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The
KINGBIRD
New York State
Ornithological
Association, Inc.
Vol. 61 No. 4
December 2011
THE KINGBIRD (ISSN 0023-1606), published quarterly (March, June,
September, December), is a peer-reviewed publication of the New York State
Ornithological Association, Inc,, which has been organized to further the study of
bird life and to disseminate knowledge thereof, to educate the public in the need for
conserving natural resources, and to document the ornithology of the state and
maintain the official Checklist of the Birds of New York State.
Website: http://nybirds.org
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Applications for membership and subscriptions: New York State Ornithological
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THE KINGBIRD, P.O. Box 296, Somers, NY 10589.
©2011 New York State Ornithological Association, Inc. All rights reserved.
NEW YORK STATE ORNITHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, INC
2011-2012 Officers
President
Gail Kirch, 1099 Powderhouse Rd.,
Vestal, NY 13850
Vice-President
Kathryn Schneider, 16 Frisbee Lane,
Stuyvesant, NY 12173
Corresponding Secretary
Michael DeSha. 26 Chestnut Street,
Franklinville, NY 14737
Recording Secretary
Joan E. Collins, 120 Regan Rd.,
Potsdam, NY 13676
Treasurer
Andrew Mason, 1039 Peck St.,
Jefferson, NY 12093
Directors (Term Expiration Dates)
Victor Lamoureux 2012
Shaibal S. Mitra 2012
Robert Spahn 2012
Tim Baird 2013
CarenaPooth 2013
Angus Wilson 2013
continued on inside back cover
e /.KINGBIRD
PUBLICATION OF THE NEW YORK STATE ORNITHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. INC.
Volume 61 No. 4 December 2011 pp. 289-372
CONTENTS
A Confirmed Breeding Record of Least Bittern on Long Island
John L. Turner.290
Tropical Storm Irene in New York State
S. S.Mitra.293
New York State Ornithological Association, Inc.
64th Annual Meeting, Hopewell Junction, New York, 24 September 2011 .299
Notes and Observations
Addition to the New York State Checklist
New York State Avian Records Committee .305
Double-nesting by Red-bellied Woodpeckers in New York State
Ruth Bernstein Hyman.306
A Hybrid Cliff Swallow x Barn Swallow in Western New York State
Christopher L. Wood, Andrew Guthrie, and Jessie Barry.307
Highlights of the Season — Summer 2011
Robert Spahn.308
Regional Reports.313
Photo Gallery.327
Standard Regional Report Abbreviations, Reporting Deadlines
and Map of Reporting Regions.371
Editor - S. S. Mitra
Regional Reports Editor - Robert G. Spahn
Circulation and Membership Managers - Barbara Butler, Bema Lincoln
Front Cover - This Eastern Kingbird was photographed at Pt. Lookout, Nassau County,
Long Island, on 28 Aug 2011, during Tropical Storm Irene. © Corey Finger.
Back Cover - This Sooty Tern was photgraphed at Jones Beach, Nassau County, Long
Island, on 28 Aug 2011, during Tropical Storm Irene. © Patricia Lindsay.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
289
A CONFIRMED BREEDING RECORD OF
LEAST BITTERN ON LONG ISLAND
John L. Turner
10 Clark Boulevard, Massapequa Park, NY 11762
redknot2@verizon.net
The Least Bittern ( Ixobrychus exilis ), the smallest North American heron, is a
widespread yet local breeder in New York State due to its dependence on
extensively vegetated wetlands. Denser breeding concentrations in New York
are found in suitable freshwater marsh habitat in the Great Lakes Plain and
Hudson River Valley regions, and specifically in the extensive wetlands of both
the Montezuma and Iroquois National Wildlife Refuges. As detailed below, the
Least Bittern has been historically reported as a local and uncommon breeder on
Long Island with a long line of observations, spanning nearly 170 years.
J. P. Giraud, Jr. states in his 1844 classic Birds of Long Island : “It feeds
chiefly at night, and is seldom seen flying during the day—and, like many other
species that take shelter among the rank grass and rushes which grow on the
wet, miry grounds, it is not as scarce with us as is by many supposed.” This
comment reflects an often-made observation about the Least Bittern: its
secretive nature, coupled with its use of dense, inaccessible wetland habitats
makes it hard to detect and observe, probably resulting in an underreporting of
the species.
Commenting on the species’ distribution on Long Island, Eaton (1907) had
this to say: “The Least Bittern is locally common as a summer resident in the
marshes of Long Island, the Hudson valley and the region of Lakes Erie,
Ontario, and the central chain ” Griscom (1923) noted: “Formerly a very local
summer resident, but locally common. All the breeding stations near New York
City now destroyed. Probably breeds on Jones Beach. Casual elsewhere.”
Additionally, Cruickshank (1942) reported at least six breeding stations on Long
Island and reported “Until very recent years the bird bred in small colonies in
Bronx, Kings, Queens, and Nassau Counties, and a few pair still hang on there.
At present it is a rare local summer resident and transient in the New York City
region.”
Regarding more recent accounts about the Least Bittern’s abundance and
distribution on Long Island, Bull (1974) states: Least Bitterns may be found in
many of the marshes in the southern and western parts of the state, especially
where cattails occur, and are also noted in grassy marshes inland and in the
brackish meadows along the coast of Long Island. At least six breeding pairs
were present at the Jamaica Bay Refuge in 1960.” Nearly 25 years later, in
Bull’s Birds of New York State , Stoner (1998) states: “Consistent with historical
record, its stronghold is still the lower Hudson Valley, the Coastal Lowlands,
and the Great Lakes Plain.”
290
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
These generalized accounts about the Least Bittern’s distribution and status
in New York State and on Long Island lack specificity, an issue addressed by
the first New York State Breeding Bird Atlas, covering the period from 1980-
1985. In this Atlas two breeding blocks were reported in which Least Bittern
was confirmed as a breeding bird on Long Island—Jamaica Bay and the
Lattingtown area of northern Nassau County.
In contrast, the second New York State Breeding Bird Atlas, which covered
the period from 2000-2005, had no census blocks with confirmed breeding of
Least Bitterns on Long Island. Least Bitterns were detected in a total of 129
blocks and it was confirmed as a breeder in fourteen of them, notably in the
regions mentioned above. Three blocks on Long Island reported bitterns: one
block with possible breeding and two others with probable breeding.
On July 17, 2011 I observed a male Least Bittern flying north over a small
pond in the Massapequa Preserve. Several minutes later the same bird flew
south, landing along the edge of a stand of Phragmites close to where it had first
departed from. Posting this sighting to the NYS Birding List Serve led many
other birders to visit the site, and on July 20th David Speiser and Henry Maas
observed a recently fledged bittern being fed by a parent. Based on the lack of
any reported observations confirming breeding activities since the first NYS
Breeding Bird Atlas, this sighting was the first confirmed breeding record on
Long Island for this species in at least 26 years. I visited the site on July 24th
with Dave Klauber and we each simultaneously observed four juvenile bitterns.
The male was reported on numerous occasions (having been seen by the author
on five different visits) but the female has never been reported. A photo of one
of the juveniles is reproduced on page 334.
The breeding habitat used by the bitterns is a small, two-acre, oval pond in
the preserve located approximately 3,000 feet north of Clark Boulevard (see
photo, page 334). The pond, connected to the Massapequa Creek which flows
along its western edge, is ringed with wetland vegetation dominated by
Common Reed {Phragmites communis) with a small patch of Broad-leaved
Cattail ( Typha latifolia) in the southwestern section. The Phragmites is more
extensive on the western side of the pond. A number of wetland wildflower
species are interspersed among this vegetation including swamp rose mallow
(Hibiscus palustris) and Jewelweed ( Impatiens capers is). Woody plants such as
Willow ( Salix spp.) and Red Maple ring sections of the outer edges of the pond.
Surrounded by medium- to high-density residential development, the
Massapequa Preserve is a 412 acre Nassau County-owned preserve situated in
the southeastern comer of Nassau County. Massapequa Creek, one of the longer
streams found along Nassau County’s south shore, runs through the preserve
which incorporates a fraction of the creek’s watershed. The vegetation within
the preserve varies, ranging from patches of pitch pine-oak forests in the higher
elevations with Red Maple (Acer rubrum) and Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)
swamps in the lower lying areas. In more open areas, such as along the edges of
numerous waterbodies and the margins of a recreational bike path, numerous
grass and wildflower species occur.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
291
The characteristics and landscape setting of the Preserve, i.e., its narrowness
and the built-up nature of its surrounding environment, along with the small size
of the pond, indicates the Least Bittern will use relatively small, fragmented
wetlands situated in suburban settings for breeding/nesting. This may bode well
for the continued existence of the species in New York if, in addition to
breeding in larger more extensive wetlands, it also uses smaller, less contiguous
habitats, as these landscape conditions are likely to become more prevalent as
natural habitats continue to be converted to other land uses such as residential
and commercial development.
LITERATURE CITED
Giraud, Jacob P. 1844. Birds of Long Island . New York: Wiley & Putnam.
Eaton, Elon H. 1910. Birds of New York. Albany: New York State Museum,
Memoir 12.
Griscom, Ludlow. 1923. Birds of the New York City Region. The American
Museum of Natural History, Handbook Series No. 9. New York.
Cruickshank, Allan D. 1942. Birds Around New York City: Where and When to
Find Them. The American Museum of Natural History, Handbook Series
No. 13. New York.
Bull, John. 1974. Birds of New York State. Ithaca: Comstock Publishing
Associates.
Stoner, S. J. 1998. Least Bittern, pp. 123-124 in Bull’s Birds of New York State,
Emanuel Levine, ed. Ithaca: Comstock Publishing Associates.
Andrle, Robert F. and Janet R. Carroll, eds. 1988. The Atlas of Breeding Birds in
New York State. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
McGowan, Kevin J. and Kimberley Corwin, eds. 2008. The Second Atlas of
Breeding Birds in New York State. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
292
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
TROPICAL STORM IRENE IN NEW YORK STATE
S. S. Mitra
Biology Department, College of Staten Island
2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314
shaibal.mitra@csi.cuny.edu
“Pick at random an American bird of the sea or beach that summers regularly in
the subtropical regions of the North Atlantic. Now scan the [last] three regional
accounts in this magazine, those for [eastern New York State]. The chances are
2 to 1 [or greater] that you will find your bird listed there. Did you select
Magnificent Frigatebird perhaps? One visited [Columbia County].... White¬
tailed Tropicbird? [Six were recorded from Rensselaer County to eastern Long
Island.] ... The Brown Pelican? [At least 7 were found on Long Island during
and immediately after the storm.]”
—R. J. Newman and R. F. Andrle, The Changing Seasons: A Summary of
Bird Events in the Autumn of “Donna” Audubon Field Notes, Vol. 15, p. 4.
Tropical Storm Irene will be remembered as perhaps the most ornithologically
interesting—and certainly the most thoroughly observed and documented—
cyclone ever recorded in New York. The quote cited above pertains to Hurricane
Donna , which struck Long Island on 12 September 1960. The portions in
brackets have been tailored to express Irene’s remarkably similar consequences.
Because Irene’s eye traveled almost entirely over water (just clipping the Outer
Banks, then passing rapidly over easternmost New Jersey at night), and because
her center of circulation made landfall on Long Island almost as far west as
possible, her track was near-perfect for driving tropical-pelagic and Gulf Stream
species ashore here. Furthermore, it was evident as early as mid-day on Friday,
26 August that her intensity would weaken considerably just prior to landfall,
reducing safety concerns (if not coastal access issues) for bird students.
Compared to their predecessors in 1960, the cadre of birders who greeted Irene
were more numerous, better informed of the storm’s immediate meteorological
and ornithological history, and infinitely better connected with one another via
cell phones.
Irene’s avian fall-out was striking in terms of its volume, diversity, and
geographical breadth. Determined observers managed to sample a very large
variety of sites, from the Hudson and East Rivers, the Verrazano Narrows,
Brooklyn’s near-coast, the Jones Beach strip, most of the South Fork of Long
Island, southwestern Long Island Sound in Westchester County and the Bronx,
and several sites on Long Island’s North Shore. Without exception, all of these
sites yielded multiple extraordinary, once in a generation, records. There was
one very large and conspicuous gap in coverage, however, involving the
perennially highly productive mid-section of Long Island’s oceanfront,
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
293
including Fire Island, Moriches, and Shinnecock Inlets. Access to these sites
was almost completely precluded, and an unknown number and variety of birds
certainly went unseen there.
Within the very large list of species recorded during Irene, several striking
patterns were evident. First, the volume and proportion of tropical-pelagic and
Gulf Stream species were unprecedented. Reports of Bridled Tern (28+), White¬
tailed Tropicbird (6+), South Polar Skua (3 reports of 4 birds), Band-rumped
Storm-Petrel (2+), and Black-capped Petrel (1) all equaled or exceeded those of
any prior storm in New York. Robust tallies of 36+ Sooty Terns and 21+
Leach’s Storm-Petrels, as well as single reports of Audubon’s Shearwater (from
the Bronx!) and Magnificent Frigatebird (from Columbia County!), were also
consistent with this pattern. The most wayward White-tailed Tropicbird was one
picked up along a road in Rensselaer County; Sooty and Bridled Terns were
seen in western Long Island Sound, and five of the former and one of the latter
pushed as far up the Hudson River as Croton Pt. and Tarrytown, respectively.
It must be noted that all of these deep-water species present identification
challenges, particularly the Onychoprion terns, skuas, and storm-petrels. It
appears, for instance, that some Bridled Terns might have been mistaken for
Sooties, because the proportion of Sooty to Bridled was fairly low among birds
that were photographed but increased noticeably among reports of distant
Onychoprion that couldn't be photographed. Nevertheless, it is very reassuring
that photos or written documentation were obtained for at least some examples
of each of these highly significant species, and furthermore, that every one of
these species (except possibly the shearwater) was also photographed in nearby
states during the storm.
With the exception of a corpse or two found later, the entirety of this Gulf
Stream cohort was observed on 28 August, with none lingering even through the
following morning for observers pursuing the previous day’s stunning reports.
Thus, in comparing Irene’s conspicuous bounty of Gulf Stream birds to the
lesser yields of prior storms, one must consider the likely possibility that much
of the apparent discrepancy is attributable to Irene's lesser intensity at landfall,
which resulted in much greater safety, comfort, and prior knowledge of likely
conditions for observers this time around, compared to during similar storms of
the past. Four historical examples support this point. The over-water track of the
Great Hurricane of 21 September 1938 was similar (but more easterly) to
Irene’s , but this storm struck Long Island and southern New England with
unique ferocity, nearly eradicating all man-made structures on the outer beaches
of eastern Long Island and Rhode Island. Not only was it impossible to look for
birds during this storm, it was impossible to safely reach the coast for days
afterward in many areas. Of the few vagrants reported after this storm were five
White-tailed Tropicbirds (four dead) on Long Island and a Sooty Tern inland at
Manorville, Suffolk County.
Hurricane Donna (12-13 September 1960) also followed a track similar to
Irene’s, except that she crossed a long swath of peninsular Florida early in her
journey, and she struck Long Island at hurricane-strength. Interestingly, roughly
half of the tropical strays associated with Donna in the Mid-Atlantic and
294
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Northeast states were seen the day after the storm’s passage—in stark contrast to
the near-absence of such records following Irene. This disparity suggests that a
larger proportion of Donna’s pelagic birds went undetected on the day she
struck, probably because the smaller number of observers faced more severe
conditions. Yet another example of this sort is furnished by Hurricane Bob of 19
August 1991, which produced a variety of records of Gulf Stream birds, some
persisting for at least a day.
Another useful, but contrasting, comparison was provided by David, on 6
September 1979, which followed a course that differed greatly from all the
storms just mentioned. David made landfall in Georgia and weakened greatly as
he proceeded northward through Pennsylvania and upstate New York. Winds
along the Long Island/southern New England coast were reportedly in the 30-40
mph range (R. L. Ferren, in litt.), but these fringing winds brought to our shores
an assemblage of Gulf Stream species that rivaled Irene’s : a larger number of
Sooty but a smaller number of Bridled Terns; a Brown Noddy in Rhode Island;
etc. Importantly, the most noteworthy tropical-pelagic species were recorded
during the storm’s passage, with almost none persisting after this locally very
weak storm.
Another pattern in Irene’s records, this one in stark contrast to that of the
deep-water species discussed above, concerns our most abundant temperate-
pelagic species, which were clearly under-represented. This category includes
species such as Great, Cory’s, and Manx Shearwaters, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel,
and Northern Gannet, all of which were present in numbers over Long Island’s
near-shore ocean waters prior to the storm, and several of which were recorded
again considerably after the storm. Most of these species were reported as
scattered singletons or not at all. A fair number of Wilson’s Storm-Petrels were
displaced to some very unusual sites, such as the Hudson River as far north as
Sleepy Hollow, Westchester County, and two sites on the northwestern shore of
Long Island Sound, but overall numbers were modest, and the species was
almost absent along most of the ocean-front.
The paucity of these bread and butter species, in contrast to exceptional
numbers of locally highly unusual species (notably Sooty and Bridled Terns and
Leach’s Storm-Petrel), is not unique to Irene but is rather an enduring enigma of
tropical cyclones in our region. One often-heard argument is that Wilson’s
Storm-Petrels are recorded ashore and inland so infrequently because they have
left our shelf waters prior to the fall hurricane season. This view is supported to
some extent by data from Hurricane Belle , which struck Long Island on the
relatively early date of 10 August 1976. Belle originated north of the Bahamas
(much farther north and west than Irene), traveled entirely over water before
making landfall near Jones Beach, and produced unusual birds mostly in a
relatively small area east of the landfall, specifically the area between Moriches
and Shinnecock Inlets (A. J. Lauro, The Kingbird 26: 184-189). Belle yielded
just one Sandwich Tern, one Bridled Tern, and no Sooty Terns, but she
produced 15 Cory’s Shearwaters in Shinnecock Bay and 100+ Wilson’s Storm-
Petrels at Smith Point County Park, just west of Moriches Inlet.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
295
In contrast, almost all of the Wilson’s Storm-Petrels observed in New York
during Irene were recorded near the storm’s center or to its west, with only a
scant few to the east, along the ocean coast. Why so few were recorded there is
difficult to say, but this is the rule rather than the exception for Long Island's
tropical cyclones. In the case of Irene , it is highly implausible that our common
summer pelagic species had already left the region by late August, especially
given the reappearance of small numbers of Wilson’s Storm-Petrels along the
ocean coast two weeks later and the presence of large numbers of Great
Shearwaters inshore through November. Perhaps our local seabirds are often
able to dodge hurricanes, much as ships do, by knowing the regional land- and
seascapes and by sensing a storm’s approach and shifting eastward more rapidly
than tiie wind field advances.
Another pattern concerns the coastal southern species so prominent
following many mid-late 20 th Century storms. This cohort showed little
indication of significant transport into the region, and it was difficult to discern
any increase in numbers of Royal Tern, Black Skimmer, and American
Oystercatcher, especially in areas where these species were already most
numerous before the storm. Away from the outer coast, however, observers
recorded decidedly large numbers of several maritime species, and, at the very
least, there were major displacements of Laughing Gulls up the Hudson River,
single Royal and Least Terns as far up the Hudson River as Piermont Pier,
Rockland County, and a Piping Plover to an Eastport sod field, well north of
Sunrise Highway, Suffolk County. Among the records most difficult to
characterize are a Black-necked Stilt at Sleepy Hollow, an American Avocet at
Jones Inlet, and several Marbled Godwits at non-traditional sites on Long Island.
Although surely influenced individually by Irene, these birds might just as easily
have been present nearby prior to the storm as swept northward from the Outer
Banks or Delmarva. Overall, it would seem that a large proportion of records for
this cohort pertain to birds already present in our area before the storm struck,
but evidence that at least some were transported from afar is furnished by the
impressive showings made by Sandwich Tern (25+) and Brown Pelican (7), two
coastal-southern species whose normal distributions have not yet extended
northward to include New York.
We can state categorically, however, that Irene did not displace the
“Hatteras cohort” on any scale comparable to many storms of the last century.
Consider that Hurricanes Carol and Eclna (31 August & 11 September 1954)
brought to Long Island seven American Oystercatchers, seven Wilson’s Plovers,
two Gull-billed Terns, and 60 Royal Terns at a time when all were very rare
birds here (and furthermore yielded our first-ever records of Boat-tailed
Grackle). And note that Donna produced an abundance of coastal-southern
species that was almost inconceivable in 1960: 28 Gull-billed, nine Sandwich,
300 Royal, and 400 Caspian Terns, and 1200 Black Skimmers!
As noted above, Irene's impacts were extraordinarily large and broad and
included a very large proportion of the species known to be affected by storms at
this season. For example, shorebirds that undertake long trans-oceanic flights
were well represented. In this category, 10 Hudsonian Godwits at Floyd Bennett
296
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Field, Brooklyn and several large and widely distributed flocks of Red-necked
Phalaropes were certainly the most noteworthy consequences of this storm. A
smattering of American Golden-Plovers, Whimbrels, and Buff-breasted and
Pectoral Sandpipers were obviously storm-related, but less unusual in an
historical context.
It must be remembered that our salt marshes were completely submerged,
and that all sorts of coastal species were forced into compromising
circumstances during the height of the storm. Birders driving Ocean Parkway on
Sunday morning had to take great care not to crush the many shorebirds forced
up onto the roadsides and even the roadway itself. A striking illustration of local
displacement was furnished by a Nassau County rehabilitator who received 17
Clapper Rails into care, mostly rescued from people’s yards. On the other hand,
vast numbers of shorebirds surely went undetected because of the complete lack
of access to Moriches and Shinnecock Inlets. On the whole, however, the
balance of shorebird records at hand doesn’t stand out markedly against ordinary
expectations for the date—especially in comparison to the records of deep-water
pelagic species.
All three jaeger species were recorded during the storm, but in small
numbers for Parasitic and just two each of the two rarer species. Three Arctic
Terns were reported (but not photographed), and there were no reports of
Sabine’s Gull in the state. No discussion of storm influences on coastal birds
during late summer would be complete without consideration of Black Tern and
Lesser Black-backed Gull. These species are particularly enigmatic because
their spikes in apparent abundance can occur variously before, during, or after a
storm. During Irene , small numbers of Black Terns were found in all sorts of
unusual settings, such as one seen at the height of the morning’s southeasterly
winds being blown forcibly backwards, bill pointing resolutely seaward, across
Fire Island Inlet and over the Oak Beach thickets, and others resting on inland
turf fields. Most extraordinary was a flock of 300-400 at West Meadow Beach,
Stony Brook—a North Shore setting lacking prior records on this scale. On the
other hand, counts from traditional staging areas on eastern Long Island seemed
within normal bounds before, during and immediately after the storm—then
gradually rose to record levels weeks later! In the case of Lesser Black-backed
Gull, storm impacts were even more difficult to detect. Small numbers of
immatures were seen at sites near where larger numbers were known to have
summered, and the season’s first arriving adults were detected during and
immediately after Irene, In both cases, it is easier to construe these birds as
somehow managing to be precisely where they wanted to be, rather than as
being displaced by the storm.
As might be expected, landbirds were extremely inconspicuous during the
storm. A number of observers reported seeing and hearing Bobolinks during the
storm, and a number of Common Nighthawks were seen at odd sites by day
during the afternoon of 28 August. A Yellow-throated Warbler at Montauk the
day after the storm was conceivably a storm bird, but it is difficult to imagine
any connection between the storm and a subsequent report of a Great Kiskadee
along the Hudson River in Manhattan! Although that bird’s provenance is highly
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
297
dubious, a number of southeastern landbird species were recorded in New York
during the fall, and it will be a challenge to infer the connections, if any,
between these records and Tropical Storm Irene.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to thank the many observers who contributed reports. I’m especially
grateful to P. A. Buckley and Doug Gochfeld for sharing their thoughts about
Irene in particular and New York’s long history of storm birds more generally.
The track of Hurricane Irene, August 2011.
Public domain; accessed from: http://en.wikipedia.Org/wiki/File:Irene_2011_track.png
298
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NEW YORK STATE ORNITHOLOGICAL
ASSOCIATION, INC. 64TH ANNUAL MEETING
HOPEWELL JUNCTION, NEW YORK,
24 SEPTEMBER 2011
The 64 th Annual Meeting of the New York State Ornithological Association, Inc
(NYSOA), hosted by the Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club, was held at the Circle
Lodge on Sylvan Lake, Hopewell Junction, NY on September 24, 2011. The
meeting was called to order at 9:14 a.m. Roll call of member clubs revealed 33
delegates from 22 clubs were in attendance and that a quorum was present.
Barbara Butler made a motion to approve the October 23, 2010 Annual Meeting
minutes as published on the NYSOA website. Bill Reeves seconded the motion,
and it was unanimously approved.
President's Report by Carena Pooth:
As my second term draws to a close. I'd like to thank NYSOA and the Council
of Delegates for allowing me to serve the organization as President—it has
meant a lot to me.
NYSOA continues to be a recognized leader among ornithological societies
across the United States. Membership numbers are up 5% after dropping
steadily for eight years and then finally leveling off last year. However, we still
face an uphill climb, not only because of the extended economic downturn—but
even more because of the growing number and variety of free internet-based
communities and resources that compete for the time and attention of New York
State birders. Hand in hand with that, today's birders, like everyone else, seek
instant gratification in the form of immediate availability and dissemination of
information. No one wants to wait.
Before we get into the various reports today, I'd like to talk about the ways
that NYSOA has kept itself not only viable but vibrant as we've been
transitioning into this new era.
Like any other organization wanting to survive in today's world, we have
had to embrace change rather than fight it. NYSOA demonstrated its willingness
to do this long before I became president. More than 10 years ago, the first
NYSOA website was launched. Today we know that the internet has become the
medium of choice for most younger birders (as well as many older ones). At the
same time, NYSOA continues to promote and celebrate face-to-face
communications and offline communities such as local bird clubs, and real live
gatherings of real live people—that's why we continue to run special projects
like the Atlas and the young birders club, and why we've brought the field trips
program back to life. We are also very careful not to abandon those who simply
don't like using computers (and I know some 20-somethings in that category!).
But technology has been a key element of NYSOA's position and stature in
recent years. NYSARC was one of the first avian records committees to offer
online report submission capability, way back in 2003, and even today, many
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
299
similar organizations do not offer this. On the NYSOA website, anyone can
browse a database listing all sightings ever reported to NYSARC, with details
on location and date for each. In addition, all NYSARC annual reports have
been available online for many years.
NYSOA's paper publications have not only maintained a very high standard
of quality but also have started going electronic. The searchable online archive
of The Kingbird launched last year, is a tremendous and heavily used resource
for ornithologists, students, and birders.
This summer we got the County Listing project back on track, allowing
report submission either by paper form, as in the past, or via an online form.
Automated data collection will enable us to include the 2010 County List report
in this October's newsletter, less than two months after the submission deadline.
NYSOA is also making greater use of technology to improve its own
operations. Teleconferencing was established severed years ago as an option for
board meeting participants who can't be there in person. In addition, an online
internal document repository was set up two years ago for the board and
committee chairs. That year we also established paperless online payment
capability for memberships, merchandise, and donations.
So why do I feel so good about all this? Not because I love technology—
technology is only a tool. I feel so good about all this because it shows that
NYSOA refuses to be set in its ways when those ways threaten to become a
handicap, and this forward-looking organizational mindset positions NYSOA to
continue to evolve and carry out its important mission as the world continues to
change.
NYSOA's greatest strength lies in the hundreds of people who have
volunteered their time and services over the past 64 years. This is an all¬
volunteer organization, and the people who work for it do so only because they
are deeply committed to its mission.
I'm thankful for all those hundreds of volunteers, and in particular I'd like to
thank those who have served on the board and committees over the past two
years, as well as all the people in NYSOA's member clubs who have helped
make my job as president a pleasant one and have contributed to our progress in
many areas.
Treasurer's Report by Andy Mason:
Andy provided the following documents for the year ending December 31,
2010: Balance Sheet and Detailed Statement of General Operating Fund
Activity. Andy also provided a Detailed Statement of General Operating Fund
Activity for January 1, 2011 to September 22, 2011. He encouraged members to
renew at a higher level, since most income comes from memberships.
NYSOA Committee Reports and Elections
Membership Committee Report was given by Berna Lincoln. Memberships
are sent to Berna and Barbara Butler maintains the database. Barbara Butler
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The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
presented a document with the membership numbers. Membership increased 5%
over the prior year.
Andy Mason made a motion to approve Bedford Audubon Society as a new
member club. Berna Lincoln seconded the motion, and it was unanimously
approved.
Kathy Schneider gave the Marketing/Publicity/Field Trips Committee
Report. The committee works to identify likely new members. Non-members
who attended last year's Annual Meeting or who donated to the Raffle were
identified as potential new members. The committee increased NYSOA's
visibility with publicity postcards. Gift memberships were made available
online. Information about NYSOA activities, such as field trips, was
communicated to member clubs via email. Clubs were also sent NYSOA articles
for their newsletters. NYSOA activities are posted to birding listservs around the
state. The committee plans to utilize press releases this coming year.
Quarterly field trips are held around the state. The typical format is a
workshop followed by a field trip. Workshops are open to the public and the
field trips are for members only. Three workshops/field trips have been held this
year: a pelagic trip with Angus Wilson off Long Island, a spring warbler trip
with Joan Collins in the Adirondacks, and a shorebirds trip with Kevin
McGowan at Montezuma. A gull trip with Willie D'Anna is scheduled for
winter.
Andy Mason gave the Conservation Report. He introduced committee
members including what part of the state they represented. Andy reported it
would be beneficial if the committee had a member from the Long
Island/downstate area. Andy's written report summarized the past year's
activities.
Letters were written to: the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (NYS DEC) regarding proposed staff cuts; the Environmental
Protection Agency supporting new pending regulations for limited mercury
emissions; and to the NYS DEC commenting on the State Forest Plan and
asking that natural gas drilling not be permitted on state lands.
Andy highlighted the committee's continued involvement in: the Enterprise
Park at Calverton coalition, monitoring development proposals for this large
grassland habitat in eastern Long Island; participation in the Plum Island
coalition and efforts to ensure that Plum Island, off Long Island, is protected
rather than developed; and monitoring the regulation of hydro-fracking natural
gas in NY State and the potential impacts on birds. The comment period on
hydro-fracking ends in December. Bob McGuire, of Cayuga Bird Club, feels
that bird clubs from around the state should join in commenting on hydro¬
fracking.
Committee members supplied articles for the Conservation Column in New
York Birders on the topics of: Climate Change, Plum Island sale issue, and
Mercury Impacts on birds.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
301
Carena Pooth gave the New York State Young Birders Club (NYSYBC)
Report. The club celebrated its third anniversary this year. There are currently
37 youth members, 23 supporting adults, and 18 partner clubs. The students
competed in the World Series of Birding with two teams: the “Razorbills” (who
came in first in the youth division this year—their third annual competition) and
the “Vagrants” (new this year) and did well raising money for the Education
Fund. Several NYSOA member clubs that had teams in the World Series of
Birding contributed their winnings to the NYSYBC's Education Fund, and
others sponsored the NYSYBC teams directly. Young birders who attend the
Annual Meeting will receive a $90 stipend this year. The scholarship program is
expected to award a total of about $2400 to 6 young birders this year. Carena
showed a pie graph of where members live and it mirrored the population
demographic of NYS. The age range for young birder membership is 10 to 19
years. Adults can join as supporting members and attend the young birders' field
trips.
Michael DeSha gave the New York State Avian Records Committee
(NYSARC) Report for Angus Wilson. The NYSARC Committee held their all-
day meeting during the Annual Meeting with the following topics on the agenda:
definition of the boundaries for New York State pelagic waters, changes to the
review list, ways to improve report submission rates, and future recruitments to
the committee.
Three new species were added to the New York State Checklist: Black-
bellied Whistling Duck, Common Ground-Dove, and Hermit Warbler. Review
of two additional species, Hooded Crow and Gray-hooded Gull, has begun.
The 2009 NYSARC Annual Report was published in the March 2011 issue
of The Kingbird, and the 2010 Annual Report will be published in the March
2012 issue.
Submissions of rare bird documentation are down in 2011. Pleas for reports
were posted on several New York State birding listservs, which helped increased
submissions, but the numbers are still below expectations. Angus reported
encouraging news that a number of NYSYBC members provided reports that
were of a high standard.
The NYSARC committee members were listed. The terms for Tom Burke
and Willie D’Anna expire at the end of this year, and these two positions will
need to be filled. Jeanne Skelly, NYSARC Secretary, retired two years ago, but
has agreed to remain in place until a suitable replacement has been found.
Shai Mitra gave The Kingbird Report. To speed up turn-around time, a new
printing company was used beginning with the June 2011 issue. There was a
problem printing the cover, but if this is corrected, the new company will
continue to print The Kingbird.
