HUDSON-DELAWARE 
This serond-cyde Thayer's Gull was a rarity at South Amboy, Kew Jersey 29 April 2009; the plumage is rarely documented in the East. Photographs by Tom Boyle. 
coast. Eared Grebes were found at Round Val- 
ley Res., Hunterdon, NJ 1 Mar (FS), at Staten 
I., NY 1-31 Mar (SW, RRV, m.ob.), and at Bay- 
onne Park, Hudson, NJ 6 May (MI). Two iden- 
tifiably different Western Grebes inhabited 
the Raritan Estuary between Staten I., NY and 
the New Jersey shore 7 Mar-22 Apr (Ed John- 
son, SB et al); while these may be returning 
birds, there has clearly been an increase in oc- 
currence of this species in recent years, and it 
is quite possible that more than 2 have been 
present. Six Sooty Shearwaters flying over and 
then resting on Moriches Bay, Suffolk, NY 17 
May were an unusual sight (SSM, PJL), and 
20 Sooty Shearwaters and a Manx Shearwater 
were at Montauk 22 May (AnW). During a 
seawatch from North Brigantine, Atlantic, NJ 
23 Apr, Tony Leukering counted 3200 North- 
ern Gannets streaming northward. There 
were reports of 6 American White Pelicans, 
perhaps involving some overlap but neverthe- 
less an impressive number: 2 were at Chau- 
tauqua L., Chautauqua, NY 25-29 Mar (Mar- 
garet Lane, Jim Berry et al), one at Cuba L., 
Allegany, NY 22 Apr (Betsy Cashing), 2 at 
Braddock Bay 8-9 Apr 0- Lawrey), and one on 
Long Pond and nearby Braddock Bay 3-14 
May (E Lawrence, m.ob.). Brown Pelicans far- 
ther n. than usual included one at L. Montauk 
5 Apr (J. Passie) and one at Sandy Hook 25 
Apr (M. Newlon). 
HERONS THROUGH RAPTORS 
A Great Egret at Hamburg, Erie, NY 9 Mar 
was the earliest spring record for that area by 
11 days (WW, JP), and 106 were counted at 
Motor L, Erie, NY, the northernmost colony 
in the Region, 12 May (MM). Snowy Egrets 
were rather far n. at Beaver Island S.E, Niaga- 
ra, NY 28 Apr (Debbie Sharon) and at 
Dunkirk Harbor, Erie, NY 5-15 May (Marie 
Hayes). A Little Blue Heron at Queensbury, 
Saratoga, NY 7-8 Apr (Mona Bearor) was both 
early and unusually far inland. A Tricolored 
Heron at Easthampton, Long I. 9 Apr was ear- 
ly and rather far e. (AnW), and one at Tifft 
Nature Preserve, Erie, NY 24 May (Brandon 
Erick) was n. and far inland. Cattle Egrets 
continue to be scarce, but singles were at 
Pomfret, Chautauqua, NY 3 May (Terry Mosh- 
er, DN) and Van Buren, Onandaga, NY 31 May 
Q. Brin). An ad. White Ibis clearly pho- 
tographed at Great Swamp, Morris, NJ 19-23 
May (Simon Lane, Ray Duffy) adds to the in- 
creasing number of northerly records. Simi- 
larly increasing are White-faced Ibis, with at 
least 4 in the Region this spring: one at Prime 
Hook 18-19 Apr (BGP), one at Beaver Swamp 
W.M.A., Cape May, NJ 3-7 May (TR), one at 
Cape May 9-30 May (BE), and one at Brigan- 
tine 15-19 May (Eric Reuter, SB, m.ob.). Even 
considering their well-known northward 
range expansion, Black Vultures made news 
this spring. At least 13 were found on Long I. 
