The Birds of Nantucket [Reprint 2014 ed.] 9780674284128, 9780674284111

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N E W ENGLAND BIRD STUDIES

I T H E BIRDS OF NANTUCKET

Published with the cooperation and assistance of the Massachusetts Audubon Society

LONDON : GEOFFREY CUMBERLEGE OXFORD UNIVFRSITY PRESS

WHISTLING SWAN

The "Birds OVantucket LUDLOW

GRISCOM AND EDITH V. FOLGER

HARVARD UNIVERSITY 1948

PRESS

·

CAMBRIDGE

COPYRIGHT, 1 9 4 8 B Y T H E PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE

PRINTED BY T H E COSMOS PRESS, INC. CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U. S. A. BOUND BY STANHOPE BINDERY, INC. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U. S. A.

This is the first of a series of faunal studies from areas of Massachusetts which are of exceptional interest for the variety and abundance of their bird life and the excellence of the historic record. In every case the early records of William Brewster have been extracted from his diaries and journals in the possession of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. The bird life of former decades can thus be excellently contrasted with the detailed studies of the present generation.

PREFACE This report represents the pooling of studies of Nantucket birds begun independently. L. G., who was primarily interested in the older records, had access to unpublished journals and diaries, has examined specimens in the main museum collections, and is responsible for all comparative statements. E. V . F. resided on the island for three full years and four additional summers. During this time she was actively associated with the Maria Mitchell Association, and began compiling the records and observations of the increasing number of visitors interested in birds. Her work was submitted as a thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master's degree at Cornell University. Thanks are due to the late Dr. Thomas Barbour, director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, for granting permission to the senior author to publish the observations of William Brewster on his numerous early visits to Nantucket. They were extracted from his diaries and journals, now the property of the Museum. The junior author is particularly indebted to Miss Grace AAfyatt for the use of records in the files of the Maria Mitchell Association. Numerous people have permitted the use of their records and observations, notably Mrs. A. A. Shurrocks, Mrs. Marie Beals, Miss Dorothy Snyder, Professor S. A. Eliot, Jr., and Messrs. Davis Crompton, S. Alexander Bergstrom, Hobart Van Duesen, and J. C. Andrews. Both authors join in thanks and appreciation to Mr. C. Russell Mason for interest, encouragement, and assistance in publication. The photographs for the illustrations were obtained by special arrangement from the library of the National Audubon Society. L. G. E. V. F.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION CLIMATIC FACTORS HISTORICAL SUMMARY LAND BIRD MIGRANTS CHANGES IN BIRD LIFE SUMMARY OF ORNITHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

SYSTEMATIC LIST BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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ntíu I L L U S T R A T I O N S WHISTLING SWAN Allan D. Cruickshank from

Frontispiece NAS

F O L L O W I N G PAGE 2 0

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON Allan D. Cruickshank from NAS COOT Allan D. Cruickshank from NAS BALDPATE Allan D. Cruickshank from NAS RUDDY TURNSTONE Allan D. Cruickshank from NAS UPLAND PLOVER Allan D. Cruickshank from NAS NORTHERN PHALAROPE Allan D. Cruickshank from NAS GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL Allan D. Cruickshank from NAS FEMALE MARSH HAWK FEEDING YOUNG Lewis Wayne Walker from NAS F O L L O W I N G PAGE 8 4

COMMON TERN Allan D. Cruickshank from COMMON LOON Allan D. Cruickshank from HUDSONIAN CURLEW Allan D. Cruickshank from LAUGHING GULL Allan D. Cruickshank from BLUE-WINGED TEAL Allan D. Cruickshank from DOVEKIE Allan D. Cruickshank from ARCTIC TERN Allan D. Cruickshank from DOWITCHERS Allan D. Cruickshank from

NAS NAS NAS NAS NAS NAS NAS NAS

THE BIRDS OF NANTUCKET

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INTRODUCTION

The area included in this paper comprises the island of Nantucket, the adjacent islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, Coatue Beach and Great Point (sometimes an island), and numerous adjacent shoals extending thirty miles southeast of Nantucket proper. Nantucket is located thirty miles off the coast of Massachusetts, its approximate center at latitude 41 0 17' north and longitude 70 o 5' west. It measures about fifteen miles from east to west, and at the widest part from north to south it is about five and one-half miles wide. Its area is about forty-five square miles. Tuckernuck, just west of the main island, is approximately two and one-half miles long by one and one-half miles wide. Muskeget is only about one and one-half miles long by less than a mile wide. In late Pleistocene time, glaciers influenced the topography of these islands. Nantucket was the southeasternmost point reached by the last, or Wisconsin, ice sheet, and the Saul's Hills region in the northeastern section of the island marks the terminal moraine. Here is found the highest elevation of land, namely Folger Hill, which is 102 feet above sea level. Ninetyfoot bluffs have been exposed at Sankaty Head. The southern portion of the island is characterized by flat moorland which extends to the sandy beaches. Owing to their geographical location and topography, the islands of this group have an interesting but limited flora and fauna, with many southern and relict species. Heather, brought in accidentally with the Scotch Pines, has established itself in various sections on Nantucket. Squirrels and chipmunks, so common on the mainland, are absent. Some of the shrews and mice, however, are endemic, owing probably to sufficiently pro-

longed isolation. Many common mainland species of birds are absent, or rare vagrants. A continuous warfare between land and sea rages from decade to decade and century to century. Points or capes recede and advance. A t the moment, Smith Point ends east of Tuckernuck, but in times past it has extended westward past this island, which had a different outline. In 1774, Muskeget was much larger than now, and Tuckernuck was part of Nantucket. Muskeget has been almost connected with an enormously elongated Smith Point, which again has been broken up into a series of islets. The shallow bay of one decade is a lagoon the next. It is claimed that the present Coatue Beach has not existed in times past. All these topographic changes exert influences on the bird life. The size of the bird colonies on Muskeget depends upon the size of the island. Multitudes of Eiders and Scoters present in certain waters today are gone tomorrow, because shifting sands have buried their food supply of mussels. Good shore-bird flats come and go. On the main island, the tendency of the last eight decades is for the scrub-pine and oak on the east side of the island to spread westward and eliminate the moors. Mackay began complaining of this encroachment in the eighties, as the good Curlew and Plover ground was steadily decreasing. On the whole, civilization and an increase of summer visitors in recent decades have tended to increase the artificial planting of shrubs and trees, and encouraged the spread of the pine and oak scrub. The ponds on the south shore also go through an interesting cycle. Storms break through the barrier beach, the salt water kills the aquatic plants, and the more interesting and rarer pond ducks disappear. The barrier beach is restored, the water gradu4

ally freshens, the "feed" returns. The visitor, noting Baldpate, Redheads, Canvasback, and an occasional Swan, marvels at the incompetence of an older generation, which "overlooked" them, or imagines an alleged increase, sure to prove temporary only! Times and tastes change. Nantucket was originally a fishing and whaling center. By 1850 commercial market gunning began to attract an increasing number of natives. By 1870 wealthy sportsmen came to the island to shoot, served by boatmen and guides, whose living depended upon satisfying the desires of their clientele. They were a hardy and energetic lot, who lived in shacks on Muskeget, hunting Eiders in midwinter and Brant in March. The moors were burned every August to make good feeding grounds for Plover and Curlew. These men spent days digging a channel through the barrier beach of Hummock Pond, hoping to lower its level, so as to attract Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpipers for good shooting in July and August. They were grieved that the duck shooting on the pond was disappointing the following November ! At this period it never occurred to the average New York family of means to spend part of the summer on Nantucket, as there was nothing to do ! Today the market gunners have disappeared, the professional duck stands are waning rapidly, and the island swarms with summer visitors instead of sportsmen minus their families. Even the wealthy island families are the proud owners not only of a fine house in the lovely old town but also of a farm or a country place on the moors, where they spend the week end. Should the average summer visitor be so rash as to attempt midwinter Eider or Scoter shooting on the shoals off Muskeget, he would probably perish of hardship or incompetence before being arrested by a warden ! 5

In the meantime, the bird student with glass and telescope is coming more frequently. Thanks to certain ladies connected with the Maria Mitchell Association and the friendly contacts made by Mr. C. Russell Mason of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, this interest is known and sympathetically understood. The student who does not receive a cordial welcome and assistance on this lovely island will have only himself to blame. CLIMATIC FACTORS

The climate of Nantucket is profoundly modified by its insularity, the chief tendency being a greater evenness, with less difference between extremes of heat and cold, as compared with Boston. In a heat wave the temperature will be 15 degrees cooler at Nantucket than at Boston. The spring and early summer are cold, raw, and foggy, the fogs sometimes lasting through July. But late summer and fall are superb, the climate progressively milder than Boston as the season advances. Severe killing frost will sometimes be a month later. The winter is usually mild and open. While snow is frequent each year, it is rare for it to remain on the ground more than a week. In really mild winters the ponds never freeze over. Such conditions prevailed in 1891, 1892, and certain of the 1930's. However, the winter of 1888 was terribly severe; Nantucket Harbor froze solid and could be crossed on sleighs, while the Sound was filled with ice as far as the eye could see. These conditions were repeated in February 1934, and the steamer was unable to reach the island for so long that supplies and mail had to be flown in. December 1945, was also remarkably severe; one of the three blizzards of the month struck Nantucket, leaving over six inches of snow on the level. During ensuing cold weather not only did the snow remain on the ground for an exceptionally long time, but the ponds were frozen solid. 6

T h e general effects of these climatic features on the bird life are obvious and reasonably well known for the sea and water birds but largely speculative for the land birds. Many species which are mere stragglers near Boston winter more or less regularly on the outer Cape. In severe winters they do not survive; in severe Decembers they proceed further south. But shelter and food are just as necessary as a milder climate. Shelter is reduced on a partly treeless island, and the variety and abundance of food greatly reduced with a depauperate flora. It remains to be determined to what extent unusual winter birds will be found to linger on Nantucket. HISTORICAL SUMMARY

Our knowledge of the bird life of Nantucket has always been, and remains to this day, very sketchy and uneven. Prior to 1875, Dr. Brewer and J. A . Allen, then of Cambridge, secured a few specimens of great rarities. T h e island was known as a paradise for sea and water fowl of various kinds. William Brewster visited both Nantucket and Muskeget in July 1870, 1874, and 1890 (twice), and paid fall visits in late September 1875 and early August and late September 1878; while he wrote a classic article on the Terns, his general observations on other birds remained buried in his journals. His fall visits were primarily to collect shore-birds, but he encountered several flights of land birds. T h e water bird life of the island was thoroughly documented by George H . Mackay (1843-1937), one of the best sportsmannaturalists N e w England has produced. A n ardent sportsman in his youth, he first visited Nantucket on August 25, 1872 to sample the Golden Plover and Eskimo Curlew shooting, for which the island was already famous. H e saw 300 Plover and a flock of 50 " D o e Birds." A s a result of his earlier visits he mar7

ried into one of the old families and became a leading citizen himself. He was one of the first sportsmen of New England to agitate for protection, succeeding in getting the Terns of Muskeget Island protected in the early nineties, and actually persuading the town of Nantucket to appropriate $100 for the expenses of a warden. Fortunately, he kept a detailed shooting journal which fell into the competent hands of the late John C. Phillips, who had it privately printed (1929) verbatim at his own expense. Between 1890 and 1900 Mackay published no less than 69 articles in the Auk, including his classic accounts of various sea ducks and shore-birds. Thanks to him we have a graphic picture of the flights of Plover and Curlew, the factors that caused them, the methods of hunting them, and their steadily diminishing numbers in the late eighties and nineties, until the sport disappeared with the near extinction of the birds. Like most men of his generation, his knowledge of game birds was thorough and profound. However, he knew or cared little or nothing about all others and made notes on barely a dozen small land birds in his entire career. He prepared a most briefly annotated list of the water birds of Nantucket for Howe and Allen's Checklist, The Birds of Massachusetts (1901). Between 1900 and 1928 more information on the game birds accumulated. The island was occasionally visited by ornithologists such as Ε. H. Forbush, J . C. Phillips, J . H . Farley, and W . Sprague Brooks, all of whom recorded items of interest. Phillips summarized the status of various waterfowl in his book, Shooting Stands of Eastern Massachusetts. Brooks wrote a little pamphlet, published in 1928 by the Maria Mitchell Association, entitled A Preliminary List of the Birds of Nantucket, which would appear to have been somewhat hastily prepared, as it failed to mention 8

many of the available records at that time. While emphasizing our fragmentary knowledge of the land birds, Brooks did not realize that most of them are vagrants, and made the gratuitous assumption that many were probably regular spring and fall migrants. In certain cases it is impossible to tell whether there is a single definite record for a "regular migrant." The island has suffered from a lack of competent resident observers, active throughout the year. The number of ornithologically minded visitors has greatly increased in recent years, chiefly in summer and early fall, but we shall not be able to approximate the real status of many land birds until a group of observers can make continuous observations for several years, with the object of filling in the many gaps in knowledge. In the meantime, for a long time to come, any visitor to the island between August and June i, who is willing to look for the land birds and accept relatively meager returns, is absolutely sure to secure notes of interest every trip. T H E LAND BIRD MIGRANTS

Much remains to be determined about this phase of the bird life. From the ordinary point of view Nantucket is not on a regular migration route, as can be seen by a glance at the map. In spring where do the land birds come from? How many are vagrants? They are probably not in serious trouble, because Monomoy Point is visible in clear weather from Great Point, a very few feet above sea level. But things are very different in fall. Granted that every year a variety of species in varying numbers reach Nantucket, chiefly as a result of northwest winds. Where do they go next and in what direction do they start their migration? The same question can be asked for Monomoy Peninsula. We have seen a Warbler leave Monomoy Point and 9

Start due south low over the water, only to fall in the ocean, overwhelmed by a sudden wave caused by a tide rip. Other birds land regularly on steamers from ten to fifty miles east. We are convinced that the annual mortality is large. The term "vagrant" will be frequently used in the following pages and needs definition. The definition will in turn depend upon the point of view. It is clear that a Yellow-headed Blackbird is a vagrant anywhere along the Atlantic seaboard. But in dealing with an island we must reckon with a well-known principle, true of all continental islands everywhere. One of the peculiar things about an island is that certain birds occur regularly, and others do not, though we can see no reason why this should happen. The eastern half of Nantucket contains large areas of ideal habitat for Prairie Warblers and Chewinks. Both are abundant on Cape Cod, but the Prairie Warbler is recorded from the island only as a rare fall migrant. Why? Most of the Warblers are uncommon to very rare vagrants on the outer Cape, and they are even rarer on Nantucket. On their regular migration route they think nothing of crossing from 100 to 700 miles of open ocean, so the 10 miles between Nantucket and the Cape is no barrier, as far as reaching Nantucket is concerned. The normal fall migration route in Massachusetts is southwest; birds that have reached the outer Cape and Nantucket have been going southeast, and are consequently vagrants in trouble. The Swamp Sparrow, which is as yet unrecorded from Nantucket, is a common summer resident and abundant migrant in most of Massachusetts. It can be argued that the absence of records is owing to lack of observation. This is freely granted. Let us assume that some active observers on the island in the future, after ten continuous years of work in the fall, find the 10

