NEW ENGLAND 
Connecticut's first Slaty-backed Gull was seen at the Windsor-Bloomfield landfill near 
the Connecticut River in Windsor from 28 November 2008, when this photograph was 
taken, through 1 December. Wing pattern and structure are consistent with the identifi- 
cation, but some who viewed the images on the Internet found the mantle color pale. 
Photograph by Mark Szantyr. 
ed close to Thanksgiving for a 2nd straight 
year, this one at Owls Head, Knox, ME 27 Nov 
(FM). Upland Sandpipers remain scarce, with 
just 17 reported, the best count being 9 at 
Pease Tradeport, Newington, Rockingham, 
NH 9 Aug (R. Frechette, S. Spangenberg, F 
Doyle); and the last was notably late at W. 
Roxbury, MA 9 Oct (M. Kaufman). Inland 
Whimbrels were found atop Pack Monadnock 
Mt., Peterborough, Hillsborough, NH 17 Aug 
(G. Coffey) and seen in a cut-over hayfield at 
St. Albans, Franklin, VT 19 Aug (RBL). The 
maximum count of Hudsonian Godwits at S. 
Beach was just 70 on 7 Aug (BN); a count of 
10 at Sandy Pt., W. Haven, New Haven, CT 30 
Aug was very good for Long Island Sound (M. 
Aronson); and 2 were very late and far inland 
at D.C.W.M.A. 17 Nov (RBL, DA), South 
Beach hosted the Regional high count of Mar- 
bled Godwit again, with 4 on several dates 7 
Aug through 20 Sep (BN et al.); sightings n. of 
Massachusetts included up to 2 at Stratton L, 
Saco, York, ME 7-11 Aug (LS et al.), one at 
Biddeford Pool, York. ME 7 Sep (C. Wood, J. 
Barry, fide LS), and one at Hampton, Rocking- 
ham, NH on 21 Sep (SM); one was notably 
late at Plum 1. 1-2 Nov (SG et al). The 1050 
Red Knots at S. Beach 7 Aug (BN) was a good 
recent count for this declining shorebird; 
however, autumn high counts often exceeded 
2000 a quarter century ago. A White-rumped 
Sandpiper x Dunlin hybrid was seen at S. 
Beach for a 2nd straight autumn migration 22 
Aug (NB). The total of 47 Baird’s Sandpipers 
was a high average total but low in compari- 
son to good autumn flights in 2006 and 2007; 
reports came from all six states. Purple Sand- 
pipers continue to mi- 
grate sparsely on the n. 
shores of L. Champlain, 
with three reports featur- 
ing an impressive high 
count of 19 on the South 
Hero-Colchester cause- 
way, Chittenden 11 Nov 
(JMe, M. Ward). A rather 
early Dunlin on S. Beach 
22 Aug had characteris- 
tics attributed to the ne. 
Greenland subspecies 
arctica (NB). Stilt Sand- 
pipers lingered late, with 
the last a record-late bird 
for the Granite State at 
Hampton 14-15 Nov (tT. 
Bronson, SM). A high av- 
erage tally of 48 Buff- 
breasted Sandpipers was 
recorded, with a single- 
site high count of 6 at 
Pease Tradeport, NH 7 
Sep (LM et al.) and 2 each 
at inland sites Addison, Addison, VT 13 Sep 
(CP, TGM et al.) and Hatfield, Hampshire, MA 
30 Sep OPS). A very late one was at Bristol, 
Bristol, RI 5 Nov (DF). Seven Wilson's 
Phalaropes distributed among Vermont (1), 
New Hampshire (1), Maine (3), and Rhode 
Island (2) between 17 Aug and 23 Sep was an 
average tally for recent years. Several Red- 
necked Phalaropes were found 
inland, including 6 at Char- 
lotte 17 Aug (TGM) and 3 on 
Squam L., Moullonborough, 
Carroll, NH 31 Aug (RR, phj. 
Loomis). A good count of 5200 
Red Phalaropes was recorded 
on a cruise in the Gulf of 
Maine 14 Sep (E. Hynes et al.). 
SKUAS THROUGH 
ALCIDS 
Two South Polar Skuas made a 
rare inshore appearance at A.P. 
7 Sep (RH). About two-dozen 
jaegers were reported from L. 
Champlain: Pomarines were 
reported 6 Sep-1 Nov, with a 
maximum of 4 al Charlotte 16 
Sep 0 - Osborne); Parasitics oc- 
curred from 6-21 Sep, with a 
maximum of 3 on the former 
date; and Long-taileds reports 
included 1-2 juvs. 6-7 Sep at 
Grand Isle, Grand Isle (DJH) and Charlotte 
(TTGM), plus another juv. at Charlotte 17 Sep 
(tTGM, tJMe). Coastal sightings of Long- 
tailed Jaegers included 2 at Race Pt. and one 
on Stellwagen Bank 9 Aug (BN) and one at 
First Encounter Beach, Eastham, MA 7 Sep 
(BN). A first-cycle Franklin’s Gull at Plum 1. 
was photographed 15 Nov (RH et al). Thirty- 
two Little Gulls were found, including about 
12 on L. Champlain 3 Aug-26 Oct (m.ob.), 5 
in Maine, 3 in New Hampshire, and 12 in 
Massachusetts, with a high count of 3 on 4 
Nov, part of a week-long twelve-species gull 
bonanza al Herring Cove, Provincetown, 
Barnstable produced by a mass die-off of 
mysid shrimp cast up in wind-rows on the 
beach (RH et al). Black-headed Gulls num- 
bered 22, with 2 on L. Champlain 25-27 Aug 
(DJH, TJMe), 2 al Pine Pt., Scarborough, 
Cumberland, ME 17 Oct and 21 Nov 
(M.A.B.A.), one at E. Providence, Providerrce, 
RI 22 Nov (DF), and at least 17 in the Bay 
State, with a high count of 4 at Provincetown 
4 Nov (RH et al.). Excellent counts of Bona- 
parte’s Gulls included 7540 at the Province- 
town shrimp die-off 5 Nov 0- Offerman) and 
5000-r at Passamaquoddy Bay, Eastport, Wcisli- 
irrgton, ME 26 Nov (WT). Attracting birders 
to record the gull show in Provincetown was 
Cape Cod’s first Black-tailed Gull, present 1- 
5 Nov and first found by Nikula. A first-cycle 
Thayer’s Gull was found at the Rochester 
W.T.P., Strafford, NH 24 Nov (BG; ph., TSM). 
Lesser Black-backed Gulls continue to bur- 
geon along New England’s coast, with a stun- 
ning high count of 181 at Nantucket 16 Nov 
(ER). Slaty-backed Gulls have gone from 
zero to eight Regional records in less than half 
a decade. Connecticut had its first, and the 
Region’s first in autumn, 28 Nov-1 Dec at the 
Two Broad-billed Hummingbirds were recorded in New England in autumn 2008, 
the New England region's first records. This bird briefly visited an Oakdale, New 
London County, Connecticut yard on 13 August 2008, just long enough to be pho- 
tographed. The second arrived ten days later In Dennis, on Cape Cod in Massa- 
chusetts. Photograph by Samantha Seddon. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
45 
