New England [j 
Walter G. Ellisc 
Nancy L. Marti 
A utumn 2008 New England weather 
was wet — record wet in Maine and 
New Hampshire — with mostly aver- 
age temperatures. Major avian events of the 
season were good numbers of Cory’s Shear- 
waters entering the Gulf of Maine; the suc- 
cessful fledging of at least three Mississippi 
Kites from three nests in the Region during 
August and September; a very heavy Novem- 
ber Cave Swallow invasion; high numbers of 
several annual low-density 
migrants such as Clay-col- 
ored Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, 
and Dickcissel; and some 
strong flights of irruptive 
species, particularly Snowy 
Owl, White-winged Cross- 
bill, and Pine Siskin. Rarities 
were sprinkled among the 
more-or less-annual trove of 
interesting birds, among 
them, a European Golden- 
Plover and a Broad-billed 
Hummingbird, both firsts 
for the Region, Connecti- 
cut’s first Slaty-backed Gull, 
three Calliope Humming- 
birds, and Maine’s first Her- 
mit Warbler. 
Pt. (Provincetown, Barnstable, MA); S. Beach 
(South Beach I., Chatham, Barnstable, MA). 
WATERFOWL 
Common geese continue numerous, and rare 
geese continue to increase. Twenty Greater 
White-fronted Geese were reported from four 
of six states; the first detected, 25 Aug in Frye- 
burg Harbor, ME (B. Crowley et al.), may have 
summered in or near the Region. A new one- 
day record high count for New England of 7 
Greater White-fronteds was set 18 Oct in 
Aroostook, ME, with 5 on Puddleduck Pond, 
Fort Fairfield and 2 in Limestone (BS). Ross’s 
Goose reports came only from Vermont, 6-23 
Oct, with a maximum of 6, plus 5 Snow x 
Ross’s hybrids, 13 Oct (TGM, CP). At least 3 
Barnacle Geese were found: one in N. 
Yarmouth, Cumberland, ME 6 Oct-1 Nov, with 
a reappearance or a new bird 19-26 Nov (DL 
et al.); another in Wallingford, New Haven, CT 
9 Nov-i- was accompanied at various times by 
Greenland-banded Canada Geese, a Cackling 
Goose, and a Greater White-fronted Goose 
(W. Schultz et al.); and another in Exeter, 
Washington, RI 5-8 Nov (R. Miller). Reports of 
16 Cackling Geese came from four states; the 
first arrived 30 Sep in Hatfield, Hampshire, MA 
OPS), and high counts were 3 in Charlotte, VT 
8 Nov (TF-H et al.) and 5 in N. Yarmouth, ME 
26 Nov (DL et al.). 
Abbreviations: A.P. (An- 
drew’s Pt., Rockport, Essex, 
MA); Block I. (Washington, 
RI); Charlotte (L. Champlain shore, Charlotte, 
Chittenden, VT); Cousin’s 1. (Yarmouth, Cum- 
berland, ME); D.C.W.M.A. (Dead Creek 
W.M.A., Addison and Panton, Addison, VT); 
Lighthouse Pt. (New Haven, New Haven, CT); 
Monhegan (Monhegan I., Lincoln, ME); Plum 
1. (Plum I., Newbury/Rowley, Essex, MA); Race 
The first of four Bamade Geese found in New England in autumn 2008 joined a Greenland Greater White- 
fronted Goose and Cackling Geese among Canada Goose flocks at Thornhurst Farm, North Yarmouth, Cum- 
berland County, Maine 6 (here 10) October through 1 November. The same or another individual reappeared 
at the same location 1 9-26 November. Photograph by Derek Lovitch. 
Eurasian Wigeons numbered 10 this sea- 
son, the first 16-30 Aug on Plum I. (m.ob.), 
and most were found in Nov. Northern Pintail 
appeared more numerous, including an excel- 
lent count of 332 at Plum 1. 8 Nov (C. Caron 
et al.). An inland King Eider hen was shot by 
a hunter on L. Champlain, Orwell, Addison, 
VT 19 Nov (ph. H. Fish,_/ide TGM), and an- 
other was well within Long Island Sound at 
Milford Pt., New Haven, CT 27 Nov (NB). An 
impressive staging concentration of 100,000 
Common Eiders was tallied in Frenchman’s 
Bay, Hancock, ME 25 Oct (M.A.B.A.). An ex- 
cellent scoter flight 17 Oct at the traditional 
Manomet Pt., Manomet, Plymouth, MA sea- 
watch site (not seawatched regularly in recent 
years) included 8102 Surf, 7128 White- 
winged, and 1925 Black Scoters (I. Davies). 
There was also a record inland flight of Black 
Scoter on L. Champlain, with 1200 passing 
Charlotte 6 Oct (H. Kastner). Large inland 
fallouts of Black Scoters in rainy weather are 
regular in n. New England but seldom ob- 
served in s. New England, so multiple Massa- 
chusetts and Connecticut reports 17 Oct co- 
inciding with the Manomet flight on the coast 
were of interest. There was also a fallout 1 
Nov, with 400 Black Scoters on Great Bay, 
Rockingham, NH (S&JM) and 220 on Quab- 
bin Res., MA (ph. JPS). Barrow’s Goldeneye 
records included singles inland in e. Massa- 
chusetts at Wachusett Res., Worcester 15-16 
Nov (ML et al.) and at Lakeville, Plymouth 16 
Nov (E Gilmore). 
QUAIL THROUGH (BIS 
Northern Bobwhite are now largely restricted 
to the outer Massachusetts coast in New Eng- 
land and spottily distributed 
there, so a count of 30 at 
Eastham, Barnstable 12 Oct 
was heartening (M. Faherty). 
Locally high counts of mi- 
grating Red-throated Loons 
included 488 in Rye, Rock- 
ingham, NH 19 Oct (S&JM) 
and 151 at Charlotte on L. 
Champlain 18 Nov (TGM, 
RBL et al.). Pacific Loons 
were widely reported: the 
earliest at A.P 19 Oct (RH) 
was followed by others at 
Block 1. 7 Nov (S. Mitra), 
Colchester, Chittenden, VT 8 
Nov (tTF-H), Belfast Bay, 
Waldo, ME 18 Nov, and 
Ogunquit, York, ME 22 Nov 
(both M.A.B.A.). There was 
an impressive high count of 
235 Red-necked Grebes at 
Deer Isle, Penobscot Bay, 
Hancock, ME 13 Nov (CM). Reports of Eared 
Grebe included an early one in alternate 
plumage at Crystal Pond, Eastford, Windham, 
CT 17 Aug (D. Tripp), and one at the familiar 
venue of Trustom Pond N.W.R., S. Kingstown, 
Washington, RI 16 Oct 0 - St. Jean). The lack of 
a report from Gloucester, MA this fall ends the 
VOLUME 63 (2009) « NUMBER 1 
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