Swamp Sparrow every year in varying numbers, depending upon cold waves and whether they coincide with the bird's peak migration periods in any one year. One could consequently claim it was a "regular" transient in varying numbers. But it is more properly termed a vagrant, as it does not normally belong there, and will never be found in the numbers in which it does occur in its normal path of migration. V e r y few indeed are the land birds that are really "common" on Nantucket. This point of view may be made clearer by giving a sharply contrasted illustration. T h e Red-breasted Nuthatch is another small land bird of somewhat irregular habits. O n occasion it leaves the north woods and floods through Massachusetts, arriving one year in late August, in another year not until October. Whenever it arrives, it reaches Nantucket every time on exactly the same schedule and in proportionately the same numbers as on the mainland. It is consequently a regular migrant, an integral part of the normal avifauna. And what is even more interesting, it can only have become so in the relatively recent past. If w e recall that pitch pines were artificially set out less than one hundred years ago, it is obvious that this little Nuthatch must have been a rare vagrant at one time. A s so ably brought out by Grinnell (Auk, 1922), range extension in birds is in part brought about by a method of trial and error. Vagrancy during the migration periods is one w a y . It causes great annual mortality, and comes to nothing in an enormous majority of cases, but once every so often something does come of it. T h e vagrant of today may be the regular transient or summer resident of tomorrow. Again, a small island with rapidly changing and fluctuating conditions is an ideal post of observation. T h e changes are readily seen, the birds more easily found. II

CHANGES IN BIRD LIFE

Few localities in the northeast can boast the many shifts and oscillations in their bird life, which are positively known to have taken place on Nantucket. When the first colonists arrived, the island was well wooded with a deciduous forest. The moors with their introduced heather, a landscape otherwise unique in Massachusetts, were unknown under primeval conditions. It is common sense that the land-bird life must have been radically différent. All that we know is that Passenger Pigeons occurred regularly, the Ruffed Grouse was resident, and Great Auks and Labrador Ducks (presumably) wintered on the shoals. However, the woods were rapidly cut down for firewood, houses, and shipbuilding, resulting in the moors we know today on the western half of the island. Upland Plover, Short-eared Owls, Vesper, Savannah, and Grasshopper Sparrows replaced whatever were the forest species of those early days. Pitch pines were set out in the decade from 1840 to 1850 and barely survived the high winds. For a time (in the late seventies) their existence was threatened by an invasion of the Pine Moth (Retina frustano) and the town went to some expense combating this pest. Brewster records dead "plantations" by the acre in 1878. The pine woods saved, are steadily marching westward, and trees of fair size now occur in sheltered hollows. In other low depressions, where fresh water is available, red oaks, sour gum, and hawthorns now provide patches of deciduous woodland. The largest of these is known throughout the island as the Hidden Forest. The planting of trees in the town and around the older private places was, some of it, done long enough ago to produce fair-sized timber today. There is no doubt that summer resident bird life is constantly 12

changing. Species requiring trees are steadily filtering in. Several that have gained a foothold on the island today were unknown even twenty years ago. The great reduction caused by hunting and persecution of various groups of seafowl and shore-birds will be chronicled in the appropriate places beyond, but it must be remembered that most of these birds have greatly increased with protection. In certain cases, species near their extreme northern limits have not yet returned, but this is sure to take place, if the present era of protection continues. Examples are the Willet, Skimmer and Royal Tern. Several Terns, the Gulls, all the sea ducks, and most of the shore-birds are now as common as they ever were in the historical period. A very interesting succession is, however, taking place with certain colonial sea birds on Muskeget. For many decades this was possibly the largest and certainly the most famous Tern colony of the northeast. Laughing Gulls were common when the Terns were in myriads; they were reduced to a few pairs when the Terns were reduced to some 1500. The Laughing Gulls increased prodigiously sometime after 1925, and the Terns could not stand their depredations, and began fading out. The Herring Gull then proceeded to run the Laughing Gull out. Now the Great Black-backed Gull has gained a foothold on the island, and it remains to be seen what new balance Nature will strike. Readers are consequently earnestly begged not to make the common error of assuming that changes in bird life are reducible to decrease with human persecution and increase with protection. The shifts outlined above, and some of the factors causing them, are much more easily observed and documented on a small island, provided a reasonable continuity of record can be maintained.

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SUMMARY OF ORNITHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

T h e visitor to Nantucket may choose one of two principal courses. T h e average observer knows sea and water birds less well than land birds. For him a visit to Nantucket will furnish a splendid opportunity to improve his acquaintance with these groups. But, with the few exceptions noted beyond, he will merely find out for himself what is already well known. T h e island badly needs more experienced observers who can take the sea birds for granted, and who will be willing to spend their time looking for those birds whose status on Nantucket is not properly known. T h e y should follow the excellent example set in recent years by Dr. Gordon M . Meade of Rochester, whose notes on land birds in September and October were well worth printing verbatim in the Massachusetts Audubon Society Bulletin, supplying first records for over a dozen species. ι. T h e great "shoals" around Nantucket are a paradise for Shearwaters, Jaegers, and Phalaropes in M a y , August, and September. Some form of Skua is reported as common. Our knowledge is based on the article by Captain J. W . Collins (1882) and the notes of Walter H . Rich, published by Bent in 19 21, but made years earlier. T h e winter bird life of Kittiwakes, Alcids, and possibly Fulmars and Skuas is unknown. Ornithological history will be made by anyone with the means and hardihood to visit the fishing banks and stay there several days at a time at various seasons of the year. T h e y should be prepared to collect specimens. 2. For many groups of waterfowl and shore-birds Muskeget and Tuckernuck Islands furnish much better territory than Nantucket proper. T h e protection afforded these birds in the last quarter century and their great increase automatically H

require revisiting these islands at the proper seasons, which has not been done by ornithologists in many years. 3. Great Point and the long stretch of Coatue Beach were long a separate island, never visited by Mackay. Great Point is now connected with Wauwimet, as the inlet has closed, and this area can now be reached by beach wagon or jeep. 4. Little is known about the spring migration of land birds in Nantucket. The many regular New England transients are rare vagrants, and definitely occur much less frequently than in the fall. This is positively the fact on the outer Cape, and should prove even more true on Nantucket. The Cottrells and Parkers recorded only sixty species on the island from May 27 to May 30, 1940. 5. The arrival of the summer residents is not clearly known, nor can it be correlated with events on the adjacent mainland. Do any of these birds reach Nantucket first from the southwest over the ocean from the tip of Long Island? Do they arrive from the west, consequently appearing on Marthas Vineyard first? Some evidence exists that many species arrive remarkably late. 6. The status of many breeding land birds is speculative. The assumption that all uncommon species found occur annually, is definitely erroneous. Many common woodland species are rare vagrants to the outer Cape. A stranded singing male does not denote a breeding pair. Again by accident a pair of one vagrant species or another will be found actually nesting, not to appear again for several to many years. This condition of affairs should be much more marked on a small nearly treeless island. 7. The fall migration of land birds is the most rewarding period of the year on Nantucket, when the greatest variety of species occurs. As with Monomoy the incidence of northwest 15

winds and cool waves determines the difference between a poor year and a good one. Great Point is a natural "landfall" due south of Monomoy Point. It has ample cover and thickets, and has never been adequately investigated. 8. The presence or absence or varying numbers from year to year of many winter land birds may confidently be expected to be erratic also. 9. The experience of many decades has proved without exception that small islands lying off continental land masses are natural "traps" for an astonishing variety of birds throughout the northern hemisphere. Gatke's work on Heligoland, and Eagle Clarke's discoveries on Fair Isle, north of Scotland, astonished the world and read like a romance. Even the subarctic Pribilofs, Grand Manan, Sable Island off Nova Scotia, and tiny Block Island have yielded remarkable results. The meager evidence available suggests that Nantucket is no exception to this rule. We are convinced that this series of small islands is the greatest remaining neglected ornithological opportunity in the northeast.

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^SYSTEMATIC

L I S T ^

The list which follows departs in three important respects from the usual or stereotyped avifaunal lists : (i) Every effort is made to point out what we do not know about Nantucket birds, and where the information available to date is incomplete or unsatisfactory. (2) Definite figures or counts are given, whenever available; a minimum of time and thought is devoted to selecting general terms such as rare, uncommon, or common, since the use of these terms, based on the impressions or experiences of the local visitor, is regarded as of no special consequence or value (cf. the example of the Swamp Sparrow in the introduction). (3) The status of each species of bird on Nantucket is given in a comparative manner. No bird will be called "common" on Nantucket, which is actually five times as numerous on the adjacent mainland on Cape Cod. No records after December 31, 1946 are included. The senior author is primarily responsible for the comparisons. The junior author is chiefly responsible for providing modern data from the island; when possible she answers the questions : How many individuals can be seen? How many times per annum can the species be expected? And, what are the normal and the exceptional periods of occurrence?

'7

>

I

COMMON

* LOON

Gavia immer (Brünnich) Regular transient and winter resident, in smaller numbers than on the mainland; stragglers occasionally seen all summer. September 18, 1946 to M a y 30 (Crompton & Snyder). T h e Common Loon is noted for its protracted migration, and the lack of peak numbers at any regular period. T h e first birds reach Massachusetts waters in mid-August, though there are as yet no early island records. T h e spring migration begins in late March, with a second peak of adults in late M a y and early June. These birds usually fly by without stopping, and are often far from land. On M a y 23,1946, there was a marked flight over the shoals between Great Point and Monomoy. T h e maximum number of Loons recorded off the island in a day is 29, on December 30, 1945 (Griscom and Root). >· 2 ^ RED-THROATED LOON

Gavia stellata (Pontoppidan) Regular transient, often common in spring, status uncertain as yet in fall; a very few winter records, chiefly in milder seasons. March 31,1945 (Folger) to M a y 23,1946 (Griscom et al.) September 19,1945 (Folger) to early November to early winter. This Loon is only occasionally seen from the island, but is common on the shoals north and northeast of Nantucket in spring 18

and will surely prove equally common in fall with the proper number of boat trips. Over 100 were seen on April 20,1940 (Mr. and Mrs. Cottrell) and over 300η May 23,1946 (Gris com et al.). The latter observation is of special interest, as there was no record of any such number so late on the basis of field work on land anywhere in New England. On December 2, 1945, a dead bird was picked up and sent to Folger, who found it badly infected with Aspergillus. > 3 « HOLBOELL'S GREBE

Colymbus grisegena holboelli (Reinhardt) A rare vagrant to the island; only one definite record: specimen shot January 12, 1896, now in New England Museum of Natural History. Holboell's Grebe is fairly common on migration on the inner line of the Massachusetts coast. It is rare and erratic on the outer coast of Cape Cod, so the absence of records for the island has real significance. Vagrants may be expected in late fall or late winter and spring. > 4 < HORNED GREBE

Colymbus auritus (Linnaeus) A mere vagrant to the island in fall, winter, and early spring. October 13, 1944 (Meade) to March 24, 1945 (Folger) The remarks under Holboell's Grebe apply in general to this species also, which is abundant on the inside coast, uncommon on 19

outer Cape Cod, and a rare and irregular visitor to Nantucket. There are a few records, of single birds only, at the normal season. After the hurricane of September 14, 1944, three birds were found on Hummock Pond on September 17 (Folger), an excellent example of the type of unexpected records the island produces. •

5 «

PIED-BILLED GREBE

Podilymbus podiceps (Linnaeus) Irregular visitor in fall, unrecorded some years, in some numbers in others. August 18, 1939 (Meade) to October 22, 1921 (Mackay) The Pied-billed Grebe was common in October 1943, when Dr. Meade recorded it on many days, up to 17 in one day. > 6 SOOTY SHEARWATER

Puffinus griseus (Gmelin) Regular summer visitor to the shoals, rarely seen from land. May 23,1946 (Griscom et al.) to October 20,1945 (Andrews) The Sooty Shearwater reaches Massachusetts waters with the greatest regularity the last days of May and is often present in some numbers well into June. Thus over 130 were seen on May 23,1946, at sea, east of Nantucket. From July on, its presence or absence is exceedingly erratic, depending on the food supply of plankton. Curiously enough, it is the least common of the Shear20

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

COOT

BALDPATE

RUDDY TURNSTONE

U P L A N D PLOVER

N O R T H E R N PHALAROPE

GREAT BLACK-BACKED G U L L

F E M A L E MARSH H A W K F E E D I N G YOUNG

waters on the shoals, but the one most frequently seen from land. There are three such observations for the island in fifty years. The record of October 20 is the latest date for the north Atlantic and is based on a bird found dead at Sachacha Pond. The spring date is also the earliest for New England. > 7 * GREATER SHEARWATER

Puffinus gravis (O'Reilly) Abundant transient in spring on the shoals far from land (25-35 miles out); common summer visitor there also; irregular nearer land, but sometimes common or even abundant. Very rarely seen from land. May 23, 1946 (Griscom et al.) to mid-September, exceptionally to November A proper appreciation of the real numbers of this species can only be gained by those who visit the shoals in a boat at the proper season; it is pure chance to see one from land, and in ordinary years only stragglers enter Nantucket Sound. At long and irregular intervals, plankton in enormous "rafts" drift in shore, followed by mackerel, Terns, Jaegers, and Shearwaters. In the years 1886, 1910, and 1939 these conditions prevailed and Shearwaters were common to abundant in Nantucket and Block Island Sounds and even Buzzards Bay. In 1886 the flight lasted well into October, and Cory's Shearwater greatly predominated. In 1910 August was the principal month and the Greater Shearwater predominated. In 1939 the season was from late August to late September. Both large Shearwaters were very common, but 21

Cory's predominated. In all cases the Sooty is much the scarcest, averaging j to 10 percent only of the number of individuals of the two larger. > 8 CORY'S SHEARWATER

Puffinus diomedea borealis (Cory) Regular summer visitor to the shoals, notably abundant in 1886 and 1939. Late July to mid-September, exceptionally to November > 9 < LEACH'S PETREL

Oceanodroma leucorhoa (Veillot) Reported as a rather common transient years ago; present status unknown, only three recent records. May 30, 1938 (Cottrells); July 24, 1944, off Muskeget (Mason); May 23, 1946, two on the shoals northeast of the island (Griscom et al.) Brooks's (1928) original statement was presumptive only, but reflected the status of the species in Massachusetts waters in the last century, when it occurred regularly in late May, and again in fall from mid-September to mid-November: It should be sought at these seasons on the shoals, but students are warned that the species has greatly decreased in the last 60 years. Scattering midsummer records in recent decades, including the one for Nantucket given above, probably stem from the nesting colony on Penikese or others as yet undiscovered. 22

> IO * WILSON'S P E T R E L

Oceaniíes oceanicus (Kuhl) Regular summer visitor to the shoals, usually common, often abundant. May 23,1946 (Griscom et al.) to September 17, 1945 (Folger) The first Petrels arrive in late May, and there is a marked migration of transients which lasts until mid-June, all this usually taking place far offshore. The summering or resident birds are always common on the shoals. The degree to which they come "inside" seems chiefly a question of food, but on occasion a few enter Nantucket Sound, and individuals are very rarely seen from land. In Nantucket waters as many as 250 have been seen in a day from a fishing boat. There is a marked southward migration beginning in mid-August. In most years only a few stragglers remain in early September. > π BROWN P E L I C A N

Pelecanus occidentalis (Linnaeus) Casual; two old records. After a heavy southerly storm about 1867 one S. C. Martin killed one out of a flock of 13 near Brant Point, and another flock of five landed on the beach near Sankaty Head (J. A. Allen, Amer. Nat., pp. 58, 640). Readers should note that this first record was erroneously reported as a White Pelican (p. j8). The error was corrected in author's separates distributed later, and definitely expunged in Allen's revised list of Massachusetts birds, 1886.