Tim Baird gave the New York Birders Report. Tim retired a year ago and is still
seeking a replacement. Tim provided a list of tilings he does as New York
Birders editor for anyone considering the job. While The Kingbird focuses on
302
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
ornithological data and articles. New York Birders features news about the
birders of New York and their observations. In the future, an electronic version
of New York Birders will be available.
The Checklist of the Birds of New York State will be updated by the end of the
year. Tim credited Carena Pooth, Bema Lincoln, and Barbara Butler for their
work on this publication.
Carena Pooth gave the Website and Information Services Report. (Please see
the President’s Report above.) Carena reported that 60% of county list reports
came in using the online reporting option on the website.
Archives Committee Report. Carena Pooth reported that NYSOA needs an
archivist.
Gail Kirch gave the Awards Report. No member clubs requested grants this
year. The following awards will be given at the evening banquet:
The Lillian C. Stoner Award is given to selected students to enable them to
attend the Annual Meeting. This year, three awards were given out to the
following students:
Alexandra Hale, nominated by the Linnaean Society
Gregory Lawrence, nominated by the New York State Young Birders' Club
Sarah MacLean, nominated by the Cayuga Bird Club
The John J. Elliott Award is given for the best Kingbird article of the year.
This year, the award goes to John Confer for his article “Avian Response to
Shrubland Restoration in the Forested Landscape of Sterling Forest State Park,
NY”.
The Gordon M. Meade Distinguished Service Award goes to Phyllis Jones for
the many years and multiple positions she filled, but especially for her work as
Chair of NYSOA's Archives Committee.
Carena Pooth gave the Bylaws Report for Bob Spahn. The new bylaws were
sent to member clubs, published in New York Birders , and listed on the NYSOA
website. Carena summarized the major changes: there is an eight year term limit
for board members; the life membership category was eliminated; the treasurer
and recording secretary officer positions were separated from the board to
potentially retain individuals in these positions longer than eight years; the
corresponding secretary position was eliminated; three director positions were
added to keep 11 total board members; a marketing and publicity committee was
added; and all instances of “member club” was changed to “member
organization”. Gail Kirch made a motion to accept the new bylaws. Bill Lee
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
303
seconded the motion, and it was unanimously approved. The new bylaws take
effect at the close of the Annual Meeting.
Bema Lincoln gave the Nominating Committee Report on behalf of Valerie
Freer. The committee nominated the following 2011-2012 slate of
Officers/Directors for election:
Gail Kirch - President
Kathy Schneider - Vice President
Michael DeSha - Corresponding Secretary
Joan Collins - Recording Secretary
Andy Mason - Treasurer
Tim Baird - Director (2013)
Carena Pooth - Director (2013)
Angus Wilson - Director (2013)
Barbara Butler made a motion to elect the slate of Officers and Directors.
Shirley Shaw seconded the motion, and it was unanimously approved.
Carena Pooth announced the following names for election to the 2011-2012
Nominating Committee: Joan Collins (Chair), Bob Adamo, and Bill Ostrander.
Andy Mason made a motion to elect the Nominating Committee. Berna Lincoln
seconded the motion, and it was unanimously approved.
Carena Pooth announced the following names for election to the 2011-2012
Auditing Committee: Irving Cantor (Chair), John Cairns, and Peter Capainolo.
Victor Lamoureux made a motion to elect the Auditing Committee. Kathy
Schneider seconded the motion, and it was unanimously approved.
Old Business:
None.
New Business:
Carena Pooth announced that a host club is needed for the 2012 Annual
Meeting.
Gail Kirch made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Victor Lamoureux seconded
the motion and it was unanimously approved at 11:20 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Joan Collins
Recording Secretary
304
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
ADDITION TO THE NEW YORK STATE CHECKLIST
The New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) has voted
unanimously to add one new species to the New York State Checklist under the
new ‘accelerated review’ policy (NYSARC 2009, Kingbird 59(3): 235). This
addition is:
Gray-hooded Gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus)
A predominantly equatorial and southern hemispheric species, this smart¬
looking gull was discovered on 24 July 2011 by Sara Burch and Jacob
McCartney whilst walking on the shorefront at Coney Island, Brooklyn (King’s
Co.). Understandably, the observers assumed from the red bill and legs and
partial hood that this was likely to be a Black-headed Gull (C, ridibundus) and
secured photographs. These were shared with eBird reviewer Doug Gochfeld,
who immediately re-identified the bird as a Gray-hooded Gull, a species not
illustrated in any North American field guide. Hundreds of birders from all over
the country were able to see the gull during its 12-day stay and the presence of
this avian rarity, just steps from the famous Coney Island boardwalk and
amusement park, attracted the attention of the news media including the New
York Times . The Coney Island gull was beautifully documented in the form of
nine detailed reports (NYSARC 2011-30-A/I), the majority accompanied by
convincing color photographs. This not only constitutes the first record for New
York State but is only the second record for the US and Canada, the previous
record being a one-day bird photographed by a researcher near Apalachicola,
Florida on 26 Dec 1998 (McNair, D. B. 1999. The Gray-hooded Gull in North
America: First documented record. North American Birds 53:337-339).
The Committee carefully considered the possibility of an escape or some
other mode of human assistance but could not find any evidence for this. Gray-
hooded Gulls are known to wander north along the coast of Brazil on a regular
basis, where they come into contact with wintering Laughing Gulls
(Leucophaeus atricilla ). Testifying to the natural affinity between these two
species, there is a record of a vagrant Laughing Gull nesting with Gray-hooded
Gull in Senegal on the west coast of Africa (Erard, C., Guillou, J. J., and
Mayaud, N. 1984. Sur l’identite specifique de certains Larides nicheurs au
Senegal. Alauda 52:84-188.). The Coney Island bird spent much of its time with
Laughing Gulls and the idea that it followed their migration is compelling.
Alternatively, the gull could have traveled to the Caribbean from the Pacific
coast of South America via the Isthmus of Panama where there have been
multiple records. It is also possible the gull originated in West Africa and
crossed the Atlantic to the Caribbean or northern coast of South America before
moving northwards. By odd coincidence, this would mirror the proposed route
for New York’s first and only Western Reef-Heron {Egretta gularis ) observed
just a short distance away in the Coney Island Creek (NYSARC 2007-34-A/K).
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
305
A record of Gray-hooded Gull from the Lesser Antillean island of Barbados, a
frequent landfall for Old-World vagrants, lends support to this as an alternative
possibility.
As is customary, full details of this exciting record and the context for
acceptance will be published in the 2011 NYSARC Annual Report. With this
inclusion, the NYS Checklist now stands at 480 species.
Submitted on behalf of the New York Sate Avian Records Committee: Angus
Wilson (Chair), Jeanne Skelly (Secretary), Jeffrey S. Bolsinger, Thomas W.
Burke, Willie D’Anna, Andrew Guthrie, Tom Johnson and Dominic Sherony.
DOUBLE-NESTING BY RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS
IN NEW YORK STATE
In the December, 2010 Kingbird , I reported on the latest apparent fledging of a
Red-bellied Woodpecker thus far in New York State (Hyman, RB.2010. Late
Fledging of Red-Bellied Woodpecker in New York State. The Kingbird 60: 311-
312) and speculated that it was probably a second nesting after a failed first
attempt rather than a second successful brood.
As stated in my 2010 article, according to the species account in Birds of
North America (Shackelford, C.E., R. E. Brown, & R. N. Conner. 2000. Red-
bellied Woodpecker. Birds of North America , No. 500), one successful brood is
typical in the northern parts of the Red-bellied Woodpecker's range, though in
the South they may have two-three broods. Red-bellied Woodpeckers in New
York, however, may attempt a second nest when the first fails (McGowan, J.K.
& K. Corwin, Eds. 2008. The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New> York State
Cornell University Press: Ithaca, NY).
Also as noted in the 2010 article, the most northerly instances of second
broods noted in Birds of North America include one example from Connecticut
(Sullivan, E. 1992. Red-bellied Woodpecker raises two broods in Connecticut.
Conn. Warbler 12: 24-25) and one from New York (Crumb, D. W. 1984. Late
nesting of a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Kingbird 34: 231). In the case of the New
York record, nestlings were observed being fed at a nest site in Onondaga
County through 30 August, with fledging suspected that day and an earlier
successful nesting by the same pair at the site strongly suspected.
After the 2010-2011 breeding season, I can report quite confidently that my
pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers had two successful nests. Both male and
female birds were around all winter, with the female predominating in my
sightings. Both male and female showed up with one fledgling on 20 June, The
female disappeared with the fledgling and I did not see her again until 4 July,
though I did see the fledgling once alone. The male was a daily visitor as of 1
July, and I saw the female every two-three days between 4 July and 22 July after
which she disappeared again.
On 22 August three woodpeckers were here, one male, one juvenile, and
one unknown. I saw no fledgling feeding on that day but did see the male
306 The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
feeding a fledgling on 23 August. I frequently saw a fledgling feeding alone
from 23 August through 6 September (and beyond). On 7 September the female
woodpecker arrived with what appeared to be a different, somewhat less mature
fledgling. It was less coordinated than the one seen previously, did wing-flutter,
and gave the raspy begging call, which I hadn't heard recently from the one
coming alone or on the same days as the male.
Although I did not see the nest, there is only one pair of Red-Bellied
Woodpeckers in this area. It would appear that the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers
had a nest which successfully produced at least one fledgling in June and a
second producing two fledglings in August-September. The 7 September date
for the second fledgling from this nest is just shy of the 12 September late
fledging date reported in my previous article.
Ruth Bernstein Hyman, PhD, Rockville Centre, ruth.hyman@verizon.net
A CLIFF SWALLOW X BARN SWALLOW HYBRID
IN WESTERN NEW YORK STATE
On 17 July 2011, Jessie Barry, Andrew Guthrie and I arrived at Point Breeze,
Orleans Co., New York. Shortly after, our attention was drawn to an odd pale-
rumped swallow that was perched on a railing with a group of recently fledged
Bam Swallows. After careful studies, we concluded this was a juvenile hybrid
Bam Swallow x Cliff Swallow. The bird appeared most like a juvenile Cliff
Swallow but had a more strongly graduated tail, more extensive warm wash to
the underparts with a contrasting richly cinnamon throat that was offset slightly
by light smudging on the sides of the breast. Two photos of this bird may be
seen on page 329. When an adult Bam Swallow came in, this bird would beg
with the juvenile Bain Swallows. Begging calls were very similar to Bain
Swallow, but slightly rougher and burrier. We are unaware of any previous
reports of this hybrid combination from New York and fewer than 10 reports
anywhere.
Christopher L. Wood, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods
Road, Ithaca, NY 14850; pinicola@gmail.com.
Andrew Guthrie. 391 Jacobs Road, Hamlin, NY 14464;
andy guthrie @ gmail .com
Jessie H. Barry, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road,
Ithaca, NY 14850; jb794@comell.edu.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
307
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON—SUMMER 2011
Robert Spahn
716 Hightower Way, Webster, NY14580
rspahn@prodigy.net
Even more than usual, this season was one of separate stories from several
angles. To the usual three-way split—the end of the spring migration, the
breeding season, and the start of the fall migration—add the usual variation in
weather patterns over time and geography, but on top of that, toss in Hurricane
(Tropical Storm) Irene and its greatly varying effects across the State. Even
more than usual, Region 10 was a different world as Irene passed. There is so
much information associated with this storm that it cannot all be covered in this
highlights summary, nor even in the Region 10 summer report; for a full
discussion of Irene's effects, the reader is urged to read Shai Mitra’s summary,
elsewhere in this issue.
Weather
This summer, the temperature part of the picture was quite uniform across the
State. June ran 1-3° above normal; July was hot—3-5° above normal, with some
interesting records set and speculation about heat waves to come; and finally
August dropped back to 2° above normal, more like a typical late summer
month. Precipitation brought the contrasts. June was dry to the west, but with
above average rainfall continuing from spring well into the month for the
southeast. July dried out, and everywhere precipitation was below average. Then
came August, with areas west near to slightly above average, but the southeast
seeing a lot of rain early. Region 9 had recorded its second wettest August on
record by the 20 th , then came the rains of Hurricane Irene, pushing the entire
area to above normal readings and parts of the east and south to record levels.
Hurricane (Tropical Storm) Irene
The passage of Irene rates special attention. It arrived on 28 August as a low-
level hurricane-to tropical storm and passed slowly north and eastward a bit
inland from the coast over that and the next day and beyond, depending on your
locality. From the north and east sides of the Adirondack High Peaks to the
south and east past Albany, especially Schoharie and Greene Counties, the rain
reached record levels and locally washed out roads and bridges, isolating towns
and knocking out power for days or more. Both natural and human habitats were
severely damaged in some areas. To the west in Regions 1-6, there was
generally some rain and wind, but no major impact.
308 The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
From a birders perspective, if one could get out, the effects ranged from a
non-event to spectacular. In the six Regions to the west with little direct weather
impact, there were few birds found that could be directly assigned as storm
related. Most special sightings were of increased numbers and variety of birds
often present at this time of year but observed with the passing of the storm;
maybe as much an effect of hopeful birders out looking as actually associated
with the storm. Several shorebird species and Laughing Gull in Regions 3 & 5
were most notable. To the east and south there was some great birding—
possibly at a once-in-a-generation level, especially for seabirds, waterbirds, and
shorebirds accompanying and immediately following the storm’s passage. Often
the window of opportunity was very short, and only those out in the storm were
able to observe the rarest of the displaced birds. In Region 7 there was a good
fallout of shorebirds and a few other species at the usual Chazy Riverlands site.
In Regions 9 & 10, the list and details of even the first State or first County and
other very rare birds are so extensive that all cannot be captured in this
summary, and the reader is again urged to read those Regional reports
completely. Just to whet your appetite, we have: a Black-capped Petrel in
Region 10; an Audubon’s Shearwater from the Bronx; Wilson’s Storm-Petrels in
Regions 9 & 10; 21+ Leach’s Storm-Petrels and two reports of Band-rumped
Storm-Petrel in Region 10; a White-tailed Tropicbird grounded and taken for
rehabilitation in Region 8, plus at least three sighted and two more found
deceased in Region 10; Black-necked Stilt in Region 9; multiple Sooty and
Bridled Terns in Regions 9 & 10, with 29+ of the former and 26+ of the latter
just in Region 10; unprecedented numbers of Sandwich Terns in Region 10;
three reports of South Polar Skua, a Pomarine Jaeger, and many Parasitic
Jaegers in Region 10, and single Long-tailed Jaegers in Regions 9 & 10; and
unusually large numbers and birds in unusual locations for many other seabird
species during the storm. Many of these birds were documented by photos or
videos and written documentation sent to NYSARC for assessment.
Tail End of Spring Migration
Typically the end of spring migration continues into at least the first week or so
of June, sometimes longer, with some raptors (especially Broad-winged Hawks
and Bald Eagles), several shorebird species, a few of the flycatchers (especially
Olive-sided and Yellow-bellied), thrashes, and several warbler species often
seen and banded in good numbers at that time. Reporting is impacted both by
varying numbers of birds annually and by varying observer attention to this
period of time. This season was fairly typical in both regards.
In scanning the Regional reports gathering details for this section, it seems
apparent that, in terms of reporting, this phenomenon is most evident for the
Regions bordering the south shore of Lake Ontario and near the ocean, with
most of the early June reports noted from Regions 1, 2, 5, & 10 plus a few
shorebirds from Regions 7 & 9. This being the case, I’ll leave it to interested
readers to look at those reports for especially the late shorebirds and passerines.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
309
Other late spring or possibly summering records of interest include: Snow
Goose in Regions 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, & 10, with several individuals present through
the summer in the Montezuma complex in Region 3; Brant in Regions 6, 9, &
10; Greater Scaup in Regions 5 & 10; Lesser Scaup in Regions 1, 2, 5, & 7;
King Eider in Region 10; veiy late (or maybe early) Black-bellied Plovers on 22
June in Region 2 and on 15 & 27 June in Region 3, as well as through the period
in Region 10; White-lumped Sandpipers in mid-June in Regions 6, 7, & 9 &
through the summer in small numbers in Region 10; Dunlin on 14 June in
Region 8 and 18 June in Region 10; White-crowned Sparrow in two locations in
Region 2 on 21 June; first Regional summer record for Blue Grosbeak on 2 June
in Region 1; and a record late Rusty Blackbird on 1 June in Region 2.
Breeding Season
It still seems that data from many of the breeding season studies often does not
reach Regional record keepers. Observers are urged to contribute both records
and thoughts on the season to the Regional editors or to local listservs and to
eBird. The breeding season can bring observations on trends for species of
special note or concern, new breeding records, and unusual summering records.
We can start with some of the trends. Among the waterfowl we find
Trumpeter Swan in Regions 1, 2, 3, & 6 and a Ruddy Duck with chicks for a
first breeding record in Region 7. From Region 1 there is praise for the
continued colonial waterbird monitoring by the DEC related to the changing
scene with the Double-crested Cormorant, heron/egret, and tern colonies in the
Buffalo area along the Niagara River. In the Region 9 report, Michael Bochnik
provides a detailed summary of the impacts of heavy flooding in late June at
Bashakill Marsh. The Mississippi Kites were back in the same area in
Montgomeiy County in Region 8. Osprey was noted as nesting in six Regions
and with confirmed breeding thought finally imminent along the Hudson River
in Region 8. The Peregrine Falcon scene was a soap opera in Region 2, with the
male of a pair from last year failing in at least two nest attempts with his mate of
last year at the old nest box, then also mating with another female in a location a
few miles to the north and also failing there. Region 6 saw the first nesting of
Peregrine Falcon in recent years. Merlin was reported in ni ne of the ten Regions,
with nesting in at least five Regions. Sandhill Cranes were found this summer in
six Regions, with nesting confirmed in Regions 2 & 3 and strongly suspected in
Region 6. See more detailed notes in the Region 2 & 3 reports of crane chicks
captured in an effort by Matt Hayes of the International Crane Foundation to
determine the origins of the new breeding groups in the Northeast. The rooftop-
nesting Ring-billed Gull saga continued in the City of Batavia near the Region
2/3 boundary. Lesser Black-backed Gull is now found at various places around
the State in every month, but Region 10 hosted unprecedented numbers of
immatures this summer, with counts to 70 at one site. Black Terns seem to be
holding on in nesting colonies in Regions 1, 2, 6, & 7. At least five immature
Arctic Terns were carefully documented in Region 10 in their now familiar mid-
310
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
June to early July window. Eurasian Collared-Dove continued in Region 2, but
still with no confirmed nests, and was also reported in Region 5. All species of
goatsuckers were down in Region 10 and even missing from some traditional
nesting sites. This summer there were many reports of Fish Crow from along the
Genesee River in and north of Rochester, but no evidence was received to
confirm breeding in Region 2. Common Raven reports are up in most Regions,
and a first nesting for Suffolk County was confirmed in Region 10. Among the
grassland birds, some bad news related to the wet May and a lull in the rain in
early June leading to early hay cutting in Region 8 and likely heavy impact on
nesting. However, there were strong numbers for nesting grassland species from
Region 6. There were also some good numbers reported for Bobolink at
season’s end from seven Regions, including a very high 1400 on 27 August in
Region 9.
Other interesting brief breeding bird notes include: only six reports of Red¬
shouldered Hawk from three Regions; Common Goldeneye in Region 3 as well
as the usual breeding locations in Region 7; Black Vulture in late July on Staten
Island in Region 10; eight sites with nesting Cooper’s Hawk in Region 10; a
good breeding season for “Eastern’' Willet and good numbers of migrant
“Western” Willet in Region 10; Red-headed Woodpecker in six Regions; Sedge
Wren in only Regions 6 & 9; Bicknell’s Thrush doing all right were expected in
Region 7; Golden-winged Warbler seen in Regions 2, 9, & 10 and nesting in
Region 6; Prothonotary Warbler nesting in Regions 1, 2, & 5 and as a migrant in
Region 9; all of the north country specialties noted from Regions 6 and/or 7;
Clay-colored Sparrow only reported from Regions 1, 3, & 6; a Summer Tanager
nesting in Region 10; and crossbills, Pine Siskin, and Evening Grosbeak only
noted in small numbers.
Notes on lingering summer birds or hard-to-assign records included: most
of the waterbird reports in Region 2 now from the Northern Montezuma
Wetlands Complex rather than from the marshes along Lake Ontario; Northern
Pintail in Region 10; Ring-necked Duck and Ruddy Duck in Region 1 at the
Batavia Waste Water Treatment Plant; Greater Scaup in Region 10; Common
Eider present through the season in good numbers and Black Scoter in mid July
in Region 10; Iceland Gull in Region 10; Glaucous Gull to late June and longer
in Regions 5 & 10; a first July record for Long-tailed Jaeger (photographed) in
Region 2; mid-summer records for both waterthrushes in new locations in
Region 10; and Blue Grosbeak in three locations in June and July in Region 10.
Start of Fall Migration
Often as early as mid June, the start of fall migration can be detected in the first
returning shorebirds. More species are added slowly through July, and by
August most breeding birds are well on their way.
Among the waterbirds, it was a veiy slow start this fall. Only Red-necked
Grebe seen all month in Region 2 and on 21 August in Region 1 was somewhat
early, and jaegers began to show as usual in late August in Regions 1,2, & 10,
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
311
as well as associated with Irene in Region 9. Looking at hawks, the usual
summer dispersal movement of mainly Red-tailed Hawks along the south shore
of Lake Ontario was noted, but there was no official hawk count at Braddock
Bay this year. Most of the State's fall hawkwatches are later. Shorebird arrivals
began as early as mid-June for Black-bellied Plover in Regions 2, 3, & 10 and
White-rumped Sandpiper and Short-billed Dowitcher in Regions 3 & 10. At
least two dozen other species of shorebirds were recorded beginning by typical
July and August arrival dates, and in only low to moderate numbers up to the
hurricane effects. Typically, arrival dates were often earlier and numbers much
larger in Region 10. In Region 10, 23 August was a date for many fall arrivals
and some good numbers tallied, e.g., 199 Eastern Kingbirds, 10,800 Barn
Swallows, many Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, and 70 Baltimore Orioles. Of special
note were: 250+ American Oystercatchers in Region 10, American Avocets in
Region 1 & 10, a record early 15 July Dunlin in Region 2, and Western
Sandpiper in Regions 2 & 5 in addition to those regular in Region 10. The
passerine movement was noted in most Regions near or after mid-August at
typical dates for a wide range of species. Early dates noted included: Western
Kingbird on 14 August in Region 10; a rare-for-fall Worm-eating Warbler
banded on 9 August in Region 2, then recaptured on 29 August (and again after
season's end on 2 September) at the same location; a Cape May Warbler on 12
August in Region 2; a Swainson’s Thrush on 1 August in Region 3, and a record
early Red Crossbill on 26 August in Region 2.
Rarities
Beyond the surge of rarities tied to Hurricane Irene or noted in other sections
above, we had a good number scattered across New York State: Black-bellied
Whistling-Duck for the second summer in a row in Region 1; a first State report
of Fea’s Petrel in Region 10; Audubon’s Shearwater in Region 10; four Wood
Storks in Region 1; American White Pelican in Regions 4, 5, 8, & 9; Brown
Pelicans both before and during Irene in Region 10; the first Cattle Egret since
1998 in Region 7 plus four in Region 10; juvenile White Ibis in Regions 9 & 10;
Glossy Ibis in Regions 3, 7, & 9; American Avocet in Regions 1, 3, & 10;
Marbled Godwit in Regions 6, 7, & 10; first State record of Gray-hooded Gull in
Region 10; South Polar Skua and Pomarine Jaeger in July in Region 10; Rufous
Hummingbird in Region 10; the State’s second mid-summer Western Kingbird
in Region 6; and an interesting Barn x Cliff Swallow photographed in Region 2.
In addition to these, we have two birds of questionable provenance in
Region 10, Great Kiskadee and Hooded Crow.
Trying to pull a Bird of the Season from all of the storm-dropped rarities
and potential first records is impossible. Turning to an alternative of a breeding
bird, since it is breeding season, is no help. So I’ll pass this season and let it be
reader’s choice.
312
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
REGION 1—NIAGARA FRONTIER
Mike Morgante
6405 Woodberry Court, East Amherst, NY 14051
morgm@roadrunner.com
A pleasant and dry June was welcome relief following a very wet spring. The
average temperature was 66.8° F, 1.0° above average. A total of 3.47" of rain
fell at the Buffalo aiiport, 0.35" below normal, with much of it falling 22-24
June. July was the third warmest month in the 141 year record for Buffalo. The
average temperature was 75.2°, 4.4° above normal. Rainfall was 2.72", 0.42"
below average. The warm summer weather continued through August. The
average temperature was 71.3°, 1.7° above normal. There was 3.94" of rain,
0.68" above average. Hurricane Irene hit the east coast on 28 August but
brought no rain to the Region. Some gusty winds may have grounded a few
shorebirds, but no notable storm-birds were discovered. Weather data was
excerpted from National Weather Service Monthly Weather Summary’ for
Buffalo.
I read or received few comments about nesting success. The wet spring
followed by a hot summer likely had both winners and losers. Jeff Reed
remarked that Eastern Meadowlarks did well for a second year in a row, aided
by the longer and thicker grass from the wet spring.
We are fortunate that NYSDEC continues to monitor colonial water birds
on Motor Island and elsewhere. Great Egrets had another banner year, with a
new nest count maximum of 53 at Motor Island and five nests on the islands
above Niagara Falls, a new nesting site. Nesting of Great Blue Herons, and
Black-crowned Night-Herons to a lesser extent, were negatively affected by a
surge in Double-crested Cormorants. Cormorants have preferred nesting on
nearby Strawberry Island, but a Bald Eagle set up territory (no nest) there this
spring and many cormorants took to Motor Island. The number of cormorant
nests swelled by more than 600 from last year to 1,476 this year, including 399
at Motor Island, where there were none for at least the last three years.
NYSDEC culled or oiled 61% of the nests to protect the heron and egret
colonies from being taken over by cormorants.
Common Tern nests increased in 2011 to 1,721 pairs, aided in part by a
NYPA-funded gravelling project on one of the Buffalo Harbor breakwalls.
Chick mortality was increased due to the prolonged heat, minks reaching one of
the breakwalls, Great Horned Owl depredation (chicks and adults), and
cormorant guano from above nests. Herring Gull nests on Donnelly’s sandpit
were up to 199. Ring-billed Gull nests are counted every five years, with the
next survey due next year. The last count in 2007 had 37,407 pairs in the
Region,
There were seven territorial Peregrine Falcon pairs, six nests, and 16
chicks from the five successful nests. Merlins were found in three areas in June
and July, two of which were near previous breeding locations. The other was
found by Brendan Klick in Snyder in early July. Osprey and Bald Eagle nests
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4) 313
remain on the increase. A pair of Osprey took up residence on a platform at Tifft
Nature Preserve.
There were few of the grassland obligate breeders reported this year.
Upland Sandpipers were found only at Tillman Road WMA, a regular breeding
location, and a migrant was observed in late August over Grand Island. Sedge
Wren and Henslow’s Sparrow went unreported; this is the fourth consecutive
year for the later.
Most of the other uncommon and/or declining breeding species were found
in similar numbers as in recent years. Potential breeding Common Nighthawks
were in North Buffalo again, and one in Hinsdale on 3 July is more likely a
possible breeder than migrant based on date. Migrant nighthawk reports were
not numerous in late summer. Red-headed Woodpeckers were reported in
decent numbers for recent years. Golden-winged Warbler went unreported, but
effort to find this species may have been very low. Yellow-throated Warbler
was present in the Red House Section of the Allegany SP, a regular occurrence
for most the last decade. Prothonotary Warblers were at their regular location
at Tonawanda WMA again, with an additional sighting in Iroquois NWR. Clay-
colored Sparrows were reported from three locations, including one new
location in North Harmony, Chautauqua County. A juvenile Pine Siskin was
photographed in Wilson in mid-July.
Uncommon for location were White-throated Sparrows along Lake Ontario
in Wilson, with a juvenile in late July and an adult in late August. An adult in
East Aurora was also beyond expected range in summer. Previous breeding,
with few exceptions, has occurred in the Southern Tier. Similarly, a Dark-eyed
Junco in Wilson throughout the summer was well north of breeding areas in the
Region.
The summer shorebird season was average, with most reports coming from
Iroquois NWR, Batavia WWTP, and Dunkirk Harbor. American Avocet
sightings are nearly annual now and there were two sightings this summer. Joe
Gula and Joanne Goetz reported one at Dunkirk Harbor on 21 August, and Joe
Fell found a group of six at Woodlawn Beach SP on 30 August. An adult Long¬
billed Dowitcher was photographed by Willie D’Anna at Kurnph Marsh at
Iroquois NWR on 27 August. A Wilson’s Phalarope was observed by several
birders at Kurnph Marsh 17-20 August.
A Little Gull was found in early July among immature Bonaparte’s Gulls
at Fort Niagara SP, which continues a trend from recent years. Lesser Black-
backed Gulls were again found in early summer as well as one in late August.
Nick Sly identified a Parasitic Jaeger along Lake Ontario in late August. Two
Forster’s Terns in Wilson on 20-21 June were a little unusual based on the
date, as they are not known to breed locally but do occur in the Toronto area.
There were several higher counts of swallows in August with Tree, N.
Rough-winged, Bank, and Bam reported in the hundreds. Alec Humann counted
642 Purple Martins in one hour flying west over Grand Island on the morning of
30 August. Migrant warblers were reported in typical numbers over the last two
weeks of August.
314
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
There were some interesting rarities this summer, highlighted by the two
second-ever records. Gil and Jann Randell were nicely surprised to see four
Wood Storks fly overhead and land in treetops along Route 394 in the town of
Chautauqua on 3 August. The storks soon got up and flew to the southwest. A
secondhand report on the same day included a sighting of four storks drifting
and gliding in circles one half mile to the southwest of where the Randells last
saw them flying. The only other Regional Wood Stork record was a group of
three seen near Olean over a two week span in August 1978.
August 2010 brought the first Black-bellied Whistling-Duck record for
the Region. August 2011 brought the second. Joe Mitchell was alerted to the
find on 24 August at Conewango Swamp WMA by Matt King, a NYSDEC
wildlife technician. Mitchell confirmed the sighting, obtained good photographs,
and spread the word. Many birders were able to see the bird over the next few
days, with undocumented reports into early September.
Miley Miller identified an adult male Blue Grosbeak at a feeder at the
Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown on 2 June. It represents the first
summer record for the Region.
Some other notable reports of uncommon species included the annual late
summer visit by Eared Grebes at Batavia WWTP, a Black Vulture sighted
with Turkey Vultures along the Niagara River in Lewiston, two reports of two
Sandhill Cranes at Kumph Marsh in late August, and a flyover White-winged
Crossbill in Alfred.
The Colonial Waterbird and Peregrine Falcon nest data are courtesy of
Connie Adams and Jacquie Walters of NYSDEC.
CONTRIBUTORS
Connie Adams, Tim Baird, Doug Beattie, Jim Berry, Elizabeth Brooks, Carl
Carbone, Bruce Chilton, Willie D’Anna, Elaine Dart, Joe Fell, Kurt Fox, Joanne
Goetz (JGo), Joe Gula (JGu), Carol Hardenburg, Paul Hess, Linda Holmes,
David Gordon, Brendan Klick, Tim Lenz, Miley Miller (MMi), Joe Mitchell,
Mike Morgante (MMo), Celeste Morien, Pat Morton, Terry Mosher, Betsy
Potter, Gil Randell, Jann Randell (JRa), Jeff Reed (JRe), Richard Rosche,
Richard Salembier, Dominic Sherony, Nick Sly, Kirk Vanstrom, Jacqueline
Walters, Mike Wasilico, William Watson, John Welte (JWe), Peter Yoerg.
ABBREVIATIONS
A1SP - Allegany SP, CATT; AmSP - Amherst SP, ERIE; BeSP - Beaver I SP,
ERIE; BuSP - Buckhom I SP, ERIE; BWWTP - Batavia Waste Water
Treatment Plant, GENE; CSWMA - Conewango Swamp WMA, CATT; DH -
Dunkirk Harbor, CHAU; FNSP - Fort Niagara SP, NlAG; GHSP - Golden Hill
SP, NIAG; INWR - Iroquois NWR, GENE/ORLE; MI - Motor I, NR ERIE; NF
- Niagara Falls, NIAG; NR - Niagara R; OOWMA - Oak Orchard WMA,
ORLE/GENE; PB - Point Breeze, ORLE; PG - Point Gratiot, CHAU; RTPI -
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
315
Roger Tory Peterson Institute, CHAU; Tifft NP - Tifft Nature Preserve,
Buffalo, ERIE; TWMA - Tonawanda WMA, GENE/NIAG; WFWMA - Watts
Flats WMA, CHAU; WoBSP - Woodlawn Beach SP, ERIE.
WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK:
CSWMA 24 Aug thru (JM!, mob, NYSARC),
second for Region, two consecutive Augs, intro.
