Bardeen). Great Blue Herons wintered again at the Montezuma Refuge (Dewey)
and one was also seen late in December at the Montour Falls airport (Waterhouse).
The first Whistling Swan report of the spring was at Branchport basin, 3/31 (R.
Jamieson). Canada Geese began going north through the Finger Lakes in large
numbers the first week in March and as usual rested near King Ferry. 3000 were
at Montezuma the week of 3/11 (Dewey). Ill Black Ducks were on the river
at Elmira on 12/31 (Census group), 5 on river at Avoca 1/15 (Carter). 1000
Pintails at the Refuge 3/11. 2 Wood Ducks spent Dec. and Jan. at Hollister's Swamp

south of Branchport (Guthrie et al).

Redheads were lower in numbers on the Christmas Count at Geneva than in past
years (Ward) and were scarcer on Cayuga all winter. One small flock of Canvas-
backs could be seen daily at the south end of Cayuga, but this species and Scaups
did not appear in the rafts of other years. At Rock Stream, on Seneca, 200 Canvas-
backs were reported the middle of January (Mrs. F. Brown), 7 Goldeneyes remained
on the river at Avoca from 1/15 on, but few were seen on Cayuga Lake. However,
an unusually high count for Montezuma Refuge was that of 200 Goldeneyes on
3/18 (Dewey).

There were no reports of Old-squaws on Keuka, or by Eaton Bird Club for their
area this winter, but 21 were seen on the waterfowl census (1/15) on the west side
of Cayuga (Hewitt, Swanson). There were no Scoters nor Ruddies reported on the
census but on 1/2 two Ruddies were seen on Seneca by Eaton Bird Club. Buffle-
heads were seen south of Aurora in mid-December (EGA). American Mergansers
were reported in larger numbers than usual this winter, and 4 Red-breasted Mer¬
gansers were seen on 1/2 by Eaton Bird Club on Seneca. At Hornell, the Reservoir
Basin was still ice-covered by the end of March, so no waterfowl reported. The
east arm of Keuka was frozen over. Cayuga Lake in general had fewer waterfowl
all winter and the largest concentrations in the Finger Lakes again were found at
north end of Seneca.

HAWKS — OWLS: The first Turkey Vulture report was on 3/11, 10 miles
north of Geneva (Phillip Allen). Most areas reported a scarcity of Hawks during
the winter, especially Accipiters. No Goshawks reported at Elmira, one seen at
Guyanoga Valley 12/11 (Spiker) one near Sumner Hill 2/26 (Gustafson). A Sharp-
shinned Hawk visited the Munford feeding station often at Clifton Springs, and a
Cooper's spent the winter near feeders on Triphammer Road in Ithaca (Mcllroy)
taking Starlings and an occasional Evening Grosbeak. Walker reported Red-tailed
Hawks fairly common near Geneva. Fewer reports of Rough-legged Hawks than
usual: one dark phase at King Ferry 12/22 (AAA), two light phase at Avoca 3/31
(Carter) and several during winter by Walker and Ward are the only reports I have.
The pair of Eagles was seen on the nest at Montezuma on 3/3 (Walker) and re¬
ported as brooding on 3/25 (Trail). A few reports of Marsh Hawks, and Sparrow
Hawks reported as fairly common throughout the Region except at Avoca.

Ruffed Grouse were scarcer around Elmira, Two came to the feeder at Sapsucker
Woods. Pheasants were scarcer around Geneva, probably in usual numbers else¬
where. Coots continue to increase as wintering birds. More than in past years at
south end of Cayuga where they joined the Mallards in the duck pond at Stewart
Park. Present in good numbers on Seneca, and 100 at Branchport Basin and Brandy
Bay on Keuka. 200 on Canandaigua (census group). A Woodcock was heard on
3/12 near Ithaca (Swanson) and a Wilson's Snipe killed by a cat in Ithaca 3/22.
As usual in recent years, a Glaucous Gull stayed with the Herring and Ring-bills at
the south end of Cayuga. An Iceland Gull was seen with the Glaucous in mid-
January (Mcllroy). One Great Black-backed wintered at south end of Seneca again
and several on Cayuga. In most areas, Mourning Doves wintered in unusual num-

20

The Kingbird

bers, being so reported from Keuka Park, Watkins Glen and Sapsucker Woods, Ithaca.
Screech Owls seemed down in numbers. There were just three reports of Snowy
Owls: one on 1/15 at Penn Yan (Whitaker), one on 2/23 three miles south of
Waterloo (Mrs. E. P. Walker) and one on 3/25 at Burdett (M. and B. Bardeen).
Six Long-eared Owls were spotted on census in Elmira area 12/31. No Short-ears
reported. A Saw-whet Owl at Ithaca 3/15 (Jehl).

SWIFTS — SHRIKES: 4 Kingfishers -were seen by the census group at Elmira
(12/31) but otherwise there were no winter reports, and for the first year in ten,
'my' Kingfisher was missing from Fall Creek in Etna. One Flicker wintered near
Ithaca (Cole) and 2 near Elmira (Welles). Pileated reports more frequent near
Elmira and for the second winter, the pair came to the feeder at Sapsucker Woods,
Ithaca. A Red-bellied Woodpecker came to a Montour Falls feeder in late December
and remained (Bardeen). A Sapsucker wintered on the Keuka College campus (Guthrie)
and one near Kellogg's feeder in Ithaca. Hairies were scarce at Elmira, Hairies and
Downies scarce at Avoca, both common at Geneva. Apparently because of the late
snows, Phoebes were not reported before the end of March. Horned Larks, both
Prairie and Northern, were abundant at Keuka (Guthrie), scarce around Watkins
Glen. Prairie Horned Larks were abundant near Ithaca in late March (Hoyt) but few
Northerns seen. Almost no March reports of Tree Swallows except 3/15 at Ithaca
(Jehl). Blue Jays seemed scarcer at Avoca, where Crows were more abundant
(Atwood, Carter). Crows also abundant at Hornell (Groesbeck). No report of
Brown-headed Chickadees this winter. A pair of Tufted Titmice wintered at the
feeder of the E. P. Walkers in Romulus and were enjoyed by many observers. 9 of
this species counted at Elmira on 12/31, definitely increasing there. Few reports of
Red-breasted Nuthatches except one south of Geneva 1/22 (Murden). Carolina
Wrens on increase at Elmira, but fewer reports of them this winter at Ithaca and
elsewhere.

Robins were abundant throughout the Finger Lakes. Only one winter Bluebird
report, by Kopp near Reading Center. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet appeared on the
Keuka campus 12/15 (Guthrie). Golden-crowned Kinglets were scarce everywhere.
Walker reported a flock of 25 Pipits flying N. W. over Waterloo 2/22, an early
report. Cedar Waxwings in good flocks were reported throughout the Region. At
Avoca they are usually not present in winter, but this year stayed and found the
fruits of multiflora rose (Carter) and at Hornell fed on flowering crab (Groesbeck).
Northern Shrikes were noted frequently and lingered rather late, one being trapped
and banded 3/27 at Etna (Hoyt). A Loggerhead Shrike appeared at Avoca on
3/26 (Atwood). Mrs. Carter reported Starlings frantic for food in late March at
Avoca, and flocks made nuisances of themselves at feeders everywhere.

VIREOS — WARBLERS: One or two reports of Myrtle Warblers at feeders in
Ithaca during December, none elsewhere.

BLACKBIRDS — SPARROWS: The Elmira census group (12/31) found fewer
House Sparrows than in other years, but no other area had this experience. There
were scattered reports of wintering Meadowlarks. Beginning the third week in
March, observers said they had never seen so many as this year. However, the
lingering heavy snows drove them, and other species, to the few bare patches where
they were easily observed and this may account for the seeming abundance. One
female Cowbird wintered in Watkins Glen at Ruth Champion's feeder. Cardinals
are holding their own around Avoca, where 2 males and 1 female were present
this winter (Carter), and 4-6 pairs occur now in the vicinity of Hornell (Groesbeck).
Evening Grosbeaks were about as numerous as last year, reported as abundant
everywhere except at Keuka, but in their erratic way shunned some feeders, turning
up at other new ones. An idea af abundance may be gained from my banding
score at Etna of over 700 by the end of March. Purple Finches were scarce, none
being reported at Watkins or Hornell, very few elsewhere. Almost no Pine Gros¬
beaks although a small flock was seen near Varna on 2/12 (Mcllroy). The first
Redpoll report was 1/15, a flock of 12 in Ithaca (Wheeler). In February reports
began to come in regularly from all areas except Hornell (and only one was re¬
ported at Geneva). Flocks of up to 100 at Keuka (Guthrie). Until March the only
report of Pine Siskins came from the Munfords at Clifton Springs who had them
feeding on sumac and trumpet vine all winter. They were seen at Elmira for the
first time in two years in January (Ryan, K. Fudge). The last of March a flock was
reported at Ithaca (Sibley). It was a good winter for Goldfinches. 7 Red Cross¬
bills seen on edge of Cornell campus 2/24 (Fisher) and 5 at Elmira on 3/31 (Cole¬
man). A flock of 30 White-winged Crossbills near Caroline 12/15 (R. Smith).

