December 2020

Front Cover: December 2020

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:14:00 GMT

Canvasback

The Canvasback (Aythya valisineria), with its distinctive wedge-shaped head and bill and striking color pattern is, to many observers North America’s most elegant waterfowl. The male in breeding plumage has a chestnut red head tinged with black, a black breast and tail, and a white body. The long, sloping bill is black. Females in breeding plumage are similar in pattern to males, but the body is mottled gray and the head and breast are brown. Males in nonbreeding plumage have mottled gray bodies. Juveniles resemble females but are darker. The Redhead male, which has a similar color pattern to its Canvasback counterpart, differs in having a rounded head, gray back, and a light blue, black-tipped bill. Female Redheads are a uniform brown color and have a gray, black-tipped bill. Canvasbacks are monotypic with no subspecies described.

The Canvasback breeding range extends in a swath across central Alaska, south through the prairies and parklands of western and central Canada, and into the United States south into the Dakotas and Minnesota to the east, and in scattered localities from Wyoming and Washington to northern California to the west. Canvasbacks migrate along all of the major flyways in the United States. They winter in scattered concentrations along the West Coast from southern British Columbia through Baja California and along the East Coast from Massachusetts to central Florida. They also winter inland from the southern Great Lakes across much of the lower half of the United States. Their wintering range extends through the northern two-thirds of Mexico in patches of suitable habitat. In Massachusetts today, Canvasbacks are considered a very uncommon and local winter resident, despite their former occasional abundance as recently as the 1970s. Their local movements reflect changing winter conditions such as the icing up of ponds.

Canvasbacks are usually monogamous, but males sometimes breed with a second female, leaving the original mate when she is incubating eggs. Courtship begins during spring migration. The female has the dominant role in pair formation because she chooses her mate from a half-dozen or more males that may court her simultaneously. Courtship occurs on the water where she may swim along a preferred male. She may give a head-lowered threat display to one male and then give a neck-stretched display with head, neck, and bill stretched upward to the favored male. Both males and females give the stretch display. Males have several displays in which they may lower the head with crown feathers depressed, hold the head in the normal upright posture, or hold the head forward with various types of coughs given. In another display, males throw the head and neck backward until the crown touches the back, then snap the head forward. Canvasbacks are not vocal but give a variety of coughing sounds—rrrr, kuk, or ker—during courtship displays.

Canvasbacks breed in wetlands that include marshes, sloughs, lakes, ponds, or potholes. They tend to be nest-site faithful, returning to the same breeding areas year after year. The female alone constructs the nest over water of local emergent vegetation. The base is a bulky platform that may rest on the muddy bottom in shallow water or be attached to emergent plants in deeper water. The nest is a depression of finer plant fibers lined with down. It usually has a ramp or two leading to the water and a canopy of overhanging vegetation. The female has a single brood patch, and she alone incubates the 7–12 grayish olive eggs for the 3–4 weeks until hatching. The male remains with the female for a week and then deserts her. During that week, the male defends the nest site against intrusions by other Canvasbacks or Redheads. The hatchlings are precocious—they are covered with down, and their eyes are open. They leave the nest the day after hatching and can feed themselves. The female leads the chicks to larger ponds that have underwater vegetation and usually stays with her brood for 3–8 weeks before heading off to molt. The young are capable of flight about two months after hatching.

During the flightless period associated with molt, Canvasbacks stay on ponds and lakes where they can feed on submerged vegetation. Males, after abandoning the females, move to staging areas, including lakes and prairie and tundra wetlands. They complete their molt and migrate before the females and young birds, who generally stay in the breeding area but move locally to open water to molt. On the staging and wintering grounds Canvasbacks are gregarious, sometimes aggregating in flocks of more than a thousand, and flying in small flocks in V-shaped formations.

Canvasbacks take a broad spectrum of plant and animal food. On the wintering grounds they mainly take aquatic plants such as wild celery; on the breeding grounds they also take gastropods, small clams, and a variety of insect larvae. They are highly versatile foragers, taking plants and insects from the water surface and under water, taking insects from the air, and probing the substrate. They can dive to nearly 30 feet. Canvasbacks may defend a particularly rich resource.

Canvasbacks are subject to nest predation by mink, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, and weasels, and the usual avian predators including crows, gulls, and owls. They are also subject to brood parasitism by other Canvasbacks and by Redheads. Redheads may even push Canvasback females off the nest to lay eggs. When the Canvasback strongly resists, her eggs may be cracked or shoved out of the nest. Hunting is a significant cause of death, but current conservation efforts and hunting season regulation aim to keep the breeding population level above a half-million birds. Conservation initiatives include keeping motorboats away from staging areas and restricting fishing in sensitive areas. Let us hope that these efforts will keep this elegant waterfowl’s population stable so Canvasbacks are visible for birders into the future.

William E. Davis, Jr.

Hot Birds: December 2020

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:13:00 GMT

Jonathan and Matthew Eckerson found the next western stray on November 9. They were birding at Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary and hit the jackpot with the Spotted Towhee. They brought back the rest of their family and relocated it. Matthew Eckerson took the photo above.

While western Mass was being invaded by northern bird species in early November, the eastern part of the state was being sprinkled with vagrants from the western United States. On November 6, Peter Trull was sea watching from Race Point, and looked up from the water just in time to photograph a Mountain Bluebird (his photo is above). It was a one-minute wonder, not seen by anyone else at that time or afterwards.

An irruption of northern birds flooded the state this fall, especially the western end, which among the huge numbers of Pine Siskins, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Purple Finches, and Evening Grosbeaks had smaller numbers of Pine Grosbeaks, both species of crossbill, and even a couple of Boreal Chickadees. The best (so far) was a Canada Jay that appeared at a birdfeeder in Great Barrington on November 1. While the location was not made public, the homeowners are members of the Hoffman Bird Club, and invited several fellow club members over to see their visitor that day. It was gone by the next day. Rene Wendell took the above photo.

Kevin Barnes and Sasha Auer found a Barnacle Goose at Tri-Town Beach in Whately on October 12. It was accompanied by four other geese which appeared to be hybrids of Barnacle with Cackling. After being seen on and off through October 16, they relocated on the 17th to Paradise Pond on the campus of Smith College in Northampton, noticed there by Katie Doe. They were gone the next day, and found in Connecticut a few days later. Mary McKitrick took the above photo.

Winter Birding on Cape Cod: Upper Cape Cod and Barnstable

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:12:00 GMT

The Upper Cape has three major highways that access the birding spots. Route 6, the mid-Cape highway, runs east from the Sagamore Bridge through Sandwich and Barnstable to the Outer Cape. The quieter Old Kings Highway, Route 6A, weaves east through a beautiful and productive region of marshes, beaches, and thickets on the north side of the Upper Cape. The western portion of Route 6A, known as the Scenic Highway, runs west along the Cape Cod Canal, linking the Sagamore and Bourne bridges. Route 28 heads south from the Bourne Bridge, provides access to Falmouth, and loops around to Mashpee and the southern side of Barnstable. Note that on Route 28 the highway signs can be confusing; although it is marked as Route 28 South, it heads northeast as it leaves Falmouth.

Several other main roads link the birding sections of the Upper Cape. Route 151 heads east from southbound Route 28 in North Falmouth, passes through inland Falmouth and Mashpee, and terminates at Route 28 at the Mashpee rotary. Two north-south roads, Routes 130 and 149, connect Route 6A on the north side of the Cape to Route 28 on the south side. Route 130 runs from Sandwich to Mashpee. Route 149 connects the northern end of Barnstable to its southern end and forms the approximate eastern boundary of the Upper Cape birding area, although I have included a few spots that are a short distance east of Route 149.

1. Sandwich and the Cape Cod Canal

This section centers around the eastern mouth of the Cape Cod Canal, which winds through the northwest corner of the town of Sandwich. Thousands of waterfowl winter here, often providing opportunities for close viewing. Sandwich also includes a pair of productive inland ponds. Sought-after birds include King Eider, Harlequin Duck, Razorbill, and Great Cormorant.

Scusset Beach State Reservation (A) lies in the small corner of Sandwich known locally as the village of Sagamore, on the mainland side of the canal. From Route 3 South, take Exit 1A- Scusset Beach Road/US 6 West, turn left at the fork onto Scenic Highway, and follow signs for Scusset Beach Road. Travel 1.3 miles to the main entrance. You can stop in 0.25 mile at the fishing pier for one view of the canal; otherwise, continue east past the campground to the main parking lot where you can access the campground, beach, and mouth of the canal. This is one of the top birding hotspots in the area, with nearly 250 species recorded in eBird. The bike path paralleling the canal provides unrivaled close views of wintering waterbirds. Large rafts of Common Eider often forage just off the banks of the canal; sift through them for King Eider. Razorbills feed in the canal in small numbers at times and occasionally are joined by a murre or guillemot. Great Cormorants roost on buoys or on pilings in the canal. The thickets in the campground area may hold a variety of wintering passerines, and the barren field adjacent often has Horned Larks and occasionally Snow Buntings or a Lapland Longspur.

Returning to Route 3, cross the Sagamore Bridge, and take Exit 1C-6A Sagamore. Turn right on Route 6A. In 1.9 miles, turn left onto Tupper Road, and in 0.4 mile, turn left onto Freezer Road to enter the Sandwich Marina (B) and the Cape Cod Canal Visitors Center. You will see many of the waterfowl you saw at Scusset, although at a greater distance. There are often good numbers of gulls roosting here that may include Iceland, Glaucous, or Lesser Black-backed gulls. Brant often forage on the grassy field adjacent to the parking lot. In the marina, you may get close looks at Common Loon and Red-breasted Merganser. Common Raven has nested at the adjacent power plant and is seen year-round.

Section 1 detail.

Exiting the marina from Gallo or Coast Guard roads, turn left on Town Neck Road, and in 0.1 mile reach Town Neck Road Beach (C). There can be tremendous numbers of waterfowl offshore, occasionally numbering into the thousands. This is another good spot to look for King Eider and the occasional Harlequin Duck. Sharp-eyed observers may spot a Purple Sandpiper on the large breakwater or an alcid among the waterfowl. Ruddy Turnstones often forage on the rocky beach. This can also be an excellent spot to watch for storm-blown birds during a northeaster.

A pair of productive ponds for dabbling ducks, Lower and Upper Shawme ponds (or lakes—the terms are used interchangeably), round out this section. Return to Tupper Road and turn left. In 0.6 miles cross Route 6A at the traffic light and continue on Tupper Road for another 0.4 mile, then turn right onto Route 130 and take an immediate left onto Grove Street, which parallels Lower Shawme Pond (D). You can check the pond from Grove Street, but it is a narrow street with only a few places you can pull over to see the water. Drive slowly and respect the private residences.

Upper Shawme Pond (E) is not easily viewed from the road, but best observed from a short hiking trail in Cooks Farm Conservation Land, a 0.7-mile drive south on Route 130, across from the Wing School where you can park. Both ponds can have good numbers of dabblers, including rarer species such as Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Shoveler. Cooks Farm also has productive thickets for overwintering songbirds. Uncommon passerines such as Fox Sparrow, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker have been found here.

2. East Sandwich to West Barnstable

From Cooks Farm, retrace your route to the junction of Tupper Road and Route 6A. Turn right and head east on Route 6A, which winds through a lovely stretch of cranberry bogs, marsh, and forest. This area holds many productive nooks and crannies, and simply wandering back streets looking for birds can be great fun. The crown jewel of this section is Sandy Neck Beach Park, but other hotspots along the way can hold many interesting surprises. Target birds here include Snowy Owl, Northern Shrike, Eurasian Wigeon, and Blue-winged Teal.

King Eider. All photographs by the author.

At 2.1 miles from the Tupper Road intersection, you will encounter the first hotspot along Route 6A, Greenbriar Nature Center and Jam Kitchen (F), a charming property with wonderful wet thickets, a small but productive pond, and beautiful hiking trails through a mixed woodland. Turn south on Discovery Hill Road, which is marked with a sign for the nature center. The thickets around the visitor center and along Discovery Hill Road can hold a variety of wintering passerines, and the pond usually has Common Goldeneye and Hooded Merganser. The rich woods are good for Winter Wren and Fox Sparrow; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has wintered here. While at the property you can visit their resident rabbits or purchase some delicious homemade jam.

Return to Route 6A and turn right, head east for 1.6 miles, then take a right turn on Old County Road. In 0.8 mile, the Nye Museum (G) will be on the left. The museum complex includes the Old Fish Hatchery, an interesting and often productive birding spot. The area is full of low, wet thickets, which are usually good for overwintering passerines. Some of the more interesting birds seen here on occasion include Rusty Blackbird, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, and Wilson’s Snipe. The marshy tidal pond can hold Virginia Rail, Swamp Sparrow, and occasionally a few Green-winged Teal or Greater Yellowlegs. Across the street, birders are welcome to visit Nye Pond, private property that is managed by the Nye Museum. Nye Pond can be good for dabbling ducks and often stays open even when other ponds are frozen. Eurasian Wigeon has been found here a few times.

Backtrack to Route 6A and turn right. Stay on Route 6A for 2.3 miles, then turn left on Sandy Neck Road to Sandy Neck Beach Park (H), the premier year-round birding hotspot on the Upper Cape, with almost 270 species recorded on eBird. In winter, Sandy Neck is a good place to look for a wide variety of wintering waterfowl, gulls, and shorebirds. Twelve species of gull have been seen here, including Little, Glaucous, and Black-headed. Snowy Owls are found here most years, though often they roost out on the tip, a nearly six-mile walk from the parking lot. You can find Northern Shrike in the dunes near the parking lot or along the ORV trail, which hikers may walk. Short-eared Owls may emerge from the dunes at dusk to feed out in the marsh. A platform looks out over the dunes from the upper parking lot, providing a good spot from which to scope for shrike or owls. You can often find the “Ipswich” subspecies of Savannah Sparrow in the parking lot. During winter northeasters, alcids, gannets, and kittiwakes may be blown in close to shore. If you walk the trails, be aware that hunting is popular here, so Sunday is the only safe day to walk on the marsh side.

After leaving Sandy Neck Beach State Park, turn left onto Route 6A, drive for 1.4 miles, then turn right onto Maple Street. Mill Pond (I) sits between Maple Street and Willow Street in West Barnstable, just south of Route 6A. Viewing the pond from Maple Street is difficult; the best access is via a small hiking trail off of the cul-de-sac on Gemini Drive, a residential neighborhood. To reach Gemini Drive, head south on Maple Street for 0.8 mile and turn left on Cedar Street. Gemini Drive is on the left in 0.1 mile. It ends at the bottom of the hill in a circular cul-de-sac, from which the trail heads into the woods. Please be respectful of the neighboring homeowners when using this trail. The small arm of the pond that borders the trail is often the most productive area and frequently has wintering Blue-winged Teal, and occasionally Northern Pintail or Wood Duck. The main pond is good for a variety of waterfowl, including Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, and Bufflehead. Great Blue Herons often roost in the trees surrounding the pond.

3. Coastal Falmouth

Falmouth is, without a doubt, the duck capital of the Upper Cape. The wide variety of inland ponds and coastal salt ponds attracts an interesting mix of diving and dabbling ducks as well as other waterbirds. Many rarities have been found in these ponds over the years. Targets include Tufted Duck, Redhead, Canvasback, and Barrow’s Goldeneye. In addition, the area is blessed with abundant thickets that provide habitat for overwintering passerines.

Section 3 detail.