Mute Swan: max 7 PB 17 Jul; 2 GHSP 28 Aug;-
only reports.
Trumpeter Swan: INWR 10 Jul, 27 Aug (WW!,
WD!); 00WMA 16 Jul (WW!); suspected same
bird present thru summer.
Wood Duck: 141 OOWMA 26 Jun (WW); 123
BWWTP 9 Aug (KF); max 147 N. Harmony
CHAU 14 Aug (TL).
Gadwall: max 5, 8 BWWTP 15 Jun, 23 Aug.
Am. Wigeon: 2, 2, 1 BWWTP 5, 26 Jun, 10 Jul;
5, 5 INWR 5 Jun, 20 Aug; only reports.
Am. Black Duck: 2,4 BWWTP 15 Jun, 14 Aug;
not reported from any other location.
Blue-winged Teal: Tifft NP 1 Jun; arr 2
BWWTP 10 Aug; 5. 4 INWR 19, 30 Aug.
N. Shoveler: 2,1 BWWTP 1 Jun, 9 Aug; 3, 4
INWR 20, 30 Aug; only reports.
Green-winged Teal: INWR 5 Jun; 2,7,34
BWWTP 15 Jun, 24 Jul, 23 Aug; max 62 INWR
30 Aug; 7 CSWMA 25 Aug.
Redhead: no reports.
Ring-necked Duck: BWWTP thru (KF, WW),
most frequent summer location in Reg.
L. Scaup: DH 2 Jul (TL), unusual in summer.
Com. Merganser: W Seneca ERIE 8 Jun,
extending range north along creeks.
Red-breasted Merganser: Olcott NIAG 5 Jun,
only report.
Ruddy Duck: 34,28, 68 BWWTP 5 Jun, 17 Jul,
10 Aug, regular in summer at this location;
INWR 10 Jun.
Com. Loon: A1SP 26 Jun (PY), only report.
Pied-billed Grebe: 3 BWWTP 12 Jun; max 35
TWMA 29 Jul.
Red-necked Grebe: Wilson NIAG 21 Aug
(WD!), very early.
EARED GREBE (Rl): 1, 2 BWWTP 20, 25
Aug (JM, DS), annual at this location in late
summer and fall.
WOOD STORK: 4 Mayville CHAU 3 Aug
(GR! JRa! NYSARC). only second report for
Reg, intro.
Double-crested Cormorant: 1476 nests from
Buffalo Harbor, NR (JWa, CA), way up from
last few years, 61 % of nests culled or oiled; max
565 BuSP 3 Aug.
Am. Bittern: max 1,4 INWR 21 Jun, 12 Aug;
BWWTP 14 Aug.
Least Bittern: Hartland NIAG 5 Jun (WD);
INWR 5 Jun, 1 Jul, 21 Aug; 2 Pomfret CHAU
11-19 Jun; continued nesting pairs at Tifft NP
Jun; TWMA 29 Jul; good showing.
Great Blue Heron: 21 nests MI 3 May (CA),
way down from cormorant intrusion, 88 nests
present in mid-April.
Great Egret: 53 n, 50 n MI 3 May, 14 Jun,
record nest count (CA); 5 n NF 14 Jun (WW,
CA), new loc; 72, 71 MI 20 Jun. 11 Jul (WW);
max 150, 139 TWMA 29 Jul, 17 Aug, roost.
Black-crowned Night-Heron: 48 nests MI 3
May (CA); 10 INWR 23 Aug.
BLACK VULTURE (Rl): Artpark SP NIAG
18 Aug (RR), over NR with many Turkey
Vultures.
HAWKS - ALCIDS
Osprey: expanding as breeder; n Tifft NP, new
breeding location.
Bald Eagle: well reported from nesting areas.
N. Goshawk: Andover ALLE 29 Jun (EB), only
report.
Merlin: 2 Olean CATT 4 Jun, 1 Jul (JRe), near
last yearns breeding location; Snyder ERIE 6, 8
Jul (BK!>; Jamestown CHAU 21-27 Jul (JB);
Buffalo ERIE 10 Aug; 2 A1SP 18 Aug (CC);
CSWMA 24 Aug; BWWTP 30, 31 Aug; NF 30
Aug.
Peregrine Falcon: 16 chicks from the five
regional nests (JW, CA).
Virginia Rail: Frewsburg CHAU 4 Jun; Tillman
WMA 5 .Tun; BWWTP 12 Jun, 10 Jul, 9 Aug;
CSWMA 25, 27 Aug; only reports away from
INWR.
Sora: Bethany GENE 25 Jun; INWR 16 Aug;
CSWMA 25 Aug; only reports.
Am. Coot: max 21 INWR 12 Jun.
C. Gallinule: max 49 INWR 30 Aug.
Sandhill Crane: 2 INWR 22, 29 Aug (KF,
BC!), rare in summer.
Black-bellied Plover: arr INWR 21 Aug;
BWWTP 28 Aug, only reports.
Semipalmated Plover: arr 3 TWMA 26 Jul;
max 7 BWWTP 20 Aug.
AM. AVOCET (Rl ): DH 21 Aug (JGu, JGo); 6
WoBSP 30 Aug (JF!); reports now annual along
L. Erie in summer.
Spotted Sandpiper: max 33, 38 BWWTP 10
Jul, 14 Aug.
Solitary Sandpiper: arr Sherman CHAU 2 Jul;
max 12 TWMA 26 Jul.
Greater Yellowlegs: arr TWMA 20 Jul.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
316
Lesser Yellowlegs: last Hartland NIAG 5 Jun;
air 3 INWR 11 Jul; max 54 INWR 16 Aug.
Upland Sandpiper: 2, 7 Tillman Rd WMA
ERIE 5 Jun, 1 Jul, regular location; Grand I
ERIE 6 Aug (AH), migrant.
Ruddy Turnstone: arr INWR 27 Aug; max 8
BWWTP 28 Aug; Olcott NIAG 28 Aug; Wilson
NIAG 28 Aug; Buffalo NR 31 Aug.
Sanderling: arr 1 Wilson NIAG 25 Jul; max 18
Wilson NIAG 2-8 Aug: 11 WoBSP 30 Aug; 2
BWWTP 30 Aug; 10 Buffalo NR 31 Aug.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: last 19 BWWTP 5
Jun; arr BWWTP 17 Jul.
Least Sandpiper: arr 2 Sherman CHAU 2 Jul;
max 49 BWWTP 18 Jul.
White-rumped Sandpiper: BWWTP 28 Aug
(KF), only report.
Baird’s Sandpiper: air BWWTP 25 Aug, only
report.
Pectoral Sandpiper: an - Kiantone CHAU, 3
BWWTP, 2 TWMA 24 Jul.
Stilt Sandpiper: arr 1 TWMA 29 Jul; TWMA
20 Aug; only reports.
Short-billed Dowitcher: arr 2 INWR 27 Aug; 2
INWR 31 Aug; 3, 2 BWWTP 28, 30 Aug; only
reports.
Long-billed Dowitcher: ad INWR 27 Aug
(WD!), adults rarely documented.
Wilson’s Snipe: 2, 7 Sherman CHAU 2, 15 Jul;
max 18 INWR 20 Aug.
Wilson’s Phalarope: INWR 17-20 Aug (CM,
mob), only report.
Bonaparte’s Gull: 4. 6 Wilson NIAG 4, 20 Jun;
116 FNSP 8 Jul; 2 ad Wilson NIAG 25 Jul; 2
BWWTP 14 Aug.
Little Gull: FNSP 8 Jun (WW!), continued
reports at this location in recent early summers.
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2, 1 Wilson NIAG
4,14 Jun (WD!); Olcott NIAG 5 Jun (WD!):
consistent with recent year sightings in early Jun;
Olcott NIAG 28 Aug (NS).
Herring Gull: 199 nests Buffalo Harbor ERIE,
highest since 2007 (CA).
G. Black-backed Gull: max 9 Wilson NIAG 4
Jun; 5 Buffalo ERIE 12 Jun: 6 DH 2 Jul; 4 PB 17
Jul.
Caspian Tern: 2 BWWTP 12 Jun; 4 DH 23 Jun;
max 66 Wilson NIAG 24 Jun; 23 PB 17 Jul.
Black Tern: 17 INWR 13 Jun; max 18 TWMA
10 Jul (MW): Wilson NIAG 21 Aug; l, 6
BWWTP 25 28 Aug.
Com. Tern: 2323 nests Buffalo Harbor, NR 19
May (CA), highest count in several years, minks
predated some breakwall colonies; max 250 N
Tonawanda NR 20 Jun; 10 Wilson NIAG 21 Jun;
BWWTP 17 Jul; 70, 117 Wilson NIAG 25, 26
Aug.
Forster's Tern: 2 Wilson NIAG 20, 21 Jun
(WD!), unusual for date.
Parasitic Jaeger: arr Wilson NIAG 28 Aug
(NS).
PIGEONS - WOODPECKERS
Com. Nighthawk: 2 Buffalo ERIE 5 Jun (PY);
Hinsdale CATT 3 Jul (TL): arr 2 Clarence ERIE
16 Aug; 1-3 Tonawanda ERIE 16-31 Aug; 2
INWR 20 Aug: Alden ERIE 30 Aug; only
reports.
Red-headed Woodpecker: 2 + n Hamburg
ERIE 1-31 Jun; Wilson NIAG 3 Jul; Squaw I NR
ERIE 7 Jul; 2 + n Canadaway Creek NS CHAU
31 Jul; max 9 PG 14 Aug (TL); only reports.
FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS
Olive-sided Flycatcher: last A1SP 4 Jun (TB).
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: arr Tifft NP 28 Aug;
AmSP31 Aug.
Acadian Flycatcher: max 4 A1SP 2-9 Jul.
Least Flycatcher: arr Buffalo ERIE. 27 Aug.
Philadelphia Vireo: air Tifft NP 28 Aug; 2,1
AmSP 29, 31 Aug (RS).
Com. Raven: 2 Manilla ERIE 23 Aug (LH),
continued evidence of creeping north.
Purple Martin: 36 Bethany GENE 30 Jun; 50
INWR 28 Jul; 64 NF 26 Aug; max 642 Grand I
ERIE 30 Aug (AH!), one hour migration count.
Tree Swallow: 373 BWWTP 23 Aug (KF); max
750 BWWTP 28 Aug (KF).
N. Rough-winged Swallow: max 125 BWWTP
9 Aug (KF).
Bank Swallow: 400 DH 14 Aug (TL); 550 N
Tonawanda NIAG 17 Aug (WW); max 750
BWWTP 28 Aug (KF).
Cliff Swallow: max 45 Tonawanda I NR 14 Jul.
Barn Swallow: 400 BWWTP 9 Aug (KF); max
500 DH 14 Aug (TL).
Sedge Wren: no reports.
Veery: max 30 INWR 21 Jun (WW); arr Wilson
NIAG 27 Aug.
Swainson’s Thrush: last Buffalo ER IE 7 Jun;
max 8 A1SP 3 Jul (TL); air Tifft NP 21 Aug
(RS).
Brown Thrasher: Squaw I NR ERIE 7 Jul,
interesting location.
LONGSPURS - WARBLERS
Louisiana Waterthrush: reported from seven
locations,
N. Waterthrush: max 4 TWMA 13 Jun.
Golden-winged Warbler: no reports.
Blue-winged Warbler: arr AmSP 26 Aug.
Black-and-white Warbler: 3 Allegheny Ind
Res CATT 5 Jun (PY); Carroll CHAU 10 Jun
(MMo); arr BeSP 17 Aug,
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
317
Prothonotary Warbler: TWMA 13, 21 (PH,
WW), only regular recent breeding location;
INWR 18 Jun (JWe).
Tennessee Warbler: arr Wilson NIAG 31 Aug.
Nashville Warbler: 1,2 Andover ALLE 10 Jun,
4 Jul (EB); arr BeSP 30 Aug.
Hooded Warbler: an - AmSP 26 Aug.
Am. Redstart: arr BeSP 17 Aug.
Cerulean Warbler: Carroll CHAU 10 Jun
(MMo, PM); max 7 AISP 26 Jun (PY); AmSP 31
Aug (RS). rare in fall migration; only reports
away from INWR and vicinity.
N. Parula: 2-8 AISP 4.-26 Jun (TB, PY);
Yorkshire CATT 16 Jun; arr AmSP 29 Aug.
Magnolia Warbler: air BeSP 22 Aug.
Bay-breasted Warbler: arr Tifft NP 21 Aug.
Blackburnian Warbler: an - 2 AmSP, 2 NFSP
26 Aug.
Chestnut-sided Warbler: arr 2 AmSP 25 Aug.
Blackpoll Warbler: last Wilson NIAG 5 Jun;
arr Buffalo ERIE 27 Aug.
Black-throated Blue Warhler: arr AmSP,
NFSP 26 Aug.
Pine Warbler: reported from six breeding
locations; max 8 INWR 10 Jun (WW).
Yellow-rumped Warbler: air Wilson NIAG 12
Aug,
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER (Rl):
AISP 4 Jun (TB!), nearly annual this loc last
decade.
Prairie Warbler: 2 Frewsburg CHAU 4,10 Jun
(.TB); N. Harmony CHAU 20, 25 Jun; max 10, 9
Yorkshire CATT 19. 29 Jun (PY, RS).
Canada Warbler: WFWMA 20 Jun. 9 Jul; 3 +
yg Ward ALLE 3 Jul; arr Williainsville ERIE 14
Aug (RS).
Wilson’s Warbler: arr 2 Wilson NIAG, AmSP
26 Aug.
TOWHEES - WEAVERS
Clay-colored Sparrow: 2 Ashford CATT 19
Jun (PY); N Harmony 25 Jun (JB. KV), new loc;
4 Yorkshire CATT 26 Jun (ED, DB).
Vesper Sparrow: Newfane NIAG 5 Jun;
Andover ALLE 6 Jun; Yorkshire CATT 16 Jun;
3 Ashford CATT 19 Jun; max 5 Ashford CATT
2 Jul; only reports.
Grasshopper Sparrow: max 8 Tillman Rd
WMA ERIE l Jul (RS); Bethany GENE 30 Jun.
Henslow ’s Sparrow: no reports.
White-throated Sparrow: 3 Ward ALLE 12
Jun; max 8 Alfred ALLE 16-21 Jun (EB);
Allenberg Bog CATT 9 Jul; ad E Aurora ER IE
20-22 Jul (RR), unusual loc; juv Wilson NIAG
28 Jul (WD!), unusual loc; ad Wilson NIAG 28
Aug (WD!).
White-crowned Sparrow: Portland CHAU 3
Jun (CH); last Wilson NIAG 7 Jun (BP, WD),
late.
Dark-eyed Junco: Wilson NIAG 4, 23 Jun, 9,
13 Aug (BP, WD), unusual location for summer.
BLUE GROSBEAK: RTPI 2 Jun (MMi, JB!),
first Reg summer record.
Bobolink: max 40 Alfred ALLE 17 Aug; 35
Alexander GENE 26 Aug.
Orchard Oriole: AISP 4, 12 Jun (TB); 3 Porter
& Wilson NIAG 5 Jun; Pomfret CHAU 7-23 Jun
(TM); Hinsdale CATT 23-26 Jun (JRe); ad + juv
Portland CHAU 7 Jun, last of family group seen
11 Aug; Grand 1 ERIE 30 Aug (AH), late.
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL (Rl):
Andover 11 Aug (EB), heard flight call, very
rare in Summer.
Pine Siskin: Wilson NIAG 16, 17 Jun (BP); juv
Wilson NIAG 11, 12, 14 Jul (BP, WD!); only
reports.
ESCAPES and EXOTICS
N. Bobwhite: Tonawanda Ind Res GENE 22 Jul
(DB), presumed escape.
318
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
REGION 2-GENESEE
Robert Spahn
716 High Tower Way, Webster, NY 14580
rspahn@prodigy.net
The summer of ’ 11 was generally warm and, until August, dry, with lots of
pleasant days for birding and good weather for birds raising their young. June
was warm and sunny until thunderstorms on the 22 nd & 23 rd . Temperatures
averaged 67.2° F, 1.4° above normal, and the 1.45" of rainfall was 1.91" below
normal, making it the driest June in 20 years. A broad high pressure system over
the Region for much of July resulted in a record 30 of the 31 days with highs >
80° and seven days > 90°. Temperatures averaged 74.6°, 3.9° above normal.
There was only 1.81" of rainfall, 1.21" below normal, and 2/3 of this fell on the
29 th . Then August put an end to the heat and passed as a typical late summer
month, with temperatures averaging 69.6°, 0.3° above normal, and precipitation
totaling 5.61", 2.14" above normal (but with 1.75" of this coming on just the
13 th -14 th ). The weather event of the season was Hurricane Irene, which really
just brushed the Region on the 28 th bringing some heavy rains to eastern Wayne
County and mostly wind elsewhere, and dropping few birds which could be
clearly assigned as storm-related.
Looking at the broad picture first, there was little sign of the expected tail
of spring migration into June. This assessment is made a bit fuzzy due to the
lack of either an official hawkwatch or a concerted banding operation to 10 June
or later, which had occurred historically. But searches were made for the usual
late shorebird migrants near the mouth of the Genesee River with no significant
numbers reported. Often Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Gray-cheeked Thrush,
Swainson’s Thrush, and some of the later warblers are banded in good-to-peak
numbers in the first 10 days of June; not so this year'.
The breeding season is harder to assess, with few serious studies to provide
comparative data. My personal BBS routes and Marsh Monitoring Surveys
produced results typical of past years. I thought warbler song in some forested
areas very low at times, but there are others who did not experience this. At least
one observer offered a possible explanation that the spring rains into May
followed by consistent warmth might have pushed many species to nest and
finish nesting quickly, putting more than typical numbers of birds in the busy,
low-song portions of their nesting cycle all together in late June and very early
July.
The start of the fall migration looked good this year. First report dates for
some shorebird species were a bit later in July than typical, but a part of that
may have been reduced reporting from the lakeshore area. Another factor was
continued high water levels in bodies of water connected to Lake Ontario plus
the dry weather in June and July eliminating field puddles. There was a steady
movement of passerine migrants from late July through the season, somewhat
better than in other recent years. The start of water bird migrations along the
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
319
south shore of Lake Ontario was disappointingly poor. Combined with few odd
summering waterfowl, this left that part of the checklist the weakest.
Looking in more detail and starting with the water birds, we find most of
our Regional waterfowl reports for the summer now coming from the Northern
Montezuma Wetlands Complex (NMWC) in southern Wayne County. Our lone
Snow Goose was an injured bird reported from that area, though up to four
Snow Geese were observed off and on less than half a mile south into Region 3.
Trumpeter Swan again nested in several places in the NMWC and again was
seen near Rochester along Atlantic Avenue just east into Wayne County. In this
latter case, two cygnets finally appeared very late in the season. Along the south
shore of Lake Ontario, Canada Geese had brought off large numbers of young
by early May, but many Mute Swan pairs with small young were still scattered
along the lakeshore ponds in mid-June. Among the ducks, the lack of
noteworthy records stands out; only a 24 June Lesser Scaup and tire first fall
report of White-winged Scoter on 31 August were notable and neither really
exceptional. Common Loons were present in each month, but in lower numbers
than many recent years. No Red-throated Loon was reported, back to typical.
With Pied-billed Grebe extirpated from the west lakeshore marshes as a breeder,
it was good to see a count of 25 from the High Acres Nature Area (HANA)
landfill mitigation area in Perinton. Red-necked Grebe was again first noted in
early August, with one-two seen through the rest of the month off the Hamlin
Beach SP area. An early Horned Grebe was seen there on 31 August. There are
some reports of decent numbers of both bitterns and Black-crowned Night-
Heron from both the NMWC and HANA areas, and Lynn Braband again found
a Least Bittern nest in Taylor Marsh, T. of Richmond, Ontario County. The nest
was right where he found his first for that marsh last year. There were no reports
of rarer wandering waders in our Region this summer. Single Black Vulture
reports in June and July continued the species’ trend of increase in the Region.
Moving on to raptors, Osprey again nested in several of the same places
they have expanded north and west into in Wayne and Monroe Counties in
recent years. Other sites were no longer in use. Interestingly, an individual was
also noted in Oatka Creek Park off and on in late July and August. Only two
Red-shouldered Hawk reports reflects the sad state for that species in the
Region. Again this summer, there was no official summer hawkwatch at
Braddock Bay, though Dave Tetlow did some watching and posted some decent
Red-tailed Hawk tallies and the occurrence of the other expected species. A
Golden Eagle over Kevin Griffiths yard in Greece in August was a rare summer
record. Merlins again nested in the usual area of the western part of the City of
Rochester, but were not found on the east side. Another pair nested at a new site
in the middle of the Village of Geneseo and fledged three young. The Rochester
Peregrine Falcons provided some bizarre goings on this season. The previous
male and female laid eggs where expected, but with long spaces between eggs
and eventual nest failure. In the meantime another female arrived and paired
with this same male and laid eggs on at least two occasions in a scrape near the
south edge of Kodak Park to the north. Both of these tries also failed. Both of
320
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
these falcon species were also noted along the lakeshore and at inland shorebird
sites in August.
The rails and related species usually suffer from lack of reporting in this
season. A plus was good numbers of Common Gallinule reported in both the
NMWC and HANA, but none from the lakeshore marshes. Sandhill Cranes
garnered attention with Matt Hayes of the International Crane Foundation
visiting to try to catch and band some young and to take blood samples for DNA
analysis to try to determine the origin of the local birds and others in the
Northeast. The young from the pair in the T. of Savannah, Wayne County were
not caught, but a colt was caught in Montezuma NWR in Region 3 and several
more in Pennsylvania. Test results to date are not conclusive. Farther north in
Wayne County a pair was again reported from the Chimney Bluffs area and later
sighted with a well grown young just after season’s end.
Shorebirds produced some interesting highlights. A Black-bellied Plover
on 22 June is hard to assign—record late spring bird or one that never would
make it north to the breeding grounds? A “Western” Willet was found and
photographed at Hamlin Beach SP on 17 July. Upland Sandpiper has become
scarce here in summer, but a bird was reported in suitable habitat between the
villages of Lima and Hemlock, Livingston County in late June, and the usual
numbers gathered again near Geneseo in late July and August. The usual
scattering of Whimbrels was reported, and Dave Tetlow spotted 25 Hudsonian
Godwits passing Hamlin Beach on 24 August. The passage of Hurricane Irene
was accompanied and followed closely by the arrival of the first fall Ruddy
Turnstone and Red Knot and the best numbers of Sanderling reported locally in
many years. A Western Sandpiper was also found and photographed at Ontario
Beach near the mouth of the Genesee River, and two Buff-breasted Sandpipers
dropped in there briefly. Timing for these species is at typical dates, so hurricane
causality remains a questionmark. Rounding out the notable shorebirds, a record
early Dunlin was seen on 15 July in a swampy area near the Rochester Institute
of Technology and a Wilsons Phalarope made a brief visit to a pond on Hogan
Point, T. of Greece on 8 August, both found by Greg Lawrence. Generally
arrival dates reported in this Region were typical of historical date ranges. Much
larger numbers for most species were reported from Puddler’s Marsh in the
NMWC less than a mile south into Region 3 in August.
The gull and tern scene was relatively lackluster for the whole season
except for the jaegers. The only gull items of any note are the continued rooftop¬
nesting Ring-billed Gull colony hassles in Batavia and the now expected
sightings of Lesser Black-backed Gull in nearly every month. Among the terns,
we had a few returning adult Caspian Terns at Hamlin Beach carrying coded
color bands from projects involving banding juveniles at Lake Ontario colonies
in both the US and Canada over several years ending two years ago. Black Terns
were noted in fair numbers near nesting area in the NMWC and as a few
migrants on Lake Ontario. Starting on 25 August, three Parasitic Jaegers and
two Long-tailed Jaegers were noted off Hamlin Beach by Dave Tetlow as well
as an unidentified jaeger by Dominic Sherony. On 16 July, Chris Wood, Jessie
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
321
Barry, and Sam Barry spotted and photographed the first Regional July Long¬
tailed Jaeger over Braddock Bay.
Eurasian Collared-Dove continued to be reported sporadically from the
same locations as for the past several years. Common Nighthawk dates and
numbers were back to their severe downward trends, though there was another
odd mid-summer report.
The whole, huge Order Passeriformes produced surprisingly few really
notable highlights. The Fish Crows in Rochester persisted, with scattered reports
through the season from downtown to Charlotte (near Ontario Beach) and at
several locations near the lakeshore. Breeding was not confirmed. A very
interesting-looking Cliff x Barn Swallow hybrid was photographed by Chris
Wood near Point Breeze, Orleans County, on 17 July. Other swallows massed
for exit as expected from late July through August, but peak counts were on the
low side. Dave Tetlow’s count of 1060 Cedar Waxwings at Hamlin Beach on 3.1
August matches the same tally there a few days earlier last year.
As a Species of Special Concern, Golden-winged Warbler on 18 June was
interesting. The location is in an historical breeding locale for the species. A
Worm-eating Warbler banded by Bob McKinney on 9 August at the BBBO site
was a first for him in more than 50 years of banding and only the fourth fall
record for the Region. Amazingly, it was recaptured in the same part of the site
on 29 August and, crazier yet, again on 2 September. Other than this, the
passage of warblers in August was steady but thin and also better than in many
recent years. Other species at relatively early fall arrival dates were: Ovenbird
and Cape May, Black-throated Blue, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Late spring
departures were posted for N. Parula and Blackpoll Warblers. The
Prothonotary Warblers found on the Regions 2/3 boundary on Armitage Road
in the NMWC stayed to nest, and fledged young were reported in July.
This year there were no reports of Clay-colored Sparrow in this season. A
peak count of ten Grasshopper Sparrows is good but no Henslow’s Sparrow was
located. A very early Lincoln’s Sparrow was banded by Bob McKinney on 20
August. A surprise was White-crowned Sparrow seen by two observers on 21
June at sites a few miles apart in the T. of Greece, Monroe County. The species
is very rare at this time of year. The only finch highlight was a Red Crossbill in
Dave Tetlow’s yard on Hogan Point, T. of Greece on 26 August. This is another
of those questions—record early or some hying to nest locally this summer?
For the season, the species counts for June and July were above the 10-year
averages and for August a bit below. At season’s end the year-to-date count is
seven species above the 10-year average at 281. No Regional or State great
rarities or far-above-normal counts were recorded for the season. Golden Eagle,
Long-tailed Jaeger, Worm-eating Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, and Red
Crossbill are Regional seasonal rarities.
322
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
CONTRIBUTORS
Jim Adams, Janet Akin, Jessie Barry, Sam Barry, John Bateman, Bob Beal,
Steve Benedict, Barry Bermudez, Gloria Betlem, John Boettcher, Lynn Braband,
Elizabeth Brooks (Braddock Bay Bird Observatory), Bruce & Mary Ann Cady,
Doug Cameron, Brad Carlson, Gary Chapin, Jill Church, Kelly Close, Don
Cowley, Steve Daniel, Doug Daniels, Daena Ford, Kurt Fox, Kenny Frisch,
Kyle Gage, Andy Garland, Bill Gillette, Sheryl Gracewski, Jay Greenberg,
Kevin Griffith & Colleen Dox-Griffith, Judy Gurley, Andy Guthrie, Helen &
Chris Haller, Kim Hartquist, Marshall Iliff, Carolyn Jacobs, Jim Kimball, Chris
Lajewski, Leona Lauster, Greg Lawrence, Tim Lenz, Joan & Vern Lindberg,
Bonnie Linden, Nancy Loomis, Cindy & Phil Marino, Pat Martin, Robert &
Sandy Mauceli, Jay McGowan, Robert & Chita McKinney, Mike Menuhin,
Joseph Mitchell, Montezuma Audubon Center, Bud Morgan, Frank Morlock,
Carl Mrozek, Ann Nash, Jim Ochterski, Tim Phillips, Norma Platt, Jay Powell,
David Prill, Carolyn Ragan, RBA Field Trips, Wade & Melissa Rowley,
Jennifer Rycenga, Dominic Sherony, Joe Slattery, Judith Slein, Tom & Pat
Smith, Robert & Susan Spahn, Dave Spier, Tamathy Stage, Al & Di Stout, Kim
Sucy, Steve Taylor, Joyce Testa, David Tetlow, Michael & Joann Tetlow, Don
& Donna Traver, Jessica Walden, Mike Wasilco, Bridget Watts, David Wheeler,
Chris Wood, Martha Zettel.
ABBREVIATIONS
B - after a number of individuals indicates banded; BB - Braddock Bay,
MONR; CH - Charlotte, Ontario Beach, MONR; Cuy - Cuylerville area, LIVI;
G - Greece, MONR; H - T of Hamlin, MONR; HB - Hamlin Beach SP,
MONR; HANA - High Acres Nature Area, T Perinton, MONR; M - Manitou,
MONR; MAC - Montezuma Audubon Center, T Savannah, WAYN; MP -
Mendon Ponds Park, MONR; NMWC - Northern Montezuma Wetlands
Complex, WAYN; R - City of Rochester, MONR; S- Savannah, WAYN; SPt -
Sodus Point, WAYN.
WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES
Snow Goose: 1 S 15, 19 Jun (W&MR), injured.
Trumpeter Swan: sev pairs with young in
WAYN, intro; max 13 S (Railroad Rd) 4 Jul.
Gad wall: 1 Oatka Creek Park, MONR 19 Jun,
scarce in summer.
Lesser Scaup: G (Buck Pond) 24 June, scarce in
summer.
White-winged Scoter: arr HB 31 Aug, early.
Red-breasted Merganser: last 4 HB 3 Jun.
N. Bobwhite: WAYN 10 Jun; Newark, WAYN
13 Jun; f + 6yg Beechwoods SP. WAYN 17 Jul
(JO); 1 Cuy 23 Aug; number of rep interesting,
all prob released or escapee.
Red-throated Loon: no reports.
Com. Loon: last HB 1 Jun; Conesus Lake 7 Jul;
max 5 HB 22 Aug.
Pied-billed Grebe: max 25 HANA 29 Jun, high
count.
Horned Grebe: 1 HB 31 Aug (DT), early.
Red-necked Grebe: 1 HB 3 Aug (DT), very
early; 1-2 HB 15 Aug thru, early.
Double-crested Cormorant: max 525 off BB 29
Aug (GL); 350 off CH 31 Aug (AG).
Least Bittern: nest & eggs Taylor Marsh ONTA
Jul (LB), same site as last year.
Black-crowned Night-Heron: max 7-8 S (Van
Dyne Spoor) Jun, 4 Jul, good counts.
BLACK VULTURE (R2): 1 BB 1 June
(BuM.RS); 1 MP 26 Jul (DF).
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
323
HAWKS - ALCIDS
Osprey: nest + yg W of Avon on Genesee River
thru; nest + yg Curtis Rd, T Parma thru, on cell
tower; sev nests in WAYN; Oatka Creek P 30
Jul thru (JAd), wanderer.
Red-shouldered Hawk: 1 Rush-Henrietta TLR,
MONR3 Jun: 1 BB 10 Aug.
Red-tailed Hawk: max 378 BB 18 Aug (DT).
Golden Eagle: G 10 Aug (K&CG), very rare in
summer.
Merlin: 2 ad + 3 yg Geneseo thru Jul (JK, et al );
nesting W side R thru (LB); not found nesting E
side of R this summer.
Peregrine Falcon: one male paired with two
females for at least three egg laying events at
two sites all of which failed to produce young R
Jun-Aug.
Sandhill Crane: 2-3 5 thru (mob), usual nesting
area and nearby; 2 Chimney Bluffs n WAYN 19
Aug thru (JW, et al), yg seen w adults alter
season’s end; capture attempts Jun, intro.
Black-bellied Plover: last HB 1 Jun; 1 Geneseo
22 Jun (JK), unusual date: air H 16 Aug; max 27
G 19 Aug (DT).
Am. Golden-Plover: arr Cuy 21 Aug.
Seniipalinated Plover: arr 3 HB 29 Jul.
Killdeer: max 200+ Cuy 25 Aug (JK).
Solitary Sandpiper: arr Ellison P, Penfield 26
Jul.
Greater Yellowlegs: last Conesus Lake Inlet 10
Jun; arr HB 17 Jul.
“Western” WiUet: HB 17 Jul (JeB, CW ph,
AG).
Lesser Yellowlegs: arr RIT Swamps 14 Jul.
Upland Sandpiper: Hemlock 19-21 Jun (BC,
mob), suitable nesting habitat; air & max 3
Geneseo 26 Jul.
Whimhrel: arr 3 HB 14 Aug; 2 G 15 Aug; HB 9
Aug.
Hudsonian Godwit: arr 25 HB 24 Aug (DT).
Ruddy Turnstone: last HB 1 Jun; arr 1-2 CH &
HB 28 Aug.
Red Knot: arr 1 CH 29 Aug thru (DP, mob).
