113th CBC New England Regional Summary

(Connecticut, Maine, Massachussetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont)

By Wayne R. Petersen

A total of 121 CBCs was conducted in New England this season and whether it was the result of changing climate, or simply an anomalous early winter season, the count season was punctuated by a number of startling occurrences and some intriguing “big picture” events.  For instance, should we attach unusual significance to the nine species of long-legged waders, three species of hummingbirds, two species of vireos, three species of swallows, and a galaxy of unusual species of warblers that were recorded in late December in New England?  Or what are we supposed to make of occurrences of Little Egret, Northern Lapwing, White Ibis, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Blue Grosbeak, and Le Conte’s Sparrow in New England – and the list goes on?  Almost as notable as some of these species is the fact that the cumulative total of 237 species recorded Region-wide not only matches last year’s record-breaking sum, but it also significantly eclipses the previous all-time New England CBC total of 225 species set during the 1999-2000 CBC period.  With these numbers in mind, readers should consider some of the factors that likely contributed to amassing these heady numbers.

One factor that traditionally helps explain a successful CBC season is the energy invested by the many compilers who annually apply the tedious rigor needed to pull together CBC effort data each year.  Without this normalization of CBC data through the years, the CBC database would hardly have the value that it does today.  Accordingly, kudos belongs to the 3632 field observers who contributed 9914.6 party-hours in locating, counting, and documenting the record-tying total achieved in 2012-2013.  These same citizen scientists registered an impressive 43,922.94 party-miles in their efforts to find as many species as possible throughout New England on their respective count days.  Nearly as important to the success of the 113^th CBC as the number of field observers was the generally favorable weather that dominated much of the count period.  Most count days were blessed with precipitation-free conditions, little to zero snow cover in many count areas, and plenty of open water.  And finally, several rare fall vagrants (e.g., Little Egret, Northern Lapwing) successfully survived until the CBCs were conducted, at the same time that overall weather conditions remained sufficiently mellow to sustain a number of otherwise unexpected New England early wintering species (e.g., Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Cave Swallow, Blue-winged Warbler).  Regardless of the factors responsible, the overall assortment of species making it into the record book this year will long be remembered.

In what was not the first time, top honors for the greatest number of species recorded on a New England CBC belonged to Mid-Cape Cod in Massachusetts with the distinguished total of 144 species.  In descending order other state-high totals were Newport County-Westport (139) in Rhode Island, New Haven (132) in Connecticut, Coastal New Hampshire (116) in New Hampshire, Greater Portland (110) in Maine, and Ferrisburg (82) in Vermont.

Much like selecting annually the Oscar Award winners, choosing the most outstanding species during the 113^th CBC was especially challenging this season.  After carefully considering a short list of potential candidates, several species emerged in what could best be described as a “dead heat.”  In this category your editor includes Little Egret at Mid-Cape Cod, Northern Lapwing at Taunton-Middleboro and Nantucket (2), Allen’s Hummingbird at Martha’s Vineyard, and Blue-winged Warbler at Quincy.  Each of these species enjoys its own cachet, especially when considered within the context of New England CBCs.  Little Egret is a first timer, possibly emanating from the Old World, but equally plausibly from the West Indies since the species has been breeding in the Lesser Antilles since the mid-1980s.  Northern Lapwing is a known trans-Atlantic vagrant typically associated with cyclonic storms that deflect individuals (or flocks) to North America in their aftermath.  Hurricane Sandy in mid-October was almost certainly the source of the three lapwings recorded in New England.  Allen’s Hummingbird is practically a California endemic species that winters in western Mexico. Its occurrence in New England is part of an increasing trend on the part of several Selasphorus hummingbird species to wander (?) annually to the East Coast.  And Blue-winged Warbler simply should have been in Mexico or northern Central America!  There are only a relative handful of records for this species in North America this late in the season.  The Quincy individual most likely represented a migration blowback that was fortuitously discovered during the CBC.  Regardless of the origin or explanation for the appearance of these Oscar-winning CBC treasures, they definitely brightened the list of Regional specialties discovered this season.  Happily all were well documented, as has consistently been the case for such rarities in recent years.