23

> 12

*

GANNET

Sula bassana (Linnaeus) Common to abundant spring and fall transient; a few wintering in mild seasons; immature birds summering on the shoals. April 30, 1945 (Andrews) to summer September 19, 1945 (Eliot et al.) to winter June 1 9 , 1 9 4 5 , immature found dead after a gale at Cisco August ι, 1937 (Crompton) T h e Gannet, regarded as uncommon by Mackay 7 5 - j o years ago, has markedly increased in recent years. It is seen chiefly off the east and south coasts of the island, and 150 have been seen in a day in mid-November. Still larger numbers can be seen on the shoals far from land; on at least two occasions Griscom has seen over 5 0 0 on the shoals east of the island, and has had 190 around his boat at one time. > 13 * EUROPEAN CORMORANT

Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus) Formerly a casual straggler, only one record. N o w a regular winter resident in very small numbers. October 6, 1877, one shot (Mackay) October 7 , 194J to mid-April (Andrews) By 1 9 2 0 the European Cormorant was so rare that it was believed to be in danger of extinction in North America. It has now greatly increased and is steadily spreading its winter range, tending to occupy even the most minute niches o f its absolutely 24

required habitat, a rocky coast or islet. One of these minute niches is the jetties protecting the entrance to Nantucket Harbor. 14


15 GREAT B L U E HERON

Ardea herodias (Linnaeus) Regular transient, but relatively uncommon; occasionally wintering in mild seasons. March 30 to M a y 26 (Folger) August 6 to November 13 (winter)

The number of Great Blue Herons in any one season on Nantucket does not average more than 10 per cent of the number to be seen on the outer Cape. There are fall records of flocks of five and seven (Folger), when the species is most numerous. > 16 ^ AMERICAN EGRET

Casmerodius albus egretta (Gmelin) Casual vagrant; one shot September 23,1890, now in Brewster Collection (Mackay); two seen at East Pond, August 31, 1925 (Mackay) ; September 14,1946 (Wyatt and Bergstrom). Note the absence of records in recent years when the Egret has visited Massachusetts annually, often in some numbers. > 17


18 * L I T T L E B L U E HERON

Florida caerulea caerulea (Linnaeus) Rare vagrant in late summer and fall, unrecorded prior to its notable increase in the past 25 years in the northern States. 26

1922, August 22 (John T . Coolidge, Jr.) 1939, adult August 18; single immatures August 24, 27, 30, September 1 1944, September 16, immature (Folger) 1946, September 8, two immature (Bergstrom) > 19 GREEN HERON

Butorides virescens (Linnaeus) A vagrant in fall, recorded almost annually in recent years. August 24, 1941 (Meade) to September 22, 1945 (Eliot and Crompton) No record for the island, 1865-1900 (Mackay); seen once (Brooks). The presumption that it nests on the island (Brooks) has no supporting evidence. The vagrant nature of its occurrence is exemplified by six birds in 1944, only two in 1945. > 20 * BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

Nycticorax nycticorax hoactli (Gmelin) One breeding colony just west of Long Pond. March 24, 1946 to September 14, 1945 November 4, 1944, six adults at Sachacha Pond (Folger) December 30,1945, one bird (Griscom and Root) ; January 14, 1930 The breeding colony (then 100 pairs) was first found by William Brewster in late June 1874; it still comprises 30-40 27

pairs. The early departure of these summer residents is noteworthy, as well as the scarcity of transients in the fall, in striking contrast to the lavish abundance of the bird on the outer Cape. The only colony of Black-crowned Night Herons is in a small swamp west of the Maddaket Road near the north head of Long Pond. This species has nested in this vicinity for almost 75 years. When the heronry was first discovered by Brewster in 1874, there were about 100 pairs. Today the population has dwindled to about 2 $ - 3 0 pairs. Due to the type of flora the nests are placed from two to six feet above the ground. The favorite shrub is Highbush Blueberry which grows in abundance in the area. The shallow nests are fashioned of stout twigs piled from four inches to a foot thick. Evidence shows that nests which weather Nantucket's fierce winter storms are added to and used the next season. Incubation is well under way by the first week in M a y and in June young of all sizes may be found. As the young become able to leave the nest they wander about through the crooked branches of Blueberry. Casualties run high for many hang themselves in the dense undergrowth. Through July as many as 15 to 20 adults may be seen "fishing" along the shore of Long Pond. A few scatter to other ponds near by but by far the greatest concentration is seen at Long Pond. The reduction in the size of the heronry may be due to overestimation on the first count, decrease of the food supply, or the influx of people. Actually the site is not large enough to support more than double the number there now. Spring arrival normally takes place in the first two weeks of April. The majority of the young have gone by the first week in August, and the adults a week later. There is some evidence that 28

transients reach the island in August and September, and stragglers occur still later, all in striking contrast to the lavish abundance of the bird on the outer Cape.

> 21 AMERICAN BITTERN

Botaurus lentiginosus (Montague) V e r y local summer resident; a few migrants in fall; formerly more common. Spring arrival undetermined, but remarkably late; September 14, 1877 (Mackay) to November 16, 1945 (Andrews) In 1870 Brewster found this species breeding on Nantucket and apparently one or two pairs have continued to nest regularly ever since. It may choose the salt marshes around Quaise and Polpis one summer, the extensive marshes of Maddaket Harbor the next, or it may prefer the marshy areas of the several freshwater ponds on the west side of the island. The booming can be heard through the month of June, indicating that nesting may be later on Nantucket than in other parts of Massachusetts. Indeed its arrival on the island seems to be much later than that for the rest of the State, as it is unrecorded before late May. A few migrants reach the island in the fall, for one or two may be seen almost daily through September with occasional stragglers in October and November. Some of those seen in September may represent summer residents wandering about. Mackay shot six Bitterns on the island in September 1877.

29

>

22

«

GLOSSY IBIS

Plegadis falcinellus (Linnaeus) Straggler from the south; one shot in September 1869 (Allen, 1870). > 23


24 WHISTLING S W A N

Cygnus columbianus (Ord) Formerly a rare vagrant in fall, winter, and spring; no record in forty years. Occasionally wintering on the island prior to i860 (report to Mackay) One seen December 27, 1877 (report to Brewster) One shot on Coskata Pond March 4,1878 (Brewster) Two seen in January, 1891 (Mackay) Three killed on Sachacha Pond, November 29, 1906 (Bent) 30

> 25 < CANADA GOOSE

Branta canadensis (Linnaeus) Common transient, a few wintering almost every year. Mid-September to first week in May March 5, 1946, flock of 32 spring migrants (Folger) The peak months are naturally March, April, and October, when flocks of 50-60 are regularly seen going over the island. Relatively few alight or remain any length of time, as the island is unable to support any large number, and apparently never did in the historical period. This evidence should expose those opponents of the Monomoy Refuge, who have claimed it was useless for Canada Geese and Black Ducks. They have argued that the Cape Cod population was a terminal, wintering one, that no transients passed by, and that, therefore, no increased population could be built up by management. See also under Black Duck beyond. > 26 AMERICAN BRANT

Branta bermela hrota (Muller) Formerly a common transient, some wintering in all but the most severe seasons; extirpated after the eel-grass blight in 1931; a few birds in recent years. February 15, 1894 (Mackay) to May 1, 1894 (Mackay) October 13, 1945 (Andrews) to winter In former decades sportsmen thronged to Nantucket for Brant

31

shooting, the favored ground being the shoals between Muskeget and Tuckernuck. Boatmen and professional guides took camping parties from Nantucket over to Muskeget where they spent several days in shacks. There is an extensive sporting literature in existence, a recent and charmingly written chapter by the late John C. Phillips. George H. Mackay has written up the local ornithology of the Brant. The shooting was chiefly in early spring, the period of peak numbers; the maximum recorded 600 l birds on March 16, 1893. 9°7-> birds were killed on Muskeget. In ordinary seasons 30-80 birds wintered. The winter of 1893-94 w a s particularly severe, and none wintered. It was followed by a remarkably early spring, hence the early date given above. In the last few years some 20-30 birds are reported to stay around Maddaket Harbor for two weeks each April. Four birds remained on Dry Shoal from October 13 to December 15, 1945 (Andrews). >

27

W H I T E - F R O N T E D GOOSE

Anser albifrons albifrons (Scopoli) Casual; two shot in November 1909, one preserved in the New England Museum of Natural History. > 28

*

MALLARD

Anas platyrhynchos (Linnaeus) Casual in spring; of irregular occurrence in fall, occasionally in some numbers on the testimony of sportsmen. 32

March 22,1890, one female shot (Mackay) September 24,1944, four seen (Folger) to winter There is a record of 20 killed on Tuckernuck in one season, and in 1907 John M . Winslow reported to Forbush that one man had killed 18. »· 29


39 * CANVASBACK

Nyroca valisineria (Wilson) A rare vagrant 1875-1900 (Mackay); one shot November 1, 1906 (Fay); occasional on the ponds after 1906 (Phillips), when this species suddenly increased in the State and became regular on the ponds of Marthas Vineyard. November 1, 1906 to April 20, 1940, flock of nine (Cottrells) 37

»· 4 ° < GREATER SCAUP

Nyroca mania (Linnaeus) Formerly abundant transient and common all winter in favorable years; in recent years in less than 10 per cent of its former numbers. September 28,1890 (Mackay) to May 1,1892 (Mackay) Straggler remained all summer in 1938 (H. V. E. Allen) John M. Winslow informed Forbush (1908) that 1500-7000 birds could be found on the island in former years. Mackay reported 200 in February 1891, and a peak of 5000 in Maddaket Harbor March 11,1894. A flock of 290 is the high count in recent years. »• 41 LESSER SCAUP

Nyroca affinis (Eyton) Unknown until 1892; uncommon from 1894 on (Mackay); now once more a very rare vagrant since the decline of the species in the Northeast. February 22, 1892, shot (Mackay); March 13, 1894, shot (Mackay); April 2,1944, six on Long Pond (Folger); October 31,194J, nine on the same pond (Andrews). A few Lesser Scaup still occur on the outer Cape ponds, and perhaps the paucity of recent records reflects the extreme difficulty of identifying this species.

38

> 42 < AMERICAN G O L D E N - E Y E

Glaucionetta clangula americana (Bonaparte) Common winter resident. October 26, 1896 (Mackay) to March 24, 1945 (Folger) On December 30, 1945 Griscom counted 211 Golden-eye, the peak number reported from the island to date. The record by Fay of a Barrow's Golden-eye shot on the island in 1906 was later shown by Brewster (1909) to be erroneous. > 43 « BUFFLEHEAD

Charitcmetta albeola (Linnaeus) Regular winter resident in very small numbers; astonishingly enough no fall records in recent years, but of regular occurrence on the ponds in spring. Maddaket Harbor is the best wintering locality. November 5, 1875 (Mackay) to April 20, 1940 (Cottrells) > 44 < OLD-SQUAW

Clangula hyemalis (Linnaeus) Abundant winter resident, in maximum numbers in late fall. October 18,1945 (Andrews) to May 1, 1892 (Mackay) Casually all summer (Mackay) In years when mussels are abundant, Old-squaw in myriads 39

gather on the shoals north of Muskeget. A cruise in a boat is needed to enjoy these sights, but many birds can be seen readily at the Jetties and Maddaket Harbor. > 45

*

HARLEQUIN DUCK

Histrionicus histrionicus (Linnaeus) Exact status unknown; reported to Forbush (1908) as having occurred; two off the Jetties December 29, 1945 (Griscom and Root).

> 46 NORTHERN EIDER

Samateria moltissima borealis (Brehm) Casual; a female shot off Muskeget March 22,1890 (Mackay). > 47

*

AMERICAN EIDER

Samateria moltissima dresseri (Sharpe) Common to abundant winter resident, chiefly on the Muskeget shoals, depending upon the supply of mussels; oiled, wounded, or barren birds of regular occurrence in summer. October 11, 1943 (Meade) to April (Mackay) to summer September 22,1946, five off Coatue (Crompton) The arrival of the Eider in full strength is rarely completed before late November. Some idea of the possible fluctuation in numbers can be gained from the following table, based on Mackay's records. 40

1890. About 1500 off the Jetty 1891. In flocks up to 12,000 on the Muskeget Shoals 1894. "Never saw fewer in my life" While continuity of records from Nantucket does not exist, actually the Eider steadily and seriously decreased from 1900 to 1925. It has again increased enormously in the past fifteen years, thanks to the closed season. Readers are cautioned that the main body of Eiders is usually out of sight of land and a boat is required for a proper census. In November 1941 Cottrell and Griscom saw 1000 Eiders and 60,000 Scoters on the extreme western edge of the Muskeget Shoals in 20 minutes. Up to the limit of vision, the flocks drifted over the ocean like smoke, and it would be gratuitous to assume that these vast shoals were otherwise birdless. Mackay's big counts were based on boat trips to Muskeget to shoot Eiders and Brant, and therefore included the southeastern edge of the shoals only. »· 4 8


49 < W H I T E - W I N G E D SCOTER

Oidemia deglandi (Bonaparte) Common winter resident, in spectacular abundance on the shoals in good mussel years; occasional stragglers in summer. 41

August io to late M a y (summer) In 1891 Mackay estimated a half million birds on the Muskeget Shoals; there were hardly any in 1892. N o proper boat surveys have been made in many decades. > 5° * SURF SCOTER

Oidemia perspicillata (Linnaeus) Formerly very common, according to Mackay slightly more numerous than the last; now the least common of the Scoters, chiefly on migration in October and April. Late August to late M a y The great decrease of the Surf Scoter in New England since 1900 is one of the outstanding changes in the avifauna which has never been properly emphasized. The peak count for this species in recent years is 1000 April 19, 1940 on the Muskeget Shoals (Cottrell). 51 < AMERICAN SCOTER

Oidemia nigra (Swainson) Common transient and winter resident. Early September to late May, casually in summer Mackay thought that possibly 10 per cent of the Scoters on the Muskeget Shoals might be this species. While no modern counts for Nantucket waters are available, this percentage is far too high elsewhere in New England. O f f Monomoy, the proportion 42

of American to White-winged is usually ι per cent, rarely up to 5 per cent in years when the number of the latter is low. Observers on land can expect to see American Scoters regularly off the island, but in inconsequential numbers. > 52

*

RUDDY DUCK

Erismatura jamaicensis rubida (Wilson) Rare vagrant on the ponds (Mackay, Phillips); only three definite records. 19 21, October 21, two shot on Miacomet Pond (Mackay) 1944, March 25, four on Sachacha Pond (Folger) 1945, December 1, one at Shimmo (Andrews) >

53

HOODED MERGANSER

Laphodytes cuculiatili (Linnaeus) Rare vagrant on the ponds (Mackay, Forbush); only three definite records. 1877, October 6, one shot (Mackay) 1922, December 15, one seen (Brooks) 1945, November 16, one shot and identified by Folger > 54

*

AMERICAN MERGANSER

Mergus merganser americams (Cassin) Rare vagrant, unrecorded by Mackay; listed by Brooks, but 43

no data; definite records only in the past few years, with the great increase of the species in eastern Massachusetts. 1943, October π, 22 (Meade) 1945, March 4,10,17, eight, two and four respectively (Folger) 1946, January 4, one male (Crompton) > 55 56

*

TURKEY VULTURE

Cathartes aura septentriomlis (Wied) Casual; one record, May 1, 1930; unfamiliar bird seen by Mrs. Z. F. Boyer, and description verified by Dr. John B. May. > 57

*

GOSHAWK

Accipiter gentilis (Wilson) Only one instance of occurrence; correspondents reported to Forbush that several were shot in the great flight of December 1917. 44

> 58 * SHARP-SHINNED HAWK

Accipiter striatus (Wilson) Rare fall vagrant with northwest winds. September 3,1945 to December 27,1899 (R. W. Gray) As is the characteristic of all vagrants, this little hawk will be noted several times in September one year, several times in October another, and will be unrecorded a third. The late December record is based on a specimen now in the New England Museum of Natural History. Some years ago Griscom and party saw one of these hawks on the Great Round Shoal east of the island in mid-September. It came in from the northwest in pursuit of a flock of Phalaropes, one of which it tried to catch in vain. It imitated them by attempting to light on patches of seaweed, but always veered off in the nick of time. Finally it headed off westward on a course which would soon bring it in sight of land.