Sanderling: an- 6 CH 19 Jul; max 75 SPl 28 Aug
(DW), part of multiple groups of 30+ found at
Lake Ontario beaches with and after Hurricane
Irene, intro.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: max & last 48 HB 1
Jun: an- 13 HB 29 Jul.
Western Sandpiper: CH 30-31 Aug (DS ph,
MT. mob).
Least Sandpiper: last 1 HB 1 Jun.
White-rumped Sandpiper: arr MAC ponds 15
Aug (FMo).
Baird’s Sandpiper: arr HB 22Aug.
Pectoral Sandpiper: arr G 20 Jul.
Dunlin: 1 RIT Swamps 15 Jul (GL), Reg fall
record early.
324
Stilt Sandpiper: an - CH 31 Aug.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper: arr 2 CH 30 Aug (DS
ph, MT).
Short-billed Dowitcher: arr HB 14 Jul.
Long-billed Dowitcher: arr 3 MAC 15 Jul
(FMo),
Wilson’s Phalarope: G 8 Aug (GL).
Ring-billed Cull: the hassle with a rooftop-
nesting colony in the City of Batavia continued
for another breeding season.
Lesser Black-backed Gull: Ch 1 jun; 2 CH 1
Aug (DT); 1 molting ad HB 31 Aug (RS, DT).
Caspian Tern: max 114 SPt 12Aug.
Com. Tern: max 39 HB 29 Aug.
Forster’s Tern: air 2 BB 16 Jul.
Black Tern: max 15 S (Van Dyne Spoor) 1, 4
Jul (W&MR).
Parasitic Jaeger: arr HB 25 Aug (DT); 2 HB 25
Aug (DT).
LONG-TAILED JAEGER (R2): 1 imm BB 16
Jul (BeB, SB, CW ph), l sl Reg July record; 1 HB
25 Aug (DT); 2 HB 31 Aug (DT).
jaeger sp: HB 28 Aug (DS).
PIGEONS - WOODPECKERS
Eurasian Collared-Dove: 1-2 Parma thru (sev),
same general area where present for several
years.
N. Saw-whet Owl: South Conesus 28 Jun,
calling, rarely reported in summer.
Com. Nighthawk: last G 7 Jun; South Conesus
21 Jun. another interesting summer report, no
breeding evidence; air & max 15+ Ellison P,
Penfield 24 Aug; an - Pcrinton 24 Aug. (M&JT).
Chimney Swift: max 46 Honeoye Falls 7 Aug.
FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS
Olive-sided Flycatcher: arr Ontario County P 2
Aug (JAk, NL); Victor 26 Aug (BBe).
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: last 3B M 6 Jun; arr
IBM 26 Aug.
Philadelphia Vireo: air HB-West 31 Aug.
Fish Crow: 1-5 sev loc thru, mostly near the
Genesee River from Rochester north; no
evidence reported confirming nesting.
Cliff x Barn Swallow : Pt. Breeze, ORLE 17 Jul
(JeB, AG, CW ph), Very interesting looking
hybrid.
Barn Swallow: max 780 Burger P G, MONR 19
Aug (DT), best of the swallow max, but all low.
Winter Wren: 1-2 Webster P 26 Jun, 24 Jul,
sporadic nester near Lake Ontario shore.
Gray-cheeked Thrush: last 1 HB 3 Jun; IB M
29 Aug.
Gray-cheeked Thrush/Bicknell’s Thrush: last
IBM 6 Jun; IBM 31 Aug.
Swainson’s Thrush: last IB M 6 Jun; arr HB-W
17 Aug.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Cedar Waxwing: max 1060 HB 31 Aug (DT),
matches last year’s Aug high.
LONGSPURS - WARBLERS
Ovenbird: arr IB 11 Aug (R&CM), early.
Worm-eating Warbler: IB M 9 Aug (R&CM),
4 th Reg fall record; recap same site 29 Aug.
N. Waterthrush: arr IB M 16 Aug (R&CM).
Golden-winged Warbler: 1 Norway Rd
Murray, GENE 18 Jun, former breeding locale
for species.
Prothonotary Warbler: 1-2 Armitage Rd, S
(Armitage Rd) thru 16 Jul, to 6 ad & yg in Jul,
both sides of road in Regions 2 & 3.
Tennessee Warbler: last 2B M 2 Jun; arr IB M
27 Aug.
Mourning Warbler: arr IB M 23 Aug.
Cape May Warbler: 1 ad HB 12 Aug (R&SS),
very early.
N. Parula: last Letchworth SP 5 Jun, late.
Magnolia Warbler: arr 2B M 20 Aug.
Bay-breasted Warbler: last 2 BB 1 Jun; arr G
23 Aug.
Blackburnian Warbler: arr G 31 Aug.
Blackpoll Warbler: 1 Penfield 11 Jun (CM),
late; IB M 25 Aug.
Black-throated Blue Warbler: arr HB-West 17
Aug, early.
Yellow-rumped Warbler: arr HB 17 Aug,
early.
Prairie Warbler: 1-2 Canadice Hill Rd ONTA
2 Jun, 2 Jul, nesting locale, rare breeder.
Black-throated Green Warbler: arr HB 25
Aug.
Canada Warbler: last mig IB M 2 Jun; arr IB
M 16 Aug.
Wilson’s Warbler: last 2 Webster 4 Jun; last 2B
M 4 Jun; 3B M 29 Aug.
TOWHEES - WEAVERS
Grasshopper Sparrow: max 10 Nations Rd,
Geneseo, LIVI 1 Jun, good count, known nesting
area.
Henslow’s Sparrow: no reports.
Lincoln’s Sparrow: last IB M 1 Jun; arr IB M
20 Aug (R&CM), very early.
White-crowned Sparrow: 1 G 21 Jun (KG); 1
North G 21 Jun (BB), very rare at this date, two
sites a couple of mile apart.
Bobolink: max 145 G 26 Aug, good count.
Rusty Blackbird: last 3 HB 1 Jun (DT), Reg
record late.
Red Crossbill: 1 G (Hogan Pt) 26 Aug (DT),
unusual date, Reg record early or wandering
potential summer breeder.
Pine Siskin: last G 1 Jun (KG), late.
REGION 3 - FINGER LAKES
Mark Chao
124 Simsbury Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850
markchao@imt.org
June and July 2011 in Region 3 were unseasonably dry, with about 38 percent
less rain than the average for these months in Ithaca. August’s weather was
mostly typical, with temperature and rainfall right around historical norms until
the edges of Hurricane Irene dropped several inches of rain in the area on 28
August.
The relative lack of rain up to late August meant low water levels at
Montezuma NWR. Nevertheless, throughout most of the summer Knox-
Marcellus Marsh and the adjacent Puddler Marsh along Towpath Road had
extensive shallow water and mudflats, providing good habitat for waterfowl,
wading birds, and especially shorebirds. The rains of late August flooded these
sites but created excellent shorebird habitat at nearby May’s Point Pool. Refuge
management drew down water levels at Tschache Pool in 2011, as it did with
the Main Pool in 2010, in order to encourage vegetation growth. MNWR staff
also actively managed water levels along the Wildlife Drive, balancing the
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
325
immediate goal of creating habitat for this year’s migrant shorebirds while also
facilitating removal of invasive plant species.
Dabbling ducks remained throughout the summer at MNWR, starting in
modest numbers in June and increasing toward the end of the season, but no rare
anatid species were reported. Trumpeter Swans bred again in the refuge. For the
second consecutive summer, Lyn Jacobs found the Region’s only Common
Goldeneye on Canandaigua Lake. A scaup spent most of the summer on Cayuga
Lake near Stewart Park in Ithaca. This bird showed some ambiguous field
marks, but collective expert observations and examination of photos indicate
that this bird was a Greater Scaup. This too was the only report of the species for
the season.
In one of their regular surveys at MNWR, Larue St. Clair and Jackie
Bakker found a Glossy Ibis at Puddler Marsh on 22 July. Multiple observers
again found a Glossy Ibis at die refuge on 30 August.
At Cornell University in Itiiaca on 18 June, Meena Haribal saw the
season’s only Black Vulture. Rick Manning and Dave Nutter confirmed
successful raising of two fledglings by a pair of Bald Eagles in the Town of
Ulysses in Tompkins County. Neighbors say diat Bald Eagles also raised two
young at diis site in 2010. The NYS Breeding Bird Atlas for both 1980-1985
and 2000-2005 contains no confirmed breeding records for this species in the
county or indeed anywhere in Region 3 outside the Montezuma Wetlands
Complex.
This summer Matt Hayes of the International Crane Foundation, Baraboo,
WI, visited the Montezuma NWR area as part of a thesis project to capture,
band, and take blood samples from Sandhill Crane chicks from which DNA
analysis would be used to try to determine the origins and relationships of the
small breeding populations in the Northeast. Prior to working Montezuma, he
captured a chick near Genoa in southern Cayuga County. He then managed to
capture a chick from the Main Pool area of Montezuma NWR. Moving on he
also captured several in Pennsylvania. The Genoa and Montezuma colts confirm
the first nesting for Region 3. Preliminary analysis shows the picture to be more
complex than expected, with more samples needed in the future to understand
what is going on.
Expected migrant shorebirds in the Region were typically diverse and
numerous, especially at MNWR. On 12 August, Stuart Krasnoff found an
American Avocet at Puddler Marsh. Then, as the rains of Hurricane Irene
passed on 28 August, Chris Wood saw an American Avocet flying over Allan H.
Treman State Marine Park at the south end of Cayuga Lake in Ithaca. No other
rare shorebirds were definitively identified. Also during the hurricane’s passage
on 28 August, Bill Evans saw a dark jaeger flying south over the south end of
Cayuga Lake. The Region’s only other unusual species plausibly attributable to
the hurricane was a juvenile Laughing Gull found by Kevin McGowan at
Cornell’s compost facility in Dryden on 29 August.
Red-headed Woodpeckers occur regularly in summer along the east shore
of Cayuga Lake, but are rarely seen in most years. This year, however, observers
326
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
PHOTO GALLERY
Summer 2011
Gray-hooded Gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus ), Coney Island, Kings; top image 2
Aug 11,© Steven D’Amato; lower image 1 Aug 11,© Peter Post.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
327
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix ), Great Kills Park, Richmond , 22 Jun 11, © Corey Finger.
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Randolph, Cattaraugus, 25 Aug 11, © Dominic Sherony.
328
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Juvenile Cliff Swallow x Bam Swallow hybrid, Orleans, © Christopher L. Wood.
From above, this bird appears very similar to Cliff Swallow with a contrasting tawny
mmp. Note, however the more strongly forked tail and odd face pattern. See note p. 307.
Juvenile Cliff Swallow x Bam Swallow hybrid, Orleans, © Christopher L. Wood.
The underparts appear most similar to Barn Swallow, with the darker breast that is offset
from the paler belly. Note the paler head with dark markings on the throat, which are
intermediate between Barn Swallow and Cliff Swallow. See note p. 307.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
329
Irene at landfall in New York, 28 Aug 2011; courtesy NASA/NOAA GOES Project.
The parking lot and bayside marsh at Gilgo Beach, Suffolk , 28 Aug 2011; 9:30 EDT
(middle) and 16:30 EDT (bottom); © S. S. Mitra.
330 The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Separating Sooty and Bridled Terns can be challenging, especially under storm
conditions. The square forehead patch, narrowing loral stripe, stouter bill and black rather
than dark gray upperparts help distinguish this adult Sooty Tern photographed over Hook
Pond, East Hampton, Suffolk, on 28 Aug 2011. Photograph © Angus Wilson.
The narrower bill and forehead patch, uniform loral stripe and dark gray rather than black
mantle are evident on this Bridled Tern photographed as it roosted on the shingle beach
of Fort Pond Bay, Montauk, Suffolk, 28 Aug 2011. Photograph © Angus Wilson.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
331
Bridled Tern (juvenile) and White-tailed Tropicbird, near Jones Inlet, Nassau, 28 Aug 11,
© Steve Walter.
332
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Leach’s Storm-Petrel, New York Harbor, Kings, 28 Aug 11,© Doug Gochfeld.
South Polar Skua, Sea Cliff, Nassau, 28 Aug 11,© Mary Normandia.
Brown Pelican, Patchogue, Suffolk, 30 Aug 11, © Michael McBrien.
Hudsonian Godwits and Black-bellied Plovers, Floyd Bennett Field, Kings, 28 Aug 11,©
Doug Gochfeld.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
333
Massapequa Preserve, Nassau, © John L. Turner. See article on breeding by Least Bittern
at this site, pp. 290-292.
Juvenile Least Bittern, Massapequa Preserve, Nassau, 24 Jul 11, © Michael McBrien.
334 The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
submitted multiple sightings from three locations. David Suggs saw one
throughout the summer at Farley’s Point near Union Springs. Many observers
saw a nesting pair- along Route 90 just south of Aurora throughout June. Watt
Webb also saw one Red-headed Woodpecker at his feeders along Teeter Road in
Lansing on 9 July.
Perhaps the most unexpected songbird of the season was a very early
migrant Swainson’s Thrush seen by Chris Wood at Monkey Run South in
Tompkins County on 1 August. Prothonotary Warblers, first observed at the
very end of the spring 2011 season along Armitage Road at the Seneca-Wayne
county line, remained to breed throughout the summer. Many observers found at
least two males countersinging here throughout June. Janet Akin saw an adult
Prothonotary Warbler feeding a fledgling on 2 July. A week later, on 9 July,
Chris Wood and Jeff Gerbracht found four recent fledglings along the road in
the same area. Also on 9 July, Chris and Jeff found the season’s only Clay-
colored Sparrow along King Road, north of Seneca Falls.
Kevin McGowan saw a single Pine Siskin among American Goldfinches at
his feeder along Yellow Barn Road in Dry den on 5 July. On 31 July, Bob
McGuire, Dave Nutter, Ann Mitchell, and Gary Kohlenberg reported two Red
Crossbills flying over Summer Hill State Forest. They noted further that the crop
of cones here among spruce, pine, and larch frees appears promising for
potential support of imiptive species next winter.
CONTRIBUTORS
Janet Akin, Paul Anderson, Jackie Bakker, Lance Bennett, Gary Chapin, Mark
Chao, Susan Danskin, Bill Evans, Jeff Gerbracht, Jane Graves, Lewis Grove,
Brett Haranin, Meena Haribal, Matt Hayes (International Crane Foundation),
Lyn Jacobs, Dave Kennedy, J. Gary Kohlenberg, Stuart Krasnoff, Tim Lenz,
Alberto Lopez, Rick Manning, Jay McGowan, Kevin McGowan, Bob McGuire,
Matthew Medler, Don Miller, Nari Mistry, Ann Mitchell, David Nicosia, Dave
Nutter, Alicia Plotkin, Meg Richardson, Ken Rosenberg, Livia Santana, LaRue
St. Clair, Dave Spier, Carl Steckler, Kathy Strickland, David Suggs, Joann
Tetlow, Mike Tetlow, Mike Wasilco, Watt Webb, Chip Weseloh, David
Wheeler, Christopher L. Wood.
ABBREVIATIONS
CCP - Canandaigua City Pier, ONTA; CU - Cornell University; MNWR -
Montezuma NWR; Myers - Myers Park, Lansing, TOMP; SHSF - Summer Hill
State Forest; StP - Stewart Park, Ithaca.
WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES
Greater Scaup: 1 Cayuga Lake 10 Jul thru
(JGe, CLW).
Com. Goldeneye: 1 Canandaigua 27 Jun (LJ); 2
Canandaigua 2 Jul (LJ); uncommon in summer,
only reports.
Com. Loon: max 42 Cayuga Lake 25 Jul (DSu).
Great Egret: max 67 MNWR 17 Aug (JGr,
CWe); 2 Ithaca 1 Aug thru (DNu), nightly
roosting at same spot unus for Tompkins Co.
Glossy Ibis: 1 MNWR 22 Jul (JB, LSC); 1
MNWR 30 Aug thru (DNu, BM, AM, MW, DS).
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
335
BLACK VULTURE: 1 CU 18 Jun (MH).
HAWKS - ALCIDS
Bald Eagle: max 40 MNWR 1 Jun (JM); 3
Town of Ulysses (TOMP) 7-9 Jun (RM, DNu),
first recent documentation of breeding in county
(also 2010, according to neighbors).
Merlin: 1 Ithaca 2 Aug (MC), first arrival or
local breeder.
Sandhill Crane: colts captured near Genoa
CAYU & MNWR Main Pool about 21 Jun
(MHayes), l sl Reg confirmed nesting, banded
and blood sample taken, intro: max 6 MNWR
24-26 Aug (MM, DW, DNu).
Black-bellied Plover: 1 Myers 15.1 un (NM),
late; arr 1 MNWR 27 Jun (DW).
Am. Golden-Plover: arr MNWR 30 Aug (DNu).
Semipalmated Plover: max 78 MNWR 1 Jun
(JM); arr MNVVR 20 Jul (DW).
AM. AVOCET: 1 MNWR 12 Aug(SK); 1
Ithaca 28 Aug (CLW).
Upland Sandpiper: max 17 Seneca Falls 16 Jul
(JT, MT), confirmed breeding.
Ruddy Turnstone: 3 Myers 5 Jun (JM); arr
MNWR week of 4 Jul (LSC).
Sanderling: arr MNWR 10 Jul (KR).
Semipalmated Sandpiper: max 625 MNWR 1
Jun (JM); air MNWR week of 4 Jul (LSC).
Wbite-rumped Sandpiper: 15 MNWR 23 Jun
(DW); max 90 MNWR 28 Aug (JM), ++.
Baird’s Sandpiper: arr MNWR 7 Jul (JGe,
CLW).
Pectoral Sandpiper: an - 4 MNWR 16 Jul (JT,
MT).
Stilt Sandpiper: arr MNWR 7 Jul (JGe, CLW).
Buff-breasted Sandpiper: arr 1 MNWR 27 Aug
(LB).
Short-billed Dowitcher: arr MNWR 27 Jun
(DW).
Wilson's Phalarope: an 1 MNWR 7 Jul (JGe,
CLW); various individuals observed throughout
Jul-Aug.
Red-necked Phalarope: arr MNWR 24 Jul
(GC); max 4 MNWR 25 Jul (DK).
Laughing Gull: 1 Stevenson Road (TOMP) 29
Aug (KM).
Stercorarius sp .: 1 StP 28 Aug (BE); rare, only
report.
PIGEONS - WOODPECKERS
Red-headed Woodpecker: 2 Aurora 7-29 Jun
(JM, KM, DNic, AP, mob); 1 Farley’s Point
(CAYU) thru (DSu); 1 Teeter Road (TOMP) 9
Jul (WW).
FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS
Olive-sided Flycatcher: an SW 24 Aug (JM).
Cliff Swallow: 1 Mt, Pleasant (TOMP) 12 Aug
(KM).
Swainson’s Thrush: 1 Monkey Run South
(TOMP) 1 Aug (CLW), early.
WARBLERS
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER: 4 FL
Armitage Road (SENE) 9 Jul (JGe, CLW!); 1 ad
feeding FL same location 2 Jul (JA). 2 ad same
location throughout June (DK, JM, BMc, DS,
mob!).
TOWHEES - WEAVERS
Clay-colored Sparrow: 1 King Road (SENE) 9-
16 Jul (JGe, CLW, mob!).
Red Crossbill: 2 SHSF 31 Jul (BM, DNu, JGK,
AM), only report.
Pine Siskin: 1 Yellow Bam Road (TOMP) 5 Jul
(KM), only report.
REGION 4—SUSQUEHANNA
Spencer Hunt
493 Glenmary Drive, Owego NY 13827
shunt493@yahoo.com
Summer 2011 followed one of the wettest springs on record with 26.57" of
precipitation for the year through 31 May (the average is 15.05"). June had only
about one half an inch above normal precipitation falling on 13 of the days, but
due to the already excessive rainfall the Region did not start drying out until
July. Many otherwise normally dry fields and pastures were spotted with
wetlands. July was almost the opposite, with 1.40" on eight of the days, more
336
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
than two inches below normal. August went back the other way, with rainfall on
15 of the days totaling 8.90" compared to the normal 3.45". The total annual
precipitation to 1 September was 41.20", exceeding the normal for the whole
year of 38.65". Temperatures were slightly above normal with 24 days below
normal and 52 days above normal for the season, with half of the above normal
days occurring in July. The highest temperature of 95° F was in July, with only
three other days in the 90s in the month. The only additional 90° day was in
June.
In summary, temperature should not have been a problem for nesting. Wet
conditions were another story. It is likely that ground nesters had quite a
problem, and even nesting in shrubs and trees could have been a problem.
Several American Robin nests were observed to be literally washed out of the
trees. At the end of July Andy Mason reported hearing of a couple of Wild
Turkey broods, probably only a few days old, that he considered “were very
likely from second nestings as a result of lost broods in our wet spring.” On the
other hand, waterfowl could have found new territory to nest and feed in with
the increased wetland areas.
The bird of the season for Region 4 could possibly be the Whip-poor-will
heard and seen by Bob Donnelly in early June at his home in Cherry Valley.
As in past years, there were limited observations of American Black Duck.
Two Common Loons were reported on the Pepacton Reservoir in early June but
there were no reports to indicate that they stayed in that area. Two sightings of
Pied-billed Grebes were seen on opposite sides of Tioga County. There was
enough time between the observations that it could have been the same
individual. Whitney Point Wildlife Management Area had two single
observations of American White Pelican and American Bittern.
Richard Guthrie reported an Osprey on 23 August in Oxford, Chenango
County, and Brian O'Keefe saw another one on the same day at Tully Lake in
Cortland County. Bald Eagles continue to be commonly reported throughout the
Region. As in past years, there were few sightings of Northern Hairier. No large
numbers of American Kestrel were sighted, but there were sightings scattered
throughout the Region. One sighting on Blodgett Road in the Town of Owego,
Tioga County noted two parents feeding young seen through wire mesh
covering a window of a dilapidated bam.
There were two sightings of Merlins, but none that indicated that there
may have been successful breeding this year. Members of the Naturalist's Club
of Broome County observed the nesting of Peregrine Falcons on the Security
Mutual building in downtown Binghamton, Broome County and their
subsequent appearance in Binghamton throughout the period. There was only
one other area with a Peregrine Falcon observation during the season.
Marsh and shorebird reports were greater this year in both numbers and
variety, as should be expected with the increased wetland area this year. Short¬
billed Dowitcher was one of the species found in a flooded area along Interstate
81 in Broome County. The Tri-cities airport proved good once again as a spot to
find shorebirds in August.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
337
Reports of the Common Nighthawk were limited, with only one sighting
outside of the usual late August migration period. There were over 90 reports on
eBird for Chimney Swifts, however only 5 of those reports were of double digit
numbers. The number of sightings reported may be up but the numbers are still
down from past years.
A species that seems to be doing better than in past years is Eastern Wood-
Pewee. Fish Crow and Common Raven sightings have become more numerous
both in number of reports and in number of locations where reported
The Pharsalia area, New Michigan State Forest, and German Hollow, all in
Chenango County, usually are the places to go to see warblers during the
summer season. Bear Spring Mountain Game Management Area on the highway
between Walton and Downsville in Delaware County won the prize this year. Its
2000' elevation provides different habitat that is otherwise typically not very
accessible. The Mourning Warblers found there are found only in a few of the
higher areas in the Region. Blackburnian Warblers were also found there in
good numbers by Brendan Fogarty.
There were 19 reports of Bobolinks on eBird, but in greater than single
digits. The population is seriously down in numbers from past years. Another
bird in serious trouble is the Eastern Meadowlark. A total of ten birds were
observed in the seven reports to eBird.
Outside of the usual areas in Chenango County, there were two sightings
of Red Crossbills in Broome and Tioga Counties. Matt Young reported in his
annual cone abundance survey that there are heavy cone crops in most of the
cone-bearing species. This could result in the possibility of seeing siskins and
crossbills more widespread this fall and winter.
A notable bird missing from the Region for the summer was American
Woodcock. Other birds missed in past years were reported on eBird this season;
this is most likely not an indication of a higher population but just a higher level
of reporting them.
CONTRIBUTORS
Jeannette Baldwin, Marty Borko, Andrea Burke, Bob Donnelly, Brendan
Fogarty, Fisa Gorn, Richard Guthrie, Meena Haribal, Spencer Hunt, Hugh
Kingery, William Kuk, Andy Mason, Dave McCartt, Naturalist’s Club of
Broome County (NCBC), Dave Nicosia, Brian O'Keefe, Bob Pantle, Marie
Petuh, Bill Purcell, Tom Salo, Charles Scheim, Cindy Staley, Tioga Bird Club
(TBC), Dan Watkins, Don & Joanne Weber, Jon Weeks, Tom Whitney, Glenn
Wilson, Matt Young.
ABBREVIATIONS
Bing - Binghamton, BROO; BPd - Boland Pond, BROO; BSGMA - Bear
Spring Mountain Game Management Area, DEFA; CGW - Carantouan
Greenway Waverly, TIOG; CVSF - Cherry Valley State Forest, OTSE; CVSP -
Chenango Valley SP, BROO; DP - Dorchester Park, BROO; End - Endicott,
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
338
BROO; GH - German Hollow, CHEN; HSF - Heiburg State Forest, CORT; Ifm
- 1-81 flooded marsh, BROO; JC - Johnson City, BROO; NMSF - New
Michigan State Forest, CHEN; TCA - Tri-cities Airport, BROO; TL - Town of
Lisle, BROO; TM - Town of Morris, OTSE; TS - Town of Springfield, OTSE;
TT - Town of Tioga, TIOG; TU - Town of Union, BROO; TV - Town of
Vestal, BROO; UR - Unadilla River, CHEN; WPWMA - Whitney Point WMA,
BROO.
WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES
Wood Duck: max 15 Bpd BROO 15 Aug (mob).
Am. Black Duck: max 3 HSF CORT 20 Aug;
only 3 other reports.
Com. Loon: 2 Pepacton Reservoir DELA 4 Jun.
Pied-billed Grebe: TO TIOG 3 Jun; CGW
TIOG 19,21 Jul.
Double-crested Cormorant: max 12 BPd
BROO 29 Jun.
Am White Pelican: WPWMA BROO 16 Jul,
only report.
Am Bittern: WPWMA BROO 1 Jul, only
report.
Great Egret: max 5 Bing BROO 26 Jul.
HAWKS - ALCIDS
Osprey: T Oxford CHEN 23 Aug; Tully Lake
CORT 23 Aug; only reports.
Bald Eagle: prCO Otsego Lake OTSE entire
season: mob throughout Region; doing well.
N. Harrier: TM OTSE 16 Jun; TL BROO 15
Aug; TCA BROO 31 Aug.
N. Goshawk: CO Laurens OTSE thru (CS), only
report.
Am. Kestrel: 1 ad, 2 y UR CHEN 1 lJun; 2 ad, 3
y TO TIOG 6 Jul.
MERLIN: T Vestal BROO 18 Aug; HSF CORT
20 Aug.
PEREGRINE FALCON: 2 ad 4 y Bing BROO
12 Jun; juv TS OTSE 29 Jul.
Virginia Rail: 2 CGW TIOG 25 Jul; Perkins Pd
CHEN 30 Jul.
Sora: Ifm BROO 5 Jul, only report.
Semipalmated Plover: max 3 TCA BROO 31
Jul.
Killdeer: max 37 TCA BROO 8 Aug.
Spotted Sandpiper: max 18 UR CHEN 11 Jun.
Solitary Sandpiper: max 4 Lime Hollow Center
CORT 25 Jul.
Greater Yellowlegs:TCA BROO 30 Aug, only
report.
Lesser Yellowlegs: max 3 Ifm BROO 5 Jul.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: max 3 End BROO 5
Jul.
Least Sandpiper: max 25 TCA BROO 30 Aug.
Short-billed Dowitcher: 4 Ifm BROO 5 Jul,
only report.
Wilson’s Snipe: T Burlington OTSE 15 Jun,
only report.
Caspian Tern: max 6 DP BROO 15 Aug.
PIGEONS - WOODPECKERS
Com. Nighthawk: Bing BROO 5 Jun (JW); max
30 Bing BROO 31 Aug; few reports.
WHIP-POOR-WILL: Cherry Valley OTSE 8
Jun, only report.
Chimney Swift: max 60 JC BROO 26 Aug
(MP); numbers are still down.
FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS
E. Wood-Pewee: max 12 CVSF OTSE 19 Aug;
mob, doing well.
Alder Flycatcher: max 3 T Hancock DELA 12
Jun.
E. Kingbird: max 50+ TL BROO 15 Aug DW;
mob.
Blue-headed Vireo: 2 UR CHEN 11 Jun; 2
BSGMA DELA 18 Jun; 2 Steam Mill SF DELA
10 Jul.
Fish Crow: max 6 TV BROO 6 Aug; 5 TT
TIOG thru.
Com. Raven: max 4 TG CHEN 1 Jul.
Purple Martin: max 3 TT TIOG 6 Jul; only 5
reports; doing poorly.
Bank Swallow: max 3 BSGMA DELA 18 Jun;
few reports.
Cliff Swallow: max 7 BSGMA DELA 18 Jun.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: 4 CVSP BROO 27
Aug; 3 TU BROO 15 Aug; only reports.
Swainson's Thrush: 2 NMSF CHEN 30 Jul;
only report.
LONGSPURS - WARBLERS
Louisiana Waterthrush: max 2 TM OTSE 4
Jun.
N. Waterthrush: Ifm BROO 5 Jul, only report.
Golden-winged Warbler: T Roseboom OTSE
17 Aug, only report.
Nashville Warbler: Morgan Hill SF CORT 30
Jul, only report.
Mourning Warbler: max 3 BSGMA DELA 18
Jun.
Hooded Warbler: 2 Griggs Gulf SF CORT 3
Aug, only report.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
339
Magnolia Warbler: max 3 BSGMA DELA 18
Jun.
Blackburnian Warbler: max 20 BSGMA
DELA 18 Jun.
Black-throated Blue Warbler: max 3 BSGMA
DELA 18 Jun.
Pine Warbler: GH CHEN 8 Jun; Bing U Nature
Center BROO; 20 Jul; CVSF 16 Aug; only
reports.
TOWHEES - WEAVERS
Swamp Sparrow: max 4 CGW TIOG 23 Jul.
Bobolink: max 30+ Greater Bing Airport BROO
20 Aug.
E. Meadowlark: 3 Glimmerglass SP OTSE 13
Jun; 2 TS OTSE; only 5 other reports, scarce.
Red Crossbill: 6 T Richford TIOG 13 Jun; 2 JC
BROO 2 Jul.
REGION 5—ONEIDA LAKE BASIN
Bill Purcell
281 Baum Road, Hastings, New York, 13076
wpurcell@twcny.rr.com
The summer season was very warm with above average precipitation, although
the first three weeks of June were very dry with only .39" of rain, and both June
and July were slightly drier than normal. In June the average temperature was
68.9° F, 3.1° above normal, with 3.31" of precipitation, 0.4" below normal. The
July average temperature was 75.8°, 4.9° above normal, with 3.30" of
precipitation, 0.72" below normal. In August the averages were 71.9°, 2.1° above
normal, and 6.66" of precipitation, 3.09" above normal.
Hurricane Irene went to our east on 28 August but the rains on the western
edge were enough to ground shorebirds at Fail' Haven and Sky High Sod Farms.
The few Snow Geese that summered in the Region were expected, but a Brant
on Lake Ontario in August was not. The Brant, which could fly, had a lot of
primary feathers missing in one wing. Mallards seemed to rebound from the
flooding after heavy spring rains with close to normal breeding success, while
Wood Ducks were less affected by the high water. June waterfowl holdovers
included Northern Pintail, both scaup species, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead,
and Common Loon. In a few recent years the water level at Stillwater Reservoir
was raised after Common Loons were likely to be on nests so the consistent
water level this year did not drown the nests. Gary Lee reported that loons also
had a good year on the other lakes in Herkimer County. Great Egrets were
scarce this season. There was a single report of Black-crowned Night-Heron at
Onondaga Lake and a juvenile at Pratt’s Falls in atypical habitat, the latter likely
a dispersing bird.
A Black Vulture in Syracuse in June was presumed to be a late wanderer.
So far there seems to be of sign of breeding nearby. Non-breeding Bald Eagles
and Broad-winged Hawks continued to move past Derby Hill on south winds in
June. The female Peregrine Falcon in Utica did not attract a mate this year, and
it was unclear if the pair of Peregrines in Syracuse nested this year; the nest box
used in past seasons went unused. Merlins continue to increase as breeders. A
340
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
young American Coot in Utica Marsh was the only one reported for the season,
and the only Sandhill Crane flew over Derby Hill on 1 June.
Birders spent the first week of June checking the Oneida Lake islands
south of Constantia with American White Pelican the highlight, while shorebirds
included Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, and Red Knot. Typical for
northbound shorebirds, numbers changed constantly through the day. A
temporary draw down of the Seneca River at Baldwinsville resulted in lowered
water at West Dead Creek Marsh for a few days, with good numbers of Lesser
Yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpipers reported. A Willet at Fair Haven on 5 July
was an early migrant, and 19 Whimbrel passed Derby Hill in late July after the
passage of a cold front.