Start your coastal Falmouth birding in Woods Hole (J), the farthest southwest point, and work your way northeast from there. To reach Woods Hole from off-Cape, follow Route 6A west from the Sagamore Bridge for 5.4 miles to the Bourne Rotary. Or, if you cross the Bourne Bridge, this is where you will begin. Take the exit onto MA-28 S/MacArthur Blvd toward Falmouth/Woods/Hole/Martha’s Vineyard. At the next rotary, take the second exit to continue on Route 28 south to Falmouth/Woods Hole. Follow Route 28 south for approximately 9 miles until it turns into Palmer Avenue. As you continue south, the road’s name changes to Woods Hole Road. In another 4.7 miles you will reach Woods Hole, home of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, a charming little village that can be a lot of fun to poke around in winter. Nobska Point Light and Nobska Pond are worth visiting for raptors and puddle ducks. The Great Harbor area is good for sea ducks, Great Cormorant, and occasionally Purple Sandpiper, and there are many productive thickets around town. There is also a free aquarium that can provide a break from the cold. Be aware that parking is usually metered and is enforced year-round.

A few miles north from Woods Hole, Peterson Farm (K) is a parcel of land managed by the Falmouth 300 Committee land trust. Drive north on Woods Hole Road for 2.9 miles, and turn left on MacCallum Drive. Immediately take a sharp right up a steep, narrow road to the farm. Formerly a working farm, the area still has open agricultural lands and large thickets ringing its perimeter, all of which may be productive. Eastern Phoebe is often found here in winter, and this is a good spot for Fox Sparrow and Yellow-breasted Chat. Eastern Meadowlark may forage in the grassy fields. Accipiters frequently hunt the area.

Leave Peterson Farm and continue north on Woods Hole Road for 0.7 mile, then take a sharp right onto Mill Road. This road parallels the eastern shore of Salt Pond (L), perhaps the most productive of Falmouth’s many coastal ponds. Common Goldeneye is usually here in good numbers and may be accompanied by one or more Barrow’s Goldeneye. Occasionally, large flocks of scaup form, and Tufted Duck has been found among them. Common Loon, Red-breasted and Hooded mergansers, and Bufflehead are almost always present. In 2019, a Pacific Loon visited for a couple of days. Shining Sea Bikeway runs along the western shore of the pond and has excellent thickets which often shelter Yellow-breasted Chat, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Fox Sparrow.

Tufted duck x scaup hybrid.

From Salt Pond, continue to the end of Mill Road, turn left, and follow Surf Drive for one mile, bearing left where it becomes Shore Street. Turn right on Clinton Avenue and follow it for 0.5 mile, then turn left at Scranton Avenue. This takes you past the Falmouth Marine Park, which may be worth a quick look for ducks. Continue north on Scranton Avenue for 0.3 mile, then turn right on Robbins Avenue and right again onto Falmouth Heights Road. Return south along Falmouth Heights Road—which becomes Grand Avenue when it loops around Falmouth Heights—and follow the coastline 1.4 miles to Menauhant Road, where you bear slightly right to stay along the shore. Little, Great, Green, and Bourne’s ponds are a series of narrow, brackish ponds that radiate north from Falmouth’s south shore like fingers. All kinds of waterfowl are possible in these ponds, which often stay unfrozen when other ponds are iced over.

Little Pond (M) in particular can be good for large flocks of scaup, which occasionally include Redhead or Canvasback. View this pond from a small parking area at its outlet on Menauhant Road known as Bristol Beach. Drive east on Menauhant Road for 0.5 mile to the outlet of Great Pond (N) into Nantucket Sound, where Barrow’s Goldeneye and Purple Sandpiper have been somewhat regular. To explore both ponds further, head up Maravista Avenue, where the side streets will give you nice vantages. Take Boston, Brockton, or Pocasset streets west to view Little Pond, or just about any street east to Great Bay Street, which parallels Great Pond. Perch Pond (O) is a northwest extension of Great Pond. It has been the best place on Cape Cod for Canvasbacks, though they have not been seen here since 2017. Redhead is occasionally found at Perch Pond. Scaup can be numerous, and Tufted Duck is a possibility. In 2020, a hybrid Tufted Duck x scaup was found. The best spot for observing this pond is a small conservation area at the east end of Nickerson Street, a right turn off Maravista Avenue 1.3 miles north from Menauhant Road. To continue your coastal birding, drive back to Menauhant Road and head east to Green (P) and Bourne’s (Q) ponds, which you can bird from the main road or nearby side streets.

When you have finished birding coastal Falmouth, this might be a good time for a lunch or coffee break. There are several lunch spots along Falmouth’s Main Street. If you go into Falmouth, consider birding Sider’s Pond, an inland pond just behind Falmouth’s Town Hall building, that can host large flocks of scaup and is worth checking for more rare species. Tufted Duck was found here in 2015; Canvasback and Redhead have been seen here as well. Pied-billed Grebe, Ring-necked Duck, and Canada Goose are common here, and the large thickets bordering the town hall area can be productive.

4. Inland Falmouth and Mashpee

Birding the inland section of Falmouth and Mashpee centers around the Route 151 corridor. This is a nice area to explore if the wind is up and coastal birding is uncomfortable. There are unique habitats here that can harbor unusual species for the Cape. Target birds include Barrow’s Goldeneye, Eastern Meadowlark, Northern Shrike, and Barred Owl.

This section begins at the Frances Crane Wildlife Management Area (WMA) (R), which you can reach from off-Cape or downtown Falmouth, depending on where you started your birding day. From Falmouth’s Town Hall Square, turn left—heading west on Main Street—for 0.3 mile, then turn right onto Palmer Avenue. In 2.1 miles, merge onto Route 28 North, continue for 4.4 miles, then take the Route 151 exit and head east toward Mashpee and North Falmouth. From off-Cape, take the Bourne Bridge to Route 28 South to Exit 151 and head east. Drive on Route 151 for 2.4 miles until you see Hamilton Tree and Landscape on your left and a small baseball diamond just beyond it. Turn left before the baseball field into the parking area for Crane WMA.

The main field complex is the largest open grassland on the Cape outside of the Joint Base Cape Cod, which is adjacent to Crane WMA. On a cold, windy winter day this can be an incredibly bleak place. However, Eastern Meadowlarks overwinter here, and it is an excellent place to look for Northern Shrike. Rare winter passerines such as Vesper Sparrow and Palm Warbler are sometimes seen. A Mountain Bluebird was found in 2016. Short-eared Owls are occasionally found in the evening. Hunting is popular, so Sunday is the only safe day to bird.

Coonamessett Pond (S) lies 0.5 mile due south of Crane. Directly across Route 151 from the Crane parking area, take Ranch Road 0.3 mile to Boxberry Hill Road, turn right, and look for a parking lot on the left in 400 feet. Walk down a small path near the edge of the golf course. This path has some thickets that may yield Winter Wren or Fox Sparrow, and the golf course often attracts Eastern Bluebird. The pond is good for Common Merganser, scaup, and occasionally large flocks of Canada Goose. A pair of Greater White-fronted Geese was here in 2016.

"Ipswich" Sparrow

Return to Route 151, turn right, and head east for 1.5 miles, then turn left onto Currier Road to reach Ashumet Pond (T), where you can make two birding stops. This is one of the best places on the Cape to find Barrow’s Goldeneye; there is at least one almost every winter and, occasionally, a hybrid Barrow’s x Common goldeneye. Sometimes there are large numbers of American Coot, which Bald Eagles target for a snack.

Viewing the southern end of the pond can be a little tricky; your best bet is to drive 0.4 mile to Austin Stokes Road, park there, and carry your scope across Currier Road to the small beach adjacent to the road. This is the place to look for Barrow’s Goldeneye. The north section of the pond is easy to view from the Ashumet Pond boat ramp. From Austin Stokes Drive, follow Currier Road north for 0.5 mile, turn right onto Sandwich Road, and turn right into the parking lot.

For Johns Pond (U), exit the parking area and turn right onto Sandwich Road, which becomes Back Road in 0.4 mile when the road curves right. Follow Back Road for 0.6 mile and bear left at the fork to stay on Back Road for another 0.5. mile, where it ends at Johns Pond Park. This is a fascinating area of trails that wind through an old, mostly overgrown cranberry bog and can be productive for overwintering songbirds, including Swamp Sparrow and Winter Wren. You could startle up a Ruffed Grouse. This is one of the better spots to find Barred Owl on the Upper Cape, and they are sometimes vocal during the day. The cattail marsh often harbors overwintering Virginia Rails. Johns Pond may have good numbers of waterfowl, and there is also a small pond north of the parking area where you may find Hooded Merganser.

5. Coastal Mashpee and Cotuit

If you have been birding the south coast of Falmouth and want to continue along the coast, Mashpee and Cotuit offer some attractive destinations. Head northeast from Main Street Falmouth on Route 28 South (yes, it is confusing), which winds through pretty residential villages and past the grounds of the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR), an interesting facility open to the public for natural history programs. In 8.8 miles you will arrive at the Mashpee rotary, where good birding spots await in three different directions. If you have been birding Frances Crane WMA and the nearby ponds, drive east on Route 151 to the Mashpee rotary. Targets in the coastal Mashpee and Cotuit area include Snowy Owl, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Virginia Rail, and Bald Eagle.

Whichever way you enter the rotary, exit onto Great Neck Road South. This scenic road winds 5.4 miles past Wampanoag tribal land and turns into Great Oak Road on the way to South Cape Beach State Park (V). One of the area’s prime birding spots, South Cape Beach consists of the Mashpee town beach to the west and the state park beach to the east. The town beach abuts an extensive salt marsh and can be good for Snowy and Short-eared owls. A sand trail heading west leads out to a large jetty, a one-way trip of about 1.5 miles. The sand trail passes Sage Lot Pond, several salt ponds, and dunes frequented by Horned Lark, Snow Bunting, and the “Ipswich” subspecies of Savannah Sparrow. Purple Sandpiper and other shorebirds are possible at the jetty.

At the state beach, walk east to Flat Pond, which abuts the New Seabury golf course, and look for waterfowl. Barnstable County’s first Ross’s Goose was found here in 2019. The Nantucket Sound shoreline is modestly productive but worth checking.

Return to the rotary. Take the second exit onto Great Neck Road North. In 2.7 miles, turn left onto Route 130, then turn right in 0.1 mile onto Lake Avenue, which ends at Attaquin Park (W). This parking area looks out over Mashpee-Wakeby Pond, an excellent place to scope for diving and dabbling ducks. You can usually find at least one Barrow’s Goldeneye and occasionally hybrids with Common Goldeneye. Bald Eagles frequent Mashpee-Wakeby Pond as well. Look for Great Blue Heron at the marshy pond at the entrance on Lake Avenue and explore its bordering wet thickets.

Head back to the Mashpee rotary, and take the fourth exit, Route 28 South. In 0.3 mile, turn right onto Quinaquisset Avenue, and drive 3.4 miles east past Willowbend Golf Course into the town of Cotuit. At Main Street, turn right and proceed 0.2 mile to a stop sign. Turn left onto Ocean View Avenue and drive 0.3 mile past stately homes to Loop Beach (X). This spot provides a view of Mass Audubon’s Sampsons Island and an open panorama of Cotuit Bay. There can be numerous Common Loons and Common Goldeneyes as well as an occasional Barrow’s. Scope Sampsons Island for a possible Snowy Owl.

Continue on Ocean View Avenue for 0.1 mile and turn left to rejoin Main Street. Follow Main Street for 1.1 miles to Rushy Marsh Pond (Y). This is a good spot to look for overwintering Virginia Rail and Marsh Wren. Hooded and Red-breasted mergansers are frequently present. The beach at the end of Main Street offers another vantage over Nantucket Sound.

6. Marstons Mills Ponds and Conservation Areas

The village of Marstons Mills, part of the town of Barnstable, contains a constellation of lakes and ponds that can be good for waterfowl. A spotting scope is recommended for optimal viewing of the larger ponds. The area includes a grassy airfield and one of the larger wooded conservation areas on the Cape. Target birds include Bald Eagle, Northern Shrike, Eurasian Wigeon, and Snow Goose.

If you are coming from Rushy Marsh Pond, take Main Street in Cotuit north until it ends at Route 28. Turn right and continue on Route 28 South for 2.1 miles, then turn left at the traffic light onto Route 149. If you are coming from the Mashpee Rotary, exit onto Route 28 South, which you will follow until the left turn onto Route 149. Immediately park on the right side of the road across from Marstons Mills Pond (Z). Parking is allowed in the widened areas on both sides of Route 149. Carefully cross Route 149 to view the pond. Bring your scope.

Historically, this has been one of the best ponds for dabbling ducks on the mid-Cape. Snow Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, and Northern Shoveler have been seen here regularly; during one fierce blizzard, an Eared Grebe spent a day on this pond. The entire main street of Marstons Mills, including the access to the pond, underwent a major renovation in 2019, and the number of ducks seems to have dropped off dramatically since then. Whether that was a one-year anomaly or will be the start of a trend remains to be seen.

The next stop is Hamblin Pond (AA). Bald Eagles are frequently spotted here. A wide variety of dabbling and diving ducks, loons, and grebes has also been seen over the years. There are two places to access the water from Route 149, and both are easy to miss. For the Hamblin Pond Beach and boat ramp, drive north on Route 149 from the Marstons Mills Pond for 0.7 mile, and turn left at the small sign for Hamblin Pond Beach just before the Marstons Mills Cemetery (70°24’37.29”W 41°39’46.98”N). To reach the second spot, the Hamblin Pond car top boat launch, drive north on Route 149 for another 0.7 mile, and turn left onto an unmarked gravel road just before Laurel Drive (70°24’19.20”W 41°40’0.82”N). Parking is available along the access road, with space for approximately 6 cars.

Returning to Route 149, head north for 1.1 miles to a small rotary and take the first right onto Race Lane. Follow it for 0.3 mile and turn right onto Willimantic Avenue, which ends in 0.3 mile at Shubael Pond (BB), a classic, round kettle pond. Large numbers of geese often shelter here, including an occasional Snow Goose. All three mergansers, Common Loon, and American Coot are possible, and Bald Eagles are spotted occasionally.

Return to Race Lane, take a left, and head back to the rotary. Take the second exit to continue west on Race Lane. In 0.7 mile, you will reach a landing on the left that overlooks Mystic Lake (CC). There are often large flocks of scaup, and all three mergansers are regular. Eagles visit the lake during the winter. The first Bald Eagle nest on Cape Cod in over 100 years was recently spotted here in 2020.

If you are tired of ducks, Marstons Mills airport (DD) is worth a quick look. Turn right out of the Mystic Lake landing and return to the rotary. Take the third exit, and head north on Prospect Street/Route 149. Park in any of the gravel lots on the left along the airfield. This large, grassy field can harbor Eastern Meadowlark and Northern Shrike. Rarely, game birds such as Northern Bobwhite and Ring-necked Pheasant have been spotted. Raptors often frequent the area. Contiguous to the airport is the sprawling West Barnstable Conservation Area, one of the largest blocks of unbroken woodland on the Cape where you can find good numbers of wintering songbirds, and owling can be extremely productive. Barred, Northern Saw-whet, Great Horned, and Eastern Screech-Owls have been found here. Trails lead into the conservation area from the airport.

7. Barnstable’s South Coast

The southern portion of Barnstable borders Nantucket Sound and features several interesting areas for finding waterfowl and gulls. A pair of freshwater lakes offers variety and good birding. Congested in the warmer months, this area is much more peaceful in winter. Target birds include Purple Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Iceland Gull, Northern Pintail, and Northern Saw-whet Owl.

Section 7 detail.

