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January–February 1978
Five Cattle Egrets in Westport on January 28 became the first winter record for this species in the state. A high count of 1,500 Canvasbacks in Assonet was not atypical for the period 1975–1981. An impressive 13 Goshawks were counted in January and a gray phase Gyrfalcon was present at Orleans February 11–15. Red Knots overwintered, including 50 at Revere Beach. Boreal Chickadees were recorded in West Boylston, Waltham and Clinton. A flock of European Starlings on Martha's Vineyard included a male Brewer's Blackbird. 1977–1978 saw an excellent flight of winter finches: 1,000+ Pine Grosbeaks in the state; 1,258 Pine Siskins on the Concord CBC, and 500 at one feeder in Lincoln; and Plum Island alone hosted 27 Red Crossbills and over 200 White-winged Crossbills.
Best sighting: Eurasian Curlew, Menemsha Pond, Martha's Vineyard, February l8. This bird, the second record for Massachusetts, stayed into March.
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