While not Oscar-winning, other runners-up for prestigious birding accolades are White Ibis at Stratford-Milford, Northern Rough-winged Swallow (6)at Hartford and New Haven (2), Cave Swallow (2) at New Haven, Yellow Warbler at Quincy (along with the Blue-winged Warbler!), Townsend’s Warbler at Bangor-Bucksport, and MacGillivray’s Warbler at Taunton-Middleboro.  Although several of these species have Regional precedence, all represent outstanding December occurrences in New England.

Because irruptive species are often one of the easiest, if not most dramatic, groups of species to track when following fluctuations between one CBC season and another, a brief summary of how several irruptive species behaved during the 113^th CBC is interesting.  Among the more noticeable changes from the 112^th CBC totals were seven Snowy Owls (down from 35), nine Short-eared Owls (down from 26), and 83 Northern Shrikes (up from 51).  Bohemian Waxwings exhibited a modest increase from 54 to 1337, although this pales when compared to 5286 on the 111^th CBC.  Probably the most dramatic spikes in abundance this season were in winter finch numbers, with Regional totals of 2675 Pine Grosbeaks, 490 Red Crossbills, 1738 White-winged Crossbills, and a dazzling total of 22,047 Common Redpolls.  Interestingly, several different food cycles appeared to be involved here including buds, cones, and catkins.  

Taking a satellite view of the CBC checklist inevitably yields some interesting elements when the Region as a whole is surveyed.  Starting from the top, waterfowl were highlighted by no fewer than six Greater White-fronted Geese (Concord [NH], Westminster, Worcester, Edwin Way Teal Wood, Hartford, Lakeville-Sharon) – a total that reflects the continued increase generally of this species in the Northeast in early winter.  A similar total of Cackling Geese included individuals at Mt. Abraham, Central Berkshire, Hartford (2), and New Haven (2).  Unlike Greater White-fronted Goose, the increase of this tiny race may be as much an artifact of closer flock scrutiny then of an actual increase in the numbers of this species in New England.  In the duck department 12 Blue-winged Teal in Massachusetts and Connecticut were notable and it’s possible that some of these represent returning individuals from previous winters.  A tally of 42 Redheads at Nantucket was modestly encouraging for this once locally common prairie breeder, but it was the total of 136,552 Long-tailed Ducks on the same count that was an especially welcome sight after several years of significantly lower totals at what is unequivocally the winter headquarters for this species in the eastern United States.  Across the board Hooded Merganser numbers continued to hold strong as reflected by the total of 7163in Massachusetts and Connecticut alone.

A look at New England “chicken” numbers revealed some ominous signs.  Seven Northern Bobwhites at Mid-Cape Cod and one at Nantucket were the only quail recorded in New England, and in southern New England where Ruffed Grouse numbers are also seriously faltering, the measly total of 31 individuals was all that could be found compared to last year’s only marginally better tally of 49 individuals.  Let’s hope the day never comes when a Partridge in a Pear Tree becomes merely a lyrical holiday recollection!

Two Pacific Loons at Block Island and one at Thomaston-Rockland were the sole reports of this somewhat cryptic species, and observers and compilers alike are reminded of the desirability of obtaining complete details or identifiable photographs to increase the confidence level of reports of this diver in New England. Two Western Grebes at Newburyport were unique in the Region this season.

A total of 28 Great Egrets speaks to the trend of increasing and more regular late-lingering on the part on this species in southern New England in recent years.  Arguably, so might a count period Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Stratford-Milford for at least the second year in a row.

Lingering Ospreys appeared at Concord (MA), Groton-Oxbow N.W.R., and Newport County-Westport; however, it was Bald Eagles that stole the show this season.  Recalling that the previous Regional CBC high total for Bald Eagles was 534 set in 2009-2010, this year’s tally of 675 marked a new zenith on the comeback calendar for this iconic raptor in New England.  Almost as impressive was the total of 500 Cooper’s Hawks Region-wide, contrasting dramatically with last year’s paltry sum of 241, and easily outstripping the total of 302 Sharp-shinned Hawks.  The unassisted increase in Cooper’s Hawk numbers in the eastern United States has to be among the more dramatic avian recoveries within the last century.  Despite these optimistic raptor increases, the Regional total of 40 American Kestrels is disturbingly close to the all-time low established several winters ago as this handsome little falcon continues to slip away.  An elusive Gyrfalcon that was unfortunately not able to be located on the Northampton CBC was nonetheless registered as a count week species.  Vermont hosted all of the Golden Eagles this season with singles observed at Bennington, Hinesburg, Plainfield, and Springfield.