Head south on Route 149 from the Marstons Mills airport and travel 2.8 miles to the junction of Route 28 near Marstons Mills Pond. Turn left at the light and in 0.7 mile take a right onto South County Road. Follow South County Road (which becomes Main Street) through the charming village of Osterville for 2.2 miles, then turn right onto East Bay Road. Proceed 0.7 mile to Dowses Beach (EE), one of the more interesting Nantucket Sound beaches in Barnstable. Waterfowl are often numerous and can usually be seen at close range. Common Goldeneyes may be joined by one or more Barrow’s Goldeneye. Brant forage along the front beach or in the channel into East Bay. Near the jetty or across the channel on the tip of Long Beach, you can often find wintering Ruddy Turnstones that are joined by Purple Sandpipers occasionally. Snow Buntings and “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrows are often found in the dunes or the parking lot. Historically, Dowses Beach has been a good spot for Black-headed Gull, either alone or in flocks of Bonaparte’s Gulls. The large thicket along the entrance road has held Yellow-breasted Chat.

Return to Main Street and turn right. In 2.2 miles, arrive at a four-way intersection with a stoplight, and turn right onto Craigville Beach Road. In 0.6 mile turn right into the parking lot of Craigville Beach (FF). Its most famous avian attraction is an Iceland Gull with almost pure white wingtips that has been returning annually. Seeing this bird is reason alone for the trip, but the area is also good for large numbers of waterfowl. Black-headed Gull has been found here numerous times. If you feel like taking a walk, you can drive 0.6 mile west of the main beach to Long Beach Road, which ends at a conservation area with a one-mile trail out to the tip of Long Beach, directly across the channel from Dowses Beach. This can be an enjoyable and productive walk, with the potential for Ruddy Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper at the tip. Park in one of the small lots just before the end of the road.

Leaving Craigville, follow Craigville Beach Road 1.9 miles and turn right onto Scudder Avenue in Hyannisport. In 0.4 mile, turn left onto Irving Avenue, and drive 0.3 mile to Eugenia Fortes Beach (GG). The enormous breakwater here may have Purple Sandpiper or small flocks of Dunlin, and the scrubby vegetation occasionally holds late songbirds. Wintering Palm Warblers have been found here on a few occasions. A flock of Common Redpolls visited the area in 2015. In 2020, a pair of overwintering Semipalmated Plovers was seen here as late as March.

For a change of habitat, check out Skunknett River Wildlife Sanctuary, a Mass Audubon sanctuary. To reach it, retrace your steps to the four-way intersection in Centerville, and head north on Main Street. In 0.4 mile, turn left at another four-way intersection onto Park Street, then almost immediately bear right onto Bumps River Road. Follow this winding road 1.4 miles to a small parking area on the right with a Mass Audubon sign. The trail leads in 0.5 mile or so to a loop around a beautiful, secluded pond, which has the distinction of being one of the best places on the Cape to find Northern Pintail. Most years at least a few are present, along with various other dabbling ducks. Skunknett is also a great place for owls, particularly Northern Saw-Whet Owl. Several significant stands of Atlantic white cedar provide excellent habitat for this appealing owl.

The diversity of habitats and unique possibilities for uncommon birds make the Upper Cape a great place to visit in the winter. To minimize travel, combine some of the sections into productive yet manageable birding trips. You can combine sections 1 and 2 into a full day of birding along the northern part of the Upper Cape, with the potential for a wide variety of species. Or follow the coastal Falmouth route in section 3, then head north to sections 4 and 5 to explore Mashpee and its range of birding possibilities. Finally, the ponds and coastal areas of Barnstable, highlighted in sections 6 and 7, offer the chance for many different species with minimal driving between hotspots. Any of the above routes will highlight the captivating beauty and wonderful winter birding potential of this memorable region of Cape Cod.

Peter Crosson is a physician and avid birder who lives in West Barnstable, Massachusetts. He is passionate about local-patch birding and enjoys discovering new hotspots in and around his town. When not birding, he enjoys time with his wife and two kids and their mini-schnauzer Sara.

The Murmuration: Crowdsourcing Local Knowledge to Improve Birding Safety and Accessibility

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:11:00 GMT

Isn’t birding already inclusive?

Enjoyment of outdoor activities is a privilege that many people take for granted. In May 2020, a widely reported incident in Central Park provided a sobering example of how birding and being outdoors are not safe activities for many people. This incident, captured in a video that went viral, showed a white woman attempting to weaponize her privilege with the police against a Black birder, Christian Cooper, after he requested that she obey leashed-dog requirements. In response, the newly formed collective BlackAFinSTEM organized Black Birders Week, during which people shared hundreds of experiences like Christian Cooper’s and worse—showing us in no uncertain terms that this was not an isolated occurrence (Thompson 2020).

Marginalized groups have been excluded not only from the act of birding itself, but also from stewardship of land and nature in areas such as urban planning, climate policy, and environmental practices (Schell et al. 2020). This exclusion impedes conservation efforts and citizen science—or community science, to be inclusive of immigrants—through unequal demographic participation. As one of the most valuable and widespread tools for community science, eBird data support conservation action and help birders explore sightings and population trends (Sullivan et al. 2009). However, because the data are contributed by a narrow subset of the population, we have an inaccurate picture of our natural landscapes and bird communities (Perkins 2020). Valuable voices and perspectives from those in marginalized communities are missing from our efforts to protect and conserve the birds we all love.

Many bird clubs and other organizations have already taken action by focusing on recruiting diverse individuals. But there’s a catch: the business world has repeatedly shown that pursuing diversity simply to increase numbers without inclusion—that is, the authentic empowerment of underrepresented groups—can negatively affect diversity (Sherbin and Rashid 2017). Ted Lee Eubanks, founder of Fermata Inc., noted that “We should focus on developing new ways of helping non-traditional populations find their way to nature through birds, and we should worry less about how they might then mold that interest into a meaningful recreational pursuit” (Robinson 2007). Our efforts would be best spent removing as many barriers as possible to enable new birders to explore in their own way, starting with open access to a vast amount of local birding knowledge.

Black Birders Week made it clear that a rich and vibrant community of Black birders is growing, but centuries of systemic racism are not easily undone, and outdoor spaces are still the domain of white people (Walker 2019). In his book The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature, Dr. J. Drew Lanham exhorts readers to “Get more people of color ‘out there.’ Turn oddities into commonplace.” (2016) Many birders believe in inclusion and want to share their love of birds with everyone, but to make birding truly accessible we need to take active steps in our own communities to open the outdoors to those with different identities or backgrounds.

Birding knowledge, unlike birds, does not migrate

Birders are often reluctant to share information that may increase traffic to favorite birding locations, but this can uphold and strengthen barriers to new participation by historically excluded groups. Greater access to this information is not at odds with conservation goals and does not necessarily lead to overcrowding of hotspots, as some may fear. Instead, shared information may encourage birders to disperse away from well-trafficked hotspots and explore new areas.

New tools online have already made great headway in expanding access to birding information. It used to be that people got wind of birding spots and knowledge through personal contacts, bird clubs, and phone trees, or through flyers, booklets, and other guide documents published by local communities and organizations. Now, online resources like eBird and other user-friendly birding apps help just about anyone look for and identify birds in their area.

However, without easy access to local expertise, new birders and birders of marginalized identities still face confusion, discouragement, hostility, and danger in the field. eBird hotspots—the most popular and highly visited birding sites in a region—are frequently on or adjacent to private property, require permission to access (without clear landowner contact information), or simply provide a GPS point in a nondescript forest that leads to cryptic trailheads or access points. For birders with disabilities and mobility concerns, many trails and viewpoints are inaccessible, and information about trail conditions and handicap accessibility is difficult to find. Hotspots may also have a history of safety incidents, including confrontations with owners of neighboring properties, assaults, and police harassment, all of which would be useful to know when searching for new places to go birding.

This lack of transparent information is particularly daunting for those who already do not conform with the public’s image of the traditional American outdoor enthusiast. We all know of a birding spot where word-of-mouth instructions are simply to stroll past the “No Trespassing” signs, but this can be uncomfortable, if not dangerous, for some people. If we ensure that local wisdom spreads its wings beyond a few veteran birders who are active within established bird clubs, we increase the accessibility and safety, and therefore inclusivity, of birding across a broader landscape.

The Murmuration: a tool to spread birding knowledge

Crowdsourcing, like communication in flocks of birds, has the potential to spread the rich but tightly held knowledge in our birding communities. To begin crowdsourcing local birding hotspot information, we compiled the top 100 eBird hotspots for Massachusetts counties into a Google Spreadsheet called The Murmuration. For any birding spot in your area, you can add a variety of area/trail descriptions, accessibility information, and safety concerns (Figure 1).

The Murmuration is open access, which means that anyone with a link can access and edit the document. So how do you start? Like birding, it can be as easy or as involved as you want it to be.

From the Welcome screen, navigate to your county of choice via the spreadsheet tabs. (You will notice that some tabs are sparsely populated—that is where your contributions are needed the most!)

eBird hotspots are listed in alphabetical order for each county. If you hover over any hotspot name, you will see a link to visit the corresponding page on eBird.org.

For each hotspot, there are a number of different fields that users can populate with information. As of October 2020, these include: a general description of the trail; trailhead instructions; ideal seasons or species; safety concerns and known incidents; whether it is private property and, if available, contact information for access permission; and descriptions of parking and trail conditions that are especially informative for people with disabilities and mobility issues.

Fill in as much information as possible for any given hotspot, without altering previous participants’ work. Instead, submit comments (using the “Insert comment” command) when a clarification or update to a field is needed; a volunteer editor will incorporate your update into the existing listing.

By allowing anyone to propose edits, we ensure that updates are continuous and misinformation can easily be identified and corrected, and that information about hotspots will become richer and can be modified when conditions change (e.g., to reflect trail closures or overcrowded conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic). This also means that people with different experiences at a hotspot will be able to add their experiences to the document and fill in gaps where needed. For example, a non-disabled person may not be proficient at gauging handicap accessibility, and many men are not conscious of the fears that women may feel in isolated areas. Thus, The Murmuration reflects the expertise of the entire community rather than that of specific individuals, allowing for a mutual exchange of perspectives from people of different identities. Furthermore, by crowdsourcing the descriptions of local birding hotspots while emphasizing issues of safety and accessibility, the birding community can challenge assumptions about what the “traditional” American outdoor enthusiast looks like and reduce barriers to equitable access (Maldonado 2020).

This document will undoubtedly evolve as new needs arise and may serve as a template for communities around the country and beyond. While accessibility and navigation of the sheet are currently not optimal for all users, this simple database has boundless potential and scalability. It can be shared widely where it is most needed, browsed in its current format, or exported and refined for more accessible viewing. The electronic format can, with relative ease, be converted to large fonts, dyslexic script, audio formats, and Braille, and may appeal more broadly than a physical document to people of various abilities and preferences. Local organizations can host the nascent spreadsheet or use it to curate regional guides and resources. The information can be submitted to other online platforms, such as the National Audubon Society’s Birdability project (Todd and Hobbs 2020), to expand upon the current database of accessible birding locations. Or, this spreadsheet may serve as the basis for some as-yet-unrealized project for an ambitious birder with programming experience. Ultimately, the data collected may even find a home on eBird, directly associated with the birding hotspots and managed by regional moderators or a specific volunteer database manager. Whatever the final product may be, public input is crucial to ensure that those whose perspectives are overlooked can have their voices heard, and The Murmuration will serve an additional purpose as a database of progress toward equitable outdoor access.

Great! But I’m only one person. What can I do?

For our online visitors:

View and edit these eBird entries directly from the Bird Observer website

Download and share a pdf of this article

First, tell other bird lovers about The Murmuration; the more people who have access to this database, the more comprehensive and accurate it will be. Post it on your local bird club’s social media page or call your favorite birding buddy. Then the next time you go birding at an eBird hotspot, take a look at the spreadsheet for your local county and see what information is available. If there are blank spaces, try to pay attention to the gaps during your visit. Are there safety concerns? Do the trail conditions change after a hard rain or snow? Once you get home, click on the link and update that information. If you are stuck at home on a snowy day, spend ten minutes browsing the sheet and see whether you can fill in any holes. Maybe all of your usual hotspots are completed? Browse the information and see whether there is anything you can suggest to increase its accuracy, or see what you learn from other people’s contributions to broaden your own perspective.

This is a team effort, so every contribution makes a difference in enhancing the safety and accessibility of birding. With many contributors we can create a useful resource for anyone to learn more about these hotspots, eliminate barriers for both new and veteran birders of all identities, and bridge gaps in our knowledge with the inclusion of diverse viewpoints. We are excited to work alongside the Association of Massachusetts Bird Clubs and other partners to develop this resource and empower each community to share responsibility in providing accurate, timely updates. It is this seamless transfer of information that will keep the whole flock together.

References

Carver, E. 2013. Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis; Addendum to the 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Available online at <https://www.fws.gov/southeast/pdf/report/birding-in-the-united-states-a-demographic-and-economic-analysis.pdf> Accessed October 14, 2020.
Fortin, J. 2020. The Birds Are Not on Lockdown, and More People Are Watching Them. The New York Times. Available online at <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/science/bird-watching-coronavirus.html> Published May 29, 2020; accessed September 27, 2020.
Lanham, J. D. 2016. The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Milkweed Editions.
Maldonado, M. 2020. Modern Land Stewardship Requires a Modern Philosophy. LinkedIn. Available online at <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/modern-land-stewardship-requires-philosophy-marcela-maldonado/> Published July 29, 2020; accessed September 30, 2020.
Perkins, D. J. 2020. Blind Spots in Citizen Science Data: Implications of Volunteer Bias in eBird Data. MS dissertation. Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation Biology, North Carolina State University. Raleigh, North Carolina.
Robinson, J. C. 2007. Birding for Everyone: Encouraging People of Color to Become Birdwatchers. Marysville, Ohio: Wings-on-Disk.
Schell, C. J., K. Dyson, T. L. Fuentes, S. Des Roches, N. C. Harris, D. S. Miller, C. A. Woelfle-Erskine, and M. R. Lambert. 2020. The ecological and evolutionary consequences of systemic racism in urban environments. Science 369 (6510): <https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6510/eaay4497> Accessed October 14, 2020.
Sherbin, L. and R. Rashid. 2017. Diversity Doesn’t Stick Without Inclusion. Harvard Business Review. Available online at <https://hbr.org/2017/02/diversity-doesnt-stick-without-inclusion> Published February 1, 2017; accessed September 27, 2020.
Sullivan, B. L., C. L. Wood, M. J. Iliff, R. E. Bonney, D. Fink, and S. Kelling. 2009. eBird: A Citizen-Based Bird Observation Network in the Biological Sciences. Biological Conservation 142 (10): 2282-2292.
Thompson, A. 2020. Black Birders Call Out Racism, Say Nature Should Be for Everyone. Scientific American. Available online at <https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/black-birders-call-out-racism-say-nature-should-be-for-everyone/> Published June 5, 2020; accessed September 29, 2020.
Todd, E. and R. Hobbs. 2020. Birdability. Available online at <https://tinyurl.com/birdability> Accessed October 14, 2020.
Walker, J. 2020. Lions and Tigers and Black Folk, Oh My! Why Black People Should Take Up Space in the Outdoors. Melanin Base Camp. <https://www.melaninbasecamp.com/around-the-bonfire/2019/4/10/why-black-people-should-take-up-space-outdoors> Published April 11, 2019; accessed September 24, 2020.

Cory Elowe is a PhD Candidate studying migratory bird physiology in the Organismic and Evolutionary Biology program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He received his MS in Biology at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. He has been an avid birder and outdoor enthusiast for many years and is a member of the Hampshire Bird Club and vice president of the UMass Grad Bird Club.