* 59 * COOPER'S HAWK

Accipiter cooperi (Bonaparte) Rare vagrant in fall; only three records. 187J, September 27, one at Great Point (Brewster) 1924, October 20 (Brooks) 1943, October 20 (Meade)

45

> 6o

«

RED-TAILED H A W K

Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin) Regular winter resident, sometimes surprisingly common; summer records from 1944 on, and nest found in a tree near Long Pond in April 1946. October 22,1943 (Meade) to M a y 6,1926 (Brooks) to summer As a summer resident the red-tail is one of the latest newcomers. Its status quo was definitely established in the spring of 1946 when a nest with three young was discovered near Long Pond. The top of a lone Black Oak about twenty feet high was the site chosen. This oak stands about ten feet above the surrounding flora and commands a fine view of the low bush country so characteristic of the west side of the island. The nest, approximately three feet in diameter, was lined with pine needles. Judging from the reports for the summer of 1945 it is very probable that this species nested on the island that year and in the same vicinity. In fact it may have nested in 1944 although the summer records were fewer and more scattered. It may even have been breeding irregularly for years but, due to the dearth of competent observers, was overlooked. A brief picture of its summer status is given as follows : 1944, July and mid-August, one immature bird observed on several occasions 1945, June, one adult; July, August, three immature birds; September 4-23, adult and immature birds, probably five individuals 46

1946, April, May, adults on nesting site; June, July, and August, immature and adult birds, total of four; September 7-21, a total of six birds (Bergstrom), undoubtedly included migrants As a winter resident six to ten may be seen in a day in good mouse years. Migration occurs from the middle of March to the end of April and again in September and October. Quite naturally no marked flight takes place. > 61 RED-SHOULDERED H A W K

Buteo lineatus (Gmelin) Casual; one record on the remarkable date of July 24, 1924 (Brooks), possibly a stranded bird from the preceding spring. Readers should note that this hawk is a rare to casual vagrant anywhere on the coastal plain of the State. > 62 ^ ROUGH-LEGGED H A W K

Buteo lagofus sancti-johannis (Gmelin) Regular winter resident, common in good mouse years. October 16, 1943 to March 30, 1945 (Folger) Nantucket and the Vineyard are the only remaining localities in New England, where this hawk is relatively common. In good years six to ten can be seen in a day. 47

^ 63 GRAY SEA E A G L E

Haliaeetus albicilla (Linnaeus) Accidental; an immature bird flew on board a steamer on the outer edge of the Nantucket Shoals November 14, 1924; it was captured alive and taken to the New York Zoological Garden (Crandall, Auk, 1915, p. 368). 64 ·« BALD E A G L E

Haliaeetus leucocefhalus subsp. Rare vagrant; one record, female collected November 12, 1908 (H. H. Fay, Jr., reported by Brooks). This bird is larger than Maine breeding females and might be called alascanus Townsend, depending entirely on opinion as to where to draw an arbitrary line between "larger" and "smaller" birds. 65 MARSH H A W K

Circus cyaneus hudsonius (Linnaeus) Permanent resident, most numerous on migration and in winter. The Marsh Hawk is as much a part of the background of Nantucket as are the gray, weather-beaten houses, for at any time of day this bird may be seen flying low over the moors searching for food. The island supports one or two breeding pairs regularly. Usual nesting sites are in the regions of Shimmo, Trots Hills, 48

and Saul's Hills. It is quite possible that this hawk breeds on the island of Tuckernuck, for it is frequently seen there. Most of the records for Tuckernuck, however, are during the migration season. On several occasions this species has been seen on Muskeget; in July as well as during migration. Since this island does not offer suitable breeding grounds it would seem probable that the birds wander over when there is a shortage of food on the other two islands. On March 26,1893 Mackay saw one arrive over the ocean from the west. Spring migration occurs from late March through April. Fall migration begins the latter part of August and extends through early November, with October the peak month. Numbers on migration reach a maximum of eight in a day. A few spend the winter; as many as five or six when the season is mild; occasionally one or two when the season is more severe. The Marsh Hawk may even come within the town limits in its quest for food, as one was seen back of the Sea Cliff Inn January 28,194.J, a "freeze-up" year. >- 66 * OSPREY; FISH HAWK

Pandion haliaëtus carolinensis (Gmelin) Regular fall transient; rare in spring, casual in summer. April 29, 1944 to May 26, 1945 (Folger) August 18,1941 (Meade) to November 4,1944 (Folger) July 3, 1945, two at Sachacha Pond (Folger) The Osprey has been noted in spring on only four occasions. It is regular in fall; Dr. Meade saw eight birds October 6-20, 49

1943· It is therefore even scarcer and more erratic than on the outer Cape, where it is very uncommon compared to the "inside" coast. > 67 « DUCK H A W K

Falco peregrinus anatum (Bonaparte) Rare vagrant; only two records for the island. 1878, September 28 (Brewster) 1943, October 9 (Meade) As the Duck Hawk is common on the outer Cape, its rarity on Nantucket is an unexpected surprise. > 68 « PIGEON H A W K

Falco columbarius (Linnaeus) Unexpectedly rare vagrant; only five records. August 22, 1945 (Snyder and Folger) to September 19, 1945 (Folger) Comment under the Duck Hawk applies with equal force to this species. Both hawks are hard to overlook. > 69 SPARROW H A W K

Falco sparvenus (Linnaeus) Now an uncommon permanent resident, irregular on migration and in winter.

50

Formerly a few every fall (Mackay) ; a few birds found to winter in mild seasons in recent years. One or two pairs have nested since 1940. On migration more numerous in fall than in spring, with a maximum of six to eight birds in a day. Not seen by Meade in 1939 or 1941, but noted annually since. In spring a few birds reach the island anywhere from the latter part of March through the first week in May. The status of the Sparrow Hawk on the island is exactly analogous to that on Cape Cod. > 7 ° ·< R U F F E D GROUSE

Bonasa umbellus (Linnaeus) Reported as resident in early colonial times, extirpated with the destruction of the original forest (Forbush, 1912). > 71 BOB-WHITE; QUAIL

Colinus virginianus (Linnaeus) A former resident, long since extirpated; several efforts to reintroduce it have failed. On the occasion of William Brewster's first visit to Nantucket in 1870, he relates in his journal that he examined a local collection of mounted birds in the store of a Mr. Sweet. One of these was a Quail, and Mr. Sweet told him it was formerly abundant, but was exterminated by a severe winter in the late sixties. Mackay speaks of its being introduced, and shot one on September 5,1892. The last Bob-white on the island was flushed on Joy Street, July 10,1942 (Folger). 5'

> 72

*

RING-NECKED PHEASANT Phasianus colchicus torquatus (Gmelin)

Brooks, writing in 1928, says "recently introduced." Now a common resident, but it remains to be determined whether steady restocking will ever prove unnecessary. > 73 « VIRGINIA RAIL Rallus limicola (Vieillot)

Status unknown; "not unusual" (Mackay, 1901). The last record for the island is one seen October 20, 1921 (Mackay). The bird might prove to breed, as well as occurring as a fall vagrant. > 74 < SORA PoTzana carolina (Linnaeus)

Apparently a regular visitor in fall, proved to be common when steadily and competently hunted (Mackay). August 17, 1945 (Wyatt) to October 31, 1923 (Brooks) The modern methods of field-glass observation can never hope to provide a proper idea of the numbers of migrant Rails. It is consequently significant that in 1945 nine Soras were jumped on four occasions in late August and early September. 52

> 75 « LITTLE BLACK RAIL

Later alius jamaicensis Reported to the Maria Mitchell Association August 28, 1934 by H. E. Tuttle. Forbush (Birds Mass., I, 362) stated that it undoubtedly breeds on Nantucket, but failed to give the reasons in his possession for this opinion. > 76 « PURPLE GALLINULE

Ionornis martinica (Linnaeus) Casual; one killed on Hummock Pond in October 1872. > 77 < FLORIDA GALLINULE

Gallínula chloropus cachinnans (Bangs) Very rare vagrant; one killed in the fall of 1872 (Mackay); two seen September 20, 1946 (Bergstroms). > 78 « COOT

Fúlica americana (Gmelin) Rare migrant in fall, very rare in spring. April 20, 1940, two birds (Cottrells) October 10, 1944 (Folger) to early January (Phillips) The Coot may well prove to occur every fall in very small 53

numbers, which is its status on the outer Cape. So far seven is the largest number seen in any one day. > 79 < PIPING PLOVER

Charadrius melodus (Ord) Regular summer resident in small numbers. March 24, 1945 (Folger) to September 25, 1875 (Brewster) At the beginning of the century, when the little Piping Plover was on the verge of extirpation in the whole northeast, the island of Nantucket was one of the few localities in New England where breeding pairs survived.. There are now at least eight to ten pairs nesting annually on the open beaches, and a careful census might show an even higher population. At the moment evidence is lacking to indicate any substantial number of transients, but this is definitely the case at Monomoy Point near by, where marked peaks occur in mid-April and late August. Peaks on Nantucket are in May and July. > 80 S E M I P A L M A T E D PLOVER; RING-NECK

Charadrius hiaticula semipalmatus (Bonaparte) Regular transient, uncommon in spring, in relatively small numbers in fall. May July 21, 1884 (Mackay) to November 4, 1944 (Folger) July ι, 1874, a sickly bird on Muskeget (Brewster) 54

Thanks to the early writings of Mackay, t w o generations of bird-lovers have held an idea that Nantucket was a "good" place for shore-birds. W e shall be at pains to expose this fallacy. T h e abundant little Ring-neck is the first of many examples. Fifty is the maximum ever seen in a day on Nantucket, in striking contrast to the thousands that flood down the shore line of the outer Cape. > 81 KILLDEER

Charadrius vociferus (Linnaeus) Formerly an abundant migrant and summer resident, a vagrant since 1875, scarcely recorded for sixty-five years. 1888. During the invasion into N e w England after the southern hurricane in November, at least five shot on the island, now in the Boston Society of Natural History 1890. February 28, one shot on Muskeget (Mackay) 1932. March 7, one after a westerly gale (Shurrocks) 1933. M a y 12, t w o near the Bartlett Farm (Shurrocks) 1934. M a y 30, several near Hummock Pond (Shurrocks) 1936. M a y 23, one near Hummock Pond (Shurrocks) 1939. March 12, one after a northeast storm and a heavy fall of snow (Shurrocks) 1939. August 28-30 (Meade) 1941. August 13 (Folger) 1943. April 4 (Folger) 1943. October iy, flock of seven (Meade) 1945. M a y 6 (Folger) 1945. September 13 (Folger and W y a t t ) 55

Readers should note that the more numerous records in recent years clearly reflect the return of this species to most of southern New England as a common summer resident. It is still a mere vagrant to most of Cape Cod. > 82 « GOLDEN PLOVER

Pluvialis domica dominica

(Müller)

Formerly an abundant migrant in fall, casual in spring and summer; greatly decreased by 1890 and headed for extinction by J 8 9 8 ; in recent years once more of regular occurrence in small numbers. Spring. Once prior to 1875 (Mackay) Summer. One collected July 28, 1884 >n partial spring molt, presumably a straggler from the preceding spring Earliest fall. August 12, 1898; August 16, 1881 and 1883 Normal. Adults, last days of August to late September, immature, late September to late November, almost never after early October during the years of its decline. The moors of Nantucket were the most famous shooting ground for Golden Plover in America from Audubon's time to about 1890. Its rapid decline during the next decade on the Atlantic seaboard was principally due to unremitting professional market gunning during its spring migration in the Great Plains. While eastern sportsmen loudly complained of this state of affairs, they continued to shoot as many as they could of the remaining birds on the Atlantic seaboard, until the sport died a natural death with the virtual disappearance of the species by 1898.

56

For over half a century Nantucket had quite an investment in Golden Plover, and a real income was derived from the shooting. Sportsmen came from far and wide to get a flight of "Goldens" and "Dough-birds." Certain favored clients were advised by wire of the arrival of the hoped-for northeast gale, and would hurry to the island by the first boat, if they could possibly leave their business. The fortunate owners of the moors leased the shooting rights, and burned the grass off to make ideal feeding and nesting grounds. Various citizens struggled to acquire a reputation for being skilled hunters and guides. Many complained when the pine plantings were successful and began to move westward, on the ground that the Plover acreage was being reduced. During the nineties, arguments raged as to the causes of the bird's decrease. It makes the present generation smile to read of the various theories propounded. Only one possible factor aroused universal annoyance and disbelief; it was ridiculous to suppose that fifty years of heavy shooting on Nantucket had anything to do with it ! I hasten to add that this type of intellectual myopia was characteristic of even the most enlightened sportsmen and ornithologists of the period from 1890 to 1910. They were truly concerned at the rapid depletion of birds, but what they did individually was all right and did no harm. The decrease was always due to natural causes, or what some other fellow did somewhere else. In the days of the bird's abundance, when there were plenty for all, the first adults and the first immature were not disturbed. Each section of the moors hoped to build up a local flock which "used" there, to act as decoys for subsequent arrivals. In later decades, however, the birds were much wilder, they arrived in the teeth of a storm only, were shot as fast as possible, and left 57

the moment the weather moderated. Mackay emphasized over and over again that even in the days of plenty there were poor years with few birds, due to fine weather at the period of the Plover's migration. Such years were 1874 and 1875. 1863. August 29, the greatest flight in history; the flocks were so large and so numerous as to darken the sun. Between 7,000 and 8,000 birds were killed, and all the ammunition on the island was used up. 1880. Great flight, many thousand birds 1886. August 28, good flight; Mackay saw 200 birds in one flock, and over 500 were killed 1891. Ten times during the season; 250 on September 14 1892. Good flight; many large flocks 1893. Very few 1894. Good season; 2 flocks of 100 birds and many smaller ones 1895. Fair; maximum flock 40 1896. Very few 1897. Poor; several flocks up to 30 1898. Very few In the past two decades the Golden Plover has come back, past the shadow of extinction. It is of regular occurrence on the coast of Massachusetts every fall, sometimes in fair-sized flocks after storms, and now once more occurs casually in spring and summer. Recent records from Nantucket do not properly reflect its present numbers, and will not until a corps of resident observers visit the moors regularly during easterly gales.

