MISCELLANEOUS 
Although both Braddock Bay in Region 2 and Derby Hill in Region 5 
are stellar spring hawkwatching sites, only Braddock Bay has an annual 
"wrong-way" migration of raptors, which occurs predominantly in 
August. This season, Derby Hill got into the act with impressive October 
flights. Among the highlights were one-day counts of 224 Red-tailed 
Hawks, five Bald Eagles, two Golden Eagles, and seven immature 
Northern Goshawks. Any one of those counts would make for a very 
respectable spring day. Northern Goshawks were not only in Region 5 
but were found in all ten Regions! Among the regular autumn hawk- 
watches, Region 8 included the totals from Camp Pinnacle, Region 4 gave 
some highlights from Franklin Mountain, and Region 10 listed highlights 
from Central Park and Fire Island. 61 Peregrine Falcons at Fire Island set 
a record one-day total and 260 there established a new season high. 
Obviously, these are statewide records as well. 
Results from banding stations make one think. In Region 2 over 200 
Gray-cheeked Thrushes were banded as were three Connecticut Warblers 
and one Yellow-breasted Chat. Region 3 banders also got a Connecticut 
Warbler and both Regions 3 & 8 netted BicknelTs Thrush, a NYSARC 
review species. All of these birds are rather secretive and they illustrate 
how banding data may give a truer picture of their status in New York. 
Of course, it is not just the skulkers that get caught in the nets. The same 
banding stations documented the already mentioned Black-capped 
Chickadee invasion. 
RARITIES 
As usual for the fall, so many rarities were reported that only the very 
best will be mentioned here. In Region 1 there was a Western Grebe, 
Loggerhead Shrike, and a Wyoming County first Brewer's Blackbird. 
Region 2 added Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Arctic Tern, 
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow; Dickcissel, and Yellow-headed Blackbird. 
Region 3 also had a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow . An intriguing report 
of martin seen in Region 3 at the late date of 5 Nov is either a record late 
Purple Martin or something more exotic. The bird was photographed. 
We will keep you posted if there are any further developments. Region 4 
added two sightings of Black Vulture and a Stilt Sandpiper, a possible 
first for the Region. In Region 5 birders also found a Black Vulture as well 
as a Yellow-throated Warbler. The warbler occurred in late November, an 
The Kingbird 2000 March; 50(1) 
41 