Sam McGullam is a medical editor, birder, and lifelong student of natural history. They received their BA in English from Middlebury College in Vermont. Originally from Long Island, they now haunt the woods of Northampton, Massachusetts, where they are a member of the Hampshire Bird Club.

Meghadeepa Maity grew up birding in India and is continually perplexed by the American indifference to white privilege. She serves on the Education Committee of the Hampshire Bird Club and facilitates the local Anti-Racist Collective of Avid Birders. When she is not in school or birding, she can be found participating in radical mental health initiatives or playing with a West African drumming ensemble.

Jeremy Spool is a postdoctoral research fellow studying the neuroscience of animal communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is a co-founder of the Massachusetts Young Birders Club and serves on the Education Committee of the Hampshire Bird Club. He’s always looking for pockets of time to get outside, binoculars in hand.

Twenty-fourth Report of the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:10:00 GMT

On September 5, 2020, Skyler Kardell observed a heron on Tuckernuck Island, Nantucket, that was superficially similar to a Great Blue Heron but was notably smaller and lacked rufous in the legs and wrist. Skyler photographed the bird and quickly shared the photos, which confirmed its identification as Gray Heron. The next day, Skyler and Tucker Taylor refound it on nearby Muskeget Island, although subsequent searches by others on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard failed to relocate it beyond September 6. The pattern of molt and a specific broken primary of the Nantucket bird was assessed by Tom B. Johnson that same evening and matched perfectly to an individual present in Nova Scotia from June to August 2020. The Nantucket sighting is the first for the Lower 48 states; the four other records from northeastern North America come from Newfoundland in 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2018. As with other Old World herons, this species also has numerous records from the West Indies, with a few dozen records in the past 20 years.

Pacific-slope Flycatcher. October 23, 2019. River Drive, Hadley. Photo by Joe Oliverio.

On October 23, 2019, Joseph Oliverio was birding a small woodlot in Hadley along the Connecticut River, which at the time was a relatively underbirded local spot. He encountered a yellowish Empidonax flycatcher pertaining to the Western/Yellow-bellied complex. The photos were circulated to people experienced with this tricky identification challenge, and the bird appeared to be a strong match for “Western” Flycatcher (i.e., Pacific-slope or Cordilleran). The next day, Larry Therrien refound the bird and obtained an audio recording that suggested Pacific-slope. Finally, the following day, October 25, many birders chased it and obtained additional recordings, which nailed down the identification as Pacific-slope Flycatcher due to the monosyllabic call and prominent “kink” between the first upslur and downslur. In November 2006, the Manomet, Inc. Banding Lab (formerly Manomet Bird Observatory) banded a Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher. Because of the extreme physical similarity and overlap of the two species—some argue they constitute one species—field identification of silent individuals is not reliable even with the bird in hand. The Manomet record added Pacific-slope/Cordilleran to the official state list, and this Hadley record upgrades that slash to Pacific-slope.

Second state records in this report include Yellow-billed Loon, Bermuda Petrel, and Yellow-green Vireo.

Peter Flood photographed a Yellow-billed Loon floating in the rip at Race Point, Provincetown, on April 19, 2020. Peter saw the bird only briefly and it was never refound by others. The first state record also occurred at Race Point, in February–April 2016.

A Bermuda Petrel delighted a boatful of birders near Welker Canyon during a dedicated pelagic trip sponsored by the Brookline Bird Club on September 21, 2019. The bird remained in view for 40 minutes, allowing for careful study of molt and behavior by roughly 50 trip participants. This most prized pelagic species is observed extremely rarely away from its breeding grounds in Bermuda, where only ~130 pairs occur. The first state record occurred in June 2009 about 200 miles southeast of Nantucket and was photographed by a single observer.

On October 15, 2019, the Monomoy Bird Observatory banded a Yellow-green Vireo. By chance, Sean Williams was conducting a survey on the island that day and independently observed it free-flying near the Lighthouse. This species has had a knack for showing up in mist nets on the East Coast north of Florida in the past 10 years. Of the seven records from 2011 to 2020—Plum Island banding station was the first—five have been mist net captures. This rate of capture suggests that the species is a more frequent vagrant than currently appreciated and that individuals are being overlooked as Red-eyed Vireos.

Other noteworthy records include:

Third state records of Pacific Golden-Plover (Monomoy NWR at South Monomoy’s Powder Hole in July–August 2019) and a vocal Tropical Kingbird (Rock Meadow, Belmont, in October 2019).

Massachusetts’s first spring MacGillivray’s Warbler was found by Evan Dalton at Manomet on April 29, 2019, which was only the second spring record for the East Coast north of Florida.

Two Wood Storks were photographed in November 2019—one in Orleans and one in Sutton. The individual in Sutton was found injured on a tree farm and taken into rehab, where it expired.

The MARC reviewed a record of two Gull-billed Terns at Plum Island between September 11 and October 2, 2019, following the landfall of Hurricane Dorian in Nova Scotia. The excellent documentation provided allowed the committee instead to determine that up to six individuals were involved, suggesting three weeks of passage as the displaced terns moved southward. A similar pattern was seen in Black Skimmers.

An impressive 12 records of Brown Booby were accepted, reflecting this species’s dramatic increase in northeastern North America. Veit and Petersen (1993) list two records—one in the 1800s and one in the 1900s—but the first MARC-accepted record of Brown Booby was in 2005, the second and third records were accepted in 2011, and 25 additional records have accumulated since then.

Five Townsend’s Warblers were noteworthy for fall 2019 and an all-time seasonal record. The Massachusetts invasion was part of a much broader geographic pattern, which was most apparent on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, where 20–30 individuals were reported from fall 2019 alone.

An onslaught of Painted Buntings plagued Cape Cod with a whopping total of 11 records from October 2019 to March 2020. Three of these were adult males and eight had entirely green plumage. Remarkably, one of the adult males was color-banded in Beaufort, North Carolina, on February 1, 2018. This bird must have been hatched in 2017 or prior, demonstrating that older individuals—and not just hatch years—can wander outside of their typical range. Two additional buntings were found in Bristol and Plymouth counties.

This year, the MARC evaluated nearly 70 historical records in an effort to inch toward a more comprehensive database. Highlights from these efforts include:

Purple Gallinule. October 19, 2019. Wood Street, Milton. Photo by Will Sweet.

A pair of Labrador Duck specimens shot by Daniel Webster on Martha’s Vineyard prior to 1837 and illustrated by John James Audubon.

Records of Long-billed Curlew from Ipswich in 1884 and Monomoy in 1984.

A Black-tailed Godwit in Dartmouth in 1967.

A Rock Wren in Orleans in 1991.

Three banding records of Bicknell’s Thrush from Manomet in 1995, 2008, and 2014.

Chestnut-collared Longspur records from Nantucket in 1979 and Salisbury in 1993; the Salisbury record had been previously reviewed and Not Accepted, but the old slides were reassessed and accepted unanimously.

Green-tailed Towhee records from South Peabody in 1979 and Marblehead in 1995.

A pair of Brewer’s Blackbirds in Orleans in 1979.

The 2019–2020 roster of MARC voting members included Nick Block, Marshall Iliff, Jessica Johnson (chair), Wayne Petersen, David Sibley, Ryan Schain, Jim Sweeney, Larry Therrien, and Maili Waters. Sean Williams served as a nonvoting secretary.

Species taxonomy and nomenclature follow the seventh edition of the American Ornithological Society (AOS, formerly American Ornithologists’ Union) Checklist of North American Birds (AOU 1998) and its supplements (Chesser et al. 2009, Chesser et al. 2010, Chesser et al. 2011, Chesser et al. 2012, Chesser et al. 2013, Chesser et al. 2014, Chesser et al. 2015, Chesser et al. 2016, Chesser et al. 2017, Chesser et al. 2018, Chesser et al. 2019, Chesser et al. 2020).

The list of species reviewed by the MARC (the Review List) is available at www.maavianrecords.com. Please check the Review List to send evidence of records that are not listed in our Searchable Database—even in this Information Age we often do not receive sufficient information for many records. The committee strongly encourages written submissions even when photographs are available.

The statistics in brackets for each species or taxon show the number of records accepted in this report, followed by the total number of accepted records. Species that lack statistics are ones for which we have a relatively poor handle on the number of actual records, or it is a species reviewed due to its unseasonality. Below, we present data for all records covered, formatted as follows: Record identification number, count of individuals, location, range of observation dates, original observers, and observers submitting documentation. We credit the discoverer with an asterisk (*). We indicate whether the evidence provided was photographic (ph), video (v), audio (au), or a written submission (†).

ACCEPTED RECORDS

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) [1 record accepted in this report, 13 total records accepted]

2019-095: 1 at Horse Farm Lookout at Hummock Pond, Nantucket, Nantucket, 09/08/2019 [Trish Pastuszak* (ph)].

Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) [1, 2]

1977-08: 8 at Parker River NWR, Plum Island, Essex, 11/06/1977 to 11/25/1977 [David Oliver*, Jim Berry].

Ross’s Goose (Anser rossii) [2, 36]

2019-085: 1 at New Seabury Country Club, Mashpee, Barnstable, 11/08/2019 to 11/15/2019 [Mary Keleher* (ph)]. First county record.

2020-011: 1 at Common Pasture, Newbury, Essex, 03/13/2020 to 03/14/2020 [Margo Goetschkes* (ph), Steve Grinley*].

Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) [5, 23]

2019-086: 1 at Stephens Field, Plymouth, Plymouth, 12/01/2019 to 12/02/2019 [John Galluzzo* (ph)]. First county record.

2019-120: 1 at Longmeadow Flats, Longmeadow, Hampden, 11/16/2019 to 11/23/2019 [Ted Gilliland* (ph)].

2019-128: 1 at Somerset Reservoir and Quirk Mello Conservation Area, Somerset, Bristol, 12/06/2019 to 01/05/2020 [Matthew Eckerson* (ph)].

2020-028: 1 at Rte. 105, Vaughan Hill Road fields, Rochester, Plymouth, 02/23/2020 to 03/20/2020 [Brian Vigorito* (ph), Myer Bornstein*].

2020-032: 1 at UMass Dartmouth Campus, North Dartmouth, Bristol, 03/28/2020 [Zach Moser*, Dan Zimberlin (ph)].

Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) [2, 17]

2019-122: 1 at Turners Pond and Wollaston Golf Club, Milton, Norfolk, 11/21/2019 to 12/03/2019, crossing to Franklin Park, Roxbury, Suffolk, on 12/04/2019 [Pat Dolan*, Andy Sanford (ph)]. First county record for Suffolk.

2020-025: 2 at Vaughan Hill Road fields, Rochester, Plymouth; Lake Street Ponds, Acushnet, Bristol; Acushnet River, Acushnet, Bristol, 01/15/2020 to 03/18/2020 [Neil Dowling* (ph)].

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) [1, 3]

2013-061: 1 at Big Station Pond, Monomoy NWR, Chatham, Barnstable, 10/25/2013 [Melanie Mancuso* (ph)]. First county record.

Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) [4, 7 since 2017]

2019-083: 14 at Plum Island, Newburyport, Essex, 11/15/2019 [Bill Gette, Rick Heil (ph), James Meigs (ph), Margo Goetschkes].

2019-119: 10 at Plymouth Beach, Plymouth, Plymouth, 11/15/2019 [Cindi Jackson* (ph)].

2019-121: 5 at Lake Attitash, Amesbury, Essex, 11/16/2019 to 11/29/2019 [Kyle Wilmarth*, Pamela Low (ph)].

2019-147: 1 at Somerset Reservoir and Quirk Mello Conservation Area, Somerset, Bristol, 12/07/2019 to 03/08/2020 [Sebastian Jones* (ph), Alan Trautmann*, Ted Bradford*].

Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) [2, 30]

2019-146: 1 at Horse Farm Lookout at Hummock Pond, Nantucket, Nantucket, 12/01/2019 to 04/09/2020 [Trish Pastuszak*, Keegan Burke (ph)].

2020-024: 1 at Long Pond, Brewster, Barnstable, 01/10/2020 to 02/02/2020 [Susan Finnegan* (ph), Peter Trimble*].

Labrador Duck (Camptorhynchus labradorius) [1, 1]

1800-01: 2 at Martha’s Vineyard, Dukes, prior to 1837 [Daniel Webster* (specimen), John James Audubon (illustrated)]. First officially accepted record.

Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) [1, 13]

2020-026: 1 at West Beach, Beverly, Essex, 02/01/2020 to 02/16/2020 [Francis Morello* (ph), Sean Williams* (ph)].

Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) [1, 11]

1989-07: 1 at Plum Island, Newburyport, Essex, 10/28/1989 [Carl Haynie*].

White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) [1, 27]

1986-07: 1 at Chatham, Barnstable, 08/08/1986 to 08/10/1986 [T. Vose, M. Vose].

Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) [2, 9]

1979-07: 1 at Margin Street, Cohasset, Norfolk, 11/25/1979 to 12/12/1979 [George Pride*, Richard Forster, Wayne Petersen]. Earliest accepted record for Massachusetts.

2016-051: 1 at Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, Dukes, 11/24/2016 to 12/14/2016 [Gary Mirando* (ph)].

Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) [3, 40]

2019-071: 1 at Beach Street, Foxboro, Norfolk, 10/15/2019 to 11/13/2019 [Kevin Lynch*, Kathy Lynch*, Anthony Hill (banded)].

2019-072: 1 at New Ashford Road, New Ashford, Berkshire, 10/20/2019 to 11/13/2019 [Bette Phelps*, Anthony Hill (banded), Greg Ward (ph)].

2019-073: 1 at Brendan Drive, Grafton, Worcester, 11/30/2019 to 12/15/2019 [Marisa O’Brien* (ph), Anthony Hill (banded)].

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) [8, 19]

1973-05: 1 at YMCA building, New Bedford, Bristol, 12/29/1973 [J. Fernandez*, Bob O’Hara (ph)].

1982-08: 1 at Falmouth, Barnstable, 05/16/1982 to 05/31/1982 [Dorothy Arvidson (ph)].

1988-07: 1 at East Weymouth, Norfolk, 05/01/1988 to 05/31/1988 [Robert Abrams (ph)].

2018-080: 1 at Doublebrook Road, Plymouth, Plymouth, 01/16/2018 [Anonymous* (ph)].

2019-081: 1 at Orleans-Chatham Road, Harwich, Barnstable, 11/04/2019 [Brian Miner* (ph)].

2019-151: 1 at Wood Street, Milton, Norfolk, 10/18/2019 to 10/21/2019 [Jeanie Kelly*, Tom Kelly*, Marshall Iliff (ph)].

2020-035: 1 at Dennis Pond, Yarmouth, Barnstable, 04/21/2020 to 05/20/2020 [Nancy Villone* (ph)].

2020-037: 1 at Henry Drive, Manomet, Plymouth, 05/11/2020 to 05/17/2020 [Lisa Reynolds* (ph)].

Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) [1, 8]

2019-127: 1 at Shaws Cove Road, Fairhaven, Bristol, 11/28/2019 [Carolyn Longworth* (ph)]. First county record.

Pacific Golden-Plover. Monomoy NWR–Powder Hole, Chatham. July 25, 2019. Photo by Sean Williams.

Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) [1, 3]

2019-057: 1 at Monomoy NWR Powder Hole, Chatham, Barnstable, 07/25/2019 to 08/02/2019 [Sean Williams*† (ph), Max Chalfin-Jacobs* (ph), Francis Morello* (ph), Peter Trimble (ph), Fred Atwood, Sue Finnegan, John Pratt]. First county record.

