The 116th CBC in New England

A total of 115 CBCs was conducted in New England this season.  Collectively these counts recorded such mind-blowing extralimital and Regional rarities as Swainson’s Hawk, Western Flycatcher (a.k.a. Cordilleran/Pacific Slope Flycatcher), Bay-breasted Warbler, Smith’s Longspur, Black-throated Sparrow, and Orchard Oriole.  Altogether a total of 231 species was recorded Region-wide, plus count-week Tundra Swans at Hartford and Salmon River and Boat-tailed Grackle at Stratford-Milford.

While the notable species totals of certain species, and the remarkable variety and overall number of species recorded represent one way of acknowledging the 3773 field observers who contributed 9266.05 party-hours to locating, counting, and documenting these species, they should by no means be understated. New England observers traveled 41,775.92 party-miles in their quest to locate and count these species. Additionally, and for the second CBC season in a row, most New England counts were blessed with relatively mild, precipitation-free conditions on count days, little or no snow cover in all but the more northerly count areas, and plenty of open water virtually throughout the Region.

In order to provide a backdrop for the most off-the-wall highlights this season, consider the following comments.  A light morph Swainson’s Hawk beautifully photographed at Greater Boston was a first Regional CBC record for a species whose entire population typically winters in Argentina!  The well documented and abundantly photographed Western Flycatcher at New Haven (only the second for New England?) was unequivocally either a Cordilleran or a Pacific Slope flycatcher, but existing field marks are sufficiently in their infancy that specific identification was deemed impossible.  Nantucket’s definitively photographed Bay-breasted Warbler represented not only a first New England CBC record, but was arguably the latest ever reported in the Region.  Greater Boston’s Smith Longspur was only the Bay State’s third-ever record, and was fortuitously ultimately observed and enjoyed by a multitude of local birders.  A Black-throated Sparrow photographed and present for some time at Schoodic Point was not only a first for Maine, but also one of only a tiny handful of previous Regional records, and Plymouth’s Orchard Oriole represented only the second-ever (?) winter record for New England.  Collectively these half-dozen species represent extraordinary Regional CBC milestones.

The generally mild weather conditions prior to and during the count period no doubt contributed to the early season survival of a number of lingering waterbirds such as the Great Egrets at New London (11), Greenwich, South Kingstown (2), Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard (2), and Quincy; Snowy Egrets at New London and Greenwich; Little Blue Heron at Biddeford-Kennebunkport; Semipalmated Plovers at Plymouth (3), Cape Cod (2), Truro, and Block Island; American Oystercatchers at Napatree, Stratford-Milford, and Quincy; Greater Yellowlegs at Ferrisburg; Lesser Yellowlegs at Greater Boston; Long-billed Dowitchers (3) at Newburyport; and an unidentified Sterna tern at Napatree Point.

Notably tardy passerines during the same period featured White-eyed Vireos at Newport County-Westport, Quincy, and Burlington (no details!); Blue-headed Vireo at Nantucket; Tree Swallows at Newport County-Westport (7), Nantucket (2) and Tuckernuck (2); and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers at South Kingstown and Cape Cod. Out of season warblers – often a litmus for the severity of the fall and early winter season – this this year included Ovenbird at Sturbridge; Black-and-white Warbler (count week) at Hartford; Tennessee Warbler at Westport (no details!); Nashville Warblers at Nantucket (2), Cape Cod, and Westport; American Redstart at Coastal New Hampshire; Cape May Warbler at Block Island; Northern Parula at Cape Cod; a remarkable Bay-breasted Warbler at Nantucket; an “Audubon’s” Yellow-rumped Warbler at Block Island; Yellow-throated Warbler at Thomaston-Rockland and Quincy (count week); Prairie Warblers at Nantucket (2); and Wilson’s Warblers at Nantucket (2) and Cape Cod.

In the irruptive species department, few species appeared to move very far for the second season in a row.  A Regional total of 41 Rough-legged Hawks and 12 Short-eared Owls hardly represented irruptions, and neither did 37 Snowy Owls, especially in the aftermath of the glut during the past couple winters.  Similarly, only a meager 22 Northern Shrikes were tallied, and the Regional total of 1839 Bohemian Waxwings would hardly have amounted to anything without the 1029 tallied at Orono-Old Town – a CBC that often represents the winter headquarters for this species in New England even in non-flight years.  Winter finches also barely made the mercury move, as evidenced by such paltry Regional totals as 34 Pine Grosbeaks and 257 Common Redpolls.  Slightly more notable were 252 Purple Finches at Plainfield and 217 at Errol-Umbagog, and 1755 Pine Siskins at Pittsburg and 917 at Errol-Umbagog.