At Fair Haven, rains on the western edge of Hurricane Irene caused a small
shorebird fallout including Red-necked Phalaropes, Western Sandpiper, and Red
Knot, while at Sky High Sod Farms there were large numbers of White-rumped
Sandpipers and the only Stilt Sandpipers and Short-billed Dowitcher reported
for the season. The sod farm was mostly planted in corn and soy beans this year,
so there was little shorebird habitat. Larry Hall found good numbers of Upland
Sandpipers in the hayfields in the towns of Fairfield and Deerfield just south of
the Adirondack Park. A slight lowering of Delta Lake had attracted a few
shorebirds by the end of the season, while the water level on Lake Ontario
remained high through August.
An adult Laughing Gull flew west past Derby Hill on 1 June, and a basic
plumaged bird was seen at Fair Haven on 28 August as Hurricane Irene passed
to the east. A young Glaucous Gull remained in Oswego well into June, and an
adult Little Gull was seen at Sylvan Beach after the middle of August.
A Eurasian Collared-Dove call was heard several times in Skaneateles
one evening, but the bird was not seen nor was it heard from subsequently. If
accepted by NYSARC, it would be the first Regional record, although an earlier,
single-observer sighting was not accepted without a photograph since it would
have been the first state record. Yellow-billed Cuckoo is still a common species
in the Region even as the tent caterpillar infestation has declined. There were no
owls reported other than the three widespread breeders, Eastern Screech-Owl,
Great Horned Owl, and Barred Owl. There were only a handful of Common
Nighthawk reports. Eastern Whip-poor-will was noted in four breeding areas,
and one was heard in Onondaga County, where there have been no summer
records for over 35 years. Red-headed Woodpecker continues to breed in small
numbers in beaver swamps and along the Lake Ontario shore.
Olive sided Flycatcher was reported from two breeding areas in northern
He rkim er County. Acadian Flycatcher arrived late at two known breeding sites,
and there were no others reported. Common Ravens were seen in Liverpool and
Camillus, both in the suburbs of Syracuse. Marsh Wrens were singing at a
wetland in Volney, where they had not been previously noted. There seemed to
have been little change in breeding warblers, and the Prothonotary Warblers on
the north shore of Oneida Lake were much less viewed with the return of
Prothonotaries nesting near Montezuma NWR. Prairie Warbler was reported
from only one location, and we now receive few reports from the areas they
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
341
have occupied in past years. The first Tennessee Warblers, Northern Parulas,
and Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, and Wilson's Warblers had all arrived by the end
of the season.
Matt Perry noted that in his area Savannah Sparrow has declined as a
breeder as many hayfields give way to com and soybeans and the remaining hay
is cut well before birds can bring off a first brood. Vesper Sparrow might now
be lost as a breeder in the same area.
There were some Red Crossbills in the higher elevations but no White¬
winged Crossbills. One Pine Siskin was reported and no Evening Grosbeaks.
The cone crop for spruce, tamarack and hemlock was excellent, even
abundant, while the other conlifers had at least good production. Nuts, seeds and
berries were generally good across the board, and as Matt Perry noted: "Ash
trees have brought forth a bumper crop of seeds this year. Viburnum, Dogwood,
Elderberry, and Yellow Birch were all big producers as well. Wild Grapes did
moderately well as did Butternut, Bitternut Hickory, and Black Walnut.
Hawthorn and Apple also did well".
The species total for the season was 207 species, seven above the past 10
year average. Highlights included Brant, Am. White Pelican, Black Vulture,
Sandhill Crane, Willet, Whimbrel, Red Knot, Western Sandpiper, Red-necked
Phalarope, Little Gull, Laughing Gull, Glaucous Gull, Forster's Tern, Eurasian
Collared-Dove, and Red Crossbill.
CONTRIBUTORS
Andrew Anderson, Faith Baker, Andrew Baksh, Brenda Best, Sue Boettger,
Joseph Brin, Ken Burdick, Rose Burdick, Bemie Carr, Gerald Case, Richard
Cohen, Lewis Grove, Bill Gruenbaum, Richard Guthrie, Larry Hall, Gene
Huggins, Joshua LaCelle, Josiah LaCelle, Robbie LaCelle, Gary Lee, Kevin
McGann, Matthew Medler, Yvonne Merriam, David Nash, Matt Perry, Bill
Purcell, Paul Richardson, John Rogers, Margaret Rusk, Tom Salo, Mickey
Scilingo, Tony Shrimpton, Gerald Smith, Chris Spagnoli, Andrew Van
Norstrand, David Wheeler, Andrea Wiggins, Matt Young, Ken Zoller.
ABBREVIATIONS
Bvlle - Baldwinsville; DH - Derby Hill; DL - Delta Lake; FH - Fair Haven,
Little Sodus Bay and vicinity; GLSP - Green Lakes SP; OneiL - Oneida Lake;
OnonL - Onondaga Lake; SHF - Sky High Sod Farms, T Sullivan; SFNS -
Spring Farm Nature Sanctuary, Kirkland; Skan - Skaneateles; SPd - Sandy
Pond; SVB - Sylvan and Verona Beach; Syr - Syracuse; TR - Three Rivers
WMA; VB - Van Buren; WM - West Monroe; WPd - Woodman Pond,
Hamilton.
WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES Wood Duck: max 36 DL 23 Aug.
Snow Goose: 1-2 Bvlle and Constantia thru. Blue-winged Teal: max 12 DL 31 Aug.
Brant: DH 11 Aug (BP), rare summer. N. Pintail: last OneiL 4 Jun.
342
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Green-winged Teal: max 35 DL 23 Aug.
Ring-neeked Duck: 2 SVB 5 Jun; last
Eatonbrook Res 11 Jun; arr FH 29 Aug.
Greater Scaup: 2 WPd 1 Jun.
Lesser Scaup: WPd to 26 Jun.
Bufflehead: 2 WPd to 8 Jun; Skan L 16-26 Jul.
Com. Merganser: max 59 Redfield 4 Aug.
Com. Loon: good breeding success Adks;
OnonL to 7 Jun..
Am. White Pelican: OneiL 4-12 Jun (DW,
mob).
Great Egret: max 2 DL after 26 Aug.
Green Heron: max 23 WM 22 Aug.
Black-crowned Night-Heron: OnonL 2 Aug;
Pratt's Falls 31 Aug.
HAWKS - ALCIDS
Black Vulture: Syr 6 Jun, no sign of breeding
yet.
Bald Eagle: max 20 DH 8 Jun; 11 DH 16 Jun.
Broad-winged Hawk: max 200 DH 8 Jun; 54
DH 16 Jun.
Peregrine Falcon: Oswego 11 Aug; female
Utica thru.
Com. Moorhen: max 34 Volney 1 Aug.
Am. Coot: juv. Utica Marsh 23 Jul.
Sandhill Crane: DH 1 Jun.
Black-bellied Plover: max & last 7 OneiL 5
Jun.
Am. Golden-Plover: arr 3 SHF 23 Aug.
Semipalmated Plover: air Marcellus 31 Jul;
max 10 DL 31 Aug.
Solitary Sandpiper: 2 W Winfield 2 Jun; max
19 Bvllc 18 Jul.
Greater Yellowlegs: max 4 Redfield 4 Aug.
Willet: FH 5 Jul (MS), early.
Lesser Yellowlegs: max 87 Bvlle 18 Jul.
Upland Sandpiper: 4 Fairfield 16 Jun; max 15
N Gage 4 Aug (LH).
Whimbrel: 19 DH 26 Jul, after cold front; 2
Oswego 10 Aug.
Ruddy Turnstone: max 29 OneiL 5 Jun (KM);
6 FH 28 Aug.
Red Knot: max 5 OneiL 5 Jun (DW); FH after
28 Aug.
Sanderling: max 75 FH 28 Aug.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: last OneiL 5 Jun;
max 17 DL 23 Aug.
Western Sandpiper: FH 28 Aug (DW).
Least Sandpiper: max 36 Marcellus 31 Jul.
White-rumped Sandpiper: max 25 SHF 28
Aug (LG).
Baird's Sandpiper: FH 30 Aug.
Pectoral Sandpiper: arr Bvlle 18 Jul; max 2
SHF 28 Aug.
Dunlin: last Oswego 1 Jun.
Stilt Sandpiper: 2 SHF 28 Aug.
Short-billed Dowitcher: SHF 28 Aug.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Red-necked Phalarope: 5 FH 28 Aug (DW).
Bonaparte's Gull: max 330 SVB 15 Aug.
Little Gull: SVB after 15 Aug.
Laughing Gull: ad DH 1 Jun (BP); FH 28 Aug.
Herring Gull: max 1200 Oswego 25 Jul, good
summer count.
Glaucous Gull: Oswego 24-26 Jun.
Caspian Tern: max 90 Oswego 25 Jul.
Black Tern: 2 OneiL 5 Jun; no reports from
Lake Ontario marshes.
Com, Tern: max 230 SPd 31 Aug.
Forster's Tern: OnonL 29 Aug (GH).
PIGEONS - WOODPECKERS
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: Skan 26 Jul
(KB, NYSARC).
Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 11 sites Jun; max 3
GLSP 30 Jul.
Com. Nighthawk: SVB 6 Jun; 3 WM 22 Aug.
E. Whip-poor-will: T'sConstantia, Ohio,
Vienna, Salisbury in Jun; TR after 15 Jun,
unusual ONON.
Red-headed Woodpecker: DH 28 Jun;
Oriskany Falls 4 Aug; FH 19 Aug.
FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS
Olive-sided Flycatcher: Poland 3 Jun, migrant;
Stillwater Res 13 Jun; Wheeler Pond 17 Jul.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: Gray 5 Jun; South L
16 Jun; arr SFNS 24 Aug.
Acadian Flycatcher: Camillus 10 Jun; Whiskey
Hollow 12 Jun.
E. Kingbird: max 20 WPd 22 Aug.
Philadelphia Vireo: Wheeler Pd 17 Jul; arr
Fulton 30 Aug.
Com. Raven: Liverpool 11 Jul (RG); 5 Camillus
27 Jul.
Horned Lark: max 8 Tully 29 Jul.
Purple Martin: max 110 WM 22 Aug.
Barn Swallow: max 1000 WM 22 Aug.
Marsh Wren: 4 Volney 1 Aug, new site.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: Camden 19 Aug,
migrant.
Veery: 40+ 2 sites OS WE 20 August, night
flight.
Swainson's Thrush: Redfield 25 Jun.
N. Mockingbird: Tioughnioga WMA 27 Jun,
unusual.
LONGSPURS - WARBLERS
Louisiana Waterthrush: last VB 3 Aug.
Prothonotary Warbler: pair WM Jun.
Tennessee Warbler: arr Hastings 23 Aug.
Cerulean Warbler: GLSP 5 Jun, unusual there.
N. Parula: an - Hastings 8 Aug.
Bay-breasted Warbler: arr Camden 27 Aug.
Blackpoll Warbler: last DH 1 Jun; arr Hastings
23 Aug.
343
Prairie Warbler: Tully 6 Jun, only report.
Wilson's Warbler: arr Salisbury 18 Aug, 4
other reports.
TOWHEES - WEAVERS
Grasshopper Sparrow: GLSP, Fulton, Richland
and Salisbury.
Lincoln’s Sparrow: 3 Adk reports.
Bobolink: max 170 WM 2 Aug.
Rusty Blackbird: 2 Stillwater Res 13 Jun.
Com. Grackle: max 3800 WM 18 Aug.
Orchard Oriole: GLSP & VB; Cicero 5 Jul.
Red Crossbill: to 8/day Georgetown thru 30 Jul;
Boylston 16 Aug.
Pine Siskin: Hamilton 26-28 Jun.
REGION 6—ST. LAWRENCE
Jeffrey S. Bolsinger
98 State Street, Canton NY 13617
jsbolsinger@yahoo.com
Overall, summer was warmer and slightly wetter than average, with above
normal temperatures all three months, but precipitation falling
disproportionately during the late summer. June and July were both between 2°
and 3° warmer than normal, and August was just 1.1° above average.
Precipitation was all over the place, as June’s total of 3.1" was almost exactly
average, the 2.0" that fell in July was 1.3" below normal, and August’s tally of
6.5" was 3.3" above normal. Hurricane Irene contributed modestly to local
rainfall totals, but this storm was largely a non-event in Region 6, causing
neither the devastation wrought in eastern New York nor the bonanza of avian
rarities seen coastally.
Waterfowl were generally unexceptional except for a Barnacle Goose
photographed by Michele Nelligan in Alexandria Bay on 31 July. This goose
apparently was unbanded and showed no obvious signs of captive origins, but
given the date it seems highly unlikely to represent natural vagrancy. Less
exceptional but still unusual were two reports of Northern Shoveler in Jefferson
County. Late summer Wood Duck numbers at Upper and Lower Lakes and
Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Areas were substantially lower than that
reported in 2009 and 2010 but were typical or above average elsewhere.
At least two observers reported seeing fewer than normal Ruffed Grouse
broods and suspected that the very wet spring resulted in low nest success.
Perhaps other early ground-nesting species also suffered high nest losses, but
hard evidence supporting reduced nest success is lacking for any species. The
Spruce Grouse nest found in Parishville during late May was abandoned by mid-
June, and the female was not seen again.
Peregrine Falcons apparently nested successfully in Region 6 for the first
time in recent history. Pairs at Payne Lake and on the Ogdensburg Bridge
fledged one young each, but a nest on the Long Sault Dam apparently failed.
These three locations have supported nests for at least two-three years with no
known successful nesting attempts. Merlins on the other hand appear to be
344
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
nesting all over the place given ongoing increases, with many reports of nesting
pairs or summering individuals.
The towns of Ellisburg and Lisbon hosted Sandhill Cranes for the fourth
and third consecutive years, respectively. A juvenile crane observed in Ellisburg
on at least two dates suggests that this pair successfully reproduced, although the
juvenile was fully capable of flight by the time it was observed and thus could
potentially have come from somewhere else. At least three adults spent the
summer in Lisbon, but no young or indications of nesting behavior were noted.
As has been the case in recent years, shorebird numbers were low this
summer, but more species were seen than during any recent summer, including
some of the seasonal highlights for Region 6. Chief among these was a Marbled
Godwit found by Tony Shrimpton in a flooded cornfield near Lake Ontario on 3
June. Six Ruddy Turnstones were on a cement navigation cell in the St.
Lawrence River on 5 June, and I have since received word that this species
regularly shows up on navigation cells in late May and early June, with some
turns tones even predating Common Tern nests. Two White-rumped Sandpipers
at a marshy farm pond in Dekalb on 14 June marked the end of the northward
shorebird migration. Notable southbound migrants included two Stilt Sandpipers
at the Canton Sewage Ponds and a Red-necked Phalarope at Wilson Hill, both
on 26 August. American Golden-Plovers are rarely reported in Region 6 during
the summer, so individuals on Fort Drum 16 August and Waddington 20 August
were notable.
While taking the boat tour to Boldt Castle from Alexandria Bay, Nick
Kiehl, a visiting birder from Pennsylvania, was surprised to see an adult
Laughing Gull. This was the best of several reports submitted to eBird that I
likely would not otherwise have known about. The Common Tern nesting
population on the St. Lawrence River continues to increase in response to work
funded by money from the New York Power Authority. The 1177 nests found
this year was a new record total and is a 37.8% increase since 2009. All of this
year’s nests were found on the New York side of the river. Black Terns also
made a good showing, with reports from several locations in addition to the
usual nesting spots at Perch River and Upper and Lower Lakes Wildlife
Management Areas.
Black-billed Cuckoos were unusually scarce in Region 6 this summer, but
relatively high Yellow-billed Cuckoo numbers continue five years after the end
of the last big tent caterpillar outbreak. The unusual result was that the two
species were present in roughly equal numbers throughout. Red-headed
Woodpecker numbers on Foil Drum also seemed down through June and most
of July, as these birds were largely silent when surveys were conducted, but
once young were out of the nest it became clear that the usual 9-10 pairs were
present.
Henslow’s Sparrows were at Fort Drum, where annual surveys found
fewer than during the previous three summers; at Perch River Wildlife WMA,
where several birders from other regions but apparently no local observers found
up to five singing males; and in large hayfields in Hammond, where six males
were reported in June but subsequent visits failed to find any. At least 11 Sedge
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
345
Wren territories on Fort Drum constituted the majority of reports, with one or
two in three other locations. Upland Sandpipers were slightly more widespread
but still found in low numbers compared with 10 years ago. Unfortunately, there
is a growing tendency for most birders to visit either Fort Drum or Perch River
to look for Henslow’s Sparrows and other rare grassland birds, leaving most of
the Region’s potential habitat unexamined.
The obvious passerine highlight of the summer was a Western Kingbird
Gabe Luongo found on Fort Drum 12 July (and this Regional Editor cannot
resist commenting on his frustration at being on vacation and away from Fort
Drum at the time). This kingbird was in an oak savannah area that seems very
similar to nesting habitat in the western United States, and in combination with
the date might suggest a breeding attempt, but this bird was only definitively
seen on one day. A Dickcissel on Fort Drum on 3 August was the only other
truly rare songbird report. A singing Golden-crowned Kinglet on Fort Drum 22
June was the first summer record for the installation, and a juvenile was found
nearby during August. Surveys throughout the St. Lawrence Valley turned up
good numbers of Golden-winged Warblers with few Blue-winged Warblers, but
the latter species continues to increase on Fort Drum. Although Blue-wings
remain scarce in St. Lawrence County, hybrids are increasing, and the northward
expansion of Blue-winged Warblers seems inevitable. A very uncooperative
Louisiana Waterthrush was at Downerville State Forest, where this species is
annual, lrruptive finches were mostly absent, with one report each for Pine
Siskin and Evening Grosbeak. Although Red Crossbills were reported elsewhere
in the state, efforts to find this species at Leonard Pond and other St. Lawrence
County locations with suitable habitat were entirely unsuccessful.
For the season I received reports of 203 species in addition to Barnacle
Goose and Trumpeter Swan. This tally is the highest for the summer reporting
season since I began compiling reports in 2005. This species tally was aided by
visits to Region 6 by many birders from around New York and other states, as
few birders who live in the Region submitted any sightings. Highlights include
several rarities, with Western Kingbird being the clear stand out; improved
shorebird diversity over recent years; and evidence suggesting that Sandhill
Cranes nested in the Region, although solid confirmation remains elusive.
CONTRIBUTORS
Ginny Alfano, Andrew Baksh, Alan Belford, Jeff Bolsinger, Tom Burke,
Richard & Marion Brouse, Bernie Carr, Carol Cady, Kelly Close, Joan Collins,
Wayne Fidler, Lee Harper, Anne Johnson, Steve Kelling, Nick Kiehl, Josiah
LaCelle, Monica LeClerc, Patricia Lindsay, Gabe Luongo, Mike McBrien, Shai
Mitra, Michele Neligan, Robert Scranton, Tony Shrimpton, Kimberly Sucy,
Mary Beth Warburton, David Wheeler, Tom & Eileen Wheeler, Hans &
Madeline van der Zweep.
346
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
ABBREVIATIONS
CB - Chaumont Barrens, T Chaumont, JEFF; CV - T Cape Vincent; CWF -
Canton wastewater facility; ED - El Dorado Shores Preserve, T Ellisburg; FD -
Fort Drum Military Reservation; LPd - Leonard Pond trail, T Colton; MM -
Massawepie Mire, T Piercefield and Colton; PRWMA - Perch River WMA;
SLR - St. Lawrence River; ULLWMA - Upper and Lower Lakes WMA, T
Canton; WHWMA - Wilson Hill WMA; WISP - Wellesley Island SP; WS -
Winthrop Swamp, T Stockholm.
WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES
Brant: CV 4 Jun (WF), late.
BARNACLE GOOSE: Alexandria 31 Jul (MN,
photos!), date suggests escaped exotic.
Trumpeter Swan: max 9 PRWMA 3 Jul,
presumably included y but report lacked details;
no other report suggested successful
reproduction.
Wood Duck: Aug numbers on ULLWMA &
WHWMA impoundments only 10-20% that seen
Aug 2009 & 2010; plentiful elsewhere.
Gadwall: max 25 PRWMA 24 Aug.
Am. Wigeon: max 25 PRWMA 24 Aug.
Blue-winged Teal: max 26 CWF 29 Aug.
N. Shoveler: 3 Antwexp 30 Jul; 3 Murray Isle 3
Aug.
N. Pintail: ULLWMA 7 Aug, only-report.
Green-winged Teal: max 12 CWF 28 Aug.
Redhead: max 32 WHWMA 26 Aug.
Ring-necked Duck: max 136 WHWMA 26
Aug.
Com. Merganser: 5 reports 1-2 outside
Adirondacks Jun & Jul.
Red-breasted Merganser: 7 WISP 4 July; ED
24 July.
Ruffed Grouse: broods reportedly scarce.
Spruce Grouse: Parishville nest abandoned by
14 Jun, no further reports from area.
Pied-billed Grebe: max 58 ULLWMA 7 Aug.
Red-necked Grebe: ad SLR Ogdeusburg 28
Aug (JB).
Least Bittern: 2 StPt 24 July; 2 WHWMA 15
June.
Great Egret: max 126 WS 22 Aug.
Black-crowned Night-Heron: up to 20/day
PRWMA thru; max 50 Murphy Is. 19 Jul.
HAWKS - ALCIDS
Am. Kestrel: max 12 together FD 26 Jul.
Merlin: nesting population continuing to
increase.
Peregrine Falcon: nests at Payne L &
Ogdensburg Bridge fledged 1 y each; nest on
Long Sault Dam apparently failed.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Com. GaUinule: max 21 PRWMA 21 Jul.
Sandhill Crane: Clayton 9 Jul (ML); pr with juv
Ellisburg several dates Jun & Jul apparently first
nesting Region 6 (GS, GA); 3 ad Lisbon thru Jul
(AJ, MBW).
Am, Golden-Plover: FD 16 Aug; ad
Waddington 20 Aug.
Semipalmated Plover: northbound max 8
Ellisburg 4 June; southbound max 8 CWF 29
Aug.
Solitary Sandpiper: max 4 several locations
Aug.
Greater YeOowIegs: max 3 CWF 26 Aug.
Lesser Yellowlegs: max 35 CWF 29 Aug.
Upland Sandpiper: 3-4 terr FD Jun; White
River LEWI 7 Jun; Chaumont 11 Jun; 2 CV 30
Jul; 4 Dog Hill Rd T Orleans 22 Jul; apparently
migrating: 3 FD 26 Jul; 1 FD 1 Aug; 1 FD 5
Aug.
MARBLED GODW1T: Ellisburg 3-4 Jun (TS,
DW, JB, photos!, report to NYSARC).
Ruddy Turnstone: 6 on concrete navigation
cells SLR Massena 5 Jun.
Sanderling: 3 flying up SLR past WHWMA 20
Aug.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: with Ruddy
Turnstones SLR Massena 5 Jun only northbound
report; 4 reports 1 -2 late Aug.
Least Sandpiper: max 5 CWF 26 Aug.
White-rumped Sandpiper: 2 at marshy pond
Dekalb 14 Jun, only report.
Stilt Sandpiper: 2 CWF 26 Aug (JB).
Red-necked Phalarope: WHWMA 26 Aug
(JB).
LAUGHING GULL (R6): ad SLR Alexandria
23 Jun (NK).
Caspian Tern: 5-30/day PRWMA thru.
Black Tern: 30-45/day PRWMA thru early
Aug; 20-30/day ULLWMA Jun; 20 Wilson’s
Bay CV 11 Jun; 4 LWMA 4 Jul.
Com. Tern: 1177 nests SLR highest in recent
history and 37.8% increase since 2009 (LH).
347
PIGEONS - WOODPECKERS
Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 25+reports.
Black-billed Cuckoo: about 30 reports; much
scarcer than most years.
Long-eared Owl: FD 15 Jun.
N. Saw-whet Owl: FD 15 Jun.
Com. Nighthawk: 8-12 per day FD thru mid-
Aug; no other breeding season reports.
E. Whip-poor-will: max 41 heard on 10-stop
survey route FD 15 Jun.
Red-headed Woodpecker: 8-10 pr FD, where
difficult to find until y fledged mid-Jul.
Black-backed Woodpecker: Patishville 4 Jui;
max 3 LPd 5 Aug.
FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS
Olive-sided Flycatcher: migrant ULLWMA 14
Jun: breeding reports from High Falls Trail &
Fox Marsh.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: arr FD 16 Aug; 4
additional reports late Aug.
W. KINGBIRD: FD 12 Jul (GL, photos!, report
to NYSARC).
Philadelphia Vireo: MM 2 Jul, only report.
Gray Jay: 2 ad w juv White Hill Wild Area T
Parishville 12 Jun; max 10+ MM 27 Jul; 8 LPd 5
Aug,
Horned Lark: max 11 FD 29 Jul.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: singing m FD 22 Jun
& juvenile nearby 22 Aug, first documented
breeding at this location.
Carolina Wren: Louisville 20 Aug; singing m
Canton yard 30 Jul first in this location since
Apr.
Sedge Wren: arr Ellisburg 3 Jun; max 11 FD 7
Jul, where y on several terr mid-Jul; 2 Dog Hill
Road T Orleans 22 July; Hammond 2 Aug.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: South Sandy Creek
Jun: different locations FD 10 Jun & 2 Jul.
N. Mockingbird: 2 pr FD thru, where nest w 3 y
25 Aug fledged 26 or 27 Aug (late); PRWMA 28
Jun; Hammond 12 July.
LONGSPURS - WARBLERS
Louisiana Waterthrush: Downerville SF 26
Jun.
Golden-winged Warbler: many on surveys FD,
Indian River Lakes, and W. St. Lawrence Valley.
Blue-winged Warbler: approximately as
common as Golden-winged Warbler FD; much
less common STLA; several presumed terr m
resumed singing FD 18 Aug thru.
Blue-winged X Golden-winged Warbler
hybrid: increasing STLA; 2 terr m
348
“Lawrence’s” FD Jun; migrant “Lawrence’s” FD
22 Aug
Tennessee Warbler: singing m FD 2 Jul not
seen again; different location FD 10 Aug.
Hooded Warbler: 2 Winona SF T Lorraine 3
Jun.
Cape May Warbler: air FD 22 Aug.
Cerulean Warbler: 2 Rossie 11 Jun; Dekalb 14
Jun; 5-7 singing m FD Jun.
N. Parula: apparent very late northbound
migrant FD 27 June; southbound arr FD 25 Aug.
Bay-breasted Warbler: arr FD 22 Aug.
Blackburnian Warbler: many migrating last
week Aug.
Yellow Warbler: migrating by 25 Jul.
Blackpoll Warbler: arr FD 22 Aug.
Palm Warbler: singing m Parishville, new
location; well documented MM but not
elsewhere in Adirondacks.
Yellow-rumped Warbler: apparent migrants
FD 1 Aug.
Prairie Warbler: no reports away from
traditional breeding sites FD & CB.
Canada Warbler: up to 12/day FD.
TOWHEES - WEAVERS
Clay-colored Sparrow: 50+ singing m FD Jun
& Jul; Henderson 12 Jun (SK); Chaumont 30 Jun
(AB).
Vesper Sparrow : 150+ singing m FD thru; no
other reports.
Grasshopper Sparrow : 50+ singing m FD thru;
6 other locations JEFF; 2 Hammond 14 Jun.
Henslow’s Sparrow: 6 terr m FD Jun declined
to 4 Jul; up to 6 singing m reported Hammond 14
Jun could not be relocated; 5 terr m Dog Hill Rd
T Orleans 11-12 Jun & 22 Jul.
Lincoln’s Sparrow: several reports each MM &
Horseshoe L Bog; lack of reports elsewhere
STLA result of poor coverage.
Dark-eyed Junco: 2 Philadelphia 11 Jun; juv
FD 26 Jul; only reports away from Adirondacks
& Tug Hill.
DICKCISSEL (R6): apparently migrating FD 3
Aug (JB).
Bobolink: migrating by 29 July; steady
migration 16 Aug thru.
Red-winged Blackbird: max 1500 feeding in
wild rice ULLWMA 28 Aug.
Rusty Blackbird: several reports from High
Falls Trail.
Orchard Oriole: Clayton yard thru 23 Jun.
Baltimore Oriole: obvious migrants by 5 Aug.
Pine Siskin: Parishville 4 Jul.
Evening Grosbeak: 4 Hyde L JEFF 28 Jul.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
REGION 7—ADIRONDACK-CHAMPLAIN
Melanie McCormack
PO Box 366, Keene, NY 12942
Mruddyduck@aol.com
The summer of 2011 was a mostly enjoyable summer for the Region, with
temperatures just slightly above normal for all three months and below average
precipitation for June and July. In June temperatures in the Adirondacks were
3.1° above normal, with a warm spell in the second week that brought
temperatures into the 90s in some towns, including a high of 93° in Willsboro on
9 June. The warm trend continued into July, with temperatures 3.9° above
average in the Adirondacks and 2.7° in the Champlain Valley, setting records as
the fifth warmest July on record. The wannest week of the summer came in the
third week of July, with temperatures reaching 89° in Tupper Lake and 96° in
Chazy on 22 July. The coolest July temperatures were nighttime lows ranging
from 45-50° on the 14 th and 15 th . August temperatures remained warm, with
temperatures 1.7° above average in the Region, with the highest temperatures
occurring in the first few days followed by a cold snap that brought a record low
of 39° in Peru on the 6 th . The real story of August, though, was rainfall.
After record-breaking precipitation in the winter and spring months the rain
was not missed by anyone during these months, but the rain returned in August
to continue the record-breaking trend nonetheless and to produce the wettest
August on record. Monthly precipitation totals ranged from 2.2-6.5" above
normal across the Region. The weather event of the year was certainly Tropical
Storm Irene , which brought record rainfall totals to some towns and caused flash
flooding and widespread damage to roads, homes, and businesses throughout the
Region. A series of storms in mid-August had already saturated the ground
before Irene's arrival, causing the several inches of rain to pour off the
mountainsides in torrents that created new slides on many peaks and made some
rivers and streams change course. Official rainfall totals from the storm that hit
on 28 August ranged from 5.3" in Lake Placid to 7.5" at Whiteface Mountain,
with locals in my town of Keene reporting over 8" of rain. Some of the worst
rain fell on the northern side of the high peaks, bringing the Ausable River to a
record-breaking height of 19' and causing the worst damage to the towns of
Keene, Jay, and Ausable Forks, isolating these towns for days while roads and
bridges were repaired.
While road closures created challenges for birders in the Adirondacks post-
Irene, good shore bird fallouts were still recorded by birders in the Champlain
Valley in the days following the storm. On 29 August a high count of 35
Caspian Terns was reported from Port Henry, and on the 30 th a high count of
525 Bonaparte’s Gulls was reported from Westport. The 31 st brought the highest
numbers and greatest diversity of shorebirds all season to the always productive
Chazy Riverlands, with 11 shorebird species reported in a single day. The
highlights included two Red Knots, two White-rumped Sandpipers, two Bairds’s
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
349
Sandpipers, four Pectoral Sandpipers, and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper —only
the fourth record in Clinton County.
Chazy Riverlands was also the site of excellent birds in the beginning of the
season as the last spring migrants passed through. The 3 rd of June brought the
first sighting since 1998 of a Cattle Egret as well as a Glossy Ibis. A pair of
Red-necked Phalaropes in breeding plumage stopped by on the 4 th and is only
the third record for the Region. A Marbled Godwit was present from the 15-
20 th of June—only the fourth county record. On 30 July there was a report at the
Riverlands of a drake Ruddy Duck, a species usually only seen in migration in
the Champlain Valley. Another Ruddy Duck report of two chicks came out of
Madawaska on 16 July, a unique sighting for a species that is only known to
breed in western NY.
Record precipitation in the spring and mild temperatures in the summer
resulted in an excellent year for berries, cones, and bisects, which seemed to
have benefited bird populations as well. In my own observations while
conducting bird surveys this summer, I noticed very high numbers of Cedar
Waxwings, and there were numerous reports of them across the Region. There
was an above average number of reports of Black-billed Cuckoos, likely the
result of high tent caterpillar populations. A strong number of Red Crossbills
was reported this summer, as well as one report of White-winged Crossbills. In
late August there was a scattering of reports of flocks of Common Nighthawks
feeding on swarms of insects, though there were no reports earlier in the season.
An Orchard Oriole was spotted in Keene Valley on 21 June, a good find in the
Adirondacks.
Lastly I think it is worth mentioning how some of our rarer species and
species of conservation concern faired in this season’s reports. There was a lone
report of Spruce Grouse, an adult male from the Osgood River on 14 July.
Black Terns were reported from Chazy Riverlands throughout the season, with
a maximum report of three individuals, fewer than previous years. BicknelTs
Thrush was reported from a number of peaks, with as many as six being
reported from both Mt. Marcy and Whiteface Mountain. Boreal Chickadees
were reported from a number of bogs and high elevation forests in the Region.