Wilson’s Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) [4, 18]

1987-07: 1 at North Monomoy Island, Chatham, Barnstable, 05/31/1987 [Steven Dinsmore*, Robert Humphrey*].

2019-101: 1 at Parker River NWR, Plum Island, Essex, 09/20/2019 to 09/23/2019 [Tom Murray* (ph)].

2020-036: 1 at Coast Guard Beach, Eastham, Barnstable, 05/05/2020 to 05/07/2020 [Adele Sullivan*, Keegan Burke (ph)].

2020-039: 1 at Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, Westport, Bristol, 06/04/2020 to 06/05/2020 [Allyson Lague* (ph)]. First county record accepted by MARC.

Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) [1, 6]

2019-063: 1 at Sandy Point State Reservation, Plum Island, Essex, 09/13/2019 to 09/15/2019 [Suzanne Sullivan* (ph)].

Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) [2, 3]

1884-01: 1 at Ipswich, Essex, 10/18/1884 [Win Everett* (collected)].

1984-06: 1 at Monomoy NWR, Chatham, Barnstable, 06/06/1984 to 06/10/1984 [Blair Nikula*, Henning Stabins*].

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) [1, 16]

1979-06: 1 at Monomoy NWR, Chatham, Barnstable, 07/04/1979 to 07/06/1979 [Robert Clem*, Blair Nikula (ph)].

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) [1, 5]

1967-01: 1 at Horseneck Road, Dartmouth, Bristol, 04/23/1967 to 04/29/1967 [Gilbert Fernandez* (ph), Mrs. Gilbert Fernandez*]. Earliest accepted Massachusetts record.

Little Stint (Calidris minuta) [1, 9]

1980-06: 1 at Monomoy NWR, Chatham, Barnstable, 06/19/1980 to 06/25/1980 [Blair Nikula* (ph)].

Great Skua (Stercorarius skua) [1, 3]

2020-012: 1 at First Encounter Beach, Eastham, Barnstable, 04/04/2020 [Blair Nikula* (ph)].

South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) [6, 12]

2019-069: 3 at First Encounter Beach, Eastham, Barnstable, 10/12/2019 [Timothy Spahr* (ph), Jeff Offermann*].

2019-089: 1 at pelagic waters at 41.1538, -67.4981, Nantucket, 08/15/2019 [Rob Dickerson* (ph)].

2019-090: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.7200, -68.1137, Nantucket, 08/21/2019 [Kate Sutherland* (ph)].

2019-092: 1 at pelagic waters at 39.5152, -69.4128, Nantucket, 08/27/2019 [Skye Hass* (ph), Kate Sutherland*].

2019-103: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.895893, -69.529317, Nantucket, 09/22/2019 [BBC Extreme Pelagic* (ph)].

2019-105: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 10/11/2019 to 10/12/2019 [Blair Nikula* (ph), Peter Trimble*].

Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) [4, 30]

1989-05: 1 at Flax Pond, Lynn, Essex, 10/06/1989 [John Quigley*].

2015-073: 4 at Richmond Pond, Richmond, Berkshire, 11/13/2015 [Gael Hurley*† (ph), Jonathan Pierce, Rene Wendell, Rebecca Amuso]. This sighting was part of an historic invasion on November 13, 2015.

2019-124: 1 at Presidents Golf Course, Quincy, Norfolk, 11/22/2019 to 11/24/2019 [Sebastian Jones* (ph), Ted Bradford* (ph)].

2020-043: 1 at Race Point Beach, Provincetown, Barnstable, 06/21/2020 [Jamie Glydon* (ph)].

Mew Gull (Larus canus) [7, 29]

1980-05: 1 at Revere Beach, Revere, Suffolk, 05/09/1980 [Soheil Zendeh (ph)].

2019-123: 1 at Broad Cove, Somerset, Bristol, 11/22/2019 [Matthew Eckerson* (ph)]. First county record.

2020-007: 1 at Gooseberry Neck, Westport, Bristol, 01/20/2020 [Joel Eckerson* (ph), Matthew Eckerson* (ph)].

2020-008: 1 at Kings Beach, Lynn/Swampscott, Essex, 01/31/2020 to 02/16/2020 [Andy Sanford* (ph)].

2020-009: 1 at Kings Beach, Lynn/Swampscott, Essex, 01/31/2020 to 02/23/2020 [Andy Sanford* (ph)].

2020-010: 1 at Lake Massapoag, Sharon, Norfolk, 02/03/2020 [Will Sweet* (ph)].

2020-031: 1 at Quidnet Village, Nantucket, Nantucket, 03/28/2020 [Skyler Kardell* (ph)].

Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) [7, 19]

2019-097: 1 at Great Neck, Ipswich, Essex, 09/11/2019 [Margo Goetschkes*, Steve Grinley*].

2019-100: 1 at Monomoy NWR Powder Hole, Chatham, Barnstable, 09/17/2019 to 09/18/2019 [Jacob Drucker* (ph)].

2019-139: 1 at 25th Street, Plum Island, Newbury, Essex, 09/12/2019 [Nick Tepper* (ph)].

2019-140: 1 at Parker River NWR, Plum Island, Essex, 09/14/2019 to 09/17/2019 [Warren Tatro*, Steve Babbitt (ph)].

2019-141: 1 at Parker River NWR, Plum Island, Essex, 09/14/2019 to 09/16/2019 [Steve Babbitt* (ph)].

2019-142: 1 at Parker River NWR, Plum Island, Essex, 09/23/2019 to 09/24/2019 [Sue Hedman*, Tom Murray* (ph)].

2019-143: 1 at Parker River NWR, Plum Island, Essex, 09/29/2019 to 10/01/2019 [Valerie Burdette* (ph), Emily Jew*].

Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) [1, 16]

2020-038: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 05/25/2020 to 05/27/2020 [Ted Bradford* (ph)]. Unusually early record.

White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) [4, 10]

2014-076: 1 at pelagic waters at 39.932907, -69.584656, Nantucket, 08/26/2014 [E. J. Hudson* (ph)].

2015-076: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.153079, -68.518673, Nantucket, 08/22/2015 [BBC Extreme Pelagic* (ph)].

2015-077: 2 at pelagic waters at 40.177858, -68.553228, Nantucket, 08/23/2015 [BBC Extreme Pelagic* (ph)].

2015-078: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.185328, -68.576574, Nantucket, 08/23/2015 [BBC Extreme Pelagic* (ph)].

Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) [3, 11]

1986-06: 1 at Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard, Dukes, 09/15/1986 to 10/26/1986, 08/06/1987 to 08/30/1987, and 6/14/1988 to 07/04/1988 [Julius Rosenwald*, Vern Laux, Jonathan Alderfer (ph)].

2019-059: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.274685, -67.5825, Nantucket, 08/19/2019 [Kate Sutherland*† (ph)].

2019-060: 1 at pelagic waters at 39.853655, -68.000795, Nantucket, 08/21/2019 [Kate Sutherland*† (ph)].

Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) [1, 30]

2020-027: 1 at Andrews Point, Rockport, Essex, 02/06/2020 to 03/08/2020 [Rick Heil*, Chris Floyd (ph)].

Yellow-billed Loon. April 19, 2020. Race Point, Provincetown. Photo by Peter Flood.

Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) [1, 2]

2020-024: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 04/19/2020 [Peter Flood* (ph)].

Trindade Petrel (Pterodroma arminjoniana) [1, 4]

2019-058: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.16816, -68.14089, Nantucket, 08/18/2019 [Kate Sutherland* (ph)].

Bermuda Petrel. September 21, 2019. Welker Canyon, 100 miles southeast of Nantucket. Photo by Nick Bonomo.

Bermuda Petrel (Pterodroma cahow) [1, 2]

2019-065: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.096262, -68.499827, Nantucket, 09/21/2019 [Nick Bonomo*† (ph), BBC Pelagic Trip* (ph)].

Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) [2, 7]

2014-075: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.146951, -68.797540, Nantucket, 08/23/2014 [Marshall Iliff*, Jeremiah Trimble (ph)].

2015-075: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.083090, -68.965106, Nantucket, 08/22/2015 [Nick Bonomo* (ph), Peter Flood* (ph), Jeff Offermann* (ph), Luke Seitz* (ph), Jeremiah Trimble* (ph), David Weber* (ph), BBC Extreme Pelagic* (ph)].

Barolo Shearwater (Puffinus baroli) [1, 2]

2012-155: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.425000, -68.240000, Nantucket, 08/26/2012 [Nick Bonomo* (ph), Tom Johnson* (ph), Doug Hitchcox* (ph), Marshall Iliff*, Jeff Offermann* (ph), BBC Extreme Pelagic* (ph)].

Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) [3, 7]

1918-01: 1 at Chilmark, Dukes, 11/26/1918 [E. H. Forbush* (collected)].

2019-079: 1 at Whitins Road, Sutton, Worcester, 11/03/2019 [Shirley Chauvin* (v)].

2019-080: 1 at Bridge Road, Orleans, Barnstable, 11/23/2019 [Kathy Alimanestianu* (ph)].

Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) [1, 6]

2012-156: 1 at Brayton Point, Somerset, Bristol, 10/30/2012 to 10/31/2012 [Geoff Dennis* (ph)]. This was following Hurricane Sandy.

Masked Booby. August 24, 2019. 130 miles east southeast of Nantucket. Photo by Kate Sutherland.

Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra) [2, 5]

2019-061: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.853655, -66.36768167, Nantucket, 08/20/2019 [Kate Sutherland*† (ph)].

2019-062: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.38643, -67.658743, Nantucket, 08/24/2019 [Kate Sutherland*† (ph)].

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) [12, 28]

2013-063: 1 at Herring Cove Beach, Provincetown, Barnstable, 09/17/2013 to 10/13/2013 [Blair Nikula* (ph)].

2013-064: 1 landed on a boat over Stellwagen Bank off Scituate, Plymouth, 07/07/2013, and rode the boat to Long Wharf, Boston, Suffolk, where it overnighted 07/07/2013 to 07/08/2013 [Anonymous].

2014-079: 1 at Great Point, Nantucket, Nantucket, 05/04/2014 [Anonymous* (ph)].

2015-079: 1 at Kalmus Park Beach, Hyannis, Barnstable, 08/25/2015 [Joe Huckemeyer*, Peter Trimble (ph)].

2015-080: 1 at Corporation Beach, Dennis, Barnstable, 11/11/2015 [Blair Nikula*].

2019-078: 1 at Gooseberry Neck, Westport, Bristol, 10/28/2019 [Marshall Iliff* (ph)].

2019-087: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 10/16/2019 [Blair Nikula*].

2019-093: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.353633, -69.145624, Nantucket, 09/03/2019 [Paul Lehman*, Barbara Carlson, Gerrit Bril (ph)].

2019-096: 1 at pelagic waters at 41.296553, -69.785156, Nantucket, 09/09/2019 [Andrew Gilbert* (ph)].

2019-102: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.063668, -68.867813, Nantucket, 09/21/2019 [Nick Bonomo* (ph), Tom Johnson* (ph), BBC Extreme Pelagic* (ph)].

2019-106: 1 at First Encounter Beach, Eastham, Barnstable, 10/12/2019 [Timothy Spahr (ph), Jeff Offermann*, Peter Trimble].

2019-118: 1 at Jetties Beach, Brant Point, Nantucket, Nantucket, 11/15/2019 [Blair Perkins*, Trish Pastuszak (ph)].

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) [3, 31]

1990-13: 1 at Coast Guard Beach, Eastham, Barnstable, 10/06/1990 [Kyle Jones* (ph)].

2020-003: 1 at High Head and Pilgrim Heights, Truro, and Great Island, Wellfleet, Barnstable, 01/02/2020 [Maili Waters* (ph), Liam Waters, Nathan Dubrow (ph), Dan Berard (ph)].

2020-042: 1 at Wickett Pond, Wendell, Franklin, 06/10/2020 [Seth Tuler* (ph)].

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) [7, 24]

2019-064: 1 at Inlet at Coskata Pond, Nantucket, Nantucket, 08/24/2019 [Diane Lang* (ph)].

2019-088: 1 at Great Point, Nantucket, Nantucket, 07/16/2019 [Blair Perkins* (ph)].

2019-094: 1 at Salem Ferry Dock, Salem, Essex, 09/07/2019 [Chris Semmelink* (ph)].

2019-133: 1 at Mayo Beach, Wellfleet, Barnstable, 12/18/2019 [Jim Sweeney (ph)].

2020-019: 4 at Dumpling Rocks off Round Hill Point, Buzzards Bay, Bristol, 06/05/2020 [Mike Sylvia* (ph)]. First county record.

2020-033: 1 at Lecount Hollow Beach, Wellfleet, Barnstable, 04/10/2020 [Brad Kaplan*, Mark Griffin* (ph)].

2020-041: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 06/07/2020 [Blair Nikula* (ph)].

Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea) [1, 1]

2020-044: 1 at Tuckernuck Island and Muskeget Island, Nantucket, Nantucket, 09/05/2020 to 09/06/2020 [Skyler Kardell* (ph), Tucker Taylor (ph)].

White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) [1, 9]

1989-03: 2 at Cumberland Farms, Middleborough, Plymouth, 03/21/1989 to 03/29/1989 [Tom Aversa, M. Paine, Wayne Petersen (ph)].

White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) [3, 31]

1990-11: 1 at Plum Island, Newburyport, Essex, 06/10/1990 [Ian Lynch].

2019-110: 1 at Muddy Pond/Sterling Peat, Sterling, Worcester, 10/19/2019 to 10/21/2019 [Job Dekker*, Bette Robo (ph)]. First October record for state.

2019-117: 1 at Broad Cove, Somerset, Bristol, 11/15/2019 [Matthew Eckerson* (ph)]. First November record for state and first county record for Bristol.

Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) [1, 16]

2020-030: 1 at Leland Farm and nearby areas, East Bridgewater, Plymouth, 03/11/2020 to 03/14/2020 [Judd Carlisle* (ph)].

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) [6, 33]

1983-07: 1 at Pilgrim Heights, Truro, Barnstable, 05/07/1983 [Blair Nikula*, D. Reynolds*, Roger Everett* (ph)].

1986-05: 1 at Route 6, Truro, Barnstable, 05/06/1986 [Blair Nikula*, Robert Humphrey*].

2019-043: 1 at Province Lands Visitor Center, Provincetown, Barnstable, 05/18/2019 [Blair Nikula*, Jeffrey Offermann*, Jeremiah Trimble* (ph), Peter Trimble*, Sean Williams* (ph)].

2020-016: 1 at Easy Street, South Hadley, Hampshire, 05/18/2020 [Maryann Fortier* (ph)].

2020-020: 1 at Borderland State Park, North Easton, Bristol, 06/07/2020 [Marshall Iliff* (ph)].

2020-040: 1 at Lake Quinsigamond, Shrewsbury, Worcester, 06/05/2020 [Chris Liazos* (ph)].

Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) [2, 9]

1988-10: 1 at Cumberland Farms IBA, Halifax and Middleborough, Plymouth, 10/10/1988 to 10/21/1988 [H. W. Harrington, A. Leggett, Robert Abrams (ph)].

2015-074: 1 at Bear Creek Sanctuary, Saugus, Essex, 12/20/2015 [Janet Kovner*, Kaija Gahm*, Andrew Hrycyna* (ph), Geoff Wilson*, Paul Bain*]. Remarkably late record.

Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) [3, 10]

1977-05: 1 at Beacon Street, Andover, Essex, 01/06/1977 [Bob Stymeist, Richard Veit].

1979-05: 1 at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield, Essex, 01/28/1979 to 02/28/1979 [Bill Byrne (ph)].

1984-08: 1 at Hadley, Hampshire, 02/01/1984 to 03/30/1984 [Margaret Ciccarelli (ph)].

Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) [2, 10]

1978-04: 1 at Salisbury Beach State Park, Salisbury, Essex, 12/31/1978 [Fred Atwood* (ph), Bill Drummond].

1996-30: 1 at Charles E. Brown Middle School, Newton, Middlesex, 10/31/1996 [Karen Sheppard* (ph)].

Hammond’s Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii) [1, 7]

2020-002: 1 at John Presbury Norton Farm, West Tisbury, Dukes, 01/08/2020 [Antone Lima* (ph)].

Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis) [1,1]

2019-076: 1 at River Drive, Hadley, Hampshire, 10/23/2019 to 12/02/2019 [Joe Oliverio* (ph), Larry Therrien (ph, au), Marshall Iliff (ph, au)].

Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya) [1, 13]

2013-062: 1 at Shaws Cove Road, Fairhaven, Bristol, 12/04/2013 [Carolyn Longworth*† (ph), Dan Logan* (ph)].

Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) [3, 29]

1989-06: 1 at Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard, Dukes, 11/05/1989 [George Daniels*, Allan Keith*].

2019-115: 1 at Parker River NWR, Plum Island, Essex, 11/12/2019 to 11/13/2019 [Marjorie Watson* (ph), Margaret Viens* (ph)].

2019-150: 1 at Salisbury Beach State Reservation, Salisbury, Essex, 11/15/2019 to 11/16/2019 [John Keeley* (ph)].

Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus/couchii) [1, 2]

2020-021: 1 at Charles River Greenway, Pleasant Street, Watertown, Middlesex, 07/01/2020 [John Flagg* (ph)].

Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) [1, 3]

2019-074: 1 at Rock Meadow, Belmont, Middlesex, 10/19/2019 to 10/26/2019 [Joe Battenfeld*, Jason Forbes (ph), Francis Morello (au), Justin Lawson (au)]. Recordings of calls helped eliminate Couch’s Kingbird.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) [1, 6]

2019-091: 1 at Quaboag Pond, Brookfield, Worcester, 08/23/2019 to 08/28/2019 [Adolfo Cuadra* (ph)].

Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana) [3, 13]

1980-07: 1 at Nauset Beach, Orleans, Barnstable, 09/27/1980 to 10/07/1980 [Bob Stymeist (ph)].

1987-08: 1 at Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield, Plymouth, 06/20/1987 to 06/21/1987 [David Ludlow, Robert Abrams (ph)].

1990-10: 1 at Concord, Middlesex, 05/02/1990 to 05/03/1990 [T. Handley, Jack Murray (ph)].

Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii) [1, 13]

2019-077: 1 at Acoaxet Road, Westport, Bristol, 10/26/2019 [Andrew Eckerson*†, Joel Eckerson* (ph), Matthew Eckerson* (ph)].

Yellow-green Vireo. October 15, 2019. Monomoy NWR–Lighthouse. Photo by Valerie Bourdeau.

Yellow-green Vireo (Vireo flavoviridis) [1, 2]

2019-070: 1 at Monomoy NWR Lighthouse, Chatham, Barnstable, 10/15/2019 [James Junda* (ph), Sean Williams*†].

Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) [1, 4]

2014-078: 1 at Quabbin Reservoir Gate 41, Petersham, Worcester, 11/04/2014 to 11/16/2014 [Mark Lynch*, Justin Lawson (ph)].

Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) [1, 2]

1991-13: 1 at South Orleans, Barnstable, 11/02/1991 to 02/01/1992 [Charlie Thompson, Sue Thompson, R. Everett (ph)].

Townsend’s Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi) [2, 26]

2019-114: 1 at Blue Heron Way, Nantucket, Nantucket, 11/10/2019 to 11/11/2019 [Peter Trimble*, Harvey Young*, Jeremiah Trimble* (ph), Trish Pastuszak* (ph)].

2019-145: 1 at Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, Essex, 11/10/2019 to 03/02/2020 [Flavio Sutti*, Andy Sanford (ph)].

Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) [2, 18]

1985-05: 1 at Moonpenny Drive, Boxford, Essex, 01/07/1985 to 02/28/1985 [Joan Wasserman*, Bernard Wasserman* (ph)].

2020-005: 1 at Montague Road, Westhampton, Hampshire, 01/19/2020 [Samuel Jaffe (ph)].

Bicknell’s Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) [3, 3]

1995-24: 1 at Manomet, Inc., Manomet, Plymouth, 06/06/1995 [Manomet, Inc.* (banded)].

2008-51: 1 at Manomet, Inc., Manomet, Plymouth, 06/05/2008 [Manomet, Inc.* (banded), Ian Davies (ph)].

2014-077: 1 at Manomet, Inc., Manomet, Plymouth, 10/21/2014 [Manomet, Inc.* (banded)].

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) [2, 13]

1975-04: 1 at Nantucket, Nantucket, 09/20/1975 to 09/22/1975 [J. Murphy, S. Garrett, E. Pyburn, G. Soucy (ph)].

1988-09: 1 at Red River Beach, Harwich, Barnstable, 10/02/1988 to 10/03/1988 [D. Stokes, Roger Everett (ph)].

Hoary Redpoll (Acanthis hornemanni) [1, 13]

1996-31: 1 at Windsor Road, Savoy, Berkshire, 03/09/1996 [Bob Packard (ph)].

Chestnut-collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus) [2, 4]

1979-04: 1 at Bartlett Farm, Nantucket, Nantucket, 10/25/1979 to 10/27/1979 [Richard Veit, Marcia Litchfield (ph), Edith Andrews].

1993-25: 1 at Salisbury State Park, Salisbury, Essex, 12/31/1993 [Gary Purcell* (ph)].

Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) [4, 12]

1977-06: 1 at Sidneys Pond, South Peabody, Essex, 09/19/1977 to 09/23/1977 [Rick Heil*].

1988-08: 1 at Plum Island, Newburyport, Essex, 07/23/1988 to 07/25/1988 [Peter and Fay Vale*, Bob Stymeist (ph)].

1990-08: 1 at Plum Island, Newburyport, Essex, 10/28/1990 to 10/31/1990 [Simon Perkins].

2019-104: 1 at Salisbury Beach State Reservation, Salisbury, Essex, 10/03/2019 to 10/04/2019 [John Keeley* (ph)].

Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) [2, 16]

2016-050: 1 at Westborough Wildlife Management Area, Westborough, Worcester, 10/26/2016 to 11/07/2016 [Bette Robo* (ph)].

2020-014: 1 at Western Avenue, Gloucester, Essex, 05/12/2020 to 05/14/2020 [Kris Nemeroff* (ph)].

LeConte’s Sparrow (Ammospiza leconteii) [2, 18]

1989-02: 1 at Littles Lane, Newbury, Essex, 02/04/1989 to 02/20/1989 [Wayne Petersen*, Blair Nikula*, Simon Perkins*, Rich Brown*, Charles Duncan*, Joseph Kenneally (ph)].

2019-107: 1 at Mill Village Road fields, Deerfield, Franklin, 10/13/2019 to 10/16/2019 [Charles Caron* (ph)].

Henslow’s Sparrow (Centronyx henslowii) [1, 6]

1982-10: 1 at Lost Pond, Brookline Recycling Center, Brookline, Norfolk, 12/19/1982 to 01/15/1983 [Dorothy Arvidson* (ph), Ned Mueller*, Alf Wilson*].

Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus) [2, 3]

1979-03: 1 at South Peabody, Essex, 10/17/1979 to 11/03/1979 [Rick Heil*].

1995-23: 1 at Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Marblehead, Essex, 04/01/1995 to 04/28/1995 [Jan Smith*, Erik Nielsen†, Rick Heil].

Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) [6, 10 since 2017]

2018-083: 1 at McDonald Farm Nature Preserve, Wilbraham, Hampden, 08/30/2018 [John Farrington* (ph)].

2018-084: 1 at Seaview Farm, Rockport, Essex, 09/16/2018 [Maili Waters*, Sean Williams* (ph)].

2019-066: 1 at Niles Pond, Gloucester, Essex, 09/21/2019 [Suzanne Sullivan* (ph), John Keeley*].

2019-067: 1 at Martin Burns Wildlife Management Area, Newbury, Essex, 09/27/2019 [John Keeley* (ph)].

2020-015: 1 at High Head, Truro, Barnstable, 05/16/2020 [Liam Waters* (ph), Maili Waters* (ph)].

2020-018: 1 at Cuttyhunk Island, Dukes, 05/30/2020 [Mike Sylvia* (ph)].

Swainson’s Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii) [1, 5]

1982-07: 1 at Beech Forest, Provincetown, Barnstable, 05/04/1982 to 05/06/1982 [John Young*, Wallace Bailey, Carl Goodrich, Blair Nikula].

MacGillivray’s Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei) [2, 15]

1977-04: 1 at Dunback Meadow, Lexington, Middlesex, 11/13/1977 to 11/30/1977 [Bob Stymeist*, Philip Martin*, Simon Perkins (ph)].

2020-013: 1 at Manomet, Inc., Manomet, Plymouth, 04/29/2020 [Evan Dalton* (au), Alan Kneidel (ph), Trevor Llyod-Evans, Lisa Schibley (au), Sean Williams (ph, au)].

Black-throated Gray Warbler (Setophaga nigrescens) [2, 20]

2019-099: 1 at Monomoy NWR Lighthouse, Chatham, Barnstable, 09/16/2019 [Jacob Drucker* (ph)].

2019-108: 1 at Salt Pond, Falmouth, Barnstable, 10/15/2019 to 12/11/2019 [Karen Fiske* (ph)].

Townsend’s Warbler (Setophaga townsendi) [5, 24]

1978-05: 1 at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Middlesex, 05/04/1978 [Martha Reinstein*, Craig Jackson*, Soheil Zendeh*].

1991-14: 1 at Town Hall, Falmouth, Barnstable, 12/01/1991 to 12/12/1991 [Robert Bradbury (ph), Glenn d’Entremont].

2019-098: 1 at Robinson Farm, Marblehead, Essex, 09/14/2019 to 09/15/2019 [Max Chalfin-Jacobs* (ph), Francis Morello* (ph), Sean Williams* (ph)].

2019-109: 1 at Cuttyhunk Island, Dukes, 10/19/2019 [Liam Waters*, Andy Eckerson (ph), Joel Eckerson (ph), Matt Eckerson (ph)].

2019-132: 1 at Charles River Greenway, Pleasant Street, Watertown, Middlesex, 12/18/2019 [Travis Mazerall* (ph)].

Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) [6, 19]

2019-113: 1 at Eastern Point Wildlife Sanctuary, Gloucester, Essex, 11/10/2019 to 11/15/2019 [Suzanne Sullivan* (ph), John Keeley*].

2019-126: 1 at Woods Hole, Falmouth, Barnstable, 11/27/2019 [Peter Trimble*, Sean Williams* (ph)].

2019-135: 1 at Torrey Road, East Sandwich, Barnstable, 12/22/2019 [Will Sweet* (ph), Sean Williams* (ph)].

2019-149: 1 at Oriole Lane, Sandwich, Barnstable, 12/23/2019 to 03/03/2020 [Sharion Boutilier*, Scott Boutilier* (ph)].

2020-029: 1 at Ice Pond, Nantucket, Nantucket, 03/07/2020 to 04/05/2020 [Ginger Andrews*, Trish Pastuszak (ph)].

2020-034: 1 at Amherst Center, Amherst, Hampshire, 04/18/2020 to 04/19/2020 [Jane Mildred*, Scott Surner (ph)].

Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) [13, 38]

2019-082: 1 at Demarest Lloyd State Park, Dartmouth, Bristol, 11/11/2019 [Andy Eckerson*, Joel Eckerson* (ph), Jonathan Eckerson*, Matthew Eckerson*].

2019-111: 1 at Barnstable County Farm, Barnstable, Barnstable, 10/26/2019 to 10/27/2019 [Peter Trimble* (ph), Sean Williams* (ph), Susan Finnegan (ph)].

2019-112: 1 at Brewster Community Gardens, Brewster, Barnstable, 11/10/2019 to 11/13/2019 [Jim Sweeney*, Susan Finnegan (ph)].

2019-116: 1 at East Harwich, Barnstable, 11/15/2019 to 02/18/2020 [Anonymous].

2019-125: 1 at Pilgrim Heights Road, Provincetown, Barnstable, 11/26/2019 to 11/29/2019 [Frank Mockler* (ph)].

2019-129: 1 at Cold Brook Preserve, Harwich, Barnstable, 12/08/2019 [Roger Debenham* (ph)].

2019-130: 1 at Scorton Marsh Road, East Sandwich, Barnstable, 12/15/2019 to 12/24/2019 [Ryan Curran* (ph)].

2019-131: 1 at Paines Creek Road, Brewster, Barnstable, 12/15/2019 [Peter Johnson-Staub* (ph), Keelin Miller*].

2019-134: 1 at Adams Circle, Carver, Plymouth, 12/19/2019 to 01/28/2020 [Evan Dalton* (ph), Trevor Lloyd-Evans*].

2019-136: 1 at Stony Hill Road, Chatham, Barnstable, 12/24/2019 [Tom Auer* (ph)].

2019-137: 1 at Captain Linnell Road, Orleans, Barnstable, 12/31/2019 to 03/06/2020 [Anonymous* (ph)].

2020-004: 1 at Blue Heron Way, Eastham, Barnstable, 12/07/2019 to 02/10/2020 [Anonymous].

2020-006: 1 at Depot Road, Harwich, Barnstable, 01/20/2020 to 02/13/2020 [Susan Finnegan (ph), Mark Faherty (ph)].

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) [1, 2]

2014-074: 1 at Fort Hill, Eastham, Barnstable, 02/22/2014 [Jeremiah Trimble*† (ph, au), Jeffrey Offermann*]. Earliest accepted Massachusetts record.

Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) [1, 3]

1973-06: 2 at North Beach, Orleans, Barnstable, 10/27/1979 to 10/28/1979 [Wayne Petersen*, Wallace Bailey, Priscilla Bailey, Carl Goodrich, Blair Nikula].

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED

Barnacle Goose

1990-012: 1 at Lexington, Middlesex, 12/06/1990 to 12/07/1990.

Members agreed on the identification but did not accept provenance. At the time of this sighting, very few Barnacle Geese were occurring in North America and Pink-footed Goose was still not occurring. Recent increases in Greenland-breeding Barnacle Geese were just beginning, their pattern of vagrancy was very poorly established, and Barnacle Geese were then and still are commonly kept in captivity. The committee decided it was not certain this individual was wild.

Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

2019-068: 1 at E Street, Lowell, Essex, 09/24/2019 to 09/26/2019.

Photos showed a Streptopelia dove that more closely resembled African Collared-Dove and therefore was likely an escaped individual.

Franklin’s Gull

1977-007: 1 at offshore Martha’s Vineyard at 41º 30.0’ N, 70º 37.5’ W, Dukes, 10/10/1977.

The description failed to focus on key details, such as white in the primaries.

1989-004: 1 at Little Nahant Beach, Nahant, Essex, 09/03/1989.

The description of this young gull did not safely rule out Laughing Gull, which relies heavily on structure in this plumage.

Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus)

1984-007: 1 at seven miles east of Gloucester, Essex, 08/25/1984.

Described features of this individual did not rule out an immature Common Tern with confidence, and in addition there were no storm systems associated with this time period that would possibly displace this tropical species into cold water.

Yellow-billed Loon

1982-009: 1 at Salisbury Beach State Park, Salisbury, Essex, 11/14/1982.