The Kingbird

21

One wintering Red-eyed Towhee 2/15 at Ludlowville (Sharkey). Slate-colored
Juncos were locally abundant. Again a Pink-sided Junco was reported, this time
from Avoca where it spent Jan. and Feb. (Carter). All observers found Tree Spar¬
rows unusually abundant, and over 300 were banded at Etna by the end of March,
a hundred more than during any of the previous nine years. Deep snow covering
natural food may have driven them to feeders in greater numbers. One White-
crowned Sparrow wintered at the Murden home, south of Geneva. 2 White-throats
at Watkins Glen, and 5 south of Keuka, appearing at feeders at the Ness home. No
White-throats reported around Ithaca after January 1. Fox Sparrows were un¬
usually common in migration the end of March. Heavy Song Sparrow migration
in the week beginning 3/17 (Hoyt). Lapland Longspurs were noted at Keuka
(Lerch), but few other reports except from Elmira where more were seen in March
than ever before. Snow Buntings were reported plentiful around Burdett, Hornell
and Elmira, but the big flocks usually found north of Ithaca were missing.

"Avianna", Etna, N. Y.

REGION 4 —SUSQUEHANNA

Leslie E. Belmont

December was extremely cold, as cold as any month for several years.
While there were no especially heavy snowfalls the constantly cold weather in
sured a constant, if not thick, cover of snow. This cold weather continued
until the middle of January. The rest of January and all of February the
weather was milder, but not really warm, and the ground was at least partially
bare most of the time. Early March produced some warm bright weather
that turned out to be a false Spring. Our heaviest snowfall of the year came
March 16. Eleven inches fell and stayed on the ground until about the
25th of the month. A flock of Meadowlarks found in a weakened condition
was the only record of early migrants being adversely affected although sev¬
eral species were quite late.

LOONS — DUCKS: The only grebe reported all winter was a Pied-billed near
Chenango Valley State Park 1/15 (Sheffields) seen during the duck census. Two
Great Blue Herons were reported from along the Susquehanna River just west of
Endicott 1/30 (Mallory). The only other one reported was near Deposit 3/25
(Wilson). The January Waterfowl Count produced a total almost exactly twice that
of last year in spite of the relatively severe weather. It is interesting to note that
Mallards, Black Ducks and Am. Mergansers, the only important wintering ducks
in the region, each totaled about twice the number found last year, so that no one
species is responsible for the increase. Three Wood Ducks at C. V. State Park 3/18
were our first (Triple Cities Naturalists' Club). The only Redheads reported were
4 at Unadilla 3/24 (Wisner). The 5 Am. Golden-eyes found at Centre Village,
Broome Co. on the Waterfowl Census Jan. 15 (Saunders, et. al.) were revisited
Jan. 22 and found to have increased to 13. Golden-eyes are not usually seen in
this area until the middle of February or early March. Two male Red-breasted
Mergansers, an unusual bird in the region, were seen at North Norwich 2/5
(Whites).

HAWKS — OWLS: A Turkey Vulture was seen 3/25 and two 3/29 near
Deposit (Wilson). A Sharp-shinned Hawk was at Deposit 3/18 (Wilson). Wintering
Red-tailed Hawks seemed more common than usual in the region as a whole. A
Rough-legged Hawk was seen near Deposit 2/26 (Wilson) and another 3/4 at
Sherburne (Stratton). An immature Bald Eagle was seen feeding in the road just
north of Owego 1/8 (Rosevear). Mr. Rose of South Kortright reports that Bald
Eagles have been seen there and at Gilboa and Oneonta, too. No wintering Marsh
Hawks were reported. The first one was seen 3/1 1 near Binghamton (Marsi).

A Killdeer was near Deposit 1/22 (Wilson). The next report was from the
Messengerville area, in Cortland Co. 3/3 (Washburns et. al*.). Not seen at all
frequently until 3/9. A Mourning Dove was seen in the Binghamton area Jan. 1

22

The Kingbird

(Jennings) and two more were at Homer 2/26 (Gustafson). No more until 3/17
and still not common by the end of March. Two Horned Owls were heard 1/2, at
10:00 A. M. of a bright sunny day, apparently calling back and forth to each other
near Norwich (Whites). Horned Owl reports have been more frequent than usual.
A Snowy Owl was seen near the Greene Golf Course 2/18 (McLean).

GOATSUCKERS — SHRIKES: Kingfishers seem to have been present all winter
in one part of the region or another. No wintering Flickers were reported but
Pileated Woodpeckers have been seen more frequently than usual. No Phoebes were
reported before the end of March. Horned Larks seemed to be present in about
normal numbers in the Binghamton area until 3/17 when they suddenly became
very common. They were seen in small and medium sized flocks along roadsides
everywhere. Mr. Wilson states that he had seen rone in the Deposit area since
1947 but he saw 4 on 3/17, 45 on 3/18 and 40 on 3/24. At Oxford (Stratton)
and Norwich (Whites) they were seen in medium sized flocks at about this time, too.
This period of abnormal numbers lasted until about 3/25 around Binghamton. The
timing corresponds with the falling and melting of our heaviest snow rather closely.
No Tree Swallows had been seen in the whole region by the end of March.

Blue Jays were reported to be unusually abundant at Bainbridge (E. J. Smith) and
at Deposit (Wilson) and seemed more numerous at Cortland, too (Thurber). Crows
were also more numerous at Cortland (Thurber) and at Deposit, Mr. Wilson reports,
they were present all winter for the first time in his memory. Tufted Titmice con¬
tinue to increase in the Binghamton area. In at least one place where two were
coming to a feeder last winter there are 6 or 7 this year, giving us strong evidence
that they bred here during the past summer, although a definite breeding record
is still lacking. One seen at Deposit was the first there since 1952. Red-breasted
Nuthatches were more common than usual at Deposit (Wilson) but there were only
very occasional reports from other areas. A Winter Wren was seen at Cortland 1/6
and again 1/15 (Thurber). There were several records of Carolina Wrens in the
Binghamton area during January showing that at least some survived the severe
December weather, but the effects of the late March snowstorms are still unknown.

There was a spectacular increase in the wintering Robin population in the
Binghamton area. They were reported almost daily from Christmas time until the
middle of February, sometimes in flocks numbering as many as 55 birds, but flocks
usually numbered from 6 to 15 (TCNC). None were reported from 2/15 to 3/10
in Binghamton. Three records of single birds from Cortland (Thurber) are the
only other winter records. The first spring m'grant was at Deposit 3/6 (Wilson)
and by 3/11 had been seen throughout the region, but even by the end of March
were not really common. The first Bluebirds were four at Corbett 3/4 (Wilson), One
at Oxford 3/11 (Whites) and one at Maine in Broome Co. 3/15 (Early) were the
only other pre-snowstorm reports turned in. Only two more reports were received
from the whole region before the end of the month. The Triple Cities Naturalists'
Club has completed a project whereby 150 Bluebird houses were built and put out.
The publicity the project received has apparently stimulated various 4-H clubs and
Scout organizations to do likewise on a smaller scale.

Golden-crowned Kinglets have been reported only from Binghamton, Cortland
and Deposit and they were quite scarce in those areas. Cedar Waxwings appear
to have been somewhat more common than usual in the Binghamton area (TCNC),
but in other areas they seemed normal or even low in numbers. For the third year
in a row Gray Shrikes have been present in good numbers. Reports came from
all parts of the region starting 12/26 near Binghamton and South New Berlin.

VIREOS — WARBLERS: A Yellow Warbler at Cortland 12/18, a cold snowy
day, was one of the biggest surprises of the season (Thurber).

BLACKBIRDS — SPARROWS: The first Meadowlarks were at Deposit 3/4
(Wilson) at Binghamton 3/11 (TCNC) at Oxford 3/14 (Stratton) and at Norwich
3/24 (Whites). On 3/25 a flock of about 15 was found near Maine in such poor
condition that a person could walk up to them and pick them up (Early). The
snow which fell 3/16 still completely covered the ground. Redwings were first
reported at Binghamton 2/28 (Easton & Shanley). Although several large flocks
were reported they did not become very common in the marshes during March and
no females had appeared by the end of the month. One Rusty Blackbird was found
in a flock of Redwings 3/11 near Binghamton (TCNC) and there have been a few
reported since. A Cowbird, a female, was at Hancock 1/1 (Standfasts) and 3 were

The Kingbird

23

at Unadilla 2/21, one male remaining until 2/23 (Wisner). The next report is of
a female at Deposit 3/10 (Wilson).

Cardinals have been well established in the Binghamton area for a number of
years, but at Cortland, Deposit, Oxford and Unadilla, while present this year they
are still not firmly established. Dr. Thurber writes that this is the second year
in a row that Cardinals have been present in the Cortland area during the winter

after an absence of 1 0 years. This has been a great year for Evening Grosbeaks.