58

> 83

«

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER

Squatarola squatarola (Linnaeus) Formerly abundant transient, seriously decreased for many decades, now once more common, and still increasing annually. April 18, 1894 (Mackay) to June 8 (Mackay) July 8, 1945 (Folger) to November 4, 1944 (Folger) and late November (Mackay) Mackay's classic account of this species in the Auk (1892, p. 148) is still one of the best shore-bird biographies in existence. He reported a gathering of 600-800 birds on Tuckernuck in 1890 as an unusual number. Today 50 birds in fall in a day is good and 145 in late May is the peak count in spring. The facts are that these numbers cannot compare with the great flocks now to be seen on the outer Cape, where the bird also summers regularly and winters occasionally. > 84 ·< RUDDY TURNSTONE

Arenaria interpres morinella (Linnaeus) Formerly a common transient, greatly reduced for many decades, now once more common; wintering regularly in recent years. May ι, 1892 to June 1, 1892 (Mackay) July 13,1945 (Folger) to October 22, 1943 (Meade) Peak numbers of Turnstones are always in spring in New England for the simple reason that the spring migration is rela59

tively rapid, while in fall it is a protracted affair stretched over five months. Mackay reported some 300 birds on Tuckernuck in 1892, and some 200 birds were seen at the Harbor Flats May 26, 1945 (Folger). These figures are only 10-20 per cent of the great flocks on the outer Cape in late May. A remarkable development of recent years is the wintering of a few birds on the breakwaters. > 85 « WOODCOCK

Philohela minor (Gmelin) Probably bred in early days, then occasionally shot in fall; now nesting once more, observed annually since 1939. 1872, eight killed in one day in late August (Mackay) 1875-1900, only one record (Mackay) 1923, four seen during autumn (W. H. Jones) One or two pairs nest near Wauwimet, the Hidden Forest, and Hummock Pond. The status of the Woodcock can only be determined by special and competent hunting, and this has never been done on Nantucket in the historical period. Students are consequently cautioned not to interpret the meager records above too literally.

> 86 « WILSON'S SNIPE

Cafella delicata (Ord) Formerly common fall transient, occasionally wintering, marked flights occurred occasionally; in recent years an increasingly rare vagrant. 60

August ι8, 26, 1894; August 27, 1885; August 29, 1878 (Mackay) September 5 to late October, to winter The present generation of students can scarcely credit the former abundance of the Snipe, so rapidly has it been decreasing in the past 25 years. The early arrival dates of earlier decades are without precedent in modern times. There is an old record of 60 Snipe killed on the island in one day. The bird was common in October 1878, and again on October 10, 1921 (Mackay). Four birds have been seen on three occasions in the past five years (1941-1945), but eight were flushed on September 19, 1946 (Bergstroms). > 87 * LONG-BILLED C U R L E W

Numenius americanus (Beckstein) Said to have been common from 1800 to i860, sometimes 100 in a flock; long since extirpated, the last bird shot on the island about 1887 (Mackay). > 88 « HUDSONIAN C U R L E W

Numenius hudsonicus (Latham) Formerly abundant; common 1875-1900; still of regular occurrence in small numbers; always less common in spring than in fall. Earliest spring. April 10, 1892; occasional in late April (Mackay) 61

Latest spring. June i, and 2j, 1892 (Mackay) Earliest fall. July 8,1945 (Folger) Latest fall. September 27,1875 (Brewster), and 1945 (Folger) Normal. May 1-25; July 15-September 15 This Curlew was formerly abundant, and a flock of 1500 was reported in 1833. Mackay's classic paper in the Auk was published in 1892. He states that in a period of seventeen years the largest flock ever seen by him contained 100 birds. Singles and small groups occasionally stopped on the outer beaches and mudflats, but the moors and borders of the ponds were where the main flocks occurred. Here they were mercilessly hunted, but were so shy and wary that relatively few were killed. This wariness was what prevented this fine shore-bird from ever becoming an endangered species. During Mackay's time the "Jack" was commoner on Nantucket than anywhere else in New England. A further general decrease took place from 1890 to 1910. Since then the species has slightly increased once more. At the moment of writing it is about as common on the outer Cape as it was in Mackay's day on Nantucket. Unless observation is seriously defective today, it is less common on Nantucket than on the outer Cape, and there are no recent spring records. Mackay recorded an albino in a flock of 2 5 on August 2 2,19 30. 89 « ESKIMO C U R L E W

Numenius borealis (J. R. Forster) Formerly an irregular fall migrant, occasionally common, abundant on only two or three occasions in the historical period; last recorded in 1897. 62

Our general account of the Golden Plover could be duplicated for the "Doe" or Dough-bird on Nantucket with the following differences : (i) It was much less numerous individually, and it is an illusion to think that an extinct bird was "formerly abundant." There is no adequate supporting evidence; (2) it never occurred in any numbers unless easterly storms occurred at the right seasons; (3) even at the peak of its abundance, no birds whatever occurred in calm years. The later history of the species on Nantucket may be summarized as follows : 1869. August 29, the last great flight in history anywhere on the Atlantic seaboard 1877. August 27; Mackay saw a flock of 250 1883. The last good sized flocks 1892. 4 + 1 + 8 + 3 birds seen or shot 1893. Only one bird 1894. None 1895. None 1896. None 1897. August 26, flock of eight

ν 90 U P L A N D PLOVER; BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER

Bartramia Icmgicctuda (Bechstein) Formerly a summer resident in some numbers on the two larger islands, and common fall migrant on the moors; almost entirely extirpated for many decades; now once more breeding on Nantucket.

63

Earliest arrival April 10, 1895 (Mackay) April 23, 1891 (Mackay) to September 14, 1880 (Mackay) September 22,1875 (Brewster) ; September 29,1889 (Mackay) T h e Upland Plover apparently ceased nesting on Nantucket by 187J, but survived on Tuckernuck, where Mackay found a nest June 22,1896, and Lister Carlisle found a pair there in 1945. Tuttle found a pair and nest on Nantucket in 1943; M . Douglas Cole found another in 1945. Folger and Wyatt found a pair obviously settled for the season on the moors east of Mioxes Pond on June 22, 1945. U p to the middle seventies at least, the Upland Plover was a regular late summer migrant on the moors and was eagerly hunted as a prize game bird; one man shot 49 in the years between 1875 and 1889. A flock of six was seen in Bartlett Field August 19, 1945 (Folger), but these might have been a gathering of local breeders. > 91 < SPOTTED SANDPIPER

Actitis macularia (Linnaeus) Formerly a conspicuously common summer resident; now a transient, uncommon in spring, regular in fall. M a y 20 and 26,1945 (Folger) July 9, 1944 (Folger) to September 30, 1945 (Andrews) The Spotted Sandpiper is so early a fall migrant that July records cannot be assumed to represent breeding birds, as has been done. Nevertheless a pair probably nested in 1946. T h e disappearance of this Sandpiper from coastal Massachusetts as a 64

very common breeder is inexplicable and has never previously been brought out. > 92

*

SOLITARY SANDPIPER

Tringa solitaria solitaria (Wilson) A rare and erratic vagrant in Mackay's earlier days, it became regular and sometimes fairly common in the nineties; now once more an erratic vagrant. August 8, 1945 (Folger) to September 29, 1895 (Mackay) Mackay recorded the species on six occasions in September 1895. Dr. Meade reports none in 1939, fairly common in early September 1941. It is, of course, possible that Mackay's idea of the bird's increase in his time merely proved his own increased interest in and ability to notice non-game birds. > 93

*

EASTERN W I L L E T

Catoptrophorus semipalmatus semipalmatus (Gmelin) Formerly nested on Muskeget; Mackay had only one record, a flock of five on May 2, 1895. Flock of 20 on April 27, 1945 (Andrews) ; one bird on April 29 (Folger) ; three at Hummock Pond, May 31, 1946 (J. M. Andrews). The Eastern Willet now occurs annually in spring and early summer in southeastern Massachusetts, and it will nest again at any moment. Its return to Nantucket may be confidently expected after an absence of nearly a century.

65

> 94 95 GREATER Y E L L O W L E G S

Totanus melanolencus (Gmelin) Regular transient in small numbers, a maximum of 16 birds in a day; no perceptible change in 70 years. April 29, 1944 to May 30, 1945 (Folger) July h, 1878 (Mackay) to October 22,1943 (Meade)

> 96 ^ LESSER Y E L L O W L E G S

Totams flavipes (Gmelin) Regular fall transient in small numbers. July 10, 1878 (Mackay) to November 4, 1944 (Folger) It is most exceptional to see more than ten birds in a day on the 66

island. However, Folger found 40 on the west shore of Hummock Pond two days after the great hurricane of September 14, 1944. The Lesser Yellowlegs now remains a month later in fall than formerly in the northeast. Mackay's latest date was September zi, 1882. > 97 • 99 < PECTORAL SANDPIPER

Pisobia melanotos (Vieillot) A regular fall transient in varying numbers, depending upon the pond shore conditions; apparently much less numerous now than in the last century; no definite spring record. July 27, 1944 (Mason) to October 22, 1878 (Mackay) Sixteen birds on September 15, 1944, the day after the great hurricane, is the peak count on the island in recent years. >· 100 W H I T E - R U M P E D SANDPIPER

Pisobia fuscicollis (Vieillot) Irregular fall transient in small numbers, as yet unrecorded in spring. August 19, 1945 (Folger) to October 5,1943 (Meade) Dr. Meade had several records in 1939, with a peak of eight birds. Only one bird in 1941. Common in 1945. Only one in 1946. V 101 * BAIRD'S SANDPIPER

Pisobia bairdi (Coues) Overlooked until recent years, but status surely a rare or occasional fall visitor. September 6 (3), 8 (2), 1939 (Meade); September 2, 3, 1945 (Folger) 68

». I02 « L E A S T SANDPIPER

Pisobia minutilla (Vieillot) A common transient, but in smaller numbers than on the adjacent mainland. May io, 1892 (Mackay) to May 26,1945 (Folger) July 9, 1944 to October 12, 1943 (Folger) Normally up to 50 birds in a day; on two occasions in late August or early September 100 birds have been found on the island. > 103 RED-BACKED SANDPIPER; D U N L I N

Pelidna alpina sakhalina (Vieillot) Common transient (Mackay) lingering into winter (Brooks) ; a mere vagrant to the island of Nantucket. September 17,1944 (Folger) to winter Like the Knot, the flats around Tuckernuck and Muskeget furnish the only good territory for Dunlins in the area, and this remains inadequately explored in recent years. The bird is now common in spring and in great abundance in fall on the outer Cape. It is, therefore, hard to believe that three records of five birds in three years properly represent its status in our area. > 104 * EASTERN DOWITCHER

Limnodromus griseus griseus (Gmelin) Erratic fall vagrant in small numbers. 69

July π, 1878 to September 28,1877 (Mackay) May 12, 1945, flock of six (Folger) Mackay collected specimens to validate the outside dates given above. Recalling that the Eastern Dowitcher is a common spring and abundant fall transient on the outer Cape, and that over a thousand can be seen in a day on several occasions annually, Nantucket is easily shown to be off the beaten track for this shorebird. Nine to eleven birds are the peak counts for any one day in fall. There is only one spring record. Between 1875 and 1884, Mackay saw none in 1876, and only one bird between 1880 and 1884. In recent years, 1939, 1944, and 1945 were "good" years, there were very few in 1941 and only one record in 1943. This variation bears no relation whatever to the Dowitcher's uniform abundance the same years on the outer Cape. »· 105 * LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER

Limnodromus griseus scolapaceus (Say) Rare vagrant; one collected August 29, 1895 (Mackay). Birds seen on pond shores August 21-27, '94' (Meade) and September 17,1944 were believed to be this subspecies.

> 106 STILT SANDPIPER

Micropalama kimantopus (Bonaparte) Irregular transient in fall, chiefly to the pond shores in years of low water. 70

July 25,1878 (Mackay) to October 7,1937 (Shurrocks) Brewster was the first ornithologist to find the Stilt Sandpiper on Nantucket, in 1875. Mackay shot specimens in 1878, 1882, 1894, a n d '895· It has been noted occasionally in recent years. The bird is definitely less frequent on the island than at Monomoy Point. >• 107 ·*• S E M I P A L M A T E D SANDPIPER

Ereunetes pusillus (Linnaeus) Regular transient in small numbers. Throughout M a y (Folger) July 22, 1945 (Folger) to November 6, 1894 (Mackay) July ι, 1874, three summering birds on Muskeget (Brewster) A flock of 100 or more "peep" is a rarity on Nantucket, in sharp contrast to its prodigious numbers on nearby Monomoy. >· 108 W E S T E R N SANDPIPER

Ereunetes mauri (Cabanis) Regular, sometimes fairly common, fall transient. July 15, 1937 (Cobb) to September 21, 1945 (Folger) Mackay was the first person to prove that this species was regular and not uncommon in New England. There was a particularly good flight in 1945, which involved the whole coast of the State, including Nantucket.

71

>109* B U F F - B R E A S T E D SANDPIPER

Tryngites subruficollis (Vieillot) Rare vagrant in fall. August 26,1879 to September 8,1875 (Mackay) In spite of its rarity, this distinct little Sandpiper has visited Nantucket more frequently than any other locality in New England, perhaps because the moors and the ponds furnish its preferred habitat. Mackay recorded it five times between 1875 and 1892, a maximum of eight birds in a season, and shot eleven specimens. There are several recent records, September 6 and 8, 1941 (Meade), September 7,1945 (Folger, Van Deusen, Wyatt). > no ·« MARBLED GODWIT

Limosa fedoa (Linnaeus) Extremely rare vagrant. 1884, August 2y, one shot (Mackay) 1944, September 17 (Folger), still present next day (Heywood) > III * HUDSONIAN GODWIT

Limosa haemastica (Linnaeus) Extremely rare vagrant; only one record, August 21, 1892 (Mackay). The negative evidence for Nantucket is surprising and unex72

pected. On the outer Cape this species occurred in flights after northeast gales with Eskimo Curlew and Golden Plover. That it did not do so on Nantucket may be regarded as proved, as every possible shore-bird was shot for decades. The natural question arises — why not? The only possible explanation is habitat. The Godwit prefers extensive mud-flats, which are nonexistent on Nantucket, whereas its moors were ideal for the other two species. > 112 EUROPEAN R U F F

Philomachus pugnax (Linnaeus) One record; female shot in late July 1901, now in Thayer Collection. > 113 < SANDERLING

Crocethia alba (Pallas) Regular transient in small numbers, wintering regularly on Muskeget, and occasionally at Smith Point (Crompton, January 4, flock of 14). March 6 to May 30 (Folger) July 18,1943 (Folger) to winter In spite of the great "clouds" on Monomoy, flocks of two hundred Sanderling are an unusual event on Nantucket. 114


116 < NORTHERN PHALAROPE

Lobipes lobatus (Linnaeus) Common pelagic migrant on the shoals, rarely seen near land. May 1-26, 1892 (Mackay) (Late July) to September 20, 1878 (Mackay) Hundreds of these birds could be seen in late M a y 1892 after a spell of heavy fog, between Tuckernuck and Muskeget. Single birds have been found on shore on only three occasions.

