Black skimmers are at their northern breeding limit in Massachusetts, 

 with only one or two pairs nesting in the Cape Cod area (Drury 1973). Double- 

 crested cormorant numbers are increasing rapidly in Boston Harbor and Buzzard's 

 Bay, more than tripling their population from 1972 (Drury 1973) to 1977. 

 Leach's storm-petrels have nested on Penikese Island since at least the early 

 1930's. About 90 burrows were found in 1941 (Drury 1973), but only a few 

 pairs were noted in the early 197C's. At least 20 pairs nested there in 1976 

 and 1977 (P. Stanton pers. comm.). Common eiders were introduced to Penikese 

 Island and nested in 1976 (P. Stanton pers. comm.). In 1977, one eider brood 

 was seen at Nashawena Island near Penikese (J. Hatch pers. comm.). 



Wading Birds 



Glossy ibis numbers increased slightly from 1975 to 1977. A count of 107 

 nests was made at House Island, Manchester in May 1977. Two other colonies 

 also were active. 



Snov/y egrets first nested in the State at Qui vet Neck in 1955 (Hill 1965) 

 and nested in small numbers at Martha's Vineyard beginning in 1962 (AFN, 

 RNEB). During the past 5 years, their numbers have increased markedly. Great 

 egrets first nested in the State in 1954 at South Hanson, an inland site. The 

 first coastal nesting was in 1956 at House Island (AFN). They now nest at 

 three locations in small numbers. Cattle egrets nested in small numbers at 

 House Island in 1976 and 1977, their only colony site. 



With the disappearance of the major Quivet Neck-Sandy Neck (Cape Cod) 

 colonies (Gross 1923, Church et al . 1955, Hill 1965), the black-crowned night 

 heron population declined markedly during the 1950's but has increased again 

 in recent years. The State's population now is distributed among a larger 

 number of small colonies than during the 1950's. Only a few yellow-crowned 

 night herons have been reported from three locations in the 1940's and 1950's 

 (AFN, RNEB). Little blue herons nest in snail numbers at four locations and 

 Louisiana herons colonized House Island in 1976 (Forster 1976), a new State 

 record. Green herons have seldom been reported in large numbers at coastal 

 colonies, but in 1965, Keith and Chalif (1968) reported 30 pairs at Little 

 Neck, Martha's Vineyard. 



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