Mr. Wilson reports a peak of 160 birds at his feeder in Deposit early in February.
Mr. Smith at Bainbridge had a flock of 25 most of the winter and Mr. Wisner at
Unadilla reports a peak flock of 35 or 40 birds. In the Binghamton area there were
many flocks numbering 30 to 50 birds. They started coming to feeders in the

latter part of December and early January. Their numbers had tapered off some¬

what by the end of March but they were still very much in evidence. Purple Finches
have been quite scarce all winter. Pine Grosbeaks were noted in several areas during
January and early February but then disappeared. Redpolls were quite common
during March in Binghamton (TCNC) and Oxford (Stratton) especially during the
latter half and right up to the end of the month. In Deposit the peak was earlier
and they were practically absent during March (Wilson). In Norwich they were
first seen 2/10 and have been seen as late as 3/25 with numerous observations
between (Whites). They seem to have been completely absent from other areas.
147 Pine Siskins were at Deposit 1/1 (Wilson). A total of 72 in two flocks were
found in the Binghamton area 1/15 (TCNC). Only a few other reports of single
birds were turned in. A few Red Crossbills were seen in the Deposit area (Wilson)
and one small flock of White-winged Crossbills was at Willow Point near Binghamton
3/25 (Marsis).

Slate-colored Juncos have been more common than usual in Binghamton (TCNC)
and Deposit (Wilson). Rather large numbers of Tree Sparrows were reported from
the Binghamton area, Oxford (Stratton) and from Bainbridge (Smith). Dr. Thurber
writes that they were present around Cortland all winter where they are usually
absent during the mid-winter months. Two wintering White-throated Sparrows were
reported. The one at Oxford, a first winter bird and partially crippled, was taken
by a Sparrow Hawk 12/27 (Stratton) but the one at Deposit has been singing since
3/7 (Wilson). Fox Sparrows have been around Binghamton since 3/5 (Carpenter).
There have been quite a few reports from various areas since but of only one or
two birds at a time, whereas in other years flocks of 6 to 12 seem more usual. The
only wintering Song Sparrow reported was at Oxford. It had been hurt but healed
and later escaped the attack of a Sparrow Hawk at the expense of a few tail
feathers (Stratton). One seen 2/27 in Endicott (N. Washburn) was apparently the
first migrant. A flock of 30 or more Lapland Longspurs was near Maine 3/15 and
3/16 (Early). One or two stayed for a few more days but no more were reported all
winter. Small flocks of Snow Buntings were observed around Cortland, Deposit,
Norwich and Binghamton all winter. In the Binghamton area a definite peak in
numbers was reached between 3/15 and 3/21 as though a migration wave were
passing through (TCNC). This could not be detected in the reports from other areas.

710 University Ave,, Endwell, N. Y.

REGION 5 —ONEIDA LAKE BASIN

Fritz Scheider

December continued the harsh, cold weather of November and by 12/9
Oneida Lake had frozen over. By the end of Dec., Onondaga Lake, most of
the Oswego River and much of Oswego Harbor were sealed with ise. By 1/8
the Oswego Harbor was more than if frozen, the severest ice conditions ob¬
served in recent years. The persistent (12/15 to 2/4) and heavy (5 to 25
inches, depending on the sector of the region) ground snow severely hindered
winter birding in general and local Christmas Counts in praticular and was
a potent factor in the distribution of certain wintering species, notably the
Kestrel, Song Sparrow, and Snow Bunting. From 2/5 to 2/14, a prolonged
thaw erased much of the ground snow and initiated an influx of Crows, Ring-

24

The Kingbird

billed Gulls, Kestrels, and Horned Larks. The remainder of Feb. was
dominated by cold spells, wet snows and brief thaws, none of the last pro¬
tracted enough to lure early migrants into the area. The 1st 2 weeks of
March, moderately warm and very wet, gradually melted the ground snow
but left the lakes and swamps still frozen; by the 11th, large flocks of migrants
had arrived. A series of snow storms in the remainder of March broke the
snowfall record (bringing it to 140.5 inches) and, coupled with near¬
zero temperatures, stalled any further migration. At the end of March,
Oneida, Otisco, Skaneateles, and Mud Lakes and the major swamps of the
area were still frozen. Correspondingly the flight of early dabbling ducks was
late in coming, meager in species, and poor in numbers. Between 11 and
31 March, just 2 new spring migrants were recorded in the Syracuse area
despite greater field work.

Evening Grosbeaks dominated the winter finch show but smaller num¬
bers of Redpolls, Siskins, and Pine Grosbeaks were also noted. A few
reports of Goshawks and Snowy Owls came in but no real flight of either
species occurred. All owls and most “mouse 1 ' hawks were scarce, though
mice were fairly common; the heavy ground snow and the ensuing difficult
hunting probably explains this scarcity. Gray Shrikes again invaded the
area in numbers, the 3rd winter in a row this occurred. The number and
species of wintering half-hardies, especiallly the icterids, were very high.
On the debit side is the paucity of Juncos, Purple Finches, Goldfinches,
Golden-crowned Kinglets, and Snow Buntings; for all but the last this was
a winter-long condition.

LOONS — DUCKS: Common Loon — 2 wintering records; 1 found grounded
on 12/26 on a country road near Lysander was sent to Nashville, Tenn. by air-
express (B. P. Burtt); 1 on 1/21, Skaneateles Lake. Red-necked Grebe — 1 on
1/21, Skan. Lake; 1 on 2/19, Oswego are the only winter records. Horned Grebe —
a high of 91 on Skan. Lake on 1/21; only 1 stayed at Oswego thru the winter.
Pied-billed Grebe—singles wintered at Oswego, Baldwinsville, and Skaneateles. Great
Blue Heron — a few wintered along fast-flowing Limestone and Butternut Creeks
near Fayetteville (Mr. R. Gould); 1st migrants were 2, 3/21, at Westernville.

Mute Swan — between 12/14 and 1/15, single adults of this species, all appar¬
ently wild, free-flying birds, were reported from Oneida (Wayland-Smith), Fulton
(Schaffner), Onondaga Lake (F. S.), and Brewerton (fide Spofford); at least 2 dif¬
ferent swans were involved, as 2 birds were seen in widely separated areas on the
same day. Canada Goose — last date was 25 birds, 12/14, on the ice at Mud
Lake; first spring arrivals on 3/3, about a week late; numbers had not arrived by
3/31. Mallards and Blacks — both reduced to 50% of last year's wintering num¬
bers, undoubtedly because of severe weather conditions. Pintail — no wintering
Birds; first arrivals on 3/1 1, actually weeks late. Green-winged Teal — last birds
at Sandy Pond on 12/10; 1st arrivals on 3/31 (late) at Clay Swamp. Wood Duck —
a pair on 1/8 at Baldwinsville, a single male between 1/15 and 2/19 at same place,
and a female at Manlius from 1/4 to mid-March are our first established wintering
records; first arrivals on 3/4, Onondaga Valley and Phoenix. Canvasbacks and
Red-heads — both extremely scarce along the Seneca and Oswego Rivers and in
Oswego Harbor thru Dec. and Jan., but a marked influx to both areas in the first 2
weeks of Feb. American Golden-eye and Old-squaw — wintering numbers about
twice the '55 counts. Hooded Merganser — 3 wintering birds, all females, from
Skaneateles, Minetta, and Oswego; first migrants back on 3/11, but uncommon for
the balance of the month. Red-breasted Merganser — the Oswego wintering flock
was approximately 1/5 of last year's numbers; by 3/25 the Red-breasted: American
Merganser ratio at Oswego approached 1:1.

HAWKS — OWLS: Goshawks — 6 reports, the majority in Dec. and early Jan.;
1 adult on 3/4, Three Rivers Game Management Area (possible return flight?).
Sharp-shinned Hawk — a scattering of wintering individuals, mostly immatures, from
Oneida, Baldwinsville, and Dewitt; first positive migrants were 2 on 3/1 1 along

The Kingbird

25

Lake Ontario. Red-shouldered Hawk — 1 on 3/4, Three Rivers G. M. A., is a
record arrival date. Rough-legged Hawk — extremely scarce; though 5 Nov.
records, just 5 birds between 12/1 and 2/29. Harrier — none after 12/10; first
arrivals on 3/11 along Lake Ontario and at Euclid. Kestrel — this bird was re¬
markably scarce from mid-Dec. until early Feb. and just 3 were seen on the Syracuse
Christmas Count. This scarcity (also that of the Rough-leg and Harrier) is almost
certainly due to the deep ground snow and attendant poor hunting conditions; after
the early Feb. thaw, Kestrels again appeared in numbers (3 to 6/day).

Ruffed Grouse — its absence from or scarcity in known haunts, though such
places are undisturbed or unchanged from earlier years, points up the "crash" these
birds have taken locally. Pheasants — the combination of artificial stocking, ex¬
tensive feeding, and letting fields of corn stand has tremendously aided this species
locally; a high of 300 was noted on 1/1. Virginia Rail — 1 observed, 12/31, in a
spring-fed mash SE of Syracuse (P. Armstrong). Killdeer — last was 1, 12/17,
Nedrow; first arrivals on 3/3 near Tully. Neither Woodcock nor Snipe were reported

in March; both quite late.