In taxonomic order, what follows are a few more of the interesting features or unusual occurrences from the 116^th CBC season.  Now nearly annual in occurrence, Ross’s Geese appeared at Champlain Islands-St. Albans, Mad River Valley, and Greater Portland, and with Greater White-fronted Geese continuing to increase in the Region, individuals appearing at Newburyport (2), Greenfield, Springfield, Worcester, Hartford, and South Kingstown were hardly surprising.  Other notable waterfowl included a Regional total of 13 Eurasian Wigeon; Blue-winged Teal at Middlebury, Quabbin, and Marshfield; Tufted Duck at Middlebury; and a worrisome total of only 6501 Long-tailed Ducks at Nantucket, where only a few years ago totals annually numbered in six figures!  Pacific Loons were represented by two at Middlebury and singles at Cape Cod, Marshfield, and Napatree Point.

Increasing interest and effort to monitor New England’s winter seabirds produced stunning totals of 76 Northern Fulmars, 56 Great Shearwaters, three Pomarine Jaegers (plus 3 unidentified jaegers), 38 Common Murres, and an Atlantic Puffin at Stellwagen Bank, along with an additional 26 Great Shearwaters at Cape Cod and four at Truro.  Equally exceptional were four Manx Shearwaters at Martha’s Vineyard, and two each at Truro, Nantucket, and Cape Cod.  At the new Jordan Basin CBC in Maine, 67 Northern Fulmars were tallied, along with 11 Common Murres and an Atlantic Puffin.

Black Vulture numbers continued to soar, with a Regional total of 207 individuals tallied, and 77 at Southern Berkshire alone for a new high Massachusetts CBC total.  Other raptor highlights were single Ospreys at Athol and New Bedford, and Regional totals of 324 Sharp-shinned Hawks and 404 Cooper’s Hawks.  The sum total of 14 Northern Goshawks suggested that these northern forest predators largely stayed home this winter, and single Golden Eagles at Athol and Worcester were the only reports of this species.

Once again a Yellow Rail was recorded at a traditional Nantucket site for this highly cryptic species, and single Soras were registered at Mid-Cape Cod and Old Lyme. A Sandhill Crane at Newport County-Westport was the sole report for the season.

In the gull department the only species that distinguished itself was Laughing Gull, which possibly surpassed all previous Regional CBC totals with 11 at Greenwich, three at New London, three at Napatree Point, two at Block Island, two at Mid-Cape Cod, two at Plymouth, and singles at Cape Cod and Nantucket.  Whether these numbers are merely an artifact of the season’s mild weather, or possibly a precursor of greater things to come will be interesting to watch in the future.

The only hummingbirds noted this season were a Rufous Hummingbird at Old Lyme and an unidentified Selasphorus hummer at Newport County-Westport. Encouraging Regional totals on the falcon front consisted of 32 American Kestrels (the highest in some years), 67 Merlins, and 97 Peregrine Falcons.  And even more notable were Ash-throated Flycatchers at Cape Ann, Plymouth, and Westport; Western Kingbirds at Truro (2) and Martha’s Vineyard; a Northern Rough-winged Swallow at Hartford; count week Cave Swallows at New Haven and Westport; a Mountain Bluebird at Buzzards Bay; and Townsend’s Solitaires at Greenwich, Truro, and Brattleboro (count week).

To close out the 116^th CBC seasonal roster of notable occurrences were Clay-colored Sparrows at York County, Greater Boston, and Old Lyme (count week); Lark Sparrows at Greater Portland, Quincy, and South Kingstown; Lincoln’s Sparrows at Ellsworth-Hog Bay, Lee-Durham, Cape Ann, Nantucket, and Hartford (count week); Western Tanagers at New Haven, Napatree Point, and Biddeford-Kennebunkport; and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Burlington.  All and all, a memorable season with some great birds!