7 "7


118 PARASITIC JAEGER

Stercorarius parasiticus (Linnaeus) Common pelagic migrant, little known in spring, but regularly seen from land in fall. M a y 24 to (early June) (Late July) to October 13,1945 (Andrews) Frequently seen from Smith Point and Eel Point, chiefly in late August and September in years of good fish runs, when Terns are abundant. One collected off Tuckernuck September 8, 1899, now in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. > 119 LONG-TAILED JAEGER

Stercorarius longicaudus Vieillot The most pelagic of the Jaegers, occasional on the Shoals 75

(Mackay). One suspected off Eel Point September 20, 1945 (Eliot et al.). > 120 * NORTHERN SKUA

Catharacta skua skua (Brünnich) The status of the Skuas on the Nantucket Shoals is one of the chief remaining mysteries of the North Atlantic, and a series of specimens taken at different times of the year is badly needed. While the species is easily recognized as such at a great distance in life, proper determination of the subspecies requires careful measurements of a competently sexed specimen, as color characters exist only in the adult plumage. The Northern Skua is chiefly European in distribution. It winters regularly on the Grand Banks east of Newfoundland, but to date appears to be a rare straggler to the banks and coasts on the American side. Non-breeding immatures have lingered all summer. Kumlien collected a frowsy immature on the eastern edge of the Nantucket Shoals August 4, 1877. I have examined this specimen, and sent it to Dr. R. C. Murphy, who writes me it must be regarded as a Northern Skua. Presumably belonging here also is a bird seen on the Shoals January 2,1938 by Richard H. Pough. It is consequently of the greatest interest that Walter H. Rich reports the Skua as of regular occurrence in summer, between June 19 and November 5, most numerous between August 12 and September 10. One or more Antarctic subspecies is clearly involved, and it is well known that these Skuas reach the north Pacific on both the American and Asiatic sides. Captain Collins also reports two Skuas on the Shoals October 11,1883. The total 76

population of Northern Skuas is so small that it seems impossible that all these birds are non-breeding stragglers on the wrong side of the Atlantic, with winter records so rare. > 121 ICELAND GULL

Larus leucofterus (Vieillot) Casual vagrant; one record, October 28,1943 (Meade). It is of great interest to note that the "white-winged" gulls are practically unknown on Nantucket. > 122 GREAT BLACK-BACKED G U L L

Larus marinus (Linnaeus) Always a common winter resident (Mackay), now greatly increased, arriving in fall much earlier than formerly, remaining much later in spring and some birds present all summer. One or two pairs probably nest on Muskeget. The main haunts of Black-backed Gulls in our area are the shoals of Tuckernuck, Muskeget, and Skiff Island, and the main island of Nantucket does not support a large winter or summer population. Nesting on Muskeget has been suspected and may be proved at any moment. The territory will apparently not support the multitudes now on the outer Cape all the year round, and 149 is the maximum count in a day. On the other hand, roundthe-year observation at the best localities has yet to be made. After many decades of experience, Mackay was quite properly astonished to see one on the abnormally early date of Septem77

ber io, 1925. This has now become commonplace; indeed it is now difficult to tell when the migration starts and ends.

> 123

*

AMERICAN HERRING G U L L

Larus argentatus smithsonianus (Coues) Formerly a common winter resident, now abundant permanent resident, breeding commonly. The change in status of the Herring Gull is best brought out by a chronological table. There is every possibility that this Gull may have nested on the Massachusetts coast in colonial times, and we are now witnessing the recapture of a former territory, but there is no definite evidence. 1875-1900. Common winter resident, August 28,1892 to early M a y (Mackay). One bird on Muskeget July 6, 1874, the first record of a summering straggler (Brewster) 1920. T w o pairs nesting on Muskeget (Brooks) 1921. Twelve pairs nesting on Muskeget (Brooks) 1937. 800 on Muskeget (Stanley Cobb) 1944. 2000-2500 pairs on Muskeget (Mason) 1946. 2500 in July (Folger) Hundreds now loaf on the Nantucket beaches in August and September. The island does not support a large winter population in comparison to the swarms in the larger harbors and ports. On Muskeget, nesting is well under way by the first of June and continues through July. The nesting grounds occupy the northeast end of the island, about an eighth of a square mile, and extend right out to the shore; however, the majority of nests are

78

placed among the beach grass and in the sandy hollows of the dune country. Early in July young of all sizes may be seen scurrying through the beach grass or hiding under bits of driftwood while the adults wheel and scream overhead. In 1946 an unsuccessful attempt was made to breed on Nantucket. A n incomplete nest containing two eggs was found on the beach at Shimmo. T h e outer edge of the circular nest was neatly fashioned of grass, seaweed, and rootlets, but the center was just plain sand; it was as if the desire to lay overcame the instinct to build a proper nest. For some reason it was abandoned early in July.

> 124 RING-BLLED GULL

Larus delawarensis (Ord) Irregular vagrant in fall, winter, and spring, formerly a mere straggler. September 15,1944 to M a y 26,1945 (Folger) First found b y Brewster September 24, 1875, and then no definite record for many years. N o record in October 1943 (Meade). Five birds on three occasions September 15-October 7, 1944 (Folger) ; flock of six January 27,1945 (Folger). Five times in flocks up to twenty April 8 to M a y 26,1945 (Folger). This is very different from its status on the outer Cape, where it is a common transient in flocks over one hundred, wintering regularly, and always arriving in late July.

79

>

125

LAUGHING GULL

Larus atricilla (Linnaeus) A summer resident, abundant to rare to abundant once more; now arriving much earlier than formerly. April 13, 1945 (Folger) to September 22, 1875 (Brewster) Like the Herring Gull, the history of this species is best brought out by a chronological table for Muskeget. i8jo. Abundant summer resident 1870. 50 pairs on Muskeget (Brewster) 1874. 3 birds, one nest (Brewster) 1890. 50 pairs (Brewster), arriving about May 10 (Mackay) 1892. Special protection begun through the efforts of Mackay 1923. Several thousand (Forbush) 1936. About 30,000 (Hagar) 1944. Between 2000 and 2500 (Mason), big decrease with the great increase in the Herring Gull colony. The Laughing Gull now arrives on the average a month earlier than it did prior to 1900. On the mainland it lingers two months later in fall also, but on Nantucket the breeding birds start slipping away by the middle of August, and migrants from more northern colonies do not reach the island. In June the majority have established themselves on Muskeget and nesting is under way by the middle of the month. The Laughing Gull colony occupies a small area on the southwest side of the island and is much more concentrated than the colony of Herring Gulls; fourteen nests were counted in a strip about five feet by sixteen feet. The grass nests are on the ground, 80

hidden in the thicket of poison ivy and scrubby bayberry. Under this low growth lies a whole network of tunnels leading to and from the nests. The breeding habits of this species seem to be less haphazard than those of the Herring Gull for the bulk of the eggs hatch around the same time, namely, the second week in July. Yet in 1943 nesting was over by July nth and the young were on the wing. > 126 « BONAPARTE'S GULL

Larus fhiladelphia (Ord) Rare vagrant in very small numbers, the time of its appearance quite unpredictable, as shown by the following table. 1875. Four shot November 8 and sent to Brewster 1890. March 20, two birds (Mackay) 1892. Six birds May 10-29 (Mackay) 1896. Immature shot on Muskeget June 26 (F. H. Kennard) 1912. January 10 (Brooks) 1938. August 7 (H. V. E. Allen) 1940. May 29 (Cottrells) 1944. August 20, one immature (Folger) 1946. March 4, one found dead, obviously for some time (Folger) > 127 ATLANTIC KITTIWAKE

Rissa tridactyla (Linnaeus) Abundant transient and common winter resident on the Shoals; casual near land, chiefly after gales. 81

Late October to April ii, 1916 (J. H. Farley) The graceful little Kittiwake is wholly pelagic during the winter half of the year, and some can be found even in midocean. On the fishing banks it is common or even abundant, and hundreds can be seen in a few hours. One of its marked characteristics is an aversion to shallow water near a low sandy coast, and one must go at least ten miles out from Cape Cod or Nantucket to be sure of seeing numbers. * 128 « FORSTER'S T E R N

Sterna forsteri (Nuttall) Formerly unknown; with the great increase of the species in recent years, a fall transient. 1941. September 21, first record (Meade) 1945. A great flight year to the whole northeast. Thirteen records, August 21 to September 20, with four birds together on two occasions (Folger) 1946. September 18 and 19 (Snyder) ». 129 « COMMON T E R N

Sterna hirundo (Linnaeus) Summer resident, formerly spectacularly abundant, then sadly depleted, once more quite common. May ι, 1895 (Mackay) to October 29, 1943 (Meade) 82

The history of the Common Tern on Nantucket is presented in tabular form below. 1870. Spectacularly abundant. The entire length of Coatue Beach was one great colony, and Brewster estimated several hundred thousand pairs 1874. Sadly depleted; plume hunting going full blast; practically none left on Coatue. Brewster writes that plume hunters claimed to have killed 40,000 birds in one year 1890. Muskeget. July 3, 20,000 birds plus eggs and young (Brewster).The same,July 30-31. Perhaps 50,000 birds, including all the fledged young (Brewster) 1892-1896. 1000-2000 pairs on Muskeget; an abundant fall transient (Mackay) 1941 on. Disturbed on Muskeget by Laughing and Herring Gulls. Small colonies nesting on Nantucket at Smith Point, Cisco, Coatue, Great Point, and Tuckernuck 1943. Fifty pairs at Cisco (Folger) 1944. Only 50 on Muskeget in early July (Mason) 1945. 2000 on Muskeget (Hagar); none on Nantucket (Folger) 1946. T w o colonies on Muskeget, one of 2000 birds, the other joo (Folger) »· 130 * ARCTIC T E R N

Sterna paradisaea (Brünnich) Erratic summer resident, arrival and departure dates unknown. The history of the Arctic Tern is given below in tabular form. 1870. Muskeget; small separate colony (Brewster and Maynard)

83

1874· Muskeget; one bird only (Brewster) 1890. Muskeget; none (Brewster and Mackay) 1892-1896. Muskeget; a few pairs (Mackay) 1942. Injured bird on beach at Cisco (Folger) 1944. Muskeget; one found dead (Mason) 1945. M a y 30, 30 at Cisco (Crompton and Folger) June 2, 20 at Great Point (Crompton and Folger) The status of nesting birds in 1945 is as follows : June 17. Five nests and eleven birds on Coatue June 20. Twenty to twenty-five nests and about fifty birds at Cisco June 22. One nest and four adults at Mioxes Beach July 13. About ten nests actually found and about eighty birds on Great Point July 15. About twenty pairs nesting on Smith Point On the afternoon of June 26, 1945, I again visited Cisco and found two young, one of considerable size with prominent pinfeathers. While I was there the wind began to blow from the northeast in gale proportions and in a few minutes it began to rain hard. This storm continued without abatement for three days during which time the remaining eggs and young were completely wiped out. B y July 9, 1945 they had half-heartedly resumed nesting activities, for I found only five nests at Cisco and about fifty adult birds in the air. By July 30, 1945 some twelve hundred terns had gathered on Smith Point, about eight hundred were resting on the point, and about four hundred were fishing offshore. Of the eight hundred resting at least one hundred were Arctic Terns. With the approach of fall, it becomes impossible to distinguish the Arctic and Common Terns, consequently no definite fall status has been established. (E.V.F.) 84

COMMON TERiN

COMMON LOON

HUDSONIAN CURLEW

LAUGHING GULL

B L U E - W I N G E D TEAL

DOVEKIE

ARCTIC T E R N

nOWITCHERS

> 131




132

SOOTY T E R N

Sterna fuscata (Linnaeus) Casual; one on September 15, 1944 just after the hurricane (Heywood). > 133


flock of 40, the first Tern to arrive in spring (Folger) 1945. June 20,15 pairs at Cisco July 13, 20 pairs at Great Point July 15,15 pairs at Smith Point; a flock of 75 with many immature there July 30

>• ! 3 4 « ROYAL T E R N

Thalasseus maximus (Boddaert) Pair, "evidently breeding," collected by Brewster and Maynard July ι, 1874 on Coatue Beach, not Muskeget, as is stated in every book since. > 135 CASPIAN T E R N

Hydroprogne caspia Imperator (Coues) Known only as a rare fall migrant, which should occur oftener and be looked for in spring. 4 on September 24, 1875 (Brewster); August 23, 1941 (Miss Snow, etc.); 2 on August 31,1945 (Van Deusen) »· 136 BLACK T E R N

Chlidonias nigra surinamensis (Gmelin) Always a fall transient in varying numbers; sometimes common; one year in spring. May 30 and June 2, 1945 (Crompton and Folger)

87

July 7, 1940 (Cottrells) to September 26, 1875 (Brewster) Brewster reports a flock of fifty at Miacomet Pond August 22, 1880. 1944. July 30 (4), August 20 (6), September 15 (2), September 17 (1) 1945. July 15 (2), August 22 (4), August 25 (6), September 20 (4) With the possible exception of Monomoy Point, the Black Tern is more common at Nantucket than at any other locality in Massachusetts. > 137


138 * GREAT AUK

Plautus impennis (Linnaeus) Extinct; on the shoals north of Nantucket (Gosnold, 1602). > 139 * RAZOR-BILLED AUK

Alca torda (Linnaeus) Regular winter visitor to the Nantucket Shoals; rarely seen from land, but frequently found dead on the beaches. November 23, 1946 (Griscom) to May 26, 1946 (Griscom) The Razor-billed Auk has been seen from Nantucket on only two occasions, but winter observation has been so fragmentary that this paucity of records is meaningless. > 140 * BRUNNICH'S MURRE

Uria lomvia lomvia (Linnaeus) Common winter resident on the Nantucket Shoals; rarely seen from land, but occasionally found dead on the beaches. 89

(November) to March ii, 193 z (Mrs. Walling) Our remarks under the Auk apply with equal force to this species, which, however, is usually much more numerous, and is occasionally seen in large numbers. Thus C. K . Averill, writing of an invasion of Murres to Long Island Sound in January 1891, mentions records by a Mr. W. F. Davis who told him "he used to see great numbers on Nantucket Shoals when a boy" (Auk, 1891, p. 308). > 141 « DOVEKIE

Alle alle (Linnaeus) Common winter resident on the Shoals, occasionally abundant; frequently seen from land, occasionally entering the Harbor. October ii (Biological Survey Files) to (spring) Winter observation of Alcids on Nantucket is seriously defective. Weekly use of a good telescope from points and headlands, and a survey of the coast after every gale would produce plenty of records, and add the Atlantic Murre and Puffin to the island list. > 142 « BLACK GUILLEMOT

Cepphus grylle (Linnaeus) Casual; two seen December 25,1906 (Alvin B. Gurley) The Guillemot prefers a cold ocean and a rocky coast, and is purely casual in shallow waters off a sandy shore. 90

> 143 ROCK DOVE

Columba livia livia (Gmelin) Permanent resident. Probably a dozen pairs on the island. Unlike its city relatives this species does not nest on public buildings nor does it gather on the main thoroughfares of the town. Instead, it prefers the outskirts of the village and the open farmland. Consequently, at the moment, the Rock Dove on Nantucket presents no particular problem. > 144


148 * SCREECH OWL

Otus asio naevius (Gmelin) Apparently a very recent arrival to the Island. 1944. One heard on Vestal Street the first week in April (Folger). Found nesting in a deserted house at Siasconset in June (Mason) 93

The Screech Owl is one of the very few birds in the northern States which are believed to be non-migratory. By what dispersal methods such a bird reaches an island out in the ocean is unknown. The odds against two birds of opposite sex meeting and nesting must be enormous, and kindle the imagination. > 149


150 « SHORT-EARED OWL

Asio flammeus (Pontoppidan) Regular permanent resident; variable in numbers depending upon disturbance and the food supply of mice. Brewster and Maynard found this owl nesting on Muskeget in 1870 and it continued to survive there until 1896, when Mackay deliberately extirpated it in the belief that it interfered with the Tern colony, which he was trying to protect. This act aroused some protest, William Brewster was appealed to, and thought that Mackay was mistaken. Curiously enough Mackay commented on the exceptional abundance of the endemic Microtus breweri, the peculiar beach mouse, possibly due to the extirpation of the owls. 94

E. P. Bicknell found a nest on Nantucket June 10,1908. It now breeds regularly on Nantucket (about two pairs on the average), probably regularly on Tuckernuck, and on Muskeget only when the beach mouse is abundant. During the 1930's and early 1940's the numbers of this Owl were a feature of the island. They were flying about in broad daylight, and one could see eight to ten in a day. The population reached an all-time low in 1945 and none at all could be found between July 22 and September 23, a possible transient. Target bombing on the breeding grounds, illegal shooting by navy personnel, and a decline in the food supply can be alleged as possible causes. However this may be, three to five birds were seen daily in September 1946. >· 151


152 WHIPPOORWILL

Caprimulgus vociferus (Wilson) Casual; one picked up alive but exhausted by Richard Duffy April 20, 1943, who gave it to Miss Margaret Harwood. Miss Harwood had it mounted and presented to the Maria Mitchell Association.