Fifteen species made the shorebird roster including the electrifying total of three Northern Lapwings at Nantucket (2) and Taunton-Middleboro, all of which were lingerers in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in October.  The presence of these beautiful shorebirds in New England was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the 113^th CBC.  Though less remarkable than the lapwings, other notable shorebird occurrences featured two Semipalmated Plovers at Mid-Cape Cod, American Oystercatcher at Cape Cod, Willet (race inornata) at Block Island, and Western Sandpiper at Mid-Cape Cod.  Also mentionable was a total of 60 Greater Yellowlegs in Massachusetts, a number that significantly exceeds many seasonal CBC totals.

Gulls were highlighted by six Laughing Gulls, a count week Little Gull, and a Thayer’s Gull at Nantucket, and another carefully documented adult Thayer’s Gull and a Black-legged Kittiwake at Ferrisburg.  And in a retrospective sense, what birder participating in a CBC 30 or more years ago would have ever thought it would be possible to record 175 Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Nantucket in a single day?  An undescribed Pomarine Jaeger at Monhegan Island, while no doubt correctly identified, is a species which, despite its apparent regularity in offshore New England waters in early winter, still warrants documentation when observed in December.  As Common Murres continue to seemingly increase in New England inshore waters, 28 at Stellwagen Bank and two at South Kingstown were most notable.  Razorbills, however, eclipsed all other alcids this season, not just in New England but south even to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico as part of an unprecedented early winter “irruption” in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  Massachusetts produced a total of 5771Razorbills, Rhode Island 53, and Connecticut, with 22 in Long Island Sound and a maximum of eight at New London.

The virtual plethora of hummingbirds in New England had to be among the more bizarre events of the 113^th CBC season.  Positively identified species (with many banded) included Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at Buzzards Bay (2), Cape Cod, and a count week individual at Martha’s Vineyard; Rufous Hummingbirds at Cape Cod, Concord (MA), Truro, and Buzzards Bay; Allen’s Hummingbird at Martha’s Vineyard (subject to approval by the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee), and an unidentified Selasphorus hummer at Nantucket.  The emerging frequency of western hummingbird species appearing in the east is one of the more exciting population trends emerging from CBC data in recent years.  Equally notably out of season were an extralimital Ash-throated Flycatcher at Cape Ann and a Western Kingbird at Nantucket.  Slightly less unusual but nonetheless notable were White-eyed Vireo and Blue-headed Vireo at Buzzards Bay and another Blue-headed Vireo at Northampton.  In addition to the two exceptional swallow species previously mentioned, a total of six Tree Swallows on three different counts in Massachusetts was of interest in late December.

For the second year in a row (climate change related?) the season’s hit parade of warblers was utterly remarkable.  While only a whisper shy of last winter’s 16 warbler species, the presence of such species as Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow, Townsend’s, and MacGillivray’s this year is equally stunning.  In addition to those species already mentioned should be added Nashville Warblers at Martha’s Vineyard, Buzzards Bay, Cape Ann, and Greater Boston; Black-and-white at Concord (MA), Greater Boston, and New Haven; Northern Waterthrush at Tuckernuck; and Wilson’s at Mid-Cape Cod.  When the total of 39 Yellow-breasted Chats in Massachusetts includes single count tallies of include 11 at Buzzards Bay and 12 at Cape Cod, the overall number of warblers lingering into early winter in southern New England this season could have been staggering if all individuals were able to be accounted for. 

Last but by no means least in this dazzling potpourri of outstanding discoveries this season are Lark Sparrow at Truro, Le Conte’s Sparrow at Hartford and Newport County-Westport, Grasshopper Sparrow at Buzzards Bay, and a total of five Lincoln’s Sparrows – a species hardly deserving highlights these days.  Closing out the season’s roster of luminary reports were Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Westport, Blue Grosbeak at New Haven, Painted Bunting at Greater Boston, Yellow-headed Blackbird at Edwin Way Teale Trail Wood, the always-interesting 20 Boat-tailed Grackles at Stratford-Milford (the only known colony in New England), and a Regional total of 14 Hoary Redpolls that punctuated the magnitude of the 113^th CBC season’s Regional redpoll irruption.