Gulls — along the Oswego River and in Oswego Harbor, the changes in gull
concentrations, both in numbers and species content, paralleled weather conditions.
With the severe freezing conditions of late Dec. and early Jan., heavy concentrations
of Herring and Great Black-backed (all time high of 273 of the latter on 12/31)
with very few Ring-bills appeared and remained until the prolonged thaw of early
Feb. At that time numbers (1000+) of Ring-billed Gulls arrived and Great Black-
backed Gull counts dropped sharply (5 to 15/day). Late Feb. to mid-March saw an
exodus of all species of gulls from the Oswego River axis and only with the storms
of late March did any concentrations again appear there. Glaucous and Iceland
Gulls — present in small and approximately equal numbers (3 to 5/trip with high
of 8 on 12/31) between late Dec. and mid-March along the Oswego River axis; none
reported away from this section. Bonaparte's Gull — an immature, 12/4, Brewerton,
is late, but the adult on 2/12 in Oswego Harbor is unprecedented as the bird is
unreported from that area even in migration.

Mourning Dove — flocks of 5-25 wintered north of Skaneateles (L. H. Hiscock)
and in the township of Cicero, Onondaga Co.; they have benefited greatly from the
standing corn left for pheasants. Snowy Owl — 5 reports mainly in late Dec.
and early Jan. from the south shore of Lake Oneida; in late Feb. and early March,

1 near Caughdenoy (V. P. Mathis); (possible return flight?). Screech Owl — the
scant numbers of reports throughout the winter would seem to indicate a sharply
reduced wintering population. No Short-eared Owls reported for entire period.

SWIFTS — SHRIKES: Belted Kingfisher — a few in early Dec.; only 1 Jan.
report, 1 on 1/1 at Oneida (D. Ackley); no March migrants of this species reported,
a condition not surprising in view of the silt-laden creeks and frozen lakes. Flicker -—
first spring birds seen on 3/3; however, the main migration did not occur in March,
for it was actually a rarity for the rest of the month. Red-bellied Woodpecker — an
adult male observed near Nedrow from mid-Dec. to end of March (Lee Chamberlaine).
Hairy Woodpecker — appears somewhat more common this winter with a high of 13
on 1/1 (J. Ashley). Phoebe —1st arrival, 1, 3/25, Cazenovia Lake. Horned
Lark •—almost a rare wintering bird; however, marked flights went thru from 2/7
on; 2 birds observed in sustained flight singing on 2/11 and a flock of 700+ seen
south of Syracuse on 2/12. Crow — the 5-14 Feb. thaw brought a heavy influx
of this species throughout the region; 4000+ were seen in 1 V 2 hours migrating
along Lake Ontario on strong S winds, 3/11. Blue Jay — scarce except in the
Rome-Westernville Area (May, Aspinwall) and in the valleys south of Syracuse.
Brown-capped Chickadee — 1 reported from the Hahn's residence near Forestport,
NE Oneida Co. (Paquette, the Ackleys). White-breasted Nuthatch seemed scarce
this winter. Red-breasted Nuthatch — what few reports have come in have been
mainly from feeding stations at Rome, Syracuse, Oneida, and Skaneateles; however,
1, 1/28, at Selkirk State Park was apparently surviving on the natural food supply.
Carolina Wren — reported from Skan. in Dec. (L. H. H., R. Seaman) and Feb.
(L. H. H.) and from South Onondaga (L. C.) in mid-Feb. Robin — many wintering
flocks (5-65) but all south of an east-west line drawn thru Syracuse; in the Rome-
Oneida-Westernville area, only single birds were reported (12/15 to 2/14;) first
unquestionable migrants on 3/1. Golden-crowned Kinglet — similar to last year
in being very, very scarce: many observers noted only their complete absence;
however, they appeared to be tolerably common in the hemlock stands north of Oneida
Lake. Pipit — none reported to end of period; already 2 weeks late. Cedar Wax-

26

The Kingbird

wing — wintering flocks numbered from 10 to 200 and were reported from all
sections; reports in late Feb. and the first 2 wks. of March seemed to show increased
numbers plus a report of a veritable invasion of this species in Skaneateles on 3/11
(L. H. HJ.

Gray Shrike — throughout the winter, 1 to 4/trip was the rule; several times
up to 7/day were seen; as usual the greater numbers came from the flat country
between Syracuse and Oneida Lake but many were seen in Onondaga Valley south
of Syracuse; the great majority appeared to be adults with an adult: immature ratio of
10:1; present to end of period.

BLACKBIRDS — FRINGILLIDS: Meadowlark — only 3 winter reports, all
singles, a scarcity of birds consonant with the heavy ground snow. Red-winged
Blackbird — 4 winter records, the most unusual one being a single male at the
Hahn residence, Forestport, Oneida Co. Grackle — 1 on 1/1 is the second win¬
tering record in 5 years. Cowbird — 6 wintering records: the majority from pig-
stys and garbage dumps, a few (including the only female Cowbird reported) from
feeding stations. Rusty Blackbird — despite large flocks of Red-wings, Grackles,
and Cowbirds, this species was a numerical washout in the March icterid flights.

Cardinal — definitely still on the increase; more reports from Westernville and
Oneida and birds are now being regularly seen in the flat country between Syracuse
and Oneida Lake, a blank area for this species for years. Evening Grosbeak —
literally hundreds of reports; flock size from 5 to 150; in Dec. and early Jan. the
majority appeared to be males and fed mainly on the abundant seed crop of the
box elder; from late Jan. to 3/31, more females appeared (about 1:1 male:
female ratio in the Syracuse area, however 6:1 or 7:1 in the Rome area in the same
period) and the local feeding stations were beleaguered with the birds. Purple Finch

— just 1 winter report, 1, 1/1, in Syracuse; almost amazing is the total lack of
March reports. Pine Grosbeak — 2 reports, a flock of 50+ near Vesper, Onon. Co.
on 2/20 (E. Estoff & J. Probst); 1 female on 3/17, Brewerton (F. S.). Redpoll —
flocks of 5-60 seen thru the winter, mainly from the higher hills of the southern
section, but from mid-March on, both reports and flock numbers have increased
remarkably and flocks of 100 and 200 were still present as of 3/31. Pine Siskins

— small flocks, 10-60, thru the winter; no indications of a return flight yet. Red
Crossbill — the only report is a flock of 6 at Syracuse on 3/31; probably part of a
light return flight, not a local wintering group. Towhee — a female, 2/18, South
Onondaga, is a first wintering record for the area (L. C.). Goldfinch and Juneo —
both actually only fairly common winter birds; a flock of 50 Goldfinches on 3/21,
Tully, is an exception; the large flocks of Juncos usually passing thru in the last
week of March did not appear. Tree Sparrow — wintering flocks of 100-300 to
m:d-Jan.; some diminution in numbers in Feb.; the large flocks of spring migration
and much singing noted during the closing days of March. Chipping Sparrow — 1
immature trapped and banded 12/3, Oneida (H. P. Nodecker). Very few reports
of the White-throated, only one report of the Swamp, and phenomenally low num¬
bers of Song Sparrows; the combination of deep snow, freezing over of the small
marshes where these birds prefer to winter, and a poor weed seed crop are the
probable reasons for the scarcity. Fox Sparrow ■— first arrivals on 3/12, Oneida
(Ackleys); very uncommon thru the rest of March. Snow Bunting — average winter
flocks from 15-60 were reported; frequent comments on its absence or low numbers;
a flock of 2000, 2/20, near Cardiff, undoubtedly represents pre-migrational flocking
up; small numbers, however, present to 3/31.

151 Seventh North Street, Syracuse 8, N. Y.

The Kingbird

27

REGION 6 —ST. LAWRENCE

Frank A. Clinch

This winter was cold without warm weather to produce the usual thaws.
As a result the ground was covered with snow from December to the first
week in April. In Watertown the total snowfall for the four months was
only 76 inches, because there were many storms that left less snow near
Watertown than in many other places. However there can be no doubt that
the total snow in many parts of this region was much greater. There was
much cold weather before the January Waterfowl Census.

The latter part of March was more like winter than the first half. Few
of the usual spring birds appeared at this time. At Potsdam there were no
Bluebirds or Meadowlarks, only Redwings. At Watertown most of the
usual birds were seen, but in small numbers only.

LOONS — DUCKS: Both Horned and Pied-billed Grebes were on the St.
Lawrence River near Waddington until Dec. 1. A few Horned Grebes remained in
Lake Ontario where they were last seen near Stony Point Jan. 22. Both Grebes were
found at the time of the Waterfowl Census. Buffleheads and Old Squaws stayed
in the lake all winter. Canvasbacks wintered in the St. Lawrence near Cape Vincent.
A Hooded Merganser was seen on Jan. 2 near Waddington on the St. Lawrence
River by Rev. Edward Nichols. Ten Canada Geese were seen March 12 (J. Belknap)
but most of them came early in April.