95

> 153

*

EASTERN NIGHTHAWK

Chordeiles minor minor (Forster) Rare vagrant, chiefly in early fall, single birds only. June 28,1874, one seen flying over the town (Brewster) September 2,1944 (Folger) to September 23,1933 (Boyer) The Nighthawk has been recorded on the island in 1932,1933, 1934,1944, and 1945. It is a rare vagrant to the outer Cape also.

> 154 * CHIMNEY SWIFT

Chaetura pelagica (Linnaeus) Formerly casual; now a regular transient and probable irregular summer resident in town. May 20,1944 (Folger) to September 11,1946 (Bergstroms) Brewster saw a pair over the town in late June 1874, but never saw the bird again on the island. It was unknown to Brooks (1928). Miss Grace Brown Gardner tells us she has seen this bird every summer for many years. Six to ten birds can be seen some years almost daily through June and July. Flocks of 25 to 35 are seen every spring in late May, and the relatively late arrival should be noted. Transients are recorded every fall from August 20 on.

96

>

Γ

55

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD

Archilochus colubris (Linnaeus) Very rare vagrant, three records only. 1932. August 7 (Mrs. De Barrows) 1941. One seen in early August (Boyer) 1945. One seen in July (G. B. Gardner) > 156 « BELTED KINGFISHER

Megaceryle alcyon (Linnaeus) Formerly a transient; now a regular summer resident, and numerous migrants reported in fall in September and October. April 30,1945 (Folger) to October 22,1943 (Meade) A pair has nested at Shimmo for the past three years, and a pair started constructing a burrow at Cisco some years ago. Note the remarkably late spring arrival. Dr. Meade saw the bird constantly during October 1943, up to three in a day.

> l57 < NORTHERN FLICKER

Colaptes auratus luteus (Bangs) Formerly a common fall transient; now a regular permanent resident, common on migration. Brewster found many migrants in late September 1875, but never recorded the bird in numerous summer visits. We do not 97

know when it first became a breeding bird. There were unusual numbers in October 1943 (Meade); Griscom and Root found 15 on December 30,1945, a particularly severe and wintry month. Three to five pairs nest on the island. > 158 RED-HEADED WOODPECKER

Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linnaeus) Rare fall vagrant, recorded on the island a surprising number of times. 1881. September 10, one shot (Mackay) 1889. August 31, immature shot (Mackay) September 23, one seen (Mackay) November 23, one seen (Mackay) 1944. September 16, immature near the Pines and Larches (Folger) 194J. September 21, adult (Crompton, Eliot et al.)

>

159

*

Y E L L O W - B E L L I E D SAPSUCKER

Sphyrapicus varius (Linnaeus) Rare vagrant. April 29,1933, one female in town (Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Shurrocks) September 25 (Folger) to November 24,1936 (Shurrocks) Brooks wrote in 1928 that he knew of several instances, but gave no definite records. We know of only five in recent years. 98

Nonetheless in 1945 there were unmistakable signs of Sapsucker drilling in birch trees scattered among the pines near Siasconset. 160 HAIRY WOODPECKER

Dryobates villosus (Linnaeus) Casual vagrant; on December 30, 1945 Griscom and Root heard one call and then watched it at leisure in the shade trees of town. It naturally could not be collected, so we do not know whether it was villosus or the migratory septentrionalis. Even on the outer Cape the Hairy Woodpecker is a very rare bird. > 161 DOWNY WOODPECKER

Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus) Rare vagrant, the records as yet not clearly reflecting its status. 1935. November 11, first record for the island (Mr. and Mrs. Shurrocks) 1941. September 2 (Meade) 1943. March 6, May 20 and 22 (Folger) 1945. March 4 and 10, May 26 (Folger) The known migration schedule of the little Downy Woodpecker makes it impossible to interpret these records, as some are too late and others too early. One wonders, for instance, when the bird seen September 2 actually reached the island. It would appear reasonable to suspect that it might be found wintering or nesting any year. 99

> IÓ2

ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOODPECKER Picoides arcticus (Swainson) Casual; one seen October 21,1922 (J. H. Farley), surely one of the most unexpected records for the island. > 163

«

KINGBIRD

Tyranmis tyrannus (Linnaeus) Now a common summer resident and abundant migrant, extreme dates of migrants given below: April 29 to May 26 (Folger) August 19, 1939 (Meade) to September 23, 1944 (Folger) The Kingbird was not a summer resident in the seventies, but Brewster saw one September 20,1875. The main island now has five to ten breeding pairs annually. > 164

*

ARKANSAS KINGBIRD

Tyrannus verticalis (Say) An occasional fall visitor in recent years since the species has become common on the Atlantic seaboard. 1933. 1941. 1943. 1944. 1945.

September 23 (Mrs. A . H. Walter and Mrs. Shurrocks) September 6 (Meade) October 24 (3), 27 (2) (Meade) November 12 (Folger) September 20 (Crompton et al.) 100

> IÓ5 * PHOEBE

Sayornis phoebe (Latham) Casual vagrant, two records, both surprisingly in spring. 1942. April 10 (Shurrocks) 1944. March 25 (Folger) 166 ^ LEAST FLYCATCHER

Empidonax minimus (Baird) One definite record; a bird seen and heard calling in the Hidden Forest August 25,1945 (Van Deusen and Folger). Members of the genus Empidonax are very rare vagrants in early fall and usually unidentifiable. AH records are very recent. 1941. September 9 (Meade), believed possibly an Alder 1945. September 2 in the Hidden Forest (Folger and Wyatt) September 9, one on Tuckernuck (Van Deusen and Wyatt) >· 167 * WOOD P E W E E

Myiochanes virens (Linnaeus) Uncommon vagrant, chiefly in fall, usually single birds. May 30, 1926 (Brooks) and June 24,1944 (Mason) September 2, 1941 (Meade) to October 21, 1943 (Meade) The Wood Pewee is a common fall migrant on the outer Cape

101

including Monomoy, and is surprisingly scarce on Nantucket. Suitable nesting territory now exists at the eastern end of the island back of Surfside and Siasconset, and the Pewee might easily be one of the next "new" breeding species. > 168 * OLIVE-SIDED F L Y C A T C H E R

Nuttallornis mesoleucus (Lichtenstein) Very rare fall vagrant; two on September 6 and one on September 8,1941 (Meade). Brooks saw a Flycatcher on October 8,1925, which was either this species or a Phoebe. > 169 NORTHERN HORNED LARK

Otocoris alpestris alpestris (Linnaeus) Migrant and winter resident in small numbers, never in the abundance on the outer Cape. October 19,1944 (Folger) to March 29, 1893 (Mackay) 170 PRAIRIE HORNED LARK

Otocoris alpestris praticola (Henshaw) Common summer resident, first found in the i92o's. March 4, 1946 to late October (Folger) Small flocks are noted in early spring on non-breeding areas, which disperse a few days later. Some ten to fifteen pairs nest on 102

the island. In August young and adults are much in evidence around the Bartlett Farm, the largest breeding area on the island. Fifteen were noted on September 20, 1946 (Snyder). This Lark is common at Chatham and Monomoy and arrives every spring in late February, usually by the 22nd. This strongly suggests that the Nantucket colony is an overflow from Cape Cod and arrives via the Cape. >· 171

- 208 PHILADELPHIA VIREO

Víreo philadelphìcus (Cassin) One record, September 6, 1941 (Meade) > 209 BLACK AND W H I T E W A R B L E R

Mniotilta varia (Linnaeus) Rare vagrant, six records as follows: 1919. One on Tuckernuck, June 23 (Brooks) 117

I94-I· 1943. 1944. 1945.

September 9 (Meade) October 14 (Meade) August 22 (Folger) Four in the Hidden Forest August 29 (Van Deusen); September 4 (Folger) 1946. One on September 21 (Crompton) It will be recalled that this Warbler is one of the commonest summer residents and an abundant transient in the State. It will be seen how rarely most of the Warblers stray to Nantucket. >

210

WORM-EATING W A R B L E R

Helmitheros vermivorus (Gmelin) Casual; one in the Pines and Larches, September 21, 1945 (Bergstrom and Eliot). >· 211 BLUE-WINGED WARBLER

Vermivora pinus (Linnaeus) Casual; one in late August 194J (Van Deusen). >

212

TENNESSEE WARBLER

Vermivora peregrina (Wilson) Unexpectedly rare vagrant, one collected at Great Point, September 22, 1875 (Brewster). 118

> 213 < NASHVILLE WARBLER

Vermivora ruficapilla (Wilson) Very rare vagrant; one on September 4, 1941 (Meade).

> 214

*

PARULA WARBLER

Compsothlypis americana pusilla (Wilson) Very rare vagrant; a female on May 13, 1943 (Folger); one on September 10, 1946 (Bergstroms). > 215 « YELLOW WARBLER

Dendroica aestiva (Gmelin) Regular summer resident in small numbers (two or three pairs) in recent decades. May 19, 1945 (Folger) to August 24, 1941 (Meade) The Yellow Warbler was unknown on the island in the 1870's, but had arrived at the time Brooks was visiting the island in the 1920's. Note the late spring arrival date. On May 26,1945 Folger saw six birds in town. Nearly every fall in early September the Yellow Warbler occurs in some numbers on Monomoy, but this fall migration remains undetected on Nantucket. Specimens at this season should be collected as they might be amnícola Batchelder, the northern or Newfoundland subspecies. «9

> 2i6 ^ MAGNOLIA W A R B L E R

Dendroica magnolia (Wilson) Rare vagrant, once in spring, occasional inSeptember; at most three birds a season. May 20,1944 (Folger) September 2 to September 16 (Folger) >· 217


218 BLACK-THROATED B L U E W A R B L E R

Dendroica caerulescens (Gmelin) Very rare vagrant in fall; one male found dead October 13, 1944; another seen September 27,1945 (Folger) in the "Mothball Pines"; two on September 12, 1946 (Bergstroms). 120

As this Warbler is one of the rarest fall vagrants to Cape Cod, and indeed avoids the whole coastal plain of Massachusetts, we cannot credit Brooks's general statement (1928) that it is a "regular" spring and fall migrant. > 219 MYRTLE WARBLER

Dendroica coronata (Linnaeus) Common transient, less common winter resident. September 9, 1946 (Bergstroms) to May 30, 1946 (J. M. Andrews) Flocks of 10 to 30 in winter; up to 60 on migration; scarcely the lavish abundance of the adjacent mainland. 220 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER

Dendroica virens (Gmelin) Rare fall visitor, probably of annual occurrence with adequate observation; up to five in a day, but never more than twice a season. September 20,1946 (Snyder) to October 21,1943 (Meade) »- 221 « YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER

Dendroica dominica (Linnaeus) Casual; one bird closely observed September 9,1946 (Mr. and Mrs. Bergstrom). 121

This bird was believed to be a Sycamore Warbler, albilora Ridgway, because of the absence of a yellow loral spot. In the first place the character can be seen in life, Mr. Bergstrom has had previous experience in identifying the subspecies in life, and knew just what to look for, and finally all New England records of "yellow-throated" warblers have proved to be albilora. Nevertheless the subspecific identification cannot be regarded as proved in a fall specimen. Typical dominica may lack the yellow loral spot, and final determination of the subspecies depends upon the relative length of the bill. > 222 ^ BLACKBURNIAN W A R B L E R

Dendroica fusca (Müller) Very rare vagrant; one record. On June 3,1945 Folger saw a male in an apple tree at 3 3 Milk Street. It was still in the yard the next day (G. B. Gardner). >• 223 ^ CHESTNUT-SIDED W A R B L E R

Dendroica pensylvanica (Linnaeus) Very rare vagrant; one on May 28, 1940 (Cottrells). > 224 ^ BAY-BREASTED WARBLER

Dendroica castanea (Wilson) Very rare vagrant; one collected September 28, 1875 (Brewster) . 122

> 225

«

BLACKPOLL WARBLER

Dendroica striata (Forster) V e r y rare vagrant; only four individuals definitely recorded. A male seen June 17, 1944 (Mason). Another male, with the Blackburnian on June 3, 1945 (Folger), was joined by a female the next day ( G . B . Gardner) - 1 T h e absence of fall records may seem astonishing to most readers, who are well aware that this species is the second most abundant fall warbler in eastern Massachusetts. We are quite unable to credit Brooks's general statement that it is a "regular migrant." Nevertheless fall stragglers might be expected any year. >

226

«

PINE WARBLER

Dendroica pinus (Wilson) Formerly unknown; a regular transient and uncommon summer resident for at least t w o decades. April 29, 1944 (Folger) to September 24, 1944 (Folger) Unknown during the period of Brewster's visits, the Pine Warbler can scarcely have become established on Nantucket until the "pine plantings" had proved successful and the trees had reached a certain size. T h e late date of arrival in spring should be noted. In September occasional flights of this species reach the island, once as early as September 6. On September 21, 1945 Bergstrom and others saw thirty-five. 1 T w o males seen May 20,1946 near Long Pond Bridge on the Maddaket Road (J. M . Andrews).