Gray Jays seemed to be reliable, with sightings in Bloomingdale and Fet'd’s
Bogs this year and with additional reports from Moose River Plains and Paul
Smiths. A single Three-toed Woodpecker was observed during a BBS in Inlet.
There were only four reports of Rusty Blackbirds, including a report of two
breeding pairs again present near Chazy Lake. Common Loons met some
challenges this year, with record breaking water levels in the spring flooding
many of their usual nest sites. Many of the pairs that I observed adapted well,
however, renesting later in the season and successfully fledging at least one
chick.
In all, this summer was a record breaking season not only for precipitation
but for birds as well. The season total was 196 species, breaking the previous
record of 192 set in 2004 and rising well above last year’s total of 176.
350
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
CONTRIBUTORS
Andrew Baksh, Scott Barnes, Alan Belford, Susan Black, Ken Chaisson, Kelly
Close, Joan Collins, Jim de Waal Malefyt, Diane Demers, Joe Demko, Gordon
Dimmig, Gail Epstein, Jessica Ewing, Suzy Feustel, Elizabeth Fitts, Craig
Fosdick, Kenny Frisch, Andrew Garland, Larry Hall, Bob Howard, Brett
Haranin, Patti Haynes, Judith Heintz, Betsy Jensen, Elsbeth Johnson, Kyle
Jones, Dave Kaddie, Bill Krueger, Gary Lee, Larry Master, Brian McAllister,
Melanie McCormack, Matthew Medler, Charlie Mitchell, Avery Nagy-
MacArthur, Dan Nickerson, Sean O’Brien, Nancy Olsen, Jim Osborn, Justin
Potter, Sharon Pratt, Nancy Rogers, Dana Rohleder, Ben Schweinhart, Scott
Schwenk, Robert Scott, Robert Scranton, Marilyn Smith, James Swanson, John
and Pat Thaxton, Alison Wagner, Brad Walker, Colleen Williams, Thomas
Williams, Robert G Williams 111, Chris Wood, Matthew Young, Janice Zepko.
ABBREVIATIONS
AP - Ausable Point; BB - Bloomingdale Bog; CH - Cumberland Head; CR -
Chazy Riverlands; IF - Intervale Farm, Lake Placid; LA - Lake Alice; LP -
Lake Pleasant; LL - Long Lake; Mad - Madawaska, MRP - Moose River
Plains; NP - Noblewood Park; OL - Oseetah Lake; PS - Paul Smiths; PtR -
Point Au Roche SP: RF - Reagan Flats Road, Bombay; SPB - Spring Pond
Bog; SB - Sabattis Bog; SC - Scomotion Creek, Plattsburgh: SLB - Silver
Lake Bog; StR - Saint Regis Canoe Area; SSP - Shingle Shanty Preserve, Ti -
Ticonderoga, TL - Tupper Lake; WF - Whiteface Mtn., WM - Wickham
Marsh.
WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES
Snow Goose: CR 15 Jun (BK&JOk
Brant: CR 3 Jun (BK).
Canada Goose: max 58 RF 23 Aug (RS).
Wood Duck: max 14 Pt Au Fer 19 Aug.
Gad wall: 2 RF 3 Jun(RS); 6 CR 8 Jun (JO).
Am. Black Duck: max 15 Saranac Lakes 15 Jul
(AW).
Blue-winged Teal: CR 15, 28 Jun (BK).
Green-winged Teal: 3 CR 30 Jun (NO).
Ring-necked Duck: 5 OL 12 Jun (GD); 8 TL 26
Jun (JZ); 8 PS 1 Jul (BM); 4 Chub Pond 27 Jul
(BH).
Lesser Scaup: CR 11 Jun (BK&JO).
Coin, Goldeneye: 2 OL 12 Jun (GD); 2 Port
Kent 20 Jun (SP).
Hooded Merganser: 6 Black Pond 15 July (SF);
max 8 AP 17 Aug (BJ).
Com. Merganser: mw 26 Essex 22 Aug (AW).
Ruddy Duck: CR 30 Jul (BK&CM), drake late
rec CLIN; 2 FL Mad 16 Jul (AB&SO).
Ring-necked Pheasant: Chazy 4 Jul (BK&CM).
Ruffed Grouse: max 8 IF 4 Jun (JD).
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Spruce Grouse: Osgood Ri 14 Jul (GE), male.
Wild Turkey: max 20 RF 16 Jul (RS).
Com. Loon: max 20 StR 1 Jul (KF).
Pied-billed Grebe: max 7 CR 8 Jun (JO); PS 9
Jul (JF),
Double-crested Cormorant: 2 SB 1 Jul; max
2050 Port Henry 30 Aug (BJ).
Am. Bittern: max 4 PS 9 Jul (JF).
Great Blue Heron: max 14 Wilmington 13 Jun
(GD).
Great Egret: 2 Riley Brook 20 Jun; 2 CR 28
Jun. AP l Jul; RF 16 Jul; NP 19 Aug.
CATTLE EGRET (R7): CR 3 Jun (BHo), 1 st
sighting since 1998.
Green Heron: max 3 SC 31 Jul (NO).
Black-crowned Night-Heron: max 5 SC 14 Jul
(NO); 3 Valcour 120 Jul (BK).
Glossy Ibis: CR 3 Jun (BHo).
Turkey Vulture: max 17 Crown Pt 16 Aug.
HAWKS - ALCIDS
Osprey: max 6 AP 17 Jul (BJ).
Bald Eagle: max 3 12 Jun OL (GD).
351
N. Harrier: max 4 Essex 31 Jul (DN).
Sharp-shinned Hawk: max 4 BB 23 Aug (AG).
Cooper's Hawk: Willis L 30 Jul (KC); Malone
24 Jul (KC); Ti 9 Aug (PH).
N. Goshawk: LP 2 Jul (JD); Tahawus 14 Aug
(MY); Bigsby Rd 20 Aug (BW).
Red-shouldered Hawk: SLB 4 Jul (KF); TL 10
Jul (JD).
Broad-winged Hawk: max 6 BB 27 Aug (AG).
Red-tailed Hawk: max 2 RF 3 Jun (RS).
Am. Kestrel: max 6 Altona 17 Aug (MMc).
Merlin: max 2 IF 5 Jun (LM); 2 Willsboro 21
Jun (SP),
Peregrine Falcon: EF 4 Jun (LM); Upper
Saranac L 17 Jul (AW); Mt Colvin 31 Jul
(MM&DD).
Virginia Rail: LA 17 Jun (NO).
Sora: CR 10 Jul (JO).
Com. Gallinule: max 5 CR 25 Aug (BK&CM);
Riley Brook 20 Jul (NO).
Am. Coot: CR 31 Jul-27 Aug, mob.
Black-bellied Plover: max 14 CR 4 Jun; arr CR
4 Jul, early CLIN; CR 31 Aug.
Am. Golden-Plover: 18 CR 31 Aug (JO&BK).
Semipalmated Plover: arr NP 29 Jul
(MMe&DD); max 13 CR 31 Aug (BK&JO).
Killdeer: max 10 NP 7 Aug (MMe&DD),
Spotted Sandpiper: max 3 Raquette L 14 Aug
(BT).
Greater Yellowlegs: CR 9 Jul-31 Aug; 2 NP 18
July (TW); max 11 CR 31 Aug.
Lesser Yellowlegs: CR 2 Jul-31 Aug, max 22 9
Jul; 2 NP 18 Jul & 6 Aug (TW).
Whimbrel: ESSEX FERRY 29 JUL (DN).
MARBLED GODWIT: CR 15, 20 Jul (JO, BK,
CM, NO). 4 ,h rec CLIN.
Ruddy Turnstone: 2 CR 31 Aug (BK&JO).
Red Knot: 2 CR 24, 26 Aug (BK&JO).
Sanderling: 2 CR 24 Aug (BK&JO); 8 Port
Henry 29 Aug (El).
Semipalmated Sandpiper: 7 NP 7 Aug
(MMe&DD); Port Henry 29 Aug (EJ); max 24
CR 31 Aug (BK&JO).
Least Sandpiper: 14 NP 7 Aug (MMe&DD); 2
Port Henry 29 Aug (EJ); max 28 CR 31 Aug
(BK&JO),
White-rumped Sandpiper: CR 15 Jun (BK),
late rec CLIN; max 28 CR 11 Aug.
Baird's Sandpiper: CR 13 Aug; max 2 CR 31
Aug (JO).
Pectoral Sandpiper: NP 7 Aug (MMe&DD);
max 4 CR 31 Aug (BK&JO).
Dunlin: 2 CR 3 Jun-11 Jun, late CLIN.
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (R7): CR 31
Aug (JO), 4 lh CLIN record.
Am. Woodcock: max 2 Raquette L 14 Aug
(BT).
352
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (R7): 2 CR 4
Jun (JO), pair, 3 rJ CLIN record.
Bonaparte's Gull: 400 CR 19 Jun; 305 NP 9
Aug (CF); max 525 Westport 30 Aug (EJ).
Little Gull: 2 CR 4 Jun-29 Jun, mob.
Great Black-backed Gull: max 6 Port Kent 5
Aug (KJ).
Caspian Tern: 3 SC 14 Jul (NO); 17 CR 17 Jul;
22 NP 29 Jul; max 35 Port Henry 29 Aug (EJ).
Black Tern: CR 18 Jun-10 Jul (JO); max 3 CR
29 Jun; CR 3 Aug (NO).
Com. Tern: 6 RF 3 Jun (RS); 2 AP 20 Jun (SP);
2CR17 Jul-31 Jul.
PIGEONS - WOODPECKERS
Yellow-billed Cuckoo: PS 4 Jul (BM); 2 Mad
16 Jul (SO&AB), only reports.
Black-billed Cuckoo: 2 RF 3 Jun; 2 Bellmont 5
Jun; 2 L Placid 10 Jul; Piseco 13 Jul; 2 Keene 14
Jul; Essex 31 Jul; Witherbee 31 Jul; Altona 17
Aug.
E. Screech-Owl: AP 17 Aug (BJ).
Great Horned Owl: Keene 19 Jun (J&PT);
Willis L 13 Aug (KC).
Barred Owl: max 2 Lewey L 4 Jul (RW).
Com. Nighthawk: BB 18 Aug (MMa); 3 SL 25
Aug (AB); max 20 Plattsburgh 25 Aug; 16 Peru
30 Aug (DR).
E. Whip-poor-will: max 5 Miner Flat Rock 26
Jul (NO); 2 Willsboro 31 Jul (MMc&LS).
Chimney Swift: 4 Ferds Bog 10 Jun; 6 MRP 25
Jun; max 12 Big Simons Pd 6 Aug.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: max 3 Bigsby
Pond 19 Aug (BW); 3 MRP 25 Jun (JZ).
Belted Kingfisher: max 6 OL 19 Jul (GD).
Red-bellied Woodpecker: Inlet 7 Jul (CW),
only report.
Black-backed Woodpecker: max 4 Moose
Pond 22 Jun; 4 Ferds Bog 18 Aug, many reports.
Am. Three-toed Woodpecker: Inlet 7 Jul
(CW), only report.
FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS
Olive-sided Flycatcher: max 6 Mad 16 Jul
(AB&SO); also multiple reports from BB, SLB,
and MRP.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: LA 8 Jun; 5 SLB 11
Jun; 4 BB 18 Jun; max 7 High Peaks Wilderness
18 Jun.
Alder Flycatcher: max 15 IF 4 Jun (LM).
Willow Flycatcher: 2 RF 3 Jun (RS); LA 8 Jun
(JO); Dickinson Ctr 4 JuJ (AN); SLB 11 Jul (JH).
Great Crested Flycatcher: max 3 RF 4 Jul
(RS).
Yellow-throated Vireo: Rand Hill 27 Aug (JH).
Warbling Vireo: max 3 Malone 24 Jul (KC).
Philadelphia Vireo: SPB 11 Jun (AB); Keene 9
Jul (J&PT); LP 16 Aug; WM 29 Aug.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Gray Jay: max 6 SSP 11 Jun (JP); 3 Ferds Bog
17 Jun (GL); 4 PS l4Jul (BM); 5 BB 19 Jul
(GD).
Com. Raven: max 5 Pilchoff Mtn 6 Aug (SS).
Horned Lark: 4 CR 8 Jun (JO).
Purple Marlin; 6 RF 3 Jun (RS).
N. Rough-winged Swallow: max 8 RF 3 Jun
(RS); 3 Upper Saranac L 16 Jul (AW).
Bank Swallow: 4 RF 16 Jul (RS).
Cliff Sw allow: 8 CR 2 Jul; 20 RF 16 Jul (RS).
Boreal Chickadee: LP 8 Jul (JD); 6 Mad 15 Jul;
2 PS 4 Aug; 6 BB 1 Aug with FL; MRP 2 Aug;
max 9 Panther Peak 20 Aug;
Tufted Titmouse: LP 8 Jul; 2 Essex 31 Jul.
Carolina Wren: CH 1 Jun-31 Jul (NO);
Plattsburgh 12 Jun (BK).
Marsh Wren: max 15 SC 15 Jul (NO).
E. Bluebird: max 6 RF 23 Aug (RS).
Veery: max 6 IF 5 Jun (LM).
Bicknell’s Thrush: 5 Porter Ml 11 Jun; max 6
Ml Marcy 18 Jun (KF); 6 WF 18 Jul (AB); 2
Blue Mt 31 Jul (JC).
Swainson's Thrush: 8 Mt Marcy 18 Jun (KF); 3
Blue Mt 3 Jul; max 15 WF 13 Jul.
Wood Thrush: IF 5 Jun (LM); NP 27 Jun
(J&PT).
N. Mockingbird: LP 5 Jul (JD); Plattsburgh 2
Aug (NO).
Brown Thrasher: IF 6 Jun (LM); LA 16 Jun
(NO); max 3 RF 4 Jul (RS).
Cedar Waxwing: max 40 MRP 25 Jun (JZ);
high numbers across Region due to excellent
berry crop.
LONGSPURS - WARBLERS
Tennessee Warbler: SPB 1 Jul (T&CW); BB
27 Aug (AB&SO).
Am. Redstart: max 6 RF 4 Jul (RS).
Cape May Warbler: IF 6 Jun (LM); 18 Jun Mt
Marcy (KF); 18 Jun SPB (MMc); Inlet 7 Jul
(CW).
N. Parula: max 11 Dunlop Rd 12 Jul (SF).
Magnolia Warbler: max 16 IF 5 Jun (LM).
Bay-breasted Warbler: IF L Placid (AB).
Blackburnian Warbler: max 9 StR 1 Jul (KF).
Chestnut-sided Warbler: max 10 IF 4 Jun
(LM).
Blackpoll Warbler: WF 4 Jun; 8 Porter Ml 11
Jun (MMe); max 30 Yard Mt 16 Jul (J&PT).
Black-throated Blue Warbler: max 12 StR 1
Jul (KF).
Palm Warbler: max 10 BB 18 Jun.
Pine Warbler: max 7 StR I Jul (KF).
Black-throated Green Warbler: max 16
Hurricane Mt 19 Jun (MMe).
Canada Warbler: max 10 Mad 15 Jul (SF).
TOWHEES - WEAVERS
E. Towhee: RF 3 Jun (RS); MRP 25 Jun (JZ);
TL 10 Jul (JD); Malone 24 Jul (KC).
Field Sparrow: BB 12 Jun (AB); CP 20 Jul
(C&TW).
Vesper Sparrow: French Settlement Rd 4 Jun
(NR).
Savannah Sparrow': max 9 LP 16 Jul (SF).
Lincoln’s Sparrow: SPB 18 Jun; SB 1 Jul; max
10 BB 23 Aug (AG).
Swamp Sparrow: max 6 BB 11 Jul (SF).
Scarlet Tanager: MRRA 1 Jun; 3 StR 1 Jul;
SLB 4 Jul; 2 PS 9 Jul; max 4 Inlet 7 Jul (CW).
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 3 Clarojast 29 Jun;
max 7 Inlet 7 Jul; 4 SLB 18 Aug; 2 Keene 20
Aug.
Indigo Bunting: max 10 MRP 12 Jun; 4
Dickinson Ctr 25 Jun-18 Aug.
Bobolink: 4 CH b7 Jun-15 Jul (NO); 8 Heaven
Hill 11 Jun (BS); max 110 Essex 7 Aug (MMe).
E. Meadow lark: 2 RF 3 Jun (RS).
Rusty Blackbird: SPB 18 Jun (MMc); 4 Chazy
L 18-19 Jun; Whileface Landing 20 Jun (MMc);
Browns Tract 12 Jul (GL), only reports.
Brown-headed Cowbird: max 8 PS 4 Aug
(RS).
Orchard Oriole: Keene Valley 21 Jun (LM), 2 nd
yr male.
Purple Finch: Inlet 2 Jun (GL); 5 SLP 3 Jul
(SF); 5 Witherbee 31 Jul; max 6 BB 10 Aug.
Red Crossbill: 4 BB 18 Jun; LP 5 Jul; 2 Inlet 8
Jul; 3 Vanderwhacker Mt 30 Jul; 3 Boreas R 1
Aug; 3 Minerva 2 Aug; 4 Browns Tract 14 Aug;
Tahawus 14 Aug; good number of reports.
White-winged Crossbill: Osgood R 19 Jun
(J&PT).
Evening Grosbeak: BB 18, 20 Jun (SB); LL 19
Aug (JC).
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
353
REGION 8—HUDSON-MOHAWK
Will Yandik
269 Schneider Road, Hudson NY 12534
wyandik@hotmail.com
Summer 2011 was among the wettest at Albany International Airport since
record keeping began, mainly due to two tropical storms that dumped up to 15"
of rain in some parts of the Catskill Mountains, caused region-wide flooding,
and, in some cases, severe damage to habitats both natural and human. June
ended a degree and a half warmer than average, with nearly an inch more rain
than average. July continued to warm, ending 3.8° above average, with a heat
wave topping out at 99° on the 21 st . August ended slightly warmer than average,
with seven more inches of rainfall than average at Albany. Several towns south
of Albany, particularly in Schoharie and Greene counties, received more than
10" of rain from the remnants of Hurricane Irene , leading to historic flooding
that destroyed entire hamlets and attracted national attention to the
unprecedented scale of flooding and damage.
Many birders tried to scan the fields and rivers for hurricane-driven
accidentals. Jesse Jaycox reported a neighbor who found a White-tailed
Tropicbird on the side of the road in Stephentown, Rensselaer County, and
attempted to send the bird to a rehabilitator. Unrelated to the storm, but nearly as
tropical, many area birders were able to locate a wandering American White
Pelican in the Capital District from Hudson to Cohoes between 8-16 August.
Although it may be hard for our birding neighbors in the Adirondacks and
on Long Island to believe, it is big news in Region 8 that a confirmed nesting
record for Osprey is at hand for the Hudson River. A pair has nested on one of
the navigation stations very near the river border of Columbia and Greene
Counties. For reasons difficult to understand. Ospreys have always been fairly
common in summer on the mid-Hudson, having access to snags and suitable
nesting sites and with broad open stretches of water with suitable prey, but the
birds have never successfully bred here. In the 1980s, nesting platforms were
erected in several locations along the Hudson, with no reports of success. We’ll
be keeping an eye out for any future breeding of this species in our Region.
The Region had three reports of Sandhill Crane this summer. One report,
in Ancram, is the sixth record for that county. The first, according to Alan
Devoe Bird Club records compiler. Bill Cook, occurred in 1967. Although
increasing statewide, cranes are still a rare occurrence in the Region.
While conducting his annual mid-June dawn survey on Hunter Mountain,
Steve Chorvas reported three Ruby-crowned Kinglets singing alternately and
defending territories. They are an uncommon breeder on some of the highest
peaks of the Catskills in our Region. Steve also recorded 15 Bicknell’s Thrush
near the Hunter summit this year.
A wet, late spring caused fanners to dive into their hayfields during a dry
window in early June and cut as fast as they could, which likely led to poor
354 The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
breeding outcomes for many grassland nesting birds. Richard Nord reported
nesting success for a few pair of meadowlarks in Claverack, Columbia County.
Rich frequently talks with the farmers who own the fields adjacent to his home,
informs them of the birds’ declining status, and asks if they could delay
mowing. This sort of local action probably has just as much chance of saving
grassland breeding birds as any national policy, and we commend Rich for just
this sort of effort.
A few birders drove up to Ames, Montgomery County, this summer and
recorded Henslow’s Sparrows there, sparking an interesting conversation on
where we can still find this sparrow elsewhere in the state and whether we
should now consider this species threatened. It’s a familiar story in our state, of
declining farmland, forest succession, and fragmentation of suitable open
grassland habitats, but what is new is a glowing discussion of how amateurs,
especially using free online software such as eBird, can help to document the
status of this species and others between major efforts such as the Breeding Bird
Atlas Program. These casual observations cannot supplant systematic study or
replace statistical rigor, but so many ears and eyes can surely be put to good use.
I would encourage ecologists, land managers, graduate students, and others to
notify Regional editors if there are species of concern that we should be taking
note of, especially species that might be common here now but declining
significantly in other parts of their region- or continent-wide ranges.
CONTRIBUTORS
Steve Abrahamsen, Alan Devoe Bird Club monthly sighting reports, Larry
Alden, Dave Bairn, Hope Batchellor, Mona Bearor, Steve Chorvas, Gerry
Colborn, Bill Cook, Tim Dormady, Corey Finger, John Finley, Dave Gibson,
Elizabeth Grace, Jane Graves, Richard Guthrie, David Harrison, Ron Harrower,
John Hershey, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club's Birdline of Eastern New York,
Nancy Kern, Eric Kranz, Bill Lee, Alan Mapes, Dave Martin, Andrew Mason,
Kelly McKay, Roger Miller, Mike Morgante, Frank Murphy, Gail & Rich Nord,
Paul Novak, Tim O’Conner, Mike Peterson, John Piwowarski, Neil Powell, Bill
Purcell, Barb Putnam, Bob Ramonowski, Will Raup, Steph Restuccia, Bill
Ruscher, George Steele, Joan Suriano, Bill & Marion Ulmer, Alison Van
Keuren, Marlene Vidibor, Carol & Owen Whitby, Phil Whitney, Tom Williams,
T. Lloyd Williams, Chris Winters, Allan & Phyllis Wirth, Chad Witko, John
Workman, Will Yandik, Robert Yunick.
ABBREVIATIONS
COX - T Coxsackie, GREE; FtE - T Fort Edwards, WASH; HR - Hudson Ri;
VF - Vischer’s Ferry, SARA.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
355
WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES
N. Shoveler: HR SARA 20 Jul.
Ruddy Duck: Schodack RENS 3 Jan.
WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD:
Presbyterian Hill Rd Stephentown RENS 29 Aug
(JJ), injured bird found along road,
AM. WHITE PELICAN (R8): Hudson COLU
8 Aug; Cohoes ALBA 8-16 Aug (mob).
Am Bittern: 3 HR SARA 14 Jun: HR WASH 29
Jun.
Least Bittern: BCM 17 Jul.
Great Egret: max 6 Cohoes ALBA 6 Aug.
Snowy Egret: New Baltimore GREE 20 Aug.
Black-crowned Night-Heron: MRSCHE 10
Jul.
Black Vulture: Ghent COLU 8 Aug; 2
Slingerlands ALBA 18 Aug; Hudson COLU 22
Aug.
HAWKS - ALCIDS
MISSISSIPPI KITE: 2 Root MONT Jun thru.
Osprey: confirmed nesting along the Hudson R
seems imminent, intro.
N. Harrier: max 2 Ames MONT 14 Jul.
N. Goshawk: Dyken Pd RENS 4 Jun; Saratoga
SARA 17 Jul; Partridge Run 5 Aug.
Red-shouldered Hawk: Potic Swamp GREE 12
Jun; Saratoga Airport SARA 14 Jul.
Sora: HR SARA 22 Jul.
Com. Gallinule: BCM 4 Jul.
SANDHILL CRANE (R8): Galway SARA 24
Jun; Ancram COLU 6-7 Jul; County Rt 57
GREE 21 Aug.
Black-bellied Plover: 2 Wright’s Loop SARA 3
Jun.
Semipalmated Plover: max 16 Cohoes ALBA
16 Aug.
Solitary Sandpiper: Nassau RENS 22 Jul.
Greater Yellowlegs: max 3 Cohoes ALBA 4
Aug.
Lesser Yellowlegs: COX grasslands 24 Jul.
Upland Sandpiper: 4 Ames MONT 11 Jun thru.
Sanderling: VF 15 Aug.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: COX grasslands 24
Jul.
Least Sandpiper: max 20 Cohoes ALBA 4 Aug.
Dunlin: HR WASH 14 Jun.
Caspian Tern: COX boat launch Aug 21.
PIGEONS - WOODPECKERS
Com. Nighthawk: max 22 Colonie ALBA 22
Aug.
E. Whip-poor-will: Cold spring Rd SARA 9
Jun; Ghent COLU 16 Jun; Hillsdale COLU 18
Jun; max 9 Malta Tech Park SARA 10 Jul.
Red-headed Woodpecker: Niskayuna SCHE 5-
11 Jun.
FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: max 5 Hunter Mt
GREE 15 Jun; COX grasslands 24 Jul; Partridge
Run ALBA 20 Aug.
Cliff Swallow': 2 Saratoga 3 Jun; Alcove Res
ALBA 5 Jun.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 3 Hunter Mt GREE 15
Jun, singing territorially.
Gray-cheeked Thrush: Austerlitz COLU 28
Aug.
Bicknell’s Thrush: max 15 Hunter Mt GREE 15
Jun.
LONGSPURS - WARBLERS
N. Waterthrush: Chatham COLU 2 Jun.
Mourning Warbler: Partridge Run ALBA 1
Jun-1 Jul: Blackhead Mt GREE 4 Jun; Bumt-
Rossman SF SCHO 16 Jun-14 Aug; 2 Clapper
Hollow SF ALBA 20 Aug.
Hooded Warbler: Coeymans ALBA 6-24 Jun;
New Scotland ALBA 31 Jul.
Blackpoll Warbler: max 20 Hunter Mt GREE
15 Jun.
Canada Warbler: Hunter Mt GREE 15 Jun; 2
Clapper Hollow SF ALBA 20 Aug.
TOWHEES - WEAVERS
Grasshopper Sparrow : Saratoga Airport SARA
7 Jul; 2 Ames MONT 16 Jul.
Henslow’s Sparrow; MacPhail Rd Ames
MONT 11 Jul.
Lincoln’s Sparrow: Rensselaerville RENS 14
Jul.
E. Meadowlark: 5 Ames MONT 14 Jul.
Orchard Oriole: Germantown COLU 11 Jun.
Red Crossbill: Burnt-Rossman SF SCHO 16
July; 3 Burnt-Rossman SF SCHO 14 Aug.
White-winged Crossbill: Edinburg SARA 19
Jul.
Pine Siskin: Cobleskill BBS route SCHO 5 Jun.
Evening Grosbeak: 5 S Glens Falls WARR 11
Jun; Providence SARA 23 Jun.
356
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
REGION 9—HUDSON - DELAWARE
Michael Bochnik
70 Hutchinson Boulevard, Mt Vernon, NY 10552
BochnikM@cs.com
The summer report, which is usually highlighted by the breeding season, was
overshadowed by the plethora of first Regional and County records along with
many storm related sightings due to the direct hit of Hurricane/Tropical Storm
Irene in late August.
The season started out fairly wet. June was warmer and wetter than
average thanks to heavy rains in the days just prior to 24 June. The month came
in 2° degrees warmer than normal, with 4.4" of rain in Poughkeepsie and nearly
6" of rain in White Plains, 2.2" higher than average. July was highlighted by a
five-day heat wave from 19 to 23 July, with Poughkeepsie reaching 102° F on
22 July. The month came in a remarkable 3.8° warmer than normal but was dry,
with only 2.24" of precipitation. August started out very wet, with 17 of the first
20 days having at least some rain. The month was already the second wettest on
record by the 20 lh .
Hurricane Irene then hit New York as a tropical storm and dumped 6-11"
of rain on the area on 27-28 August. Tuxedo Park recorded 11.48" in a 24 hour
period. The center of the storm traveled over the east side of the Region, and a
number of storm related birds were reported. Most birds were seen just after the
center had passed on the morning of the 28 th . By late in the day, many storm
related birds had vanished. August easily broke the record for the wettest month.
The month was near normal in temperature, but both Poughkeepsie and White
Plains finished with 13.25" of rain.
Storm related birds on 28 August included the following: Andy Guthrie,
Tom Burke and Gail Benson observed an immature Long-tailed Jaeger at Rye
Beach as it traveled from inland to out into Long Island Sound. Details were
submitted to this editor. This would be the first record for Westchester County.
Benjamin Van Doren reported two adult Sooty Terns, two Wilson’s Storm-
Petrels, and two Black Terns also at Rye Beach. A NYSARC report was
submitted for the Sooties and some video of the storm-petrels was taken. On the
Hudson River, Lewis & Michael Lolya reported three Sooty Terns, eight Black
Terns, 20 Common Terns, and a Forster’s Tern from Croton Bay. Robert Slechta
found five Sooty Terns and three Black Terns at Croton Point Park. This is only
the second record for Sooty Tern in Westchester. The first were two adults and
an immature in Dobbs Ferry 6 September 1979 after Hurricane David. David
Gange, along with Tait Johansson reported a Bridled Tern at Pearson Park,
Tarrytown via an eBird report that included a brief but good description on the
back, wings, and tail. This would also be a first record for Westchester County,
if a NYSARC report is submitted and accepted. Evan Edelbaum found a Black¬
necked Stilt at the old GM plant in Sleepy Hollow. Benjamin Van Doren (photo
submitted to this editor), Robert Lewis, Lewis & Michael Lolya were also able
to view the stilt. The Lolyas then found three Wilson’s Storm-Petrels and
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
357
Benjamin Van Doren reported two Wilson’s Storm-Petrels and a Least Tern on
the Hudson near the stilt location. Without sounding like a broken record, the
Black-necked Stilt would also be a first record for Westchester County. Another
Least Tern was on the Hudson at Piermont Pier, Rockland’s first sighting since
1977.
The storm also produced devastating flooding in the entire area. The Black
Dirt region of Orange County was hard hit by the flooding, but it set up some
great shorebirding that lasted into September. Ken McDermott and Danny
Messina found a Whimbrel along with an American Golden Plover, five White-
rumped Sandpipers, two Baird's Sandpipers, five Pectoral Sandpipers, and a Stilt
Sandpiper on 30 August along with other common shorebirds. A second
Whimbrel was found in Ulster County at the Saugerties Lighthouse Trail on 31
August. Three Hudsonian Godwits, in three different inland counties, were
found in late August at Piermont Pier, Millbrook, and Kingston. Sanderlings
turned up in the Black Dirt region and along the Hudson after the storm.
A Black Tern at the Bashakill on 24 June foreshadowed a huge invasion
into the Region just before and especially after the storm. One was inland at
Morningside Par k 15 August followed by a report from Saugerties 20 August.
Then, just before the storm, seven were again at Morningside Park on 25 August
and 40 at Piermont Pier the same day. Just after the storm, along with the
previously mentioned Black Terns, another eight were off Sleepy Hollow in the
Hudson, 12 were on nearby Tarrytown Lake, and two were much further up the
Hudson at Kingston.
Along with numerous Common and Forster’s Terns that were chased up
the Hudson, a Royal Tern at Piermont Pier 28 August was Rockland’s first
record since 1960.
Turning to the other parts of the season, a number of waterfowl lingered
into June. Snow Goose, Northern Pintail, and Ruddy Duck were found inland;
Brant and White-winged Scoter were on Long Island Sound; and Lesser Scaup,
Red-breasted Merganser, and more Brant were on the Hudson. Ken Harris found
an adult male Common Eider at Waryas Park, Poughkeepsie on 13 June. The
sighting is both rare inland and for time of year. It is the second record for
Dutchess County; the first 1 was in October 1979.
The American White Pelican found in late May in Saugerties remained ‘til
1 June. A pair of Yellow-crowned Night-Herons successfully nested in New
Rochelle. There was no word on the small colony in Mount Vernon. Rob Stone
found a juvenile White Ibis, along with a Sedge Wren, at the NY portion of the
Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge in Pine Island, Orange County on 14 July. He
also spotted a Sandhill Crane the night before. All three birds lingered until at
least 25 July. After a two day absence, a juvenile White Ibis was found 11 miles
away at Bashakill Marsh by John Haas on 28 July and then relocated the next
day by Scott Baldinger. It disappeared thereafter. This is the first record for
Sullivan County. The ibis was then reported from Wallkill on 31 Jul, with
sporadic reports into August. In addition, one to two immature Little Blue
Herons were found in this same area.
358
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Peter Schoenberger also found and photographed a Sandhill Crane at the
Shawangunk Grasslands NWR in Ulster County on 5 June. The bird was
initially feeding but flew north after a few minutes.