HAWKS — OWLS: A Glaucous Gull was seen near Waddington Jan. 14 (EN).
He also saw ten Great Black-backed Gulls the same day. A Gull which probably
was an Ivory Gull was reported by Marie Elitharp Jan. 15 near Stony Point. J.
Blake saw an Iceland Gull. Gulls were scarce after the middle of December. A
Barred Owl was cought in a trap at Brownville in December, and one was seen near
Antwerp Feb. 1. Snowy Owls were noted between Dec. 19 and March 12. Several
were seen in Jan. and Feb. (JB). Short-eared Owls were present near Philadelphia
late in Feb. (JB). Mourning Doves were on the Christmas Bird Count at Watertown
for the first time (Common and Wilson). Three were probably being fed by a
farmer and several were feeding on unharvested buckwheat. They have been re¬
ported in December in the southern part of Jefferson county where they could get corn.
Belknap saw Mourning Doves the latter part of March and he feels that they were
not held back by the wintry weather.

SHRIKES — SPARROWS: Shrikes seemed to be numerous, A Rusty Blackbird
came to the feeder of E. Nichols at Madrid on March 20, and returned several times
during the next week. This was one early arrival in spite of frigid weather and 18
inches of snow over everything. One'was reported earlier in the southern part of
Jefferson County. A Grackle was seen at Norfolk, one at Massena Jan. 14 and
one in Watertown March 14. Eight immature Red-winged Blackbirds were seen near
Alexandria Bay Feb. 5 (M.E.). Others were seen in Jefferson County early in March.
Some Meadowlarks arrived long before the winter weather departed. There were
many reports of Evening Grosbeaks during the entire period. They came to at least
six feeders in Watertown, and more were fed in the Southern part of Jefferson
county. At Potsdam a huge flock, said to number easily three or four hundred,
has been feeding at the Dr. Hart home. One hundred pounds of sunflower seeds
only last about ten days. In some places the Evening Grosbeaks are quite tame
(L. Blake). Redpolls were frequently seen, and a few stayed after the first of April.
A flock of 14 White-winged Crossbills were seen near Gouvemeur Jan. 17 (JB).

Correction to the last Regional Report (1955 Kingbird V (4): 109): only one
Northern Phalarope was seen, the one seen by Charles Mason off Grenadier Island on
June 23. The second was an incorrect report of the same bird.

*73 Haley St., Watertown, N. Y.

28

The Kingbird

REGION 7 —ADIRONDACK-CHAMPLAIN

Thomas A. Lesperance

December through March brought little snow but intense cold prevailed.
Twenty-eight days through January and into February had an average tem¬
perature of -2°. The minimum was -32° and the maximum daily tem¬
perature seldom above 22° even on bright days. Early March saw a thaw
followed immediately by persistent snows. Total accumulation for March
alone in the Keesville area was 51 inches with much more on the higher-
elevations. On March 28th spring arrived in style with rivers and streams
going out in a rush and doing great damage. The 28th also brought the
first spring migrants. Twenty-three species were recorded on the Keeseville
Christmas Census (Lesperance) on a poor day.

LOONS — DUCKS: Loons, Grebes, Black Duck, American Goldeneye, Old
Squaw, Bufflehead and White-winged Scoter stayed until Champlain froze over in
mid-winter. Snow Geese returned on March 26th, Helms reporting flocks of 75-100
over Essex and Willsboro.

HAWKS — OWLS: Bald Eagle seen at Westport and again at Au Sable Pt.
Jan. 20 and 23. First migrant hawks seen throughout the area on about the same
dates which tends to show a general infiltration. Red-tail and Duck Hawk at
Saranac (Mar. 29, Chase), Broad-wing, Red-tail, Sharp-shinned, Duck and Red¬
shouldered at Keeseville Mar. 29. A Goshawk was seen from early January until
the first week in March near Augur Pond. Sparrow Hawks remained as isolated
individuals all winter. Killdeer was reported from Saranac April 5 (Chase) and at
Keeseville April 11. Mourning Doves at Peru March 22 (Gibbs) and at Keeseville
March 1 0.

GOATSUCKERS — SHRIKES: Prairie Homed Lark at Pt. Au Roche March 13
(Gibbs), 20 in one flock. First Robin at Pt. Au Roche March 13 (Gibbs) some three
weeks later than usual. Migrant and Northern Shrikes were seen first in early March,
increasing in numbers in the Keeseville area to date, and now are very common.

BLACKBIRDS — SPARROWS: A flock of Cowbirds wintered about Keeseville
feeding along the highways. There were some 30 birds which seemed not to mind
the cold at all. Purple Grackle was at Pt. Au Roche March 13 (Gibbs). A March
13 Meadowlark (Gibbs) might have wintered. Red-wings were not reported in March.
Goldfinches fed in very large flocks along Route 9 as soon as snow plows cleared
the roads. Both these and Purple Finches were about all winter, the latter seen only
occasionally. All areas reported large flocks of Redpolls, the maximum at Saranac
March 7 to 9 (Chase), but still plentiful'at Pt, Au Roche, Chazy, Plattsburg and
Peru at the end of the period (Gibbs). There were also large flocks in the fields in
Keeseville. Evening Grosbeaks wintered in the entire reporting area, reports coming
from Saranac (Chase), Essex (Mason), Ellenburg Depot (McGregor), Sunmount
(Amstutz, Kingsbury) and Plattsburg (Gibbs). Only three Pine Grosbeaks were seen
this winter, three individuals at widely scattered places.

Tree Sparrows were very common all winter. No migrant sparrows were reported
until April. Snow Buntings were common just north of Keeseville in open country,
but observations made by Gibbs indicate that they were down in numbers in his area.

I should like to welcome Bob and Sally Gibbs of Plattsburg as correspondents.
Bob is an associate professor of biology at Plattsburg State Teachers' College.

Keeseville, New York

The Kingbird

29

REGION 8 —HUDSON-MOHAWK

James K. Merritt

The winter weather in the Schenectady area followed a somewhat un¬
usual pattern. December and March temperatures were below average.
January temperatures were 3.7 degrees above normal, and February temper¬
atures were almost 6.3 degrees above the average. Much of the winter's
snowfall came during March, and principally in the latter part of the month.

The winter season was marked by the scarcity or apparent complete ab¬
sence of certain winter finches and by the presence of others in good, and
even exceptional, numbers. Robins were recorded in small numbers through¬
out the winter, but during February, when spring weather had apparently
arrived, flocks of up to 100 or so were observed. Among the outstanding
individual records during the period were a Barrow's Golden-eye, a Floary
Redpoll, and an Oregon Junco. The relatively heavy snows and cold
weather that prevailed during the last two weeks of March undoubtedly
account for the lack of any records of such early land bird migrants as the
Phoebe and Tree Swallow. The waterfowl migration, however, developed
about as expected along the central Hudson during March. The larger
area lakes and reservoirs remained completely frozen over.

The Schenectady Christmas Count, taken on December 26, yielded 44
species, which equalled the high set in 1954. Thirty-four species were
observed on the Troy count of January 2.

One word on terminology: local birders refer to that portion of the Hud¬
son between Albany and Dutchess County as the “lower Hudson,” although
in a geographical sense this is not, of course, correct. Similarly, the upper
Hudson comprises the river and river valley north of the Capital District.

LOONS — DUCKS: The first Pied-billed Grebe report of the spring season
was from the upper Hudson on March 3 (Byron Hippie). Canada Geese reports were
few that month. Two American Widgeon were seen along the lower Hudson on
March 1 1 (Marjorie Foote), and there were scattered March reports of the Pintail.
A Green-winged Teal was seen near Troy on January 2 and on several February
dates. A Redhead was observed along the upper Hudson on January 15 (Schenectady
Bird Club). Ring-necks and Canvasbacks were reported in fair numbers during
March. One of the highlights of the season was a male Barrow's Golden-eye first
seen on January 21 on the Hudson about four miles south of Mechanicville; this
bird, which was with a group of American Golden-eyes, was first spotted by Ken Hart
of New York City. The Barrow's was seen that same day and subsequently by other
observers through February 4. This constitutes our first local record for the species
since 1952. No Wood Ducks were reported throughout the period. Such waterfowl
species as the White-winged Scoter and Red-breasted Merganser are not normally
considered "inland" birds, and yet 2 White-wings and 40 Red-breasts were observed
along the upper Hudson on January 15 (SBC). Another Red-breasted Merganser
was recorded in that area on March 3 (Esly Hollenbeck). American Mergansers,
like the Black Duck, wintered wherever there was suitable swimming room. Hooded
Merganser reports were relatively numerous. Eighteen were seen at Saratoga Lake
on December 6 (EH); one was observed at Schenectady on December 26 (SBC — this
was the first local Christmas count record); three were along the upper Hudson
March 10 (BH); one was seen near Cohoes on March 18 (Walt Kashan), and a pair
was seen near Schodack on March 31 (James Meritt).

HAWKS — OWLS: On March 21 Lillian Stoner saw a Turkey Vulture along
the Thruway a few miles north of Saugerties. The record is either just within or
just outside of Region 8, but it is certainly of interest in any case. On December
26 a Goshawk was seen at Vischer's Ponds near Schenectady (SBC). Two Rough¬
legged Hawks were seen near Meadowdale on December 26 (SBC); another was seen

30

The Kingbird

there on March 10 (EH, JM), and a black-phase bird was observed just south of
Ravena on March 31 (JM). An adult Bald Eagle was observed near Thacher State
Park on December 26 (SBC), and another was seen near downtown Schenectady
three days later (Ben Seguin). An Eagle was observed near Troy on January 2 (SBC),
and an immature bird was observed at Castleton on March 31 (JM). Two Peregrine
Falcons were recorded near Albany on December 26 (SBC). One was seen at Scotia
on February 19 (Rudd Stone), and another was observed near Troy on February 26
(Brother Austin). Reports of the more common hawks were quite frequent, es¬
pecially late in the period.

Although Pheasants were present locally in good numbers, reports of the Ruffed
Grouse were few. The Woodcock is an expected March arrival, but apparently none
were recorded. Seven Great Black-backed Gulls were observed along the upper
Hudson on January 15 (SBC), and there were several March reports for the species
along the lower Hudson. There were scattered Mourning Dove reports throughout
the winter.

Four species of Owls were reported. On December 20 a Screech Owl was seen
near Scotia (fide Guy Bartlett), and another was heard near Albany (Sam Madison).
A Great Horned was heard at East Chatham on December 22 and seen there on
January 29 (Eleanor Radke). A Great Horned was recorded at Schenectady on
December 26 (SBC). The only report of the Barred Owl was from the Ballston Lake
area on March 14 (Gladys Hackett). A Snowy Owl was seen by the ranger at Sara¬
toga National Historical Park either in very late February or in very early March
(fide MF); I am unable to determine the exact date.

SWIFTS — SHRIKES: A Pileated Woodpecker was observed in Gallupville on
January 5 (Grace Zimmer); another was seen at Ballston Lake on February 5, and
one was recorded near Charlton on February 21 (MF). Eleanor Radke reported the
Pileated as a resident at East Chatham throughout the period. One was recorded
near Vischer's Ferry on March 18 (WK). Flickers were quite scarce, and Sapsuckers
were apparently completely absent. Red-breasted Nuthatches were observed in
good numbers in Thacher Lake in December, and there were several winter reports
of the Brown Creeper. A Winter Wren was observed at Scotia on February 19 by
Frazier Turrentine, Rudd Stone, and Robert Yunnick. A Mockingbird was reported
near Ballston Lake on several dates during December, January, and February (MF).
A Hermit Thrush was observed at Scotia on February 28 (EH). As stated earlier,
there were several reports of wintering Robins, with a heavy influx occurring during
February. A Golden-crowned Kinglet was seen at Scotia on March 2 (EH). Gray
Shrikes moved into the region in mid-December in average numbers. Six or eight
individuals were seen in the Schenectady area during the winter. On March 6 a
Loggerhead Shrike was seen at Scotia, and another was seen at Vischer's Ferry on
March 13 (EH).

BLACKBIRDS — SPARROWS: Two Rusty Blackbirds were seen at Loudonville
on March 3 (Mabel French). A Grackle was a winter resident at an Albany feeder
(Alice Shaffer). The Cardinal was recorded from Niskayuna throughout the period
(Caroline Diggs, Hazel Eddy), and the species was also reported from the lower
Hudson area (fide Lucille Grace). Evening Grosbeaks appeared early and in very
good numbers. These birds were even more generally distributed this year than last.
Although they could be consistently seen at at least a dozen area feeders, there were
many other reports submitted. In contrast, I know of only three or four reports for
the Pine Grosbeak. Eleven were seen on several December dates at East Chatham,
and the species was recorded there once in January (ER). Two were seen in Thacher
Park on December 26 (SBC), and another report comes from the Saratoga area on
March 1 1 (fide Marjorie Foote). The heavy influx which occurred last winter cer¬
tainly did not materialize again this winter. There were only scattered reports of
the Purple Finch, the high count being twenty on March 21 (GB).

Last year's good Redpoll incursion looked pale in light of the heavy influx this
winter. Both last year and this Redpolls were scarce early in the winter, but by
late January of both years they were quite widely reported. This winter numbers
reached a peak in March, when the birds were reported from feeders, downtown
areas, and virtually all outlying regions. On March 3 Byron Hippie reported the
rare Hoary Redpoll near Vischer's Ferry. With Redpolls present in such good
numbers, it would seem that Siskins should be present also. Yet I know of no
Siskin records throughout the period, Crossbills, too,, were absent, but this is a little
easier to explain.

The Kingbird

31

A male Towhee was present near Scotia for about two weeks in mid-December
(fide GB). On December 12 a well-marked Oregon Junco appeared at Mrs. Louis
Novak's feeder in Niskayuna, and the bird has been seen there off and on throughout
the winter. Several observers have confirmed the identification. Three Field
Sparrows were seen near Troy on January 2 (SBC), an addition to the composite
Christmas Count list there. Four White-throated Sparrows appeared at an East
Chatham feeder on January 12 and were more or less regular thereafter (ER). There
were one or two December reports for this species. Snow Buntings were observed in
better than average numbers. The high count of 300 was obtained by Robert
Yunnick at Sacandaga Reservoir on December 29. There'were other reports from
Fultonville, Vischer's Ferry, Rexford, Rotterdam, and Mechanicville.

901 State Street, Schenectady 7, New York

REGION 9 — DELAWARE HUDSON

Robert F. Deed

A delightfully crisp early winter, marred for waterfowling only by the
heavy freeze even of the brackish Hudson, turned suddenly snowy in March.
Even in Ulster County, high and northerly, the snowfall was insignificant
through February; then 16 to 18 inches fell in two weeks (Fred Hough).
Near New York City, December was 5.4 degrees below normal—coldest for
the month in 29 years—without any extremely cold days; January and
February were near normal in temperature, far below normal in
precipitation.

Southerly counties of the region may have had more snow than norther¬
ly ones in March. Through February, for example, Rockland County had
less than 3 inches of snow; in March and the first week or so of April, it
had nearly 3 feet of snow.

This late snowfall caught many birds in transit. Such migrants as Mourn¬
ing Dove, Robin, Phoebe, the blackbirds, and Fox Sparrow come to feeders
in villages in such numbers that birders were deluged with phone calls from
non-birders, asking for indentifications and explanations. Fortunately, we
escaped severe icing conditions that might have taken a heavy toll of bird life.

Your compiler must make special note of the excellence of this season’s
reports from cooperators in the various counties: Mrs. William Grierson,
Nortern Westchester and Putnam; Wilber P. Carr, Sullivan; Fred Hough,
Ulster; Edward D. Treacy, Orange; John C. Orth, Bear Mountain Park,
and many Rockland Audubon Society members. Coverage was the best yet
attained, as it was also for the January waterfowl count.

LOONS — DUCKS: A new reservoir, two and a half miles long and barely
half a mile wide, started filling up in February between West Nyack and New City,
in Rockland County. It replaces an area that was superlative for nesting Least
Bitterns, Pileated Woodpeckers and other species, but local birders' sense of loss is
eased by the readiness of waterfowl to take advantage of the open water. Through
March, Mrs. Marjorie R. Hooper had seen the Canada Goose, Horned and Pied-billed
Grebe, and ten species of ducks, including such "bay" ducks as Canvasback, Red¬
head and Bufflehead.

A Great Blue Heron at Rock Hill, Sullivan, on Mar. 29 was quite early (Furman).
An American Bittern at New City, Rockland, on Mar. 18 was either very early or
had wintered (Frank R. Steffens). Hooded Mergansers wintered in notable numbers
in northern Westchester (Stanley Grierson et al.).

The waterfowl migration was in full swing by Mar. 10, on which date Ed Treacy
found 11 species on Orange Lake, near Newburgh: Mallard 6, Black 112, Baldpate

32

The Kingbird

6, Pintail (first he had seen in Orange County) 20, Ring-necked 59, Greater Scaup
13-15, Golden-eye 20-plus, Bufflehead 1 male, Hooded Merganser 6, American
Merganser 50-plus, Red-breasted Merganser (rare inland) 1 male. On the same date,
six Canada Geese were on Tomahawk Lake, south of Washingtonville and far from
the Hudson River.

Blue-winged Teal appeared at Congers Lake, Rockland, on March 29 (Hopper),
a new early date for the county.

HAWKS — OWLS: Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons and the
usual accipiters were about normally abundant. Ulster County had the only notable
additions: a Goshawk spotted by Heinz Meng and others near New Paltz on Jan. 15,
during the waterfowl count, and a Rough-legged Hawk found near Stone Ridge in
rrrd-December by Fred Hough. The Rough-leg was studied at length by Hough and
Daniel Smiley until Feb. 3; it did most of its hunting in one small field that was
found to contain a high population of field mice. The hawk often hovered on a
wind coming up the slope from the north. A five-inch snowfall on Feb. 2 appar¬
ently caused it to move on.

Two very late Turkey Vultures were seen over South Salem, Westchester, by
Edward Kurka on Dec. 14. This species' absence was brief, since the first seven
returning birds are reported for Feb. 23 at Orr's Mills, Orange (Treacy). By four
days later, this roost had built up to 23 birds. The first Turkey Vulture noted in

the Bear Mountain area was on Mar. 3, but more than 25 were present on the next

day (Orth). Also on March 4, Wilber Carr saw Sullivan County's first four vultures
at Pond Eddy.