This report was very suggestive of this species. Observers noted a Common-type loon with a pale outer half of the culmen and bulky bill and head proportions. Other features were more suggestive of Common Loon, such as the darkness of the cap and back of the neck, and the lack of an auricular patch. In the end, the original observer believed this sighting was suggestive, but should be treated as hypothetical.

Barolo Shearwater

2019-144: 1 at pelagic waters at 40.5260, -68.9602, Nantucket, 08/20/2019.

Members felt that the observer is credible, and the small body size and white sides of the face likely pertain to Barolo. However, other members felt that the description lacked details due to brevity, and because this would be a third state record, it should not be accepted.

Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)

2018-082: 1 at Wachusett Reservoir, Clinton, Worcester, 09/08/2018.

Photos showed a cormorant that had bill and tail proportions consistent with Double-crested Cormorant.

2019-138: 1 at Plum Island, Newburyport, Essex, 09/19/2019.

Photos and a description demonstrated a very small cormorant that may have pertained to this species, but plumage details, bill size, and tail length were not noted, which the committee felt was necessary to accept as a would-be first state record.

American White Pelican

2020-023: 1 at Red Pine Lane, Wareham, Plymouth, 02/09/2020.

A single photo of a distant white dot but no description was associated with this record. Committee members did not feel confident that the object in the photo represented a pelican and perhaps was not a bird.

Brown Pelican

2020-022: 1 at Manomet Point, Manomet, Plymouth, 06/08/2020.

This report had no description or photo.

Mississippi Kite

2019-075: 1 at Penzance Road, Falmouth, Barnstable, 10/20/2019.

The late date gave pause to some committee members, and the description did not carefully rule out potentially confusing species, such as Peregrine Falcon.

White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

1978-006: 1 at Thaxter Street, Hingham, Plymouth, 02/07/1978.

The description did not sufficiently rule out an immature Bald Eagle.

Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus)

1954-004: 1 at Chatham, Barnstable, 09/25/1954.

The description paid close attention to the situational details but did not address the plumage or the voice.

Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)

1954-005: 1 at Weymouth, Norfolk, 11/01/1954 to 12/14/1954.

A titmouse with a black crest was observed by many, although other features supporting Black-crested Titmouse were not noted, and so the committee did not feel an aberrant Tufted Titmouse was ruled out. This species has no record of long-distance vagrancy so the committee felt a very high burden of proof was needed.

Bicknell’s Thrush

2008-049: 1 at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Middlesex, 05/25/2008.

Members thought that the observer is competent to identify this species, but the documentation was insufficient. The song was briefly described but can vary, and the observer did not note whether he heard the song more than one time.

2008-050: 1 at Manomet, Inc., Manomet, Plymouth, 05/29/2008.

The description of key elements of the song was brief and by an observer who admitted unfamiliarity with this species.

2008-052: 1 at Manomet, Inc., Manomet, Plymouth, 06/06/2008.

The identification was based solely on a wing chord of 94 mm which falls within the range of overlap between Bicknell’s and Gray-cheeked Thrush (Pyle 1997).

Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

1988-006: 1 at Windsor, Berkshire, 03/26/1988 to 03/27/1988.

Members agreed that the photos showed a Common Chaffinch but were concerned about the lack of details on feather wear, presence or absence of leg bands, and behavior to support or rule out a captive provenance.

Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

1990-009: 1 at Smith Neck Road, Dartmouth, Bristol, 01/04/1990.

The description focused on the yellow present in the crown, although members felt that immature White-crowned Sparrows can have fairly bright yellow in the crown. Other details about this bird were scant, so the committee could not accept it. Purportedly this individual stuck around throughout January and so photos may exist. If so, the committee will reevaluate it in the future.

Lark Bunting

1970-001: 1 at Nauset Beach, Orleans, Barnstable, 09/04/1970 to 09/05/1970.

A photograph in Bird Observer showed a Lark Bunting and seemed to be associated with this record, but there were multiple records of this species in the area at this time and the listed photographer was not known to have seen the record in question. Petersen, who observed this bird, did not believe it had been photographed. Because there were no further details, the committee could not accept this record.

Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis)

2019-084: 1 at Cuttyhunk Island, Dukes, 12/01/2019.

Committee members were intrigued by this report of a male cowbird showing dark glossy plumage throughout the head. However, the report relied mostly on the head color, and other critical details such as eye color and bill shape were lacking to rule out other cowbird species. Therefore, committee members were not comfortable accepting this would-be second state record.

Western Tanager

2020-017: 1 at Parker River NWR, Newburyport, Essex, 05/23/2020.

Observers noted a wing-barred tanager with a yellow body and dark wings. However, the back color was not scrutinized, which is critical to rule out wing-barred Scarlet Tanagers. Western Tanagers in the spring are particularly unusual, so the committee felt there was a high burden of proof for this record.

Painted Bunting

2018-081: 1 at Savin Hill, Boston, Suffolk, 05/22/2018.

The description included brief details on a small green passerine with a stubby bill, but other small green passerines present at this time of the year were not considered.

Literature Cited

American Ornithologists’ Union. 1998. Checklist-list of North American Birds, 7th ed. Lawrence, Kansas: American Ornithologists’ Union.
Chesser, R. T., R. C. Banks, F. K. Barker, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., J. D. Rising, D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2009. Fiftieth Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 126 (3): 705–714.
Chesser, R. T., R. C. Banks, F. K. Barker, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., J. D. Rising, D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2010. Fifty-first Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 127 (3): 726–744.
Chesser, R. T., R. C. Banks, F. K. Barker, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., J. D. Rising, D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2011. Fifty-second Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 128 (3): 600–613.
Chesser, R. T., R. C. Banks, F. K. Barker, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., J. D. Rising, D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2012. Fifty-third Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 129 (3): 573–588.
Chesser, R. T., R. C. Banks, F. K. Barker, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., J. D. Rising, D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2013. Fifty-fourth Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 130 (3): 558–571.
Chesser, R. T., R. C. Banks, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, A. G. Navarro-Sigüenza, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., J. D. Rising, D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2014. Fifty-fifth Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 131: CSi–CSxv.
Chesser, R. T., R. C. Banks, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, A. G. Navarro-Sigüenza, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., J. D. Rising, D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2015. Fifty-sixth Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 132: 748–764.
Chesser, R. T., K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., J. D. Rising, D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2016. Fifty-seventh Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 133: 544–560.
Chesser, R. T., K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., J. D. Rising, D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2017. Fifty-eighth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 134: 751–773.
Chesser, R. T., K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., D. F. Stotz, B. M. Winger, and K. Winker. 2018. Fifty-ninth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 135: 798–813.
Chesser, R. T., K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2019. Sixtieth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Auk, Volume 136, Issue 3, 1 July 2019, ukz042, https://doi.org/10.1093/auk/ukz042
Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, N. A. Mason, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2020. Sixty-first Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Auk, Volume 137, Issue 3, 1 July 2020, ukaa030, https://doi.org/10.1093/auk/ukaa030
Pyle, P. 1997. Identification Guide to North American Birds: Part I. Bolinas, California: Slate Creek Press.

Musings from the Blind Birder: Ebb and Flow

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:08:00 GMT

As I write this from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont in late September, we have had our first frost of the season and the peak foliage is already behind us. Forays outside during autumn are met usually with the sounds of squirrels, rustling leaves and swishing branches set in motion by wind, insects buzzing, or just plain silence. But I still listen, always alert for something that signals a bird is nearby. On this late September day, I will have to be satisfied with Blue Jay, Common Raven, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Black-capped Chickadee.

Because we have essentially trained ourselves to consciously or subconsciously tune into the sounds and sights of birds, we can be jolted at any moment by the unexpected, even if we think we are not birding. I can sit in my Arlington, Massachusetts, home working on my computer, concentrating on understanding the digital voice from my screen reader program filling the room with its sound. The windows can be closed and birding the furthest thing from my mind. Suddenly, the song of a Mourning Dove penetrates the window and reaches my ears. Everything I am doing grinds to a halt while I let the song wash over me. I smile and listen until the bird moves on.

Yes, on some level, we are always birding. Even during periodic stressful times while dealing with personal or family crises, our deep-rooted attention to all sights and sounds of birds can provide momentary relief or distraction. My mother recently had a stroke just weeks shy of her 96th birthday. After a hospital stay, she entered a local rehabilitation facility in Newport, Vermont, near her home. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we could only visit through a closed window, with Mother sitting in a chair inside and my husband Bob, my guide dog Alvin, and I standing outside. We were focusing on our conversation with Mother when Bob exclaimed, “A Carolina Wren!” It took a second for me to realize that I had just heard the wren as well. Despite the fact that we were concentrating completely on our visit, made more difficult by having to talk loudly through a window, Bob was still birding, alert to the sounds that birders are always listening for. This particular bird song was notable as it was only the third time that we had heard or seen a Carolina Wren in this part of the world.

You might argue that we are not birding when we sleep. But wait—even that time is not exempt from our birding tendencies. Many summer nights in our Vermont home, Bob has awoken me to tell me that a Barred Owl was calling. He himself was jarred out of his sleep by the who cooks for you calls. When I am asleep, I am completely deaf after removing my cochlear implants for the night. Bob needs to physically shake me awake to let me know that I need to get my implants on and find out what is going on. I stumble out of bed, don the implants, and learn that an owl is calling. We rush out onto the deck off our bedroom, even at three o’clock in the morning, to listen to the owl until it stops. Yes, we even bird in our sleep.

We just never stop birding, be it morning, noon, or night. Even in the most mundane of circumstances and at the least likely time, our senses are still on the lookout for birds. On a warm May night, our group of friends can walk out of a busy restaurant to noisy traffic. We engage in final good nights, well-wishes for each other’s families, and assurances that we will soon meet again. But the birders among us are suddenly distracted; we hear the unmistakable sound of migrating songbirds overhead.

Our friends and families often roll their eyes at our birding stories, but among ourselves, a day without talking or looking for birds is a very rare day indeed. Many times, our enthusiasm for birds eventually rubs off onto others. Especially in this year of Covid-19, with many people able to spend time outside of their physical workplaces, we have found that more people are aware of birds and even beginning to learn to identify the species. We are getting more emails from friends or family alerting us to a news story on birds, as well as more photographs with requests to identify a bird in their yard. It certainly makes us smile. Maybe, just maybe, a few will find a new passion, and they too will learn the joys of the omnipresent nature of birding.

Martha Steele, a former editor of Bird Observer, has been progressively losing vision due to retinitis pigmentosa and is legally blind. Thanks to a cochlear implant, she is now learning to identify birds from their songs and calls. Martha lives with her husband Bob Stymeist, in Arlington. Martha can be reached at marthajs@verizon.net.

Field Notes: Catching Up with a Spotted Sandpiper

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:07:00 GMT

On a clear spring morning after a night of heavy rain, I saw a Spotted Sandpiper foraging along one of the exposed muddy edges of the reservoir. The abundant rain left the soil moist, providing the sandpiper with excellent foraging opportunities. The sky that morning was virtually cloud-free, which allowed the beautiful spotted pattern to really stand out and sparkle, especially against the green tones of the water.

In contrast to the weather that day, on another morning I arrived at the Res under overcast skies, which bring out some of my favorite qualities of light for birds. The diffuse light of an overcast day creates softer shadows, reduced contrast, and overall definition that plays well with the delicate character of birds such as the Spotted Sandpiper. On both mornings, I used a long telephoto lens on a hand-held DSLR camera body, staying low to the ground so as not to startle the bird. Taking advantage of the available light during these early mornings, I was able to come away with a small collection of Spotted Sandpiper images to add to my shorebird collection, which can be seen on my website.

Spotted Sandpiper on an overcast day.

Field Notes: Leucistic Red-Tailed Hawk

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:06:00 GMT

As the bird crossed Ring Road into another large bog, I noticed about two feathers on each upper wing that were dark, and I saw its light rufous gray upper tail with a darker subterminal band. I could not make out its patagial marks on its underwings. I originally thought it could have been a Snowy Owl, but with those field marks I knew it was a mostly leucistic Red-tailed Hawk. It flew into the tree line at the back of the bog. Many months later, on March 17, 2020, I finally got a photo that showed the hawk’s back and almost entirely white face and breast.

Over the course of six months, I went back to Ring Road and watched the area for 30–40 minutes, 24 times and saw the hawk—a female based on the large size—seven times. It is secretive in its movements. I have listed the sightings on eBird as “Ring Road near Transfer Station.”

On March 12, 2020, I saw a smaller, presumably male, normally plumaged Red-tailed Hawk nearby that the leucistic individual did not chase away.

I have been back to the Ring Road cranberry bogs six times since March 2020 and have not seen the leucistic individual, but I hope to see it again.

I asked fellow birder and fantastic wildlife photographer Beth Vacchino, who lives nearby, to be on the lookout for this outstandingly plumaged Red-tailed Hawk. Beth finally caught up with it—this photograph is hers.

About Books: Birds During the Annual Occupation

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:05:00 GMT

Birders may grouse about the cold, snow, and paucity of birds, but we can always retreat to a warm home, a shot of scotch, and a relaxing evening binge-watching a series on Netflix. If winter is tough on birders, it can often be a matter of life and death to the birds. Facing winter, birds can do two things: migrate—sometimes long distances—or remain in place and tough it out in weather conditions that can quickly turn deadly.

“Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go, there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double” (The Clash)

Birds in Winter: Surviving the Most Challenging Season is a fine survey of what is currently known of how birds live through the Northern Hemisphere winter. Roger F. Pasquier is a lifelong birder who has worked with conservation organizations such as the International Council for Bird Conservation, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the National Audubon Society. He is currently an associate in the Department of Ornithology at the American Museum of Natural History. In Birds in Winter, Pasquier has brought together research from numerous field ornithologists around the world and has fashioned a concise overview of winter bird behavior.

Birds in Winter begins with a global overview of the major avian migration systems. These include the Nearctic/Neotropical (summering breeding birds fly from northern North America south to the Caribbean, Central and South America); the Palearctic/African (European birds migrate to south of the Sahara); the Palearctic/South Asian (eastern Eurasian Birds fly to southeast Asia); Austral South American (from south to northern areas of South America); Austral African (from southern Africa to more northern areas of Africa); and Australia and New Zealand (too complex to describe here).

Within each migration system there is a variety of types of migration. In partial migration, part of the population of a species migrates while others remain in place. Here in New England this may include species such as jays, crows, and chickadees. Typically, it is the more northern populations that most often move, sometimes leap-frogging over local sedentary populations. In short-distance migration, birds move, but not that far. New England populations of species such as catbirds and Hermit Thrushes move to the mid-Atlantic states, south to Florida and the Gulf. Long distance migration includes some of the most dramatic movements of bird species such as the Blackpoll, most shorebirds, and Arctic Terns. Sometimes it is difficult for birders to understand just how far these movements are. I did not really have a gut understanding about how long these distances are that the migrants fly until I saw a White-rumped Sandpiper on a rock with a sheathbill and penguins when I was on a pelagic in the Beagle Channel off Tierra del Fuego. I had complained mightily about the long flights that took me from Boston to Ushuaia, but here was a tiny shorebird that had flown from Alaska across two continents under its own steam to the southernmost tip of South America. Finally, pelagic species, like tubenoses, are a special case and exhibit a variety of migration behaviors: “Seabirds responses to winter are guided by ocean currents, water masses, and climactic zones.” (p. 28)

Besides these migration systems, there are irruptions, the occasional or periodic southward movements of species often due to food shortages or population increases on their typical wintering range. These include charismatic species such as Snowy and Great Gray owls, Rough-legged Hawks, and the so-called winter finches. These movements can vary dramatically in our area from winter to winter. Birders love irruptive species because they spice up winter birding. Some of these movements are periodic, while others are less predictable.