The heavy rains just before 24 June flooded the Bashakill Marsh and wiped
out many Common Gallinule nests. John Haas continually surveyed the marsh
for breeding success/ failure and reported on his blog:
• American Bittern - at least three adults - first nesting most likely lost,
currently nesting again.
• Least Bittern - between six and eight birds minimum, with five adults
and one juvenile photographed. Some of the first nests were lost, birds
are nesting again.
• Common Gallinule - at least 25 pairs of moorhens present. First
nesting was a total loss, but birds are nesting again, with ample time for
a successful season.
• Pied-billed Grebe - at least three adults and one newly hatched chick
present. This is the first confirmed breeding in many years (2004). [He
subsequently found three half-grown Pied-billed Grebe chicks.]
• Sora - one or possibly two birds were present up until the last flood.
Not seen or heard since.
• Virginia Rails - at least four pairs/family groups present and some
confirmed breeding prior to floods, with some chicks seen/heard.
A cold front brought in a good wave of migrants on 23 August. Evan Mark
found a Prothonotary Warbler at Rockefeller Preserve in the morning and Lewis
Lolya found 14 species of warblers, a Philadelphia Vireo, and an Olive-sided
Flycatcher in a mixed flock at the preserve the same day in the evening.
Dickcissels were found in late August at Rogowski Farm in Orange
County and at Croton Point Park.
CONTRIBUTORS
Dan Albantides, John Askildsen, Judith Atwood, Scott & Paula Baldinger, Kyle
Bardwell, Robert Bate, Alan Beebe, Gail Benson, Michael Bochnik, Arlene
Borko, Lynn Bowdery, Tom Burke, David Cartmel, Stephen Chang, Drew
Ciganek, Judy Cinquina, Jim Clinton, Renee Davis, Mark DeDea, Tom & Elda
Dow, Jacob Drucker, John & Abby Dux, Evan Edelbaum, Ken & Sue Feustel,
Valerie Freer, Richard Fried, Stephanie Garber, David Gagne, Arie Gilbert, John
Gluth, Dean Goddard, Andy Guthrie, John Haas, Kyla Haber, Ken Harris, Chris
Healy, Marcel Jaloveckas, Karen Jaquith, Tait Johansson, Peter Johnson,
Deborah Krai, Patrick Landewe, Robert Lebensold, Robert Lewis, Lewis Lolya,
Evan Mark, Ken McDermott, A1 & Barbara Merrit, Danny Messina, Frank
Murphy, Linda Pistolesi, Vince Plogar, Deborah Powell, Scott Rando, Peter
Relson, Charles Roberto, Susan Rogers, Jesse Ross, Jim Schlickenrieder, Peter
Schoenberger, Edie Schwimmer, Robert Slechta, Ed Spaeth, Dave Spangeburg,
Robert Stone, Larry Trachtenberg, Benjamin Van Doren, James Vellozzi, Carol
Weiss, Alan & Della Wells, Rosemarie Widmer, Angus Wilson.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
359
ABBREVIATIONS
CPP - Croton Point Park; CIES - Cary Institute for Ecological Studies; EGR -
Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary; MC - Marshlands Conservancy; MLR -
Mission Land Road, Pine Island; RNC - Rye Nature Center; SGNWR -
Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge.
WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES
Snow Goose: Rio Dam 3 Jun (SRa);
Poughkeepsie 15-22 Jun (JAl, KJ); Rhinecliff 21
Jun (ESc).
Brant: 17 EGR 6 Jun (TB); 3 EGR 9,13 Jun
(TB); Piermont Pier 27 Jun (VP, LP, MJ); 13
Piermont Pier 3 Jul (DCi).
Wood Duck: 42 Bashakill 3 Jun.
N. Pintail: Wurtsboro 4-14 Jun (ABo).
Lesser Scaup: Piermont Pier 8-15 Jul (CW).
Com. Eider: Waryas P, Poughkeepsie 13 Jun
(KHar), 2 nd DUTC record.
White-winged Scoter: EGR 1 Jun (TB); Rye 13
Jun (TB).
Hooded Merganser: 2 imm Scott’s Comer 11
Jun.
Com. Merganser: f, 5 yg Saugerties 1, 5-6 Jun;
3 WappingerL 6 Jun; 2 CTES 12 Jun; CPP 3 Jul.
Red-breasted Merganser: Piermont Pier 21, 27
Jun, 8-31 Jul (CH,LP,MJ,CW).
Ruddy Duck: Kiamesha L I Jun (RD, VF).
Ring-necked Pheasant: Blue Chip Farm 16 Jun.
Com. Loon: CPP 12 Aug (LL).
Pied-billed Grebe: Bashakill 3, 24 Jun (JH);
Saugerties Lighthouse 27 Aug.
WILSON’S STORM PETREL: 2 Rye 28 Aug
(BV); 2-3 Sleepy Hollow 28 Aug (LL,ML,BV,
JD. RF, RLew); Dobbs Ferry 29 Aug, video
(BV),
Am. White Pelican: north of Saugerties
Lighthouse 1 Jun (ABe).
Am. Bittern: 3 ad Bashakill, see intro.
Least Bittern: 4 Kingston 11 Jun; Tivoli Bay
15.16 Jul; 1 juv, 1 ad Bashakill 24 Jun; 6-8
Bashakill, see intro.
Snowy Egret: Wappitigers Cr 24 Aug.
Little Blue Heron: 1-2 Wallkill NWR 23 Jul-10
AUg.
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: pair
successfully nested in New Rochelle (RLeb).
Glossy Ibis: Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch 19 Aug
(DGa),
WHITE IBIS: juv Wallkill NWR 14-18, 23-25,
31 Jul, 4,6,10 Aug (RSt, KM); juv Bashakill 28-
29 July (JH,ABo,SB), first SULL record.
HAWKS - ALCIDS
N. Harrier: SGNWR 16 Jun.
360
Red-shouldered Hawk: Pound Ridge 11 Jun;
Mianus River Gorge 12 Jun,
Merlin: Shawangunk 13 Aug.
Clapper Rail: 2 MC 1 Jun, 6 Jul.
Virginia Rail: 4 pr Bashakill, see intro.
Sora: 1-2 Bashakill 1-23 Jun.
Com. Gallinule: 28 Bashakill 24 Jun; 23
Bashakill 17 Aug; 25 pr Bashakill, see intro.
Am. Coot: Bashakill 15 Jun (JH); Saugerties 12
Jul (DCa).
Sandhill Crane: SGNWR 5 Jun (PS), photo;
Wallkill NWR 13, 16-18, 23-24 Jul (RSt).
Am. Golden-Plover: 5 Pine I 27 Aug; 2
Skinners Lane, Goshen 27 Aug: 2 Kingston Pt
27 Aug; MLR Aug 30,31.
Killdeer: 200 MLR 31 Aug.
Am. Oystercatcher: 3 Piermont Pier 21 Jun
(CH); 9 Rye 28 Aug.
BLACK-NECKED STILT: Sleepy Hollow 28
Aug (EE, BV), first WEST record.
Willet: MC 5, 16 Jun; 2 MC 10 Jun; 2 Hen I,
MC8 Jul; Rye 28- Aug.
Lesser Yellowlegs: 27 MLR Aug 30; 25 MLR
31 Aug.
Upland Sandpiper: Blue Chip Farm 16 Jun;
Turtle Bay Road. New Hampton 16 Aug; MC 31
Aug (TB).
Whimbrel: MLR Aug 30 (KM, DM); Saugerties
Lighthouse Trail 31 Aug (PL).
Hudsonian Godwit: Piermont Pier 25 Aug
(DCi); Hitchcock Farm, Bangall Road,
Millbrook 28 Aug (JAs, DK); Kingston 28 Aug
(MD,PS,SRo).
Ruddy Turnstone; 250 Acotch Caps 15 Jun;
Piermont Pier 27 Aug; 12 Rye 28 Aug.
Red Knot: EGR 28 Aug; 2 EGR 30 Aug.
Sanderling: Rye 28 Aug; Sleepy Hollow 28
Aug; 6 Rye 28 Aug; Piermont Pier 30 Aug; 7
New Hampton 31 Aug.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: 25 MLR 31 Aug;
125 MC 31 Aug.
Least Sandpiper: 35 MLR 31 Aug.
White-rumped Sandpiper: Wallkill NWR 4, 5
Jun; 5 MLR Aug 30; 2 MLR 31 Aug.
Baird’s Sandpiper: 2 MLR Aug 30 (KM, DM);
MLR 31 Aug (JH ).
Pectoral Sandpiper: 15 MLR 31 Aug.
Stilt Sandpiper: Piermont Pier 25 Aug (DCi);
MLR 30 Aug (KM,DM); 2 MLR 31 Aug (JH);
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Turtle Bay Road, New Hampton 31 Aug
(JH,KM).
Buff-Breasted Sandpiper: 3 MLR 31 Aug.
Short-billed Dowitcher: 7 Skinners Lane,
Goslien 16 Aug; 2-3 MC 19,21,23 Aug;
Piermont Pier 25 Aug; Morningside P 25-28
Aug; Pine 127 Aug.
Bonaparte's Gull: Morningside P 8 Aug.
Laughing Gull: 8 Piermont P 21 Aug.
SOOTY TERN: 2 Rye 28 Aug (BY); 3 Croton
Bay 28 Aug (LL,ML); 5 CPP 28 Aug (RSI), 2 nd
WEST record.
BRIDLED TERN: Pearson Park, Tarry town 28
Aug (DGa, TJ). first WEST record.
Least Tern: 2 MC 16 Jun; 3 MC 3 Jul; 2-4
Sleepy Hollow 28 Aug (EE,B V.RLew); 4
Piermont Pier 28 Aug (CH,T&ED,DCi,CW),
first record for ROCK since 1977.
Caspian Tern: Piermont Pier 1 Jun; Bashakill
14 Aug; 3 Piermont Pier 26 Aug.
Black Tern: Bashakill 24 Jun (JH); Morningside
Park 15 Aug (JH); Saugerties 20 Aug (FM); 7
Morningside Park 25 Aug (JH); 40 Piermont Pier
25 Aug (DCi.CW); 2 EGR 28 Aug (BV); 3 CPP
28 Aug (RSI); 8 Croton-on-Hudson 28 Aug
(LL,ML,BV,RLew); 8 Sleepy Hollow 28 Aug
(RLew); 12 Tarrytown L 28 Aug (EE); 2
Kingston 29 Aug (MD.KHab.PS.SRo).
Com. Tern: Piermont Pier 7 Aug; 35 Croton-on-
Hudson 28 Aug; 250 Sleepy Hollow 28 Aug
(RLew).
Forster’s Tern: 6 Piermont Pier 30 Jul; 3
Piermont Pier 7 Aug; 8 Piermont Pier 7 Aug 19;
Croton-on-Hudson 28 Aug; 2 Beacon 28 Aug.
Royal Tern: Piermont Pier 28 Aug (CW), first
record for ROCK since 1960.
LONG-TAILED JAEGER: imm Rye 28 Aug
(AGu, TB, GB), first WEST record.
PIGEONS - WOODPECKERS
Monk Parakeet: Piermont 29 Aug (SG).
Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 6 Doodletown 12 Jun.
Com. Nighthawk: 200 Tuckahoe 20 Aug; 88
Katonah 30 Aug.
Red-headed Woodpecker: 2 Esopus/New Paltz
18 Jun.
FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS
Olive-sided Flycatcher: Bashakill 2 Jun;
Woodstock 6 Jun; Lewisboro 2 Aug; Stewart
Airport 8 Aug; Rockefeller Preserve
10,22,23,26,29 Aug; MC 31 Aug.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: 2 Tarrytown L 30
Aug.
Acadian Flycatcher: Hunt-Parker Sanctuary 2
Jun; Mianus R. Gorge 12 Jun; Bashakill 19 Jun;
Nuclear L 10 Aug.
Philadelphia Vireo: 2 Bashakill 2 Jun;
Montgomery 17.18 Aug; Bear Mt SP 20 Aug;
Rockefeller Preserve 23 Aug.
Sedge Wren: Wallkill NWR 14-18, 23-31 Jul, 4,
6 Aug (RSt).
Marsh Wren: max 4 MC 3 Aug.
LONGSPURS - WARBLERS
Worm-eating Warbler: max 8 Doodletown 3
Aug.
Golden-winged Warbler: Westbrookville 2
Jun; Rockefeller Preserve 29 Jun; Rockefeller
Preserve 24 Aug; Fishkill 25 Aug.
“Lawrence’s” Warbler: Southland Farm,
Rhinebeck 4 Jun.
Prothonotary Warbler: Rockefeller Preserve
23 Aug (EM).
Tennessee Warbler: Rockefeller Preserve 23
Aug.
Mourning Warbler: CPP 29 Aug.
Kentucky Warbler: Oldfield Preserve,
Waccabuc 1 Jun (TJ); 1- 2 Rockefeller Preserve
4-16 Jun (MBJBV.RB).
Hooded Warbler: 12 singing males
Minncwaska SP 8 Jun.
Am. Redstart: 12 Rockefeller Preserve 23 Aug.
Magnolia Warbler: 3 Rockefeller Preserve 23
Aug.
Canada Warbler: 2, m & f Harriman SP 18
Jun; 3 Rockefeller Preserve 23 Aug.
Wilson’s Warbler: Nellie Hill Preserve, Dover
Plains 29,30 Jun (JC1).
TOWHEES - WEAVERS
Vesper Sparrow: 3 Red Hook 6,7,27 Aug.
Grasshopper Sparrow: 3 Indiana Ln, Goshen 4
Jun; C1ES 13,18 Jun; Red Hook 29 Jul.
Saltmarsh Sparrow: MC 1 Jul, 11 Aug; 2 MC 7
Jul.
Seaside Sparrow : MC 13 Jul.
Dickcissel: Rogowski Farm on N517, ORAN 27
Aug (DS); CPP 29 Aug (EE).
Bobolink: 100 SGNWR 16 Jun; 1400 Rogowski
Farm on N517, ORAN 27 Aug (DS).
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
361
REGION 10—MARINE
Patricia J. Lindsay
28 Mystic Circle, Bay Shore, NY 11706
pjlindsay@optonline.net
S. S. Mitra
Biology Department, College of Staten Island
2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314
shaibal.mitra@csi.cuny.edu
In reflecting on this summer’s weather in Region 10, one event stands before all
others: the passage of Tropical Storm Irene through the Region on Sunday 28
August. This storm affected the Region’s birdlife in many ways, and the species
accounts below are much longer and more detailed than usual. For a discursive
analysis of these impacts, please see the summary article on pages 293-298 of
this issue.
An eBird report of a Black-headed Gull from Brooklyn on 24 July caught
reviewer Doug Gochfeld’s eye, despite the existence of many summer records of
that species over the years. His query yielded a photograph, which in turn
precipitated one of the most bizarre and memorable birding events of recent
years: a Gray-hooded Gull ( Chroieocephalus cirrocephalus ) on the Coney
Island boardwalk! This South American and African species had been recorded
just twice previously in North America, in Barbados and in Florida, and needless
to say the Brooklyn bird drew huge numbers of geared up ornithophiles into the
midst of the mid-summer boardwalk scene.
Ironically, this gull was only the second gray-hooded novelty of the season,
coming several weeks after a Hooded Crow ( Corvus comix ) at Great Kills
Park, Staten Island. Whereas many observers and commentators could easily
envision natural mechanisms for the gull’s arrival in New York (e.g., vagrancy
to the Caribbean followed by entrainment among migrating Laughing Gulls), an
unnatural provenance seemed rather more likely for the crow. Even so, it seems
worth emphasizing the distinction between an escaped pet and a ship-assisted
wild bird. Ship-assisted dispersal has become a “natural” part of the biology of
many wild birds, notably Indian House Crows ( Corvus splendens), but also
European Hooded Crows, which regularly reach Iceland and have even occurred
in Greenland.
A Fea’s Petrel reported by researchers aboard a NOAA vessel near Hudson
Canyon would be another potential first state record—this one anticipated by
four participants in the most recent round of “Predictions of species to be added
to the New York State Checklist” ( The Kingbird 60: 301-310). It is earnestly
hoped that details of this observation will be forthcoming.
It was another good summer inshore for the four common shearwaters, with
some locally large aggregations of Cory’s Shearwater. One such aggregation off
of Robert Moses SP, Suffolk County, attracted a South Polar Skua on 11
362
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
July—at least the third time this species has been seen from land at this well-
watched site. Two Brown Pelicans were reported prior to Irene, about average
for recent summers, but there was nothing average about this species' status here
after 28 August! Three White Ibises were reported from two sites during mid
August, as the incursion that began during spring continued. In contrast,
Tricolored Herons continued to be very scarce and local, with very few reports.
Rare to scarce gulls and terns were once again impressively numerous and
diverse through early summer. Indeed, the dizzying upward trend in the
occurrence of Lesser Black-backed Gulls in Region 10 shows no signs whatever
of slowing down. The statewide high count for this species, a rapidly moving
target in recent years, was emphatically bested again this summer with a careful
count of 70 individuals at Nickerson Beach, Nassau County, on 10 July. Tills
remarkable aggregation consisted of 56 first-summer (= yearling) birds and 14
older immatures; similarly aged birds were more widely distributed this summer
than ever, not only as singles, but in groups as large as four, five (two sites) and
six. Other young gulls lingering south with us this summer were at least one
Iceland Gull, two Glaucous Gulls, and small numbers of Bonaparte’s Gulls.
Among the terns, no fewer than five Arctic Terns, four Sandwich terns, and up
to five Black Terns per day were recorded during June and July—long before
we ever heard of Irene. Among the flocks of loafing larids near Moriches Inlet
were a yearling Roseate Tern (an age class very rarely documented in the
Northeast) and a second-summer type Common Tern tentatively identified as
belonging to the Siberian subspecies longipennis —another example of which
was reported from Tuckernuck Island, Massachusetts around the same time (R.
Veit, pers. comm.).
Failure of the water-control apparatus at Jamaica Bay’s East Pond resulted
in dismal conditions for migratory shorebirds and a corresponding paucity of
notable counts for many species. Stilt Sandpiper, for example, is generally one
of the most highly localized of Region 10’s common migrants, and the East
Pond ordinarily accounts not only for high counts but also for a very large
proportion of all reports. Curiously, reports of this species were much more
widespread than usual this summer. Other shorebird highlights not associated
with Irene included a new statewide max of 14 Marbled Godwits at Cupsogue
and an adult Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Democrat Pt on 5 August.
Suffolk County’s first breeding record of Common Raven came to light
when a near-fledgling came into care at a Westhampton rehabilitator. The rest of
the family, including at least three fledged juveniles, were seen and
photographed by many near the nest site (on a water tower) in Hampton Bays.
Others were noted again this summer on Staten Island and in Queens and
Nassau County. Blue Grosbeak was recorded on territory in Eastport again, and
Anthony Collerton recorded what was almost certainly a successful nesting by
Summer Tanagers in East Hampton. A male Yellow-throated Warbler was
recorded on 4 June in potential breeding habitat at Connetquot River State Park
Preserve, and two mid-late June reports of Acadian Flycatcher were suggestive
of territorial birds.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
363
A Western Kingbird at Deep Hollow, Montauk on 14 August was very early
but at arguably the best site in the state for this species. Three late August Lark
Sparrows were about average. There was a very heavy landbird flight on 23
August on Long Island’s outer beaches. Obsevers at Robert Moses SP recorded
some very impressive numbers: 199 Eastern Kingbirds, 10,800 Bam Swallows,
35 Northern Waterthrushes, and 27 Northern Mockingbirds actively migrating.
Space precludes a more detailed discussion of summer 201 l’s birds in
Region 10; please be sure to read the species accounts and the summary of
Irene's impacts statewide, on pages 293-298.
CONTRIBUTORS
Robert Adamo, Jim Ash, Seth Ausubel, Andrew Baksh, Jessie Barry, Catherine
Barron, Rob Bate, Debbie Becker, Dick Belanger, Gail Benson, Bobby
Berlingeri, Shawn Billerman, Melinda Billings, Andrew Block, Shane Blodgett,
Jeff Bolsinger, Brent Bomkamp, Ardith Bondi, Marc & Sharon Brody, P. A.
Buckley, Sara Burch, Thomas W. Burke, Ben Cacace, Eva Callahan, Chase
Cammarota, Anthony Ciancimino, Anthony Collerton, Mike Cooper, Ed
Crowne, Dale Dancis, J. Davis, Joe DiCostanzo, Philip Dempsey, Peter Dorosh,
Jacob Drucker, Tim Dunn, Andrew Farnsworth, Ken & Sue Feustel, Corey
Finger, Tom Fiore, Howie Fischer, Virginia Frati, Louise Fraza, Lila Fried, Rich
Fried, Gerta Fritz, Doug Futuyma, Arie Gilbert, Paul Gillen, Joe Giunta, John
Gluth, Doug Gochfeld, Menachem Goldstein, Isaac Grant, Andrew Guthrie,
Cliff Hagen, Helen Hays, Dan Heglund, Mike Higgiston, Bill Hollweg, Joel
Horman, Bobby Horvath, Deborah Jede, Rob Jett, Richard Kaskan, Dave
Klauber, J. Knox, Rick Kopitsch, David Krauss, Robert J. Kurtz, Anthony J.
Lauro, Anne Lazarus, Patricia J. Lindsay, Heydi Lopes, Jean Loscalzo, Harry
Maas, Peter Martin, Michael McBrien, Jacob McCartney, Betsy McCully, Hugh
McGuinness, Annie McIntyre, Eric Miller, Karlo Mirth; Shaibal S. Mitra, Tom
Moran, Andy Murphy, Mary Normandia, NY Rare Bird Alert, Luke Ormand,
Jim Osterlund, Phil Pane, Peter Polshek, Peter Post, Bob Proniewicz, Todd
Pusser, Joan Quinlan, Keir Randall, Matthew Rymkicwicz, Tom Roche, Derek
Rogers, Robert Rossetti, Steve Schellenger, Sy Schiff, Donna Schulman, Eileen
Schwinn, Nate Senner, John Sep, Mike Shanley, Ann Shaw, Pete Shen, N.
Sourigi, David Speiser, Call Starace, Gary Straus, Sam Stuart, Junco Suzuki,
Paul Sweet, Tony Tierno, Joe Trezza, John Turner, Christopher Vogel, Steve
Walter, Ben Weinstein, Matthew Wills, Angus Wilson, Seth Wollney, Chris
Wood, Byron Young, John Zarudsky.
ABBREVIATIONS
CCP - Cupsogue CP, SUFF; CP - Central Park, NEWY; CRSPP - Connetquot
River SP Pres, SUFF; Caumsett - Caumsett SP, SUFF; DP - Democrat Pt,
SUFF; EH - East Hampton, SUFF; FBF - Floyd Bennett Field, KING; FT -
Fort Tilden, QUEE; GA - Gabreski Airport, SUFF; GKP - Great Kills P, RICH;
HSP - Heckscher SP, SUFF; JamBay - Jamaica Bay NWR, QUEE, KING;
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
364
JBWE - Jones Beach West End, NASS; MB - Mecox Bay, SUFF; Mtk -
Montauk; NYBG - New York Botannical Garden, BRON; PB - Pike’s Beach,
SUFF; PP - Prospect P, KING; RMSP - Robert Moses SP, SUFF; Sagg Pond -
Sagaponack Pond, Bridgehampton, SUFF.
WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES
Snow Goose: lingered JamBay to 2 Jun+.
“Atlantic” Brant: 2 Caumsett 7 Jun (K&SF); 2
CCP 3 Jul.
Mute Swan: 200 + JamBay east pond
throughout, new cygnets well into Aug.
Gad wall: CCP 3 & 10 Jun.
Blue-winged Teal: e ast pond JamBay 14 Jun
(ALa et al).
N. Pintail: JamBay 31 Jul.
Green-winged Teal: JBWE 8 Jul (BBe).
Greater Scaup: 4 GKP 19 Jun (SWo); 3 males
JamBay to 15 Jul+.
King Eider: 2 m E. Marion SUFF 1 Jun (J Sep,
RA ph).
Com. Eider: 27 E. Marion SUFF 1 Jun (J Sep,
RA); 15 Shinn 5 Jun (SSM, PJL); 2 (imm m, f)
Jones Inlet NASS 10 Jun (M&SB); 54 MP & 6
Montauk Harbor 19 Jun; 5 Jones Inlet 29 Jun
(PM); near-ad Nickerson Beach NASS 3 Jul
(BBe); 74 Montauk Pt 7 Aug (NYRBA); f
Captree 11 Aug.
Surf Scoter: 5 CCP 5 Jun; Fire Island Pines 9
Jun (DF); 2 Riis P/FT 12 Jun (SA, CF, MN); f
GKP 19 Jun (SWo); Montauk Pt 7 Aug
(NYRBA).
White-winged Scoter: 2 CCP 4 Jun; 7 CCP 5
Jun; Camp Hero, Mtk 14 Aug (MMcB).
Black Scoter: 2 Riis P/FT 12 Jun (SA, CF,
MN); RMSP 14 Jul (MN, A Gilbert).
Bufflehead: m JamBay to 2 Jun+.
Red-breasted Merganser: MB 29 Jun (SSM,
PJL).
Ruddy Duck: 7 lingered JamBay to 30 Jul at
least, molting into alt.
N. Bobwhite: Cutchogue SUFF 19 Jun, 7 here
26 Jun, 3 calling here 9 Jul; release programs at
CRSSP and Seatuck Environmental Center.
Ring-necked Pheasant: f, 5 chicks Cemetery of
the Resurrection RICH 14 Jun (ACi); JBSP 10
Aug (RJK), unus loc.
Com. Loon: alt CCP 4 Jun to 3 Jul at least, poss
injured.
Pied-billed Grebe: CRSPP 3 Jun, calling
(K&SF).
FEA’S PETREL: Hudson Canyon 14 Jun from
NOAA vessel (T Pusser et al, fide CV), first
state record pending review.
BLACK-CAPPED PETREL: MB 28 Aug
(AnW et al., ph).
Cory’s Shearwater: small numbers mid Jun,
e.g. 2 RMSP 11 Jun (KF) & “a few” Hudson
Canyon 14 Jun (fide CV); larger more inshore
early Jul-early Aug, e.g., 80 CCP 3 Jul (PJL),
150 RMSP 11 Jul (JBo, PJL, SSM), & 265+ MI
to Shinn 7 Aug (GB, TWB); much reduced by
late Aug, only 2 reps 28 Aug during Irene'. MB
(AnW) & Riverdale, BRON (PAB).
Great Shearwater: at least 1 RMSP 11 Jun
(KF); “a few” Hudson Canyon 14 Jun (fide CV);
CCP 25 Jun (TWB, GB et al.); 2 CCP 30 Jun (R
Bate); 400 CRESLI boat out of Montauk 3 Jul; 2
RMSP 10 Jul (SSM, JBo) 2 RMSP 11 Jul (SSM,
PJL, JBo); 4 birds 20 mi s of Montauk 31 Jul
(ACo et al); 2 CCP 5 Aug (SA et al.); 3 DP 5
Aug (SSM, PJL et al); 1 CCP 14 Aug; 1-2 CCP
19 Aug (NYRBA); v few rep 28 during Irene,
e.g., one Vets Memorial Pier (SB1, DGo, HLo).
Sooty Shearwater: 2 CCP 18 Jun (PJL, SA,
MN, ABa, TWB, GB); 1 CRESLI boat out of
Montuak 3 Jul.
Manx Shearwater: CCP 18 Jun (PJL); RMSP
10 Jul (SSM, JBo); RMSP 11 Jul (PJL, SSM,
JBo); CCP 5 Aug (SA et al); DP 5 Aug (SSM,
PJL, C Wood et al); CCP 14 Aug.
AUDUBON’S SHEARWATER: 4 Hudson
Canyon 14 Jun (fide CV); Riverdale, BRON 28
Aug (PAB).
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: scarcer inshore than in
most recent summers, max 40 CCP 29 Jun (SA,
CF); 18 FT 3 Jul (IG), many for so far west; 3
reps from protected waters prior to Irene : 2 e LI
Sound 17 Jun (SSM), 4 Culloden Pt 24 Jun
(AnW), & e LI Sound 26 Aug (SSM); rep from
all counties except for QUEE 28 Aug during
Irene, inc 12+ Fort Schuyler, BRON and 7+
Hudson R, NEWY; rel few along ocean-front:
6+ Jones Inlet (SSM et al.); 1 Fire Island Inlet
(John Gluth); 4 MB (AnW et al).
LEACH’S STORM-PETREL: 7+ reps 28 Aug
during Irene : Riverdale, BRON (PAB); 2-4 Fort
Schuyler, BRON (PAB); 2+ Hudson R, NEWY
(AF, JDr, Lila Fried, Rich Fried); 4 Vets
Memorial Pier, KING (SB1, DG, HL); 3+ Jones
Inlet (DF, K&SF, PJL, mob); 8 MB (HMc, P.
Polshek, MMcB, et al); Fort Pd, Montauk
(AnW).
BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL: 2
reports 28 Aug during Irene : Jones Inlet (PJL,
SSM, et al); Fort Schuyler, BRON (PAB).
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
365
WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD: 3+ rep 28
Aug during Irene, plus 2 more later of deceased
birds: ad Hudson R, NEWY (A. Bondi, D.
Dancxs, P. Post, S. Stuart ph); imm Hudson R,
NEWY (N. Sourigi, J. Knox); ad Pt Lookout,
NASS (SWaph); deceased Rockaway Beach,
QUEE, date unknown (NY RBA); deceased E.
Marion, SUFF, date unknown (J. Sep).
N. Gannet: small numbers of imms present
along ocean coast thru: 25 CCP 18 Jun (PJL); 15
CCP 3 Jul (PJL ct al); 6 RMSP 11 Jul (SSM,
PJL, JBo); 5 DP 5 Aug (SSM et al); Camp Hero
14 Aug (MMcB); 2 Culloden Pt. Mtk 24 Jun,
unus site for date; essentially no Irene reps.
Great Cormorant: ait Lake Montauk Inlet 29
Aug (SSM. PJL).
BROWN PELICAN: two reps prior to Irene:
CCP 5 Jul (SWa) & Sagg Pond 21 Aug (J. Ash);
7 reps during and immediately after Irene: imm
Lake Montauk 28 Aug+ (AnW, mob); Great Gull
129 Aug (JDi); Patchogue R jetty 29-30 Aug (J.
Davis et al.); Old Fort Bay, Southampton, SUFF
30 Aug (fide DF); Nickerson Beach, NASS 30
Aug (D. Krauss); JBWE 31 Aug (R. Bate); Tiana
Beach, SUFF 31 Aug (E. Schwinn).
Am. Bittern: CCP 21 Jun (NYRBA); CCP 24
Jul (MC>,
Least Bittern: Brookhaven Hamlet SUFF 16
Jun & 17 Jul (fide LO); m Massapequa Pres 17
Jul (JTu). ad feeding juv here 20 Jul (DS, H
Maas), 4 juvs and ad 24 Jul (JTu, DK1), last rep.
Little Blue Heron: East R. NEWY 28 Aug
(AF), unus loc, during Irene.
Tricolored Heron: scarce even at JamBay all
season, max 3 on 13 Aug (RJK); ad & juv North
Line Is NASS 29 Jul (SSM, PJL, JZ). ’
Cattle Egret: 4 Arthur Kill Rd cemetery RICH 2
Aug (HF),
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: 2 Sammy’s
Beach EH 4 Jul (ACo), unus eastern SUFF; CCP
3 Aug (SSM), unus loc; juv Captree Is 10 Aug
(JGl), unus loc; ad CCP 20 Aug (RKa); juv CCP
30 Aug (A Murphy fide CS).
WHITE IBIS: flyby RM Causeway 10 Aug (C.
Cammarota fide DR); 2 juvs JamBay 11 Aug
(SB1).
Black Vulture: 2 Staten Is 29 Jul (C Hagen).
Turkey Vulture: 2 Plum Is 17 Jun (SSM);
Hampton Bays 26 Jun (PJL); NW woods EH 3
Jul (ACo), scarce here: near Muttontown NASS
16 Jul (JL); 9 Eastport 19 Aug; Mtk 23 Aug
(ACo); 5 Shoreham sod fields 28 Aug during
Irene (DH).
HAWKS - ALCIDS
Bald Eagle: imm Brookville SUFF 14 Jun (PM);
3 imms Cutchogue SUFF 17 Jul (MN); imm
Deep Hollow Mtk 28 Aug (MMcB).
366
N. Harrier: f Captree 11 Aug; f Tobay 12 Aug
(SSM).
Cooper's Hawk: 8 nests NASS & SUFF (TT).
Broad-winged Hawk: Cemetery of the
Resurrection RICH 15 Jun & 2 near here 11 Jul
(ACi); JamBay 12 Aug (SWa), rare here.
Am. Kestrel: pr wtwo chicks in nest box at St.
Charles Cem SUFF 4 Jun.