A Bald Eagle was feeding on a dead deer at Kensico Reservoir, Westchester, at
the end of December (William Russell). After a heavy, crusted snow on Mar. 22,
Wilber Carr found an obviously hungry female Sparrow Hawk eating fat from a
ham rind for half an hour at his feeder; other birds stayed out of sight for this time.

A Coot visited the Monticello lumber yard on Mar. 3, was caught by Mrs. Edward
McBride and Mr. and Mrs. Atwell, banded by Kenneth D. Niven, and released at
Mongaup Reservoir the next day. 1

Several reports of Great Horned Owls. Hough reports hearing Long-eared Owls

in Ulster County a few times in January and the Saw-whet Owl several times in
February, up to Mar. 2. In Mt. Kisco, Westchester, Mrs. H. A. Yoars saw a Saw-
whet Owl eating a mouse on Dec. 12.

SWIFTS — SHRIKES: Carr reports Pileated Woodpeckers seen more often than
usual in Sullivan County, and closer to habitations. One bird visited a feeder in
Monticello (McBride).

Two Phoebes were noted in Rockland County on Mar. 10 by Eugene R. Brown.
Such early arrivals had to endure a two-day, 18-inch snow on the following weekend,
but they seemed to survive. The first Westchester date for Phoebe was Mar. 17
(Andrew McWaters), and the first for Fort Montgomery, Orange County, was Mar.
24 (Orth).

Horned Larks were scarcer than usual. A small flock of Tree Swallows on Mar.
6 at Rockland County's new reservoir was very early (Dr. Hopper, Ruth Steffens).
Another apparent Raven (1956, Kingbird 5 (4): 1 14) was seen at Congers on Dec. 5
by Dr. Hopper. Through December and January, a Tufted Titmouse frequented the
feeding station of Mrs. C. A. Smith in Croton Falls, Putnam County — near the
northern and inland range limit of this species in this area. A Carolina Wren
turned up at Bear Mountain, Rockland-Orange, on Apr. 3 (Orth), showing survival
through the March storms near its northern limit of range in the Hudson Valley. Ed
Treacy found a Catbird at Highland Falls, Orange, on Feb. 5, and a Brown Thrasher
visited the feeder of Mrs. Bradhurst Field, Jr., in Sloatsburg, Rockland, on a mild,
sunny Jan. 1 5.

A spectacular feature of the winter in Rockland, Orange, and Westchester was
the unprecedented number of Robins. Some of the larger flocks: Jan. 15, more
than 300 at Rockland Lake (Eben Moore and party); late January, between 700 and
800 at Viola, Rockland County; Feb. 6, about 1 00 at Purdy's, Westchester (Kurka);
Feb. 1 0, 40 in Pound Ridge, Westchester (Mrs. Murry); Feb. 25, about 1 00 at New
Windsor, Orange (Treacy). Hough reports a few flocks wintering in Ulster
County, too. Unlike their behavior in most winters, this year's Robins flooded into
villages and fed on lawns and at feeders. The darker colors of the northern race
were often noticed by even the most casual backyard bird-watchers.

A Hermit Thrush in Sparrowbush, Sullivan County, was noteworthy on Feb. 26
(Hammond). Hough reports Bluebirds scarce in Ulster.

It was a big winter for the Northern Shrike. The occurrences are worth listing

The Kingbird

33

as an index of distribution, strongest in Ulster and northern Westchester:

Ulster County — Frequently encountered all winter, bare ground appar¬
ently favoring their hunting, as in the case of hawks and owls. During the
Mar. 19 blizzard, Hough found a bird in full song at Stone Ridge. This
Catbird-like song is rarely heard here.

Sullivan County — One bird on Mar. 14 at Liberty (Chernick).

Westchester County — Dec. 5 and 8, Katonah (Stanley Grierson); Dec.
27, two in Katonah (William Russell); Jan. 14, Purdys (Mr. and Mrs. Grier¬
son, John, Margaret and Edward Kelly); Jan. 15, Cornell Dam at Croton
(same observers); Feb. 26, South Salem (Grierson); Feb. 27, Armonk (Grierson).

The Migrant (Loggerhead) Shrike also appeared in early spring. The species was
carefully identified by Frank Steffens and Ed Treacy on Mar, 30 and Apr. 3 at dif¬
ferent localities in Rockland.

VIREOS — WARBLERS: With a poor bayberry crop. Myrtle Warblers were
scarce in Rockland and Westchester Counties. They are noteworthy in Ulster, and
Hough reports one staying near his home throughout March; another was seen near
High Falls on Mar. 25 by Hough, Mr. and Mrs. Henry K. Dunbar, and Samuel and
Helen Hayes.

BLACKBIRDS — SPARROWS: In many ways, this segment of the checklist
offered the winter's best sport. Blackbirds, as a family, were more prevalent than
usual, and it was a good year for northern finches.

Even in Ulster County, a few Meadowlarks wintered (Hough). There were more
than average in Rockland and Westchester. On Mar. 19, after a heavy snow, one
sat on the window sill of Stanley Grierson's home in Katonah. At Ferndale, in
Sullivan County, Wilber Carr had six Meadowlarks feeding on his patio on Mar. 17,
the day after a heavy snowfall and freeze. They ate corn and wheat, perching on
the back porch between feedings. One tailless bird stayed close to the door,
perhaps to catch the heat that leaked out, and would move only when the door
was opened. Carr remarks on the unusual number of birds this season with damaged
or missing tails; he suggests the unusually severe winds of late winter may be
responsible.

Red-winged Blackbirds returned Feb. 22 to the Nyack area and Feb. 23 to
Katonah (Stan Grierson). During the subsequent storms, they came frequently to
village backyards, along with Grackles and Cowbirds. Rockland Audubon Society
had a record high count of 197 Red-wings on its Christmas census, Dec. 26.

An Orchard Oriole fed on suet at Pearl River, Rockland, from Jan. 31 through
February (Mrs. Edward Backus, Mrs. Richard Weindling, Dr. Hopper). Six Rusty
Blackbirds visited a feeder at Sparrowbush, Sullivan County, on Feb. 26 (Hammond).

The Mar. 19 blizzard brought no less than three Dickcissels and two Oregon
Juncos to the feeder of Mrs. William G. Irving in West Nyack on Mar. 21. A
Dickcissel was in Katonah, Westchester, on Jan. 18 (Mabel Melahn). Mrs. William
Grierson in Katonah had a Pink-sided Junco at her feeder on Feb. 4 and thereafter;
one had wintered in nearby Bedford a year earlier (Mrs. James Coyle), One was
also reported at Kingston in February.

Evening Grosbeaks were abundant, widely distributed, while Pine Grosbeaks were
relatively scarce. Five parties on the Rockland Audubon Society Christmas count,
Dec. 26, reported a total of 27 Evening Grosbeaks; in January, Dr. Guy Deming
counted about 30 in one tree near New City. Westchester records include: Dec. 9,
small flock in Mt. Kisco (Mrs. Yoars); Dec. 1 1, 40 in Katonah (Robert Hamershlag);
Dec. 15, 24 in Bedford (Peter Feret) and 65 in Katonah (Mrs. John Birch, Mrs. Clem
Fowler); Dec. 27-31, 150 in Katonah (Russell). Jan. 13, 100 in Bedford (Mrs. Samuel
Carter, III); Jan. 21, Bedford Hills (Mrs. James Cox); Jan. 27, 100 in Katonah (Mabel
Melahn); Feb. 22, 20 in Katonah (Mrs. F. H. Lent); Mar. 3, Mt. Kisco (McWaters);
Mar. 31, 50 in Katonah (Mrs. Lent).

Three Pine Grosbeaks appeared on the Rockland Christmas count, Dec. 26. Ed
Treacy found 17 birds at West Point on Feb. 18. The only Pine Grosbeaks in
Ulster County were reported by Mr. and Mrs. Dunbar and Tom Morgan. None were
reported in Sullivan. In Westchester: three at Amawalk Reservoir on Dec. 3 (Dr.
Andrew Weir and Stan Grierson); one in Katonah at the end of December (Russell);
three in Bedford Center on Jan. 20 (Grierson); about 12 at Salem Center on Feb. 26
(Stan and Ruth Grierson); 15 at Cross River on Feb. 28 (Grierson).

Redpolls were common in March, with flocks of well over 100 (Orth). Purple
Finches were scarce in Ulster (Hough). A few White-winged Crossbills: Dec. 10 and
almost daily from Mar, 26 to Apr. 3 at Fort Montgomery (Orth); two in Sullivan
County on Mar. 19 (Niven), and one in Katonah on Mar. 24 (Russell).

34

The Kingbird

A male Towhee spent the entire winter in Forestburg, Sullivan County, sleeping at
night in a clothespin basket against a house (Winterberger). Another Towhee was
seen at Pond Eddy on Mar. 4 by Wilber Carr. Fox Sparrows were unusually abundant
during March. Snow Buntings were generally scarce, but Kenneth Niven counted
100 at Monticello on Feb. 21.

50 Clinton Ave., Nyack, N. Y.

REGION 10 —MARINE

John J. Elliott

Cold December weather brought a freeze-up with many ponds and large
parts of the bay closed; these opened to some extent with a January thaw
which permitted better counts of Anatinae. Early winter snows were light
on western Long Island with a mid-January fall of several inches on the
western half; this developed into 11 inches in eastern Suffolk county wood¬
land, and snow-drifts to the top of snow fences bordering the wind-blown
rye fields around Water Mill.