Invasions of some other irruptive species, however, from the insectivorous Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) to the frugivorous Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) and the bud-and-seed-eating Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus), do not correlate strongly to the movements of any other species. (p. 19)

Though many species exhibit winter site fidelity, returning to the same area year after year is a more fluid situation for some species. Even after a bird arrives on its wintering territory, severe weather conditions or lack of food availability may cause it to move once or twice again. This is called facultative migration.

Facultative migration, the decision a bird makes to move weeks after it has finished its normal autumn migration and reached a destination within the species usual winter range, may come irregularly, rather than annually, in response to unpredictable conditions during the severest part of an exceptional winter. (p. 20)

In central and western Massachusetts, we see facultative migration in species such as Hooded Merganser. These tough little ducks will hang around long after most other waterfowl have headed south or to the coast as long as there is a bit of open water along a river or pond. But as soon as the temperature gets too cold and all the water freezes, they will move south and coastwards.

Even in wintering areas where the weather is not expected to turn severe, some species may still have a series of sequential wintering sites.

About 44% of the Purple Martins (Progne subis) that spend the first part of the winter in central Amazonia, for an average of 66 days, then move a mean distance of 776 km south or east for another 77 days. Of the martins that move, 18% leave the second site after some days or weeks for a third destination for an average of another 763 km, where they remain some 58 days. (p. 76)

Migration is a lot more complex and varied than most birders understand. There is also “differential migration” (p. 66) in which birds of different ages or sexes within in a species migrate to different areas. In migratory birds of prey, females winter farther from their breeding areas than males. Some passerines also follow this pattern:

‘Differential migration’ has been most thoroughly studied in eastern populations of Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). In northern New England and west through the Great Lakes region and beyond, 80% of wintering juncos are male. From South Carolina to the Gulf Coast and Texas, 70% of the birds are female. (p. 66)

For short distance migrants, what factors determine where they go? Basically, most species seek out areas that approximate where they bred except that the wintering location will not be as cold or snow-covered. Overwintering catbirds on the southeastern coastal plain of Massachusetts seek out thickets and brush similar to areas where they bred.

For most short-distance or partial migrants, the wintering site is not substantially different from the place they departed. Waterfowl winter on water bodies: fresh, estuarine, or coastal that do not freeze. They move to another if the initial site does freeze. Forest raptors stay in forests. Raptors of open country that take prey from the ground move to open country less likely to be covered with snow. Passerines that do not travel far similarly remain loyal to their breeding habitat, be it woodland, scrub, or grassland. Even as these change when trees become leafless, other vegetation dies back, and weather conditions alter so that some birds must shift to a different food source. (p. 53)

Preparing for winter, whether species are long- or short- distance migrants or even if they plan to overwinter in the area, begins in early fall. Passerine species that are insectivorous may switch their diet to berries and fruit.

Passerines are among the birds that see the greatest shift in diet before autumn migration. Those that feed themselves and their young protein-based animal matter often shift to fruits that provide fructose and lipids. This is easy to observe in late summer when many migrants gather at fruiting trees and shrubs. (p. 48)

Here in Massachusetts, we see this in species such as bluebirds, waxwings, and robins. During the breeding season, robins can be found on lawns listening for earthworms or tossing dead leaves looking for insects. Deep in winter, some populations of robins in Massachusetts become itinerant frugivores, searching for crab apples, bittersweet, sumac, and other fruit over wide areas, while at night they may form large communal roosts.

Birds that remain in place in northern climes face a different set of challenges. First and foremost is finding food. There is a lot less daylight, which means much less time to search for food. Some passerines in winter search for food most intensively in the morning, while others search at the end of the day. Small species such as chickadees, kinglets, and creepers are able to find sustenance in crevasses in bark, seed pods, or at feeders. They may form mixed species flocks that patrol an area daily in a never-ending search for food. Larger species may cache food. “Food storage takes two forms: scatter-hoarding, where food is put in many separate locations and larder hoarding, where it is kept together.” (p. 42)

Locally, Blue Jays are our most common species that scatter-hoard food, taking choice nuts and seeds from our feeders and flying to a number of locations to cache them. The best example of a larder hoarder is the Acorn Woodpecker, which caches numerous acorns in holes it drills in a dead tree or phone pole. Red-headed Woodpeckers are also larder hoarders. Some migratory raptors are hoarders, too.

In winter, most owls cache their food in larders rather than scattering it. They frequently decapitate, eviscerate, or eat some of each item before storing it.” (p. 46) If it is very cold, species such as Saw-whet Owls may have to thaw their cached prey a bit before devouring it by “assuming an incubating posture” on the mouse. (p. 47)

Is there greater mortality among long-distance migrants or among species that stay put for the winter in northern climes? The answer is complex.

The distinctive aspects of migratory and sedentary life cycles must be considered. Among woodland passerines, young of migratory species survive their first year half as well as adults, and young of sedentary species only one-quarter as well; the challenges of a cold winter where adult birds occupy the best sites may therefore be greater for inexperienced birds than two migrations and a season in a new environment (Sherry and Holmes, 1995). For some highly migratory birds of prey, mortality is most intense on migration, but these brief periods of the annual cycle are balanced by longer portions of the year in breeding and wintering areas; there, the per-day rates may be lower but the total seasonal rates of loss equal those experienced on migration. (p. 207)

Please realize that for this review, I am citing only a few of the findings found in Birds in Winter. The book is a wealth of information about migratory behavior and how birds survive winter, and it is impossible to summarize all the interesting information that can be found there in this short review. The bibliography is extensive, running from page 251 to page 283. It is impressive to note all of the articles, papers, and books Pasquier has referenced to write Birds in Winter. An added bonus is that this book is nicely illustrated with numerous black and white drawings by Margaret La Farge. [Editor’s note: Margaret La Farge is the artist of the Hudsonian Godwit that appears on Bird Observer’s logo.]

The final two chapters of Birds in Winter, “Conservation” (p. 207–32) and “Climate Change” (p. 233–50), end the book on an appropriately somber tone. It is not just weather or the rigors of a long migration that affect wintering birds. Pasquier uses the acronym HIPPO, created by Edward O. Wilson, to list the human-caused challenges winter birds also face, listed in order of impact:

Habitat loss

Invasive species

Pollution

Population growth

Over harvest (p. 207–8)

Pasquier devotes several subchapters to each of these ongoing problems. Wintering birds, already challenged by the season, are further pressured by these considerable and growing trends. Even protected species such as the Whooping Crane, wintering in coastal Texas, are feeding in waters that can be a toxic stew of agricultural runoff: “Pesticides, including fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and rodenticides, as well as antibiotics, are all now known to have much greater effects on target species than was anticipated as these were developed.” (p. 219)

Species wintering along our coasts may face constant harassment by human use of the beaches they use to find food. “In California, where winters are mild and the human population is large, the disturbance to shorebirds on beaches may be constant. At two beaches near Monterey, Sanderlings (Calidris alba) were disturbed by people or their dogs once every 15 minutes on average. (p. 224)

Of course, all of these impacts on wintering birds are dwarfed by the ultimate challenge of global warming. We are already seeing the effects on certain species. Changing winter conditions due to climate change or increasing human habitation have altered certain species’ migration patterns and locations where they overwinter. This is most dramatically seen in two hummingbird species. Rufous Hummingbirds are now more common in winter around the Gulf and southern Atlantic coasts than they were 50 years ago. Now Ruby-throats are also showing up in these same areas in winter.

Still more recent is the expansion of wintering Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) over much of the same area from their usual winter range of central Mexico to Panama. Climate change, which has accelerated since the earlier expansion of the Rufous Hummingbird, as well as the availability of flowering gardens and feeders, has likely enhanced overwinter survival. A banding study in South Carolina found more males, especially immature, than females, and the average return rate from one winter to the next was 19.4% (Cubie 2014). (p. 30)

The effects of global climate change on wintering bird behavior are still not obviously widespread, but certain red flags have already been noticed:

A comparison of 193 separate populations of migratory birds breeding in the Nearctic and Palearctic found that the Nearctic species most in decline between 1980 and 2006 were those with the greatest differences between the increase in the average temperatures in their breeding and wintering ranges, leading to migrants arriving later relative to the advance of spring. (p. 239)

Looking ahead, changes in rainfall and rising winter temperatures caused by climate change may also bring about serious declines in the breeding of certain species.

The breeding success of Kirtland’s Warblers is determined by the extent of rainfall in the Bahamas during March. Rainier years there put the males in better condition for migration and establishing territories. (p. 181)

Breeding success of Gray Jays has declined in Ontario where rising winter temperatures have caused some of the food the jays store to rot before they retrieve it. (p. 246)

Birds in Winter is a major achievement, a fine overview of many of the aspects of wintering bird behavior, a well-edited compilation of modern research. Birds in Winter gives the reader a better understanding about how birds prepare for migration, what occurs to them in migration, and how they survive in winter whether they are in the tropics or northern regions. There is a wealth of information in Birds in Winter. It is a book you can read straight through or use as a reference. This is a perfect book to crack open when you are finally safe inside after a long day out in the elements, chair near the fire, a warming beverage at hand. Reading Birds in Winter will make you pause to give a thought to how amazing it is that those tiny chickadees that visit your feeder survive through the season of ice and snow.

“That’s what winter is: an exercise in remembering how to still yourself then how to come pliantly back to life again.”
( Ali Smith , Winter )

NB: Roger F. Pasquier is the author of other books about ornithology and birds, and he has also written a stunning book on artists who have painted Central Park in New York City. Painting Central Park (2015. New York, New York: Vendome Press) is a sumptuous large format art book that even illustrates a stroll across the park entirely with works by major artists. Pasquier is a long-time passionate birder of Central Park, and he is an expert guide to the many painters who also have fallen in love with this jewel of a park.

Bird Sightings: July–August 2020

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:04:00 GMT

Tropical Storm Isaias arrived in Massachusetts on August 4, tracking through our state about 160 miles west of Boston. Areas in central Massachusetts and the Berkshires experienced more rain and stronger winds than Cape Cod and Cape Ann. For birders, the storm brought a number of unusual seabirds to inland lakes, especially Pontoosuc and Onota lakes in the Pittsfield area and at the Quabbin and Wachusett reservoirs.

R. Stymeist

A Note on Taxonomy

Bird Observer follows the taxonomy published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). The AOS was previously known as the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) before its merger with the Cooper Ornithological Society in October 2016. Each summer the AOS’s Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of North and Middle American Birds (NACC) publishes an annual supplement to its bird checklist. Highlights from this year’s supplement (the 61st) include the split of Mexican Duck from Mallard, and the lumping of Northwestern and American crows. Neither of these decisions affects the Massachusetts state list, although deeper insight into phylogenetic relationships—often through genetic analysis—has resulted in some reshuffling of species within families, thus changing the linear order of those species in the checklist.

Bygone Birds: Historical Highlights for July-August

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:03:00 GMT

20 YEARS AGO

July–August 2000

At least six pairs of Ospreys nested on the North Shore, “more than ever before”. A pair of Sharp-shinned Hawks nested in Essex County for the first time since 1896. An adult King Rail was found with downy young in Orleans in July. Rare shorebirds were limited to a Black-necked Stilt at South Monomoy, and an American Avocet and Ruff at Plum Island. A South Polar Skua was photographed on Stellwagen Bank on July 17. A California Gull was found at South Beach in Chatham on July 23, the second accepted record for the state. Gull-billed Terns were reported from Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, and a Bridled Tern was at Muskeget Island. Breeding firsts were confirmed for Tufted Titmouse and Rose-breasted Grosbeak on Martha’s Vineyard. A rare summering Blue Grosbeak was in Southwick, June 23–July 14.

Best sighting: male Garganey, Plum Island, August 4–11. This bird, in eclipse plumage, was accepted as wild and remains the most recent record for this species in Massachusetts.

40 YEARS AGO

July–August 1980

Two Audubon’s Shearwaters were spotted 55 miles south of Nantucket on July 27. An adult Red-necked Stint was at Scituate (Third Cliff), July 17–22. This was the second record for the state, hot on the heels of the first, found only a month earlier at Monomoy, June 24. Two American Avocets were at Plum Island. A White-winged Dove at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, July 2–4, was the second record for the sanctuary. A Sabine’s Gull was spotted at Stellwagen Bank on August 15, and a Gull-billed Tern was on Monomoy, August 10. Also on Monomoy was a Loggerhead Shrike on August 24. A Barn Owl pair with four young was seen at Newburyport on August 12.

Best sighting: Burrowing Owl, Martha’s Vineyard, July 12–22. This was presumably the same bird that was first found in Plymouth on May 13 and then again on Monomoy. It is the second record for the state after the first in Newburyport in May 1875.

At a Glance: October 2020 Revealed

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:02:00 GMT

It is obvious that this month’s mystery species is a sparrow. Although other species are brownish and streaky, most have other distinguishing features that will separate them from sparrows. American Pipits are slimmer with relatively plain, unstreaked backs, have longer and thinner legs, and a finer pointed bill when it is visible. Female and immature Purple Finches and House Finches are heavily streaked like some sparrows; however, like most finch species, they have chunkier bodies, shorter, prominently notched tails, thicker necks, and blockier heads. A final species that occasionally gets mistaken for a sparrow is the female Red-winged Blackbird. Though it is larger than any sparrow, its heavily streaked plumage, sharp-pointed bill, and buffy eyebrow stripe should be enough to distinguish it. There are a few other small streaky bird species that do not resemble sparrows as closely as pipits, finches, and redwings.

With the knowledge that the mystery species is a sparrow, the features to focus on are the crisply streaked breast, sides, and back, the relatively long tail, and—especially in the web image—the broad, light gray supercilium, the hint of a buffy wash on the crisply streaked breast, and the thin dark stripes on the back. The prominent streaks on the breast and flanks eliminate several other sparrow species: American Tree, Chipping, Clay-colored, Field, Lark, Swamp, Grasshopper, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated, and White-crowned. Many of the small, streak-breasted grassland and saltmarsh sparrows are notably short tailed, or else have distinctive facial patterns or obvious white stripes on their backs that remove them as possibilities, e.g., LeConte’s, Nelson’s, Saltmarsh, and Seaside.

With many sparrow species now eliminated, only Savannah, Song, Lincoln’s, and Fox sparrows remain as viable identification candidates. Savannah Sparrows have a shorter notched tail, a strong eyeline, a prominent mustache stripe, and heavier streaks on the sides. Fox Sparrows, in addition to their foxy coloration, are chunky and heavily streaked on the underparts, exhibit narrow whitish wing bars, and have a distinct pale gray collar on the hindneck. This reduces the final choice to either Song or Lincoln’s sparrow. The ubiquitous Song Sparrow always displays a prominent large spot in the middle of its otherwise coarsely streaked breast, distinct dark malar stripes at the edges of its chin, smudgy dark stripes on its back, and a fairly long, rounded tail. With these final three possibilities eliminated, the mystery sparrow turns out to be a Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii), a fact highlighted by the fine stripes on its breast and sides, the buffy wash on its breast in the web image, and the thin black stripes on its back.

Lincoln’s Sparrows are relatively shy and uncommon spring migrants but are sometimes fairly common fall migrants throughout Massachusetts in weedy fields and thicket edges, where they regularly associate with other sparrow species.

David Clapp photographed this Lincoln’s Sparrow feeding in a hydroseeded area at the Provincetown Airport in Provincetown, Barnstable County, on May 17, 2020.

Wayne R. Petersen

At a Glance: December 2020

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:01:00 GMT

Can you identify the bird in this photograph?

Identification will be discussed in next issue’s AT A GLANCE.

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Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT

In this issue: