NEW ENGLAND 
servers were surprised to discover 3 tardy 
Blackpoll Warblers in late Nov, including a 
male in alternate plumage at the Seabrook 
W.T.P. 23 Nov (S&JM); even later was one in 
E. Boston, MA 30 Nov (S. Walker et al.). 
Western and southern warbler vagrants put in 
their usual appearances: an Audubon’s War- 
bler found at Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, 
ME 30 Nov stayed into Dec (ph. D. Hitchcox 
et al.), and Maine’s first Hermit Warbler spent 
28 Sep-1 Oct on Monhegan (K. Lindquist, S. 
Surner, V. Miller, ph. B. Marvil, p.a.). The first 
Yellow-throated Warbler at Marblehead Neck 
Wildlife Sanctuary, Essex, MA 1 Sep (D. No- 
ble) was followed by others at Plum I. 4 Sep 
(B. Murphy), S. Burlington, VT 7 Sep (S. Mor- 
rical), Little Compton, Newport, RI 8 Oct (G. 
Dennis), and Vinalhaven 1. in Penobscot Bay, 
ME 2 Nov (M.A.B.A.). Three Cerulean War- 
blers at Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, 
MA 13 Aug (D. Noble et al.) preceded singles 
at Plum I. 16-17 Aug (J. Nelson et al.) and 
Dover, Strafford, NH 3 Oct (tL. Kras, D. Bur- 
dick et al). Connecticut had the only Pro- 
thonotary Warbler of the season, but Worm- 
eating Warblers were dispersed across Maine 
(1) , New Hampshire (2), and Massachusetts 
(2) . Kentucky Warblers showed up in Massa- 
chusetts and Connecticut. A Hooded Warbler 
was banded on Appledore 1., York, ME 18 Aug 
(M.A.B.A.), and 5 others were in Massachu- 
setts, mostly in Oct. The seasonal total of 
about 37 Connecticut Warblers (2 in Rhode 
Island, 3 in New Hampshire, 6 in Connecti- 
cut, and the balance in the Bay State) was 
slightly above average for the past 15 years. 
An ad. male MacGillivray’s Warbler in Lex- 
ington, Middlesex, MA 6 Sep (MR) was the 
3rd representative of its species in the Region 
in the past four autumns. The farthest n. of 
about 50 Yellow-breasted Chats in the Region 
was just over the line in Cape Neddick, York, 
ME (DL), and the high count of 8 came from 
Falmouth, Barnstable, MA 18 Nov (RH). 
TANAGERS THROUGH FINCHES 
Two early-season Massachusetts Summer 
Tanagers were found at Hamilton, Essex 17 
Aug OB) and Chatham, Barnstable 8 Sep (A. 
Curtis); another made it well up the Maine 
coast to be photographed at Blue Hill, Han- 
cock 30 Nov, where it lingered through at least 
2 Dec (M.A.B.A.). The annual Western Tan- 
ager was in Eastham, MA 4 Oct (Gd’E et al.). 
A Scarlet Tanager found dead in Bozrah, New 
London, CT 27 Nov (fide B. O’Toole) matched 
the late date of one in Maine in 2004. A nice 
selection of low-density migrant and vagrant 
sparrows in the Region was headed up by at 
least 59 Clay-colored Sparrows, which 
matched last year’s best-ever seasonal total. 
Massachusetts garnered the most, as usual, 
but others were distributed in New Hamp- 
shire (2), Rhode Island (2), Connecticut (7), 
and Maine (ll-i-), where up to 4 at a time were 
seen on Monhegan, along with an apparent 
Clay-colored x Chipping Sparrow hybrid 28 
Sep (D&JL). Twenty-three Lark Sparrows 21 
Aug-19 Oct was the best seasonal total in 
about 30 years. All were on the immediate 
coast from Islesboro, Waldo, ME to Stamford, 
Fairfield, CT except for one in Keene, 
Cheshire, NH 7 Sep (K. Klapper). An imm. 
Lark Bunting was thoroughly photographed 
near the N. Hampton/Rye town line in coastal 
New Hampshire 11 Oct (ph. tLM, ph. 
TS&JM, ph J. Lambert et al). The only Le 
Conte’s Sparrow of the season was found in a 
cut-over cornfield along the Saco R. in Con- 
way, Carroll in New Hampshire’s White Mts. 
(tT. Vazzano, tRR). Among the collection of 
Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrows were singles 
inland at D.C.W.M.A. 4 Oct (tTGM) and in 
Concord, NH 11 Oct (MS, R. Woodward et 
al). A Seaside Sparrow at Popham Beach, 
Sacadahoc, ME 21 Oct was nearly 50 km far- 
ther n. than the species’ usual vagrancy limit. 
Rounding out the season’s wandering spar- 
rows were 2 young Gambel’s White-crowned 
Sparrows in N. Eastham, MA 12 Oct (RH). 