and Staten Island 14 Mar-24 May; 3 were 
seen from the Ripley and Hamburg hawk- 
watches 13-23 Mar; one was over Saranac 
Lake High School, Franklin, NY 12 Apr (Tom 
Dudones); and 2 were seen at Braddock Bay 
31 Mar (DT) and 16 May (Mike Tetlow). Even 
more startling was the number of Swallow- 
tailed Kites; a minimum of 9 was seen: singles 
were at Cape Henlopen, DE 25 Apr and 6 May 
(Sue Gruver, Lynn Smith) and inland at 
Greeneville, Greene, NY 17 May (WY), while 
at Cape May, birds were seen 13 Apr Q- Guer- 
ard), 23-24 Apr (MG), 27 Apr (Mike Rosen- 
garten et al), 5-9 May (m.ob.), and 3 togeth- 
er 11 May (DF, KL et al). Three Mississippi 
Kites were at Cape May 5-12 May (MW, CJV, 
m.ob.), and 2 were at Sandy Hook 9 May 
(LM, SB), but there were none farther north. 
A pair of Northern Harriers seen displaying at 
Cedar Beach, Suffolk, NY 16 May and others 
at the Grumman property, Suffolk, Long I. 
suggests likely breeding by this declining 
grassland raptor. One of the major migration 
days of the spring was 25 Apr, when 1104 
Sharp-shinned Hawks, 10,284 Broad-winged 
Hawks, and 96 American Kestrels were 
counted at Braddock Bay 0- Latvrey). Four 
Swainson’s Hawks appeared in the Braddock 
Bay area 27 Apr-12 May, the largest spring to- 
tal on record: an imm. light morph flew over 
Braddock Bay 27 Apr 0 - Lawrey, DT), a imm. 
dark morph was trapped and banded at Man- 
itou 9 May (D Niven), a “molting imm.” was 
seen at Braddock Bay 9 May (DT), and yet an- 
other was seen at Braddock Bay 12 May (DT). 
Two more Swainson’s Hawks were at Derby 
Hill 24 Apr and 6 May (Kyle Wright et al). 
Twenty Rough-legged Hawks over Braddock 
Bay 17 Apr was a small maximum for the 
spring there, but one at Braddock Bay 20 May 
was late (KCG, DT, GL). 
RAILS THROUGH ALCIDS 
Once again this spring, Yellow Rails were 
heard calling at Turkey Pt., Cumberland, NJ 
19-24 Apr, with a maximum of 2-3 birds heard 
18 Apr (Harvey Tomlinson, Steve Glynn et 
al). Less unusual but nonetheless noteworthy 
were single Black Rails at Turkey Pt. 1 May (A. 
LaQuidara), Cape May 9 May (TJ), and Jakes 
Landing, Cape May 23-24 May (Kevin Ripka, 
TR). A King Rail at Savannah, Wayne, NY 20 
May (DT, m.ob.) was near breeding localities 
of 40 or 50 years ago, and 2 seen and heard 
near Schroeppel, Oswego, NY after 16 May 
were the first ones there since 1992 (Mickey 
Scilingo et al). American Coots nesting at 
Aquebogue were said to be the only ones on 
Long 1. (SSM et al). Sandhill Cranes are near- 
A Say's Phoebe at Cape May, New Jersey was found 30 April 
2009 (here 13) and remained until 2 May, furnishing a very 
rare spring record. Photograph by Michael O'Brien. 
ly common in upstate New York; 27 were seen 
in the Niagara area 14 Mar-15 May, 54 were 
found in the Rochester, NY area during Apr 
(DT, m.ob.), and the seasonal total of 28 birds 
over Derby Hill was the all-time record (Kyle 
Wright). Outside of that area, one was at Bom- 
bay Hook 28 Apr (Jeff Holmes), 2 were at 
Delaware City, New Castle, DE 19 May (AG), 
and one was at Gabreski Airport, Suffolk, Long 
1. 17-18 May (C. Borelli, A. Simmons, m.ob.). 
VOLUME 63 (2009) « NUMBER 3 
399 