The real heavy snowfall of the winter came March 16-19 with eastern
Long Island again taking the brunt and huge drifts tying up trains and
traffic. Later the weather was cold and backward into early April.
Early spring migration progressed until the mid-March snowfall when the
northern movement slackened and many reports come in of hungry birds at
feeding stations. Excellent coverage by numerous observers on the Audu-
bond Christmas Bird Count resulted in large number of species identified.
In some cases numbers were down, but Mourning Doves, Robins, Hermit
Thrushes and Cowbirds were plentiful on western Long Island along the
north shore.

January highlights were the Federation’s second annual waterfowl count,
January 15-22 and the third annual Montauk rendezvous of birders, spon¬
sored by the Queens County Bird Club, which was well attended and helped
augment records at this slow time of the year. Regarding the waterfowl
count, some 65 observers gave excellent' cooperation in covering the Long
Island-NewYork City region. Clubs well represented by individuals were:
Linnaean Society, Brooklyn Bird Club, Lyman Langdon Audubon Society
and Queens County Bird Club, This year’s poor approach to the 1955
count of 202 Common Loons was 70, while the 1955 count of 128 Pied¬
billed Grebes almost doubled this year’s total of 67. The 83,336 Greater
Scaup listed in the entire Marine Region, over last year’s 55, 638, was almost
59 percent of the total of all 38 species listed.

The extended hunting season seemed to affect Black Duck, American
Golden-eye, Buffle-head and Red-breasted Merganser which were drastically
down from last year. Scaup on the other hand were in safe or semi-protec-
ed waters with seven-eighths around New York City wharfs and harbors, in
Jamaica Bay and on the western bays of the north shore.

LOONS — DUCKS: There were large numbers of Horned Grebes; no Eared
Grebes and Red-necked were rather scarce. Five Gannets were present at Montauk,
Feb. 28; over 25 European Cormorants rather regularly reported at the point and
several in three or four locations westward. There were also two records of Double-
breasted Cormorants, one bird each. Herons: fair numbers of Great Blue; three
American Egrets in the Hempstead region, Dec. early Jan., with one on Feb. 13 at
Hempstead Lake State Park (D. Guthrie); one Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Linden¬
hurst, Jan. 14 (M. Nichols). Only one Whistling Swan reported: Brookhaven, early

The Kingbird

35

Jan. into Feb. (D. Puleston). A lone Snow Goose was seen at Mecox in late Jan.
Gadwall were plentiful; two European Teal were seen at Pelham Bay Park in early
Jan. and two at Hempstead, Mar. 29 (A. Penberthy). Practically the only records
of Wood Duck: two at Orient, Jan. 2 and two the same day at Babylon. Com¬
paratively large numbers of Ring-necked Ducks were present into April. A maxi¬
mum of five Harlequin Ducks at Montauk, with three, Feb. 26 (R. Arbib, R.
Preisick). Three King Eiders were seen at Riis Park, Mar. 24, two American Eiders
at Montauk, Jan. 28, three there on the waterfowl count.

HAWKS — OWLS: Hawks comparatively scarce, practically no Goshawk, very
few Accipiters and aside from Sparrow Hawk, no Falcon records: Duck Hawk lacking,
no Gyrfalcons recorded. There were several Red-shouldered, four or five Red-tailed
and three or four Rough-legged Hawks reported. Three Bald Eagles were listed in
one day at South Haven; Osprey appeared in early March. Several Grouse records;
12 Bob-white at Brookhaven, fewer Virginia Rail reports than last year; outstanding
was a Yellow Rail at Orient, Dec. 31 to Jan. 2 (R. Latham).

Shore birds were about normal; late was a Piping Plover at Tottenville Beach,
Jan. 15 (Brooklyn Bird Club). Purple Sandpipers and Sanderlings were regularly
recorded; a Black-bellied Plover was seen at Moriches, Jan. 28. Scattered reports
of white-winged gulls on Long Island, but excellent records from Brooklyn Bird
Club with 1,000 Great Black-backed Gulls, three Glaucous and three Iceland Gulls at
Fresh Kills, Staten Island, Jan. 15 and a Lesser Black-backed Gull, Jan. 22; two
Kittiwakes were seen at Riis Park, Jan. 21 and a Black-headed Gull was reported
at Dyker Beach, western Long Island, March 1 1 (R. Grant). Regarding Alcids,
Dovekies were rare compared to many seasons; a Murre was seen at Montauk, Feb.
26; Latham had a Razor-billed Auk at Orient, Feb. 10 and one was seen at Montauk,
Jan. 16. In Jan, two were also seen on Lake Montauk, at which time large oil
deposits were seen on the water outside the breakwater apparently from some ship's
bilge. There were three reports of Snowy Owl; a Barn Owl was seen at Brookhaven,
Feb. 28 and a Long-eared at Jones Beach, Jan. 2. There were three records of
Great Horned: Manorville, Hempstead and the third a breeding pair at Bronx park
in Feb. and March, The Saw-whet was scarce.

SWIFTS — SHRIKES: Phoebes were seen on Western Long Island in late
March; maximum Northern Horned Larks — 250 at Orient, Feb. 1-5 (Latham). Tree
Swallows increased in numbers, March 24, 25. Magpie: first reported at East
Islip, Jan. 20, followed by records from three locations eastern Long Island to Mon¬
tauk. Outstanding on the north fork of eastern Long Island was a Red-bellied
Woodpecker at Cutchogue, present at a feeder about two months (G. Raynor). The
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Winter Wren
were scarce; two reports of Mockingbird: Port Jefferson, Jan. 15 (Queens County
Bird Club) and one at Orient, Feb. 5 (Latham). Robins were locally common; one
or two reports of Bluebird and a half dozen of Shrikes.

WARBLERS — SPARROWS: Myrtle Warblers were scarce, the bayberry crop
being a failure; other warblers practically absent until arrival of Yellow Palm in
early April. Yellow-breasted Chat at Amityville, Dec. 21. Crossbills were rather
scarce compared to the last two years. One winter record of White-winged: Jones
Beach, Jan. 28; also 13 Red-Crossbills, same place, March 18 (R. Grant). There
was a maximum count of Redpolls in the western part of the region in late March;
three records of Ipswich Sparrow on western Long Island on the Christmas census
and several Vesper Sparrows. As for the large finch-type birds, 26 Cardinals were
reported on the Lyman Langdon Audubon Society Christmas census. Unusual was
one on the very tip of the north fork (at Orient), Feb. 5. Several flocks of a dozen
or more Evening Grosbeaks, one of these at Staten Island, Jan. 15, and 15 birds
at Roslyn, Jan. 13. The latest record: 22 at Babylon, Mar. 11 (M. Nichols). Lap-
land Longspurs were reported from Floyd Bennett, Brooklyn, and Orient, but very
scarce elsewhere. Latham reported 1,500 Snow Buntings, Feb. 10, at Orient.

3994 Park Ave., Seaford, Long Island, New York.

36

The Kingbird

REPORTING REGIONS

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

FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS

1956 Officers

President

Peter Paul Kellogg_Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell Univ, Ithaca, N. Y.

Vice-President

Albert W. Fudge_326 Larchmont Rd., Elmira, N. Y.

Corresponding Secretary

Miss Elizabeth S. Manning-1130 Fifth Ave., New York 28, N. Y.

Recording Secretary

Miss Elizabeth A. Feldhusen_5 Catherine Street, Saratoga Springs, N. Y.

Treasurer

Allen S. Klonick_828 Grosvenor Road, Rochester 18, N. Y.

Editor of THE KINGBIRD

Gerald R. Rising

72 Allen’s Creek Road, Rochester 18, N. Y.

Standing Committee Chairmen

Bibliography: Allen H. Benton, NYS College for Teachers, Albany 3, N. Y.
Conservation: Stanley Oliver Grierson, Todd Road, R. D. No. 1, Katonah, N. Y.
Constitution and By-Laws: Samuel R. Madison, 14 McGuffey Lane, Delmar, N. Y.
Membership: Audrey Louise Wrede, 3109 Beverly Road, Brooklyn 26, N. Y.

Program: Jack Wolff Sr., Sleepy Hollow Road, R. D. No. 1, Briarcliff Manor, N. Y.
Publications and Research: Fred T. Hall, Buffalo Mus. of Science, Buffalo 11, N. Y.
State Book: Robert S. Arbib, Jr., 231 Lena Avenue, Freeport, N. Y.

Elected Committees

Auditing:

Chairman: Mrs. Neil S. Moon, 257 Pemberton Road, Rochester 9, N. Y.
Gerhard W. Leubner, 151 Upland Drive, Rochester 17, N. Y.

Nominating:

Chairman: Watson G. Hastings, 18 Appleton Place, Dobbs Ferry, N. Y.
Winston Brockner, 63 Ardmore Place, Buffalo 13, N. Y.

Mrs. William English, 3514 Lincoln Avenue, Amsterdam, N. Y.