It was a relatively slow year for Blue Gros- 
beak vagrants, with only singles at Monhegan 
and Block I. in early Oct and a total of 11 in 
Massachusetts 8 Sep-27 Oct. It was a good 
Syear for Indigo Buntings in the Concord, NH 
area, with three counts of 50 or more, in- 
cluding 55 in Penacook 13 Sep (PH); the lat- 
est one reported was in Milton, Norfolk, MA 
24 Nov (R Peterson). This was the best Dick- 
cissel autumn in 34 years of records compiled 
by these editors: over 120 were tallied 20 
Aug-24 Nov, with a maximum of 7 on Mon- 
hegan 26 Sep (B. Schutsky). A birder in 
Northampton, Hampshire, MA intercepted a 
major flight of 1747 Bobolinks 26 Aug (T. 
Gagnon), significantly higher than any total 
published in these pages in recent years; one 
at Seapoint, Kittery, York, ME 15 Nov (E Au- 
gusta) was notably tardy. Rhode Island bird- 
ers encountered more than usual numbers of 
Eastern Meadowlarks, including a maximum 
of 25 in Perryville, S. Kingstown 1 Nov (fide 
RF). Two of 4 Yellow-headed Blackbirds were 
offshore on Star I., Rockingham, NH 4 Sep (J. 
Picker, tA. Pike et al.) and Block I. 30 Sep 
(DF); the mainland finds were in Middlebor- 
ough, Plymouth and Concord, MA. The num- 
ber of Rusty Blackbirds reported continues its 
worrisome trend, with only three counts over 
100 (to 125) submitted by Massachusetts 
birders. A record count of 40+ Boat-tailed 
Crackles was made at their traditional Strat- 
ford, CT roost 27 Aug (FM). 
After last autumn’s big flight, only a handful 
of Pine Grosbeaks reached the three n. states 
this season. Red Crossbill numbers were simi- 
larly low, although a few reached Massachu- 
setts. White-winged Crossbills on the other 
hand staged a major incursion to and through 
New England. The first flocks appeared as far 
s. as Massachusetts in Aug, topped by a count 
of 200 at Penobscot, Hancock, ME (22 Aug 
bird alert, exact date not specified; M.A.B.A.). 
They were reported in Connecticut by 8 Sep, 
and flocks of up to 18 were found there in 
Nov, about the time a flock of 75 was tallied in 
Stoddard, Cheshire, NH (L. Tanino), and they 
became “amazingly abundant” in Maine (DL). 
There was also a modest but widespread flight 
of Common Redpolls, commencing with the 
first 2 on Vinalhaven 1., ME on the early date 
of 20 Oct (N. Famous). A few had reached 
Hartford, CT by 28 Nov (P. Cianfaglione). 
Record-breaking numbers of Pine Siskins 
moved through New England in mid- 
Oct-Nov. Flocks of several hundred were reg- 
ular at several hawkwatches and other obser- 
vation sites such as Napatree Pt., Westerly, 
Wflsliingtofi, Rl, where 4400 were counted 10 
Nov (CR). To the west. Lighthouse Pt. tallied 
5900 the same day and concluded the season 
with an astounding 23,400 (GH et al). Amer- 
ican Goldfinches were also numerous as mi- 
grants along the New Hampshire coast, with 
an unprecedented tally of 2531 at Hampton 9 
Nov (S&JM); the 10 Nov flight at Lighthouse 
Pt. also included an estimated 1800 goldfinch- 
es (GH et al). 
Subregional editors (boldface), contributors 
(italics), and observers: Denny Abbott, 
Audubon Society of New Hampshire, Jim 
Berry, Bird Observer, Nick Bonomo, Glen 
D’Entremont, Rachel Farrell, Dan Finizia, 
Sue Finnegan, Thomas Ford-Hutchinson, Ben 
Griffith, Steve Grinley, Greg Hanisek, Rick 
Heil, David ]. Hoag, Pam Hunt, Vernon Laux, 
Richard B. Lavallee, Derek Lovitch, Janette 
Lovitch, Mark Lynch, Maine Audubon Bird 
Alert, Frank Mantlik, Massachusetts 
Audubon Society, Jim Mead QMe), Len Med- 
lock, Steve Mirick, Jane Mirick, Chip Mose- 
ley, Ted G. Murin, Erik Nielsen, Blair Nikula, 
Craig Provost, Chris Raithel, Edie Ray, Robert 
Ridgely, Marj Rines, Luke Seitz, Bill Sheehan, 
James E Smith, Mark Suomala, Mark Szantyr, 
William Townsend, Vermont Center for Ecos- 
tudies, Peter Vickery, Barbara Volkle. © 
Walter G. Ellisen 
Nancy L Martin 
23460 Clarissa Road, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 
(rossgull@baybroadband.net) 
48 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