Peregrine Falcon: 1-2 Robt Moses twin
causeway bridge thru Jun; pr nested successfully
w fledglings in Jun atop Fed Courthouse, Central
Islip SUFF.
Clapper Rail: 17 brought to rehabber in NASS
28-30 Aug, most from south shore homeowners’
yards; all but 2 released (fide BHor).
Sora: ind from OMNSA brought to rehabber in
NASS 29 Aug, released (fide BHor).
Piping Plover: Eastport sod fields 28 Aug (PJL,
SSM), v unus. loc.
Am. Golden-Plover: 6 Deep Hollow Mtk 28
Aug (MMcB, ACo, PDe); 3 e side Hook Pond,
SUFF 28 Aug (AnW); 5 Eastport sod fields 29
Aug (CS).
Semipalmated Plover: 130+ JBWE 10 Aug
(RJK); -300 JamBay 12 Aug (RJK).
Am. Oystercatcher: 235 JBWE 11 Aug
(K&SF); 250+ JBWE 16 Aug (R Kopitsch).
AMERICAN AVOCET (R10): JBWE 28 Aug
(CF, mob), during Irene.
Spotted Sandpiper: Edgcwood Pres 17 Jun
(PJL), where they bred last yr; DP 22 Jun (PJL,
SSM), former breeding site.
Solitary Sandpiper: CLP 3 Jul (CB); 2 JamBay
2 Aug (NYRBA).
Greater Yellowlegs: JamBay 14 Jun (ALa et
al); CCP 20 & 26 Jun.
“Eastern” WUlet: 75 ads CCP 3 Jul; 120 (2
juvs) CCP 21 Jul (SSM, PJL), ganging up post¬
breeding.
“Western” Willet: PB 5 Jun; singles PB, CCP
10 Jun & 20 Jun (SSM); IS JBWE 3 Jul
(MMcB); Ponquogue Bridge 3 Jul (MMcB); 2
CCP 3 Jul (SSM ct al.); 1 Skillets JBWE 20 Jul
were mostly Western (KF); alt CCP 21 Jul
(SSM); 6 CCP 24 Jul, 1 SY, 5 alt; 14 Moriches
In 3 Aug (PJL, SSM).
Lesser Yellow legs: an- CCP 26 Jun; 6 CCP 3
Jul; poorly reported because of dismal conditions
at JamBay.
Whimbrel: an- Cedar Pt Park, Southold 10 Jul,
peak of 11 here 28 Jul (J Sep); max 14 MB 23
Jul (ACo); many reports from barrier beaches
hence.
Hudsonian Godw'it: JamBay 24 Jul-2 Aug
(ABa, RJK, mob); JBWE 9 Aug (G. Straus); 2
JamBay 11-13 Aug (SB1, mob); JBWE 11-13
Aug (K&SF, mob); JBWE 20 Aug (SyS); 3
reports 28 Aug clearly related to Irene:
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Gravesend Bay, KING (SBl, DGo, HLo); 10
FBF (SBl, DGo, HLo); 4 Hobart Beach, SUFF
(BBo).
Marbled God wit: CCP 12 Jul-7 Aug (RA, TM,
mob); 2 JaniBay 5-13 Aug (ABa, mob); 1-2
JBWE 12-31 Aug (mob); 5 CCP 13 Aug (DR),
then 6 on 17 Aug (CS, DBel, mob). 8 on 21 Aug,
and 14 on 30 Aug (CS, DBel); Sagg Pond 16
Aug (ES): Hobart Beach 28 Aug (BBo), unus
loc; Maidstone GC, East Hampton, SUFF 28
Aug (MMcB), unus loc; 2 DP 30 Aug (K&SF).
Ruddy Turnstone: influx of 450 CCP 3 Jun
(SSM).
Red Knot: 70 (30 SY) CCP 3 Jun (SSM);
flagged alt ad CCP 10 Jun, 15, most alt, JBWE
10 Jun; 45, most alt, CCP plus 7 PB 15 Jun
(SSM); 20 JBWE 16 Aug (R Kopitsch); 28 CCP
20 Aug (RKa); 108 ads JBWE 8 Aug (RJK).
Sanderling: 170 PB 10 Jun, none left on 15 Jun
(SSM); an - ads CCP around 20 Jul.
Seinipalmated Sandpiper: PB ~ 600 most alt
10 Jun. 150 most alt 15 Jun. 120 PB 20 Jun
(SSM, PJL); 421 CCP25 Jul (SSM); -400
JamBay 30 Jul (RJK); 2 juvs JBWE 23 Aug, first
juvs, late, very few noted this season
Western Sandpiper: CCP 3 Jul (AGu et al.);
JamBay 15 Jul (RJK); CCP 21 Jul (NYRBA);
JamBay 22 Jul (ABa); worn ad PB 23 Jul (ABa,
SA): bas CCP 24 Jul and 3 Aug (PJL et al); worn
ad PB 24 Aug (ABa, SA); juv DP 30 Aug
(K&SF 7 ); more reports later, as normal.
Least Sandpiper: 3 CCP 20 Jun (SSM, PJL), arr
or non-breeders?; 6 CCP 3 Jul, arr?
White-ruinped Sandpiper: 9 alt PB 10 Jun, 15
PB 15 & IS Jun (SSM); 5 JamBay 19 Jun; MB 3
Jul (MMcB); singles PB and CCP 23 Jul (ABa,
SA); poorly reported southbound because of
dismal conditions at JamBay.
Baird’s Sandpiper: RMSP 19 Aug (K&SF);
Heckscher SP 24-27 Aug (K&SF, mob); FBF 26
Aug (SBl); 2 Deep Hollow, Mtk 28 Aug (ACo,
PDe; MMcB); FBF 28 Aug (DG, SBlo; PDo et
al.); Heckscher SP 31 Aug (KF et al.).
Pectoral Sandpiper: an - 2 CCP 9 Jul (mob); 2
JaniBay 22 Jul (ABa); CCP 24 Jul (K&SF); a
few JamBay 25 Jul (KF); 22 FBF 15 Aug (RJ); 7
Deep Hollow, Mtk 28 Aug (ACo, PDe); 13 Pt
Lookout 29 Aug (SA, ABa).
Dunlin: a few non-breeders Moriches In, e.g. 3
PB 18 Jun, one to 3 Aug+.
Stilt Sandpiper: an- 31 JamBay 22 Jul (ABa);
41 JamBay 25 Jul (ABa); 9 near Ponquogue
Bridge 7 Aug (TWB. GB); 14 JBWE 8 Aug
(RJK), many for site, and 16 here 14 Aug
(K&SF); 2 Mecox 14 Aug (MMcB); 2 Deep
Hollow, Mtk 28 Aug (ACo, PDe); intro.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper: ad DP 5 Aug (Nate
Senner, C Wood, J Barry, et al.); Plum Beach
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
KING 28 Aug (DG. SBlo, HL); 2 DP 29 Aug
(AMcI); FBF 29 Aug (SA, ABa).
Short-billed Dowitcher: 150 CCP 18 Jun,
mostly SY; hendersoni CCP 20 Jun; arr 250 (130
alt) CCP 1 Jul, migrating; hendersoni. CCP 3 Jul
(MMcB; AGu et al); 5 hendersoni PB 21 Jul
(PJL SSM); 230 inc 4 hendersoni CCP 21 Jul
(SSM, PJL); 300 CCP 24 Jul: 400 Egg Is NASS
29 JuJ (SSM, PJL, JZ); -600 JamBay 30 Jul
(RJK).
Long-billed Dowitcher: 2 JamBay 22 Jul
(ABa); JamBay 24 Jul (RJK): bas JamBay 12
Aug (SWa); Mecox 22 Aug (ACo).
Wilson’s Snipe: Deep Hollow Mtk 28 Aug
(MMcB).
Wilson’s Phalarope: f, 2 m JamBay west pond
19 Jun (CF, mob), 22 Jun (fide SyS); 2 CCP 21
Jul (ES et al): juv JamBay 8 Aug (NYRBA);
Heckscher SP 26 Aug (BBo).
Red-necked Phalarope: 2 rep prior to Irene :
FBF 15 Aug (SBlo): bas Napeague 27 Aug
(AW); major impact from Irene 28 Aug: 39
Riverdale (PAB); 4 Fort Schuyler (PAB); 2
Hook Pond (ACo, PDe, AtiW); “large flock’' MB
(HMc, P. Polshek); 50 Eaton’s Neck (BBo); 115
Vets Memorial Pier (SBl, DG, HL).
Bonaparte’s Gull: SY Tiana Beach 5 Jun (PJL,
SSM), cont from spring; 6 Crooke’s Pi, RICH
29-30 Jun (SWa), 13 here 3 Jul (MMcB) and 11
on 8 Jul (NYRBA), unscasonal; imm Great Gull
129 Aug (JDi et al), day after Irene.
Laughing Gull: 91 imms PB 15 Jun, feeding on
horseshoe crab eggs; first ind juv JBWE 3 Jul
(BBe).
Ring-billed Gull: first juvs (2) Coney Is 29 Jul.
Herring Gull: first juv RMSP 20 Jul.
Iceland Gull: SY RMSP 12 Jul (PJL, ph),
present earlier also; imm Nassau Beach NASS
30 Aug (RJK).
Lesser Black-backed Gull: unprecedented
numbers of imms summered: many reports from
Jones Inlet area, capped by 28 Jones Beach to
RMSP 1 Jun (R. Rossetti), 43 Nickerson Beach 3
Jul (GB, TWB, AGu, BBe; 36 IS), & 70
Nickerson Beach 10 Jul (SSM, PJL. JBo; 56 IS);
many others elsewhere, e.g., 6 DP 9 Jun (PJL); 5
PB 15 Jun (SSM); 4 Coney I, KING 29 Jun
(SSM), during storm; 5 Tiana Beach 7 Aug
(TWB); first ads arr Great Gull 128 Aug (JDi,
HH, AS, M. Billings) & Fort Pond Bay 29 Aug
(RA. JGi, B. McCulley).
Glaucous Gull: Orient Pt 17 Jun, cont from last
year w/ injured leg; CCP 11-13 Jul (ES et al.), 23
Jul, 24 Aug (mob).
GRAY-HOODED GULL: ad Coney Is KING
24 Jul-3 Aug (Sara Burch, Jacob McCartney,
mob), first State record (see note p. 305).
367
SOOTY TERN: major impact from Irene, all 28
Aug & ads except as noted: Fort Schuyler
(PAB); 2+ Hudson R. NEWY (P. Post, mob); 2
East R, NEWY (AF); 2 (ad & juv) Gerritsen
Ave/Plumb Inlet, KING (SB1, DGo); 1+ Jones
Inlet (MC, CF, mob); Ocean Parkway, e of Jones
Beach Tower (PJL. SSM ph early am; later T.
Dunn, S. Schellenger); Fire Island Inlet (GB,
TWB, AGu); 3+ MB (HMc, P. Polshek, MMcB);
3+ Hook Pond (AnW, ACo); 2 Lake Montauk
(MMcB); 9 Great Gull I (JDi, HH, AS, M,
Billings); 2 Eaton’s Neck (BBo).
BRIDLED TERN: major impact from Irene, all
28 Aug & ads except as noted: 2 Fort Schuyler
(PAB); foot of Hylan Blvd, RICH 29 Aug (1G,
Mike Shanley): Vets Memorial Pier (SB1, DGo,
HLo), plus 2 there 29 Aug (SBl, DGo, AF); 3+
Jones Inlet (PJL, SSM, mob); Ocean Parkway at
West Gilgo Beach (PJL, SSM ph); Cedar Beach
Marina (K&SF}; MB (HMc, P Polshek,
MMcB); Sagg Pond (AnW); 5+ Hook Pond
(AnW, MMcB); 3 Further Lane (AnW, ACo,
PDe); 7 Fort Pond Bay (AnW, ACo, PDe).
Onychoprion species: Eaton’s Neck 28 Aug
(BBo); West Meadow Beach, Stony Brook 28
Aug (B. Weinstein).
Least Tern: SY PB 10 Jun, first for age class;
TY CCP 10 Jun, first for age class (SSM);
notable influx CCP 9 Jul. 50 inc 3 IS and 2 2S:
30 Napeague 27 Aug (AW); several Irene-
related reports 28 Aug; 10 Fort Schuyler (PAB);
Hudson R, NEWY (S. Stuart); Great Gull I
(where rare; JDi, HH, AS. M. Billings).
Gull-billed Tern: Nickerson Beach, NASS 9
Jun (A Bondi, ph) 2 ads JamBay 14 Jun (ALa, L.
Fraza); Nickerson Beach 29 Jun (NYRBA), 1 Jul
(P. Post); 2 Nickerson Beach 3 Jul (AGu, TWB,
GB), diving on and pirating fish from COTE at
tern colony; 2 JBWE 8 Jul (BBe), prob same
birds as Nickerson; 2 JBWE 10 Jul (TWB, GB et
al); 3 JBWE 20 Jul (KF); 5 (3 juv, 2 ad) JBWE
23-24 Aug (K&SF, mob); ad and 2 juvs Plum
Beach, KING 27 & 28 Aug (DG); Napeague 29
Aug (AnW), unus loc, Irene.
Caspian Tern: 2 New Suffolk, SUFF 10 Aug
(NYRBA); major impact from Irene : Hudson R
23rd-24di St Pier (S. Stuart); Plum Beach (SBl,
DGo, HLo); 2 FBF (SBl, DGo, HLo): ad and juv
Flushing Meadow-Corona P. QUEE 27-28 Aug
(CF, P. Shen, DSch); Fire Island Inlet (PJL,
SSM), plus 4 there 30 Aug (AMcI, K&SF); ad &
juv MB 29-30 Aug (JG1, mob); Mattituck Inlet
(RA).
Black Tern: 3 CCP 18 Jun (PJL et ah), inc S Y,
first for age class; many reports CCP thru, inc 5
on 9 & 25 Jul (SSM); ad alt JamBay 26 Jun
(Menachem Goldstein); 3 Amagansett & 5
Napeague 6 Aug (AnW); southbound migr
368
evident by late Aug, e.g. 30 migr CCP 21 Aug
(NY RBA) & inc rep of 1-4 inds along ocean
front, DP to Sagg Pond 21-24 Aug; two rep away
from coast during this pr e-Irene period are
noteworthy: 3 Alley Pond Env Center 23 Aug
(SWa) & HLSP 25 Aug (SyS); 62 ca. Napeague
27 Aug (AnW) consistent with regular autumn
build-up there, but poss rel to impending arrival
of Irene', major impact, or at least displacement,
during Irene 28 Aug. with reps from all counties,
the most noteworthy being: 7 Rivcrdale (PAB); 7
Fort Schyuler (PAB); 7 East River (AF); 2 Swan
L, Patchogue (Derek Rogers); 10 E Landing Rd,
Hampton Bays (Luke Ormand); FBF (SBl,
DGo); 7 Flushing Meadow P (Afie Gilbert, Jean
Loscalzo); 10 Shoreham sod fields (Dan
Heglund et al); 173 Mecox-Monlauk (AnW);
300-400 West Meadow Beach, Stony Brook (B.
Weinstein).
Roseate Tern: 30 Orient Pt 30 Jun; small
numbers at DP, CCP, & Sammy's Beach EH as
usual; first summer type CCP 9 Jul (DF, SSM et
al), seldom-seen plumage, ph.; 50 Napeague 6
Aug (NYRBA); 100+ Napeague 27 Aug (AW).
Com. Tern: 570 CCP 10 Jun. inc 6 SY & 6 TY
(SSM); 7 SY DP 24 Jun; SY type CCP 25-26 Jun
resembled Siberian subspecies Sterna hirimdo
tongipennis; 300+Napeague 27 Aug (AW);
some impact from Irene , inc reports from
Hudson R and other unus sites; most notable
storm report "several thousand” West Meadow
Beach, Stony Brook (B. Weinstein).
ARCTIC TERN: 5 identifiably different imrns
CCP 15 Jun-9 Jul: SY 15 Jun (SSM ph): 2 SY 29
Jun (SA ph, CF ph). one more advanced, poss
TY; SY CCP 30 Jun (SWa, et al ph). prob same
as one of the 29 Jun birds; SY 3 Jul (SSM et al
ph); SY 9 Jul (BBo et al ph); 2 reports 28 Aug
during Irene, neither supported by photos: ad
Mattituck Inlet (RA) & 2 ads Riverdale (PAB); a
very high level of documentation is desirable for
this difficult to identify species, especially in
contexts other than its well-established pattern of
early summer inshore occurrence.
Forster’s Tern: SY CCP 3 Jun, first for age
class e LI; impacts from Irene not very well
reported until after summer season.
Royal Tern: art 2 CCP 18 Jun (PJL, SSM) & 2
DP 22 Jun (PJL, SSM); max 68 Moriches Inlet 7
Aug; 20 Robins 1 19 Aug (Paul Gillen): only
modest impacts 28 Aug during Irene, with no
reports of large numbers from ocean front; the
most notable locations 28 Aug were: Hudson R
at 70 ,h St (A. Bondi et al) & 23" 1 St (S. Stuart); 2
East River (AF); 2 Vets Memorial Pier (SBl,
DGo, HLo); 5 FBF (SBl, DGo, Peter Dorosh); 3
Hobart Beach (BBo); 10 Mattituck Inlet (RA).
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
SANDWICH TERN: 4 individually identifiable
birds at ocean inlets 25 Jan-11 Jul: ad CCP 25
Jun (RKa. mob ph), nearly alt plum; ad alt CCP
29 Jun (SSM et al ph); MB 3 Jul (DSch ph);
CCP 11 Jul (ABa ph): unprecedented incursion
during and after Irene , all 28 Aug except as
noted: Hudson R @ 55 th St (AF); FBF (SB1,
DGo); Riis Landing (P. Sweet); imm & 1+ ad
Jones Inlet (SSM ph, mob): ad Jones Beach Field
10 (PJL. SSM ph); 2 Tobay Beach (DF, B.
Proniewicz); DP 29-30 Aug (AMcI, K&SF); 7+
MB (MMcB ph, mob), 6 still there 29 Aug
(K&SF ph, mob); Hook Pond (AnW); Napeague
29 Aug (K&SF); 2 Fort Pond Bay (AnW, ACo,
PDe); Lake Montauk Inlet 29 Aug (PJL, SSM
ph); Hobart Beach (BBo); 3 Great Gull 129 Aug
(JDi, HH, AS, M. Billings).
Black Skimmer: at least 150 prs Nickerson
Beach 13 Jun (SyS); 50 JBWE 25 Aug (RA);
783 (132 juvs) Nassau Beach, Nickerson Beach
NASS 30 Aug (RJK).
SOUTH POLAR SKUA: RMSP 11 Jul (SSM,
JBo), among large feeding flock of shearwaters;
3 reps 28 Aug during Irene : Sea Cliff, NASS
(fide A. Bondi, ph), exhausted on beach, to rehab
& rel 29 Aug; JBWE (BBo), sitting in parking
lot; 2 Hook Pond (AnW ph).
POMARINE JAEGER (R10): 2 (It morph,
imm dk morph) 20 mi s Montauk 31 Jul (ACo et
al); imm Hook Pond 28 Aug (AnW ph), only rep
during Irene.
Parasitic Jaeger: handful of mid-summer reps:
CCP 3 Jul (RF et al); imm RMSP 11 Jul (SSM,
PJL, JBo), wrangling with South Polar Skua; PB
6 Aug (K&SF); Amagansctt 6 Aug (AnW);
several reps 28 Aug during Irene: 2 MB
(MMcB); 6 Sagg Pond (AnW); 2 Hook Pond
(AnW. MMcB); Further Lane (AnW),
LONG-TAILED JAEGER: juv Hampton Bays
28 Aug (fide V. Frati ph), to rehab,
jaeger species: Jones Inlet 28 Aug (mob), likely
Parasitic; Eaton’s Neck 28 Aug (BBo).
PIGEONS - WOODPECKERS
Monk Parakeet: Gilgo 29 Aug (SA, ABa), unus
loe.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo: CRSPP 3 Jun (K&SF);
Rocky Pt, SUFF 9 Jul thru (RKa).
Black-billed Cuckoo: PP 10 Jun; JamBay 26
Jun (MG); Rocky Pt 26 Jun (RKa), only reports.
E. Screech-Owl: several reports e LI of
vocalizing owls 20-23 Aug.
Great Horned Owl: Massapequa Pres 3 Aug
(JTu), scarce in NASS; Caumsett 7 Jun (K&SF);
2 Rocky Pt 15 Jun (RKa).
Com. Nighthawk: PP 11 Jun, formerly more
numerous and presumed breeding here (RJ); 3
over Snug Harbor 26 Jun (SINaturalist); 2 Staten
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Is 6 Jul (E Callahan); 2 Staten Is 15 Jul (ACi);
migr Mt Sinai SUFF 17 Aug (DH); 4 AP
Environmental Center, QUEE (SWa); EH 23
Aug (ACo); Verrazanno Narrows 23 Aug
(SSM); 6 Heckscher SP 24 Aug (K&SF); Great
Gull I 28 Aug, day of Irene (JDi et al); -75
Wading River Beach SUFF 29 Aug (Byron
Young, fide RA): 9 EH 30 Aug (ACo).
Chuck-will’s-widow: 3 Sunken Forest & 1
between Cherry Grove and Fire Is Pines, Fire Is
8 Jun (DF); absent from many traditional sites,
E. Whip-poor-will: NONE on survey of CRSPP
3 Jun (K&SF), first time missed over decades of
surveys; usual numbers heard around
Westhampton & Rocky Pt mid June.
Chimney Swift: 150 migr RMSP 23 Aug
(K&SF); -170, 175 entering NYS Armory
chimney RICH 26, 28 Aug (CB).
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD: EH feeder 30
Aug thru to fall (ACo, ph).
FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS
Olive-sided Flycatcher: Hoyt Farm Pres, SUFF
23 Aug (NYRBA); CP 29 Aug (MR).
Acadian Flycatcher: CP 1 Jun (TF); FP 2 Jun
(KM); CRSPP 3 Jun (K&SF), prob same bird 12
Jun (JG1); Caumsett 7 Jun (K&SF); s High Rock
P RICH 4 Jun (SIN); Hourglass Pd RICH 4 Jun
& 14 Jun (SIN); Rocky Pt 1-22 Jun (RKa).
Willow Flycatcher: noted as scarcer than usual
central LI (RKa).
Least Flycatcher: arr RMSP 11 Aug (K&SF).
Great Crested Flycatcher: 31 CRSPP 3 Jun
(K&SF).
WESTERN KINGBIRD: Deep Hollow, Mtk
14-19 Aug (MMcB, mob), early.
E. Kingbird: 199 migr RMSP 23 Aug (K&SF,
SSM).
Fish Crow: max 68 Heckscher SP 28 Aug.
Com. Raven: Wagner College RICH 29 Aug
(HF); carrying food Metropolitan & Selfridge
Aves, QUEE 16 Jun (JL); 2 115* St x 85 ,h Ave,
QUEE 27 Aug (JL); 2 Plainview NASS 30 Jul
(PM); 2 Frick Estate, Roslyn NASS 4 Jun (PM);
nest w/ young Hampton Bays: 5 on 3 Jul (PG)
and 4 on 9 Jul, first SUFF breeding; Wildwood
SP, SUFF 5 Jul (JH).
Yellow-throated Vireo: arr RMSP 30 Aug
(K&SF).
Tree Swallow': 300 migr RMSP 23 Aug
(K&SF).
N. Rough-winged Swallow': nesting in seawall
Governer’s INEWY 12 Jun (RJ), first breeding
record for this ATLAS block area and third
confirmed block in NYC.
Bank Swallow: robust colony in dirt mounds at
construction site in Farmingville SUFF, 4 mi
from nearest body of water (JTu, fide LO).
369
Cliff Swallow: 3 migr RMSP 23 Aug (SSM); “a
few” Blue Heron P RICH 27 Aug (JTr).
Barn Swallow: 10,800 migr RMSP 23 Aug
(K&SF, SSM); counted 7:00-10:00 but more
cont afterwards.
Red-breasted Nutchatch: Grymes Hill RICH 1
Jul (HF).
Carolina Wren: several reps suggesting
scarcity: just 1 CRSPP 3 Jun, on 5 mi survey
(K&SF); none Caumsett 7 Jun, on breeding
survey (K&SF),
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: migr RMSP 23 Aug
(SSM).
Swainson’s Thrush: arr Bryant ParkNEWY 30
Aug (BC).
Wood Thrush: conspicuously absent from many
woodlands, especially east, this season.
Ain. Robin: 345 migr RMSP 23 Aug (K&SF).
Gray Catbird: 70 CRSPP 3 Jun (K&SF).
N. Mockingbird: 32 migr RMSP 23 Aug
(K&SF).
Cedar Waxwing: 128 migr 23 Aug RMSP
(K&SF).
LONGSPURS - WARBLERS
Louisiana Waterthrush: Rocky Pt 14, 19 Jul
(RKa),
N. Waterthrush: arr CLP 26 Jul (CB); 3
JamBay 27 Jul (ABa); Rocky Pt 29 Jul (RKa).
Golden-winged Warbler: EH 23 Aug (ACo);
PP 23-24 Aug (P. Pane, mob), first here since
2009 fide PDo.
Tennessee Warbler: EH 23 Aug (ACo); Rocky
Pt 24 Aug (RKa).
Mourning Warbler: PP 1 Jun (ECr); arr f PP 23
Aug (KR).
Com. Yellowthroat: 32 CRSPP 3 Jun (K&SF).
Hooded Warbler: 2 terr males: sing Rocky Pt
11 dates 10 Jun-7Jul (RKa); CRSPP 3 Jun
(K&SF) & 4 Jun (JGl); arr 2 PBP 23 Aug (AB1).
Am. Redstart: 20 on one road, Caumsett SP
breeding survey 7 Jun (K&SF).
Cape May Warbler: arr RMSP 24 Aug.
Magnolia Warbler: CP 5 Jun (JSu).
Yellow Warbler: 55 Caumsett SP breeding
survey 7 Jun (K&SF).
Blackpoll Warbler: Greenwood Cem, KING 13
Jun (eBirdNYC): last Bay Shore SUFF 18 Jun
(PJL).
Yellow-throated Warbler: CRSPP 4 Jun (JGl);
Teddy Roosevelt CP, Mtk 29 Aug (SSM, PJL).
Black-throated Green Warbler: last ad m
Riverside P. NEWY, singing; 15 Jun (JDr).
Canada Warbler: arr Bryant Park 8 Aug (BC);
Rocky Pt 12 Aug (RKa).
Yellow-breasted Chat: arr CP 26 Aug.
370
TOWHEES - WEAVERS
E. Towhee: 36 CRSPP 3 Jun (K&SF).
Vesper Sparrow: bred at GA and in nearby field
to the north.
Lark Sparrow': Edgemere Landfill, QUEE 26
Aug (SA, ABa, CF); RMSP 29 Aug (AMcI);
CHP 29 Aug (DJ).
Savannah Sparrow: many Edgemere Landfill
QUEE 12 Jun (SA, CF, MN).
Grasshopper Sparrow: EPCAL (former
Grumman property), Rt 25 radar tower, and
Gabreski Airport are still breeding strongholds;
Napeaguc 23 Jul (ACo et al.); juv ph at EPCAL
21 Aug (GB, TWB), seldom detected after
fledging.
Saltmarsh Sparrow: 2 Sammy’s Beach EH 12
Jun (ACo).
White-throated Sparrow: arr CP 28 Aug
(eBirdNYC ).
Summer Tanager: f CP 3 Jun, cont from spring
(TF); FP 3 Jun (fide JL); NYBG 4 Jun (DBec); f
Great Gull Is SUFF 24 Jun (JDi); pr East
Hampton 4-26 Jun+; m seen 1,2 & 4 Jul; juv
seen nearby 24 Jul & 23 Aug (ACo).
Blue Grosbeak: m Eastport (TWB et al) & pr
Bridgehampton thru Jun (fide HMcG); ad m sing
Southampton 14-15 Jul (HMcG); 2 (first summer
m, f) EPCAL 16 Jul (ES, AMcI).
Indigo Bunting: Four Sparrow Marsh, KING 26
Jun (MW).
Dickcissel: RMSP 23 Aug (RJK).
Bobolink: displaying m. f, Edgemere Landfill
QUEE 12 Jun (SA, CF, MN); first mig RMSP 11
Aug (K&SF); 62 migr RMSP (K&SF); 2
Caumsett SP 18 Aug (PM), migr?
Red-winged Blackbird: 755 migr RMSP 23
Aug (K&SF).
E. Meadowlark: 2 Caumsett SP 5 Jun thru, on
territory (PM; K&SF); 15 EPCAL, former
Grumman property 8 Jul, only reported locations
for breeders.
Boat-tailed Grackle: CP thru 9 Jun, from spring
(TF); v rare away from coast.
Baltimore Oriole: 70 migr 23 Aug RMSP
(K&SF).
Provenance Uncertain or Unnatural
GREAT KISKADEE: Hudson R near the USS
Intrepid, NEWY 31 Aug (fide AB1), provenance
highly suspect.
HOODED CROW: GKP 20 Jun- 9 Jul (SWo,
mob); poss pres earlier; provenance uncertain.
Pin-tailed Wydah: Crooke’s Pt RICH 3 Jul
(EM), exotic.
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
STANDARD ABBREVIATIONS
Regional rarities appear in BOLD; county names are shortened to their first four
letters and appeal' hi UPPER CASE letters; months are shortened to their first
three letters. In species accounts: number of individuals omitted implies that one
individual was reported; ! - details seen by Regional Editor; ad - adult; Alt -
Alternate plumage; Am. - American; arr - arrival or first of season; BBS -
Breeding Bird Survey; BOTS - bird of the season; CBC - Christmas Bird
Count; CO - confirmed nesting; Com. - Common; E. - Eastern; FL - fledgling;
FY - adult feeding young; I - Island; imm - immature; intro - see introduction
to report; juv - juvenile; L - Lake; max - maximum; mob - multiple observers;
N. - Northern; NYSDEC - New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation; NWR - National Wildlife Refuge; NYSARC - report to New
York State Avian Records Committee; P - park; Pd - Pond; ph - photographed;
Pt - Point; Res - Reservoir; Ri - River; SP - State Park; spm - specimen; subad
- subadult; T - Town of; thru - throughout period; Twn - township; W. -
Western; WMA - Wildlife Management Area; y - young.
REPORTING REGIONS
Regional boundaries coincide with county lines, except at:
Region 1-Region 2 in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming Counties:
the boundary is NY Route 98 from Pt. Breeze to Batavia;
NY Route 63 from Batavia to Pavilion, and NY Route 19
from Pavilion to the Allegany County line.
Region 2-Region 3 in Ontario County:
the boundary is Mud Creek to NY Route 64, NY Route 64
from Bristol Center to S. Bristol Springs, and Route 21
from S. Bristol Springs to die Yates County line.
Region 3-Region 5 in Cayuga County:
the boundary is NY Route 31.
REPORTING DEADLINES
Winter Season: December, January, February
Deadline is 7 March
Spring Season: March, April, May
Deadline is 7 June
Summer Season: June, July, August
Deadline is 7 September
Fall Season: September, October, November
Deadline is 7 December
The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
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The Kingbird 2011 December; 61 (4)
Editor of The Kingbird
Shaibal S. Mitra
Biology Dept., College of Staten Island
2800 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10314
Editor of New York Birders
Timothy Baird
242 E. State St., Salamanca, NY 14779
Appointed Committees
Archives:
Linda Benedict—6701 Miller Rd., Newark, NY 14513
Awards:
Gail Kirch—1099 Powderhouse Rd., Vestal, NY 13850
Bylaws:
Robert G. Spahn, Chair—716 High Tower Way, Webster, NY 14580
Conservation:
Andrew Mason, Chair— 1039 Peck St., Jefferson, NY 12093
Finance:
BemaB. Lincoln, Chair— P.O. Box 296, Somers, NY 10589
New York State Avian Records:
Angus Wilson, Chair
Send reports to:
Jeanne Skelly, Secretary for NTS ARC
420 Chili-Scottsville Rd., Churchville, NY 14428
New York State Young Birders Club:
Carena Pooth, Chair—22 Brothers Rd., Poughquag, NY 12570
Publications:
Timothy Baird, Chair—242 State St., Salamanca, NY 14779
Publicity:
Kathryn Schneider, Chair—16 Frisbee Ln., Stuyvesant, NY 12173
Research:
Jeremy J. Kirchman, Chair—New York State Museum
3140 CEC, Albany, NY 12230
Waterfowl Count:
Bryan L. Swift
NYSDEC Bureau of Wildlife, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754
Web Site and Information Services:
Carena Pooth—22 Brothers Rd., Poughquag, NY 12570
E lected Co m m ittees
Nominating:
Joan Collins (Chair), Robert Adamo, William Ostrander
Auditing:
Jo hn Cairns, Irving Cantor (Chair), Peter Capainolo
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