I2

3

> 227

*

PRAIRIE W A R B L E R

Devdroica discolor (Vieillot) V e r y rare vagrant; one on September 16,1945 (Bergstrom) and another on September 20, 1946 (Snyder). The absence of the Prairie Warbler is the chief vagary of island faunas as far as Nantucket birds are concerned. At the eastern end of the island there are square miles of scrub oak and pitch pine. The flora is the same as on the Cape, the Chewinks are present, the Pine Warblers are there, but there are no Prairies. A t Chatham at the southeast corner of the Cape, the Prairie Warbler is almost as common in early September as the Pine, in migrating flocks. W h y Pine Warblers reach Nantucket in some numbers, and hardly ever a Prairie, is a paradox we are unable to explain, but which is well worth bringing out. > 2 2 8 ·< W E S T E R N P A L M WARBLER

Dendroica palmarum palmarum (Gmelin) Occasional vagrant in fall in recent decades. 1924. 1941. 1943. 1945. 1946.

One collected October 20 (Brooks) September 6 and 8, two each day (Meade) October 7, 9, 14, and 22, maximum of three (Meade) September 27 (Folger) September 20, nine (Snyder)

This is a very different picture from that on the outer Cape, where the Palm Warbler is common all fall (up to 2 5 in a day) and winters regularly. 124

> 229 « Y E L L O W P A L M WARBLER

Dendroica palmarum hypochrysea (Ridgway) V e r y rare vagrant; one on September 30, 1875 (Brewster) ; five on October 11,1943 (Meade). In the last two decades the remarkable increase of the Western Palm Warbler in fall has altered earlier concepts. It is now a much commoner bird on the coastal plain than the Yellow Palm. Nevertheless Brooks may prove correct in listing the Yellow Palm as "rather common" on Nantucket. October observation in recent years is very deficient.

>

230

NORTHERN W A T E R - T H R U S H

Seiurus noveboracensis (Gmelin) V e r y rare vagrant; August 31, 1926 (Cobb); September 1, 1944 (Folger andWyatt); September 3, 1945 (Van Deusen and Wyatt) ; September 8 and 10, 1946 (Bergstroms).

> 231

*

LOUISIANA W A T E R - T H R U S H

Seiurus motacilla (Vieillot) Casual; one found dead by a small boy in 1943, brought to the Maria Mitchell Association, and presented to the New England Museum of Natural History.

125

> 232 * CONNECTICUT W A R B L E R

Oporornis agilis (Wilson) Very rare vagrant; one collected September 27, 1875 (Brewster) ; September 18,1946 (Bergstrom, Crompton, Snyder). >

2

33 *

NORTHERN YELLOWTHROAT

Geotklypis trichas brachydactyla (Swainson) Common summer resident and fall transient. May 6,1944 to October 3, 1944 (Folger) Casual November 13, 1944 (Folger) Flights of migrants occasionally reach the island in early September, as in 1941 and 1945. In the latter year between 20 and 25 were noted on September 6 (Folger). > 234 * Y E L L O W - B R E A S T E D CHAT

Icteria vir ens (Linnaeus) Casual; indefinitely reported in 1937; one after the hurricane on September 16, 1944 (Folger). > 235 ^ WILSON'S W A R B L E R

Wilsonia pusilla (Wilson) Very rare vagrant; September 21,1945 (Bergstrom) ; September 2i, 1946 (Crompton). 126

> 236 « CANADA W A R B L E R

Wilsonia canadensis (Linnaeus) Very rare vagrant; August 23, 1939 (Meade); September 9, 1941 (Meade); August 29, 1945 (Folger and Van Deusen); September 18, 1946 (Elmer Worthley). >

2

37

*

REDSTART

Setophaga ruticilla (Linnaeus) Uncommon fall transient; possible irregular summer resident. July 27, 1944 (Mason) to September 9, 1941 (Meade) A pair was seen early in the summer of 1945 and may possibly have nested (Wyatt) ; the birds were in the same place, a small "forest" off the Wauwimet Road, in 1946. > 238 ^ HOUSE SPARROW

Passer domesticus (Linnaeus) Common resident, liberated in 1884. > 239 « BOBOLINK

Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Linnaeus) Irregular visitor in fall. 127

August 26,1939 (Meade) to September 19, 1946 (Crompton) Maximum 2 j on September 5, 194J Formerly an abundant summer resident, disappearing early in the market gunning period. A singing male on June 27, 1874 (Brewster) is the last record of this period. > 240 MEADOWLARK

Sturnella magna (Linnaeus) Formerly abundant summer resident, often common in winter; now uncommon resident, two to six in a day in summer (Mason). The great decrease of the Meadowlark on the whole coastal plain of the State has never been brought out. It was assiduously hunted as the "marsh quail." Civilization and occasional cold winters have caused a further steady decline. > 241 * YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Bonaparte) Casual vagrant in fall, no less than three records in six years. 1941. September 8 and 9 (Meade) 1945. One adult September j (Van Deusen and Wyatt); one immature with a flock of Cowbirds September 13 (Folger et al.) > 242

*

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD

Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus) Abundant summer resident, several pairs on Muskeget. 128

March 2, 1940 (Shurrocks) to September 6, 1941 (Meade) The Redwing departs early in August, and only stragglers remain after the 15th. No later fall migrants have as yet been noted on the island, and they are rare even on the outer Cape. > 243

*

BALTIMORE ORIOLE

Icterus galbula (Linnaeus) Regular spring visitor; occasional in fall. First week in May to mid-June; August 29 to September 21 The Oriole on Nantucket is a curious case, and shows the danger of assuming that males in summer represent nesting pairs. The bird arrives regularly every May and remains until midJune. Nevertheless all birds have been males; no female has ever been seen, and there is, therefore, no question of a nest. The shade trees in the old town provide ideal nesting sites, and the discovery of a breeding pair may be expected any year. Transients were noted on three occasions in the fall of 1945. > 244 « R U S T Y BLACKBIRD

Euphagus carolinus (Müller) Casual; one seen October 8, 1925 (Brooks). > 245 * BRONZED G R A C K L E

Quiscalus quiscula aeneus (Ridgway) 129

> 246 * ridgway's

grackle

Quiscalus quiscula ridgivayi (Chapman) Common summer resident; one winter record. March 24, 1943 to September 24, 1945 (Folger) Transients on October 9, 1943 (Meade) T w o birds spent the mild winter of 1936-37 in town The mixed origin of an island population is excellently shown by these two Grackles, both of which were originally vagrants. In 1874 Brewster found only one large colony; he collected a series and these are mostly ridgivayi, which he called Purple Grackles, the old quiscula. In recent decades the bird has become common. At Dr. Frank M. Chapman's request, who was monographing the group, Mr. J . D. Smith of the New England Museum was sent to the island, and collected another small series, most of which are aeneus. At Chatham, the nearest point on the Cape, the majority of birds are now aeneus. >· 247 ·< COWBIRD

Molothrus ater (Boddaert) Common summer resident in recent decades, none in Brewster's time. March 2, 1940 (Shurrocks) to October 12, 1943 (Meade) A flock of 120 was seen September 6, 1945. Transients also occur in October, but chiefly in spring. In late March and early 130

April flocks of 40 or more are occasionally noted. These must be transients, as no such number breeds. >· 248 < SCARLET TANAGER

Piranga olivacea (Vieillot) Rare vagrant; four records, one in spring. May 9, 1941 (Shurrocks) August 29, 1945, three birds (Folger and Van Deusen) September 9, 1941 (Meade) October 13,1944, one male found dead at Maddaket (Folger) > 249 SUMMER TANAGER

Piranga rubra (Linnaeus) Casual after southerly gales in spring; two records. One reported April 20,1929 to Forbush, when numerous specimens reached New England. A first-year male was picked up dead May 14,1943 (Folger) ; an all red bird reported two or three days earlier with some Bluebirds around the Bartlett Farm was possibly a second individual. > 250 « ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK

Hedymeles ludovicimus (Linnaeus) Casual after southerly storms, often at abnormally early dates. 131

1939· April 26-29 (Shurrocks) 1940. April 23 (Shurrocks) 1943. May 8 (G. B. Gardner)

>

251


252

*

EVENING GROSBEAK

Hesperiphona vespertina (Cooper) Casual on two occasions. Reported by various observers on three occasions November 12, 1933 to February 15, 1934, a great flight year. T w o seen on December 30,1945 in a yard with a Mockingbird feeding on rose-hips (Andrew and Ludlow Griscom and Oscar Root), the greatest flight year to New England. One can only speculate as to what urge compels a bird from the interior of a continent to launch out over an unknown ocean and find an unknown island by pure chance. > 253




2

54 *

P I N E SISKIN

Spimis pimis (Wilson) Very rare vagrant; two on October 21, 1943 (Meade) ; three flocks totaling 79 birds on December 30,1945 (A. and L. Griscom, Oscar Root). > 255

*

GOLDFINCH

Spinas tristis (Linnaeus) Erratic summer resident in recent years; rare vagrant in fall. May 19,1945 (Folger) to October 21, 1924 (Brooks) Twelve birds on September 19,1945 is the most ever seen in a day on the island. T w o or three pairs at most in any one summer are presumed to breed. > 256 « RED CROSSBILL

Loxia curvirostra subspecies Once only; three on December 30,1945 (Griscom and Root). 133

>

2

57

*

RED-EYED TOWHEE; CHEWINK

Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus) Regular summer resident, fairly common, a few on Tuckernuck. May 6,1944 (Folger) to September 27, 1945 (Folger) > 258 « IPSWICH SPARROW

Passerculus princeps (Maynard) Only one record, one collected on Tuckernuck in late December, 1925 (Stanley Cobb). Undoubtedly overlooked. > 259


- 2Ó0 GRASSHOPPER SPARROW

Ammodramus savannarum australis (Maynard) Formerly remarkably abundant, now local and uncommon summer resident. Brewster and Maynard in 1870 and 1874 found this little sparrow so amazingly abundant that they dropped their chief interest, the Terns, and spent a substantial amount of time on it. There are pages about it in Brewster's journal. The bird swarmed over almost the whole of the then nearly treeless island, and field after field supported a population of three to four pairs per ¡00 square yards. Brewster also liotes that it was still "common" as late as September 29, 1878. It is astonishing that he never published anything on it, as no such concentration is reported in the literature from any part of its range. Brooks regarded the Grasshopper Sparrow as fairly common only in the 1920's. A t present its chief headquarters are the moors near Mioxes Pond. The arrival date in spring is undetermined; moreover Brewster's note of September 29 proves that the latest data of the last bird is also undetermined. Readers should note that the Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows have reversed their status on the island in the course of eight decades. The s ame trend has been taking place on Cape Cod and Marthas Vineyard. > 261 « SHARP-TAILED SPARROW

Ammospiza caudacuta (Gmelin) V e r y local summer resident and common fall transient.

135

M a y 31, 1939 (Benchley and Hagar) to October 24, 1910 (S. P. Fay) There are at least four "colonies" on the island, two or three pairs in each. The spring record was a migrant on Muskeget. T h e bird seen by Mr. Fay on October 24 was a partial albino, and was collected. The lack of records for the Acadian Sharp-tail can be ascribed chiefly to defective field work. V 262 SEASIDE SPARROW

Ammospiza maritima (Wilson) Forbush (1929) knew of one occurrence but never published any details. > 263

«

VESPER SPARROW

Poœcetes gramineus (Gmelin) Local summer resident, only fairly common, abundant in the 1870's, arriving very late. April 29, 1945 (Folger) to October 27,1943 (Meade) In early fall 12 to 15 birds have been seen in a day, probably an aggregation after a successful nesting season.

136

> 2Ó4 * LARK SPARROW

Chondestes grammacus (Say) Casual visitor in fall; four birds September 9 and 10, 1939 (Aaron Bagg). > 265 « SLATE-COLORED JUNCO

Junco hyemalis hyemalis (Linnaeus) Regular fall migrant and winter resident in small numbers. September 30, 1945 (Folger) to April 30, 1940 (Cottrells) > 266 TREE SPARROW

Spizella arborea (Wilson) Vagrants in late fall may possibly winter; reported again in March with some frequency. December 29, 1925 (Cobb) to April 29, 1945 (Folger) The Tree Sparrow is reported only twice on the island in late December, and there are no late January or February records as yet. > 267 CHIPPING SPARROW

Spizella passerina (Bechstein) Very rare vagrant; four on October 20, 1924 (Brooks) ; two »37

birds on June 18,1944, and one on the 26th, but none thereafter (Mason), presumably stragglers from the preceding spring. > 268 « FIELD SPARROW

Spizella fusilla (Wilson) Rare fall vagrant; one on September 23,1944 and six on October 3 (Folger). > 269 ·« WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW

Zonotrichia leucophrys (Forster) Uncommon fall vagrant, reported annually in recent years. September 19,1946 (Bergstroms) to October 20,1943 (Meade) > 270 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW

Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmelin) Uncommon vagrant both spring and fall, maximum of three birds in a day; only six records. March 26,1893 (Mackay) to April 29,194J (Folger) October 9 to 14 (Folger) > 271 « FOX SPARROW

Passerella iliaca (Merrem) Four seen on Muskeget March 26, 1893 (Mackay). Miss 138

Folger had reports of this sparrow in town in the early spring of 1943 and the fall of 1945. > 2 7 2 ·< SONG SPARROW

Melospiza melodia (Wilson) Abundant summer resident, irregular in winter. Migrants were noted on Muskeget March 26,1893 (Mackay). > 273 * LAPLAND LONGSPUR

Calcarius lapponicus (Linnaeus) One seen October 20 and 22,1943 (Meade) > 274 * SNOW BUNTING

Flectrophenax nivalis (Linnaeus) Irregular winter visitant, often in good-sized flocks. November 6, 1894 (Mackay) to March 30, 1890 (Mackay) N.B. The European Partridge and Prairie Chicken have been unsuccessfully introduced.

139

^

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Allen, Joel A . 1869 (Dec.). "Notes on Some of the Rarer Birds of Massachusetts," Amer. Nat., vol. 3, No. 10, p. J07. 1870 (Feb.). "Notes on Some of the Rarer Birds of Massachusetts," Amer. Nat., vol. 3, No. 12, pp. 637-640. 1870 (March). "Notes on Some of the Rarer Birds of Massachusetts," Amer. Nat., vol. 4, No. 1, p. 58. American Ornithologists' Union 1931. Check-list of North American Birds, 4th edition (1931). Argue, Arthur W. and Margaret L. 1945 (April). Review of Audubon Check-lists, vol. 21, No. 3, p. 81. Bent, Arthur Cleveland 1907 (April). "Whistling Swan (Olor columbianus) in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 24, No. 2, p. 212. Bicknell, Eugene P. 1919 (April). "The Short-Eared Owl Breeding on Nantucket," Auk, vol. 36, N o . 2, pp. 2 8 4 - 2 8 5 .

Brewster, William 1876 (April). "The Nuttall Ornithological Club," Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club,, vol. ι, No. 2, p. 30. 1878 (July). "The Short-Tailed Tern (Hydrochelidonfissipes) in Massachusetts," Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vol. 3, No. 3, p. 190. 1878 (Oct.). "Occurrence of the Whistling-Swan (Cygnus americanus) in Massachusetts," Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 198•99·

1879 (Jan.). "The Terns of the New England Coast," Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vol. 4, No. ι, pp. 13-22. 1881 (April). "The Short-Tailed Tern (Hydrochelidon nigra) in New England," Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 124-12. 1898 (April). "The Short-Eared Owls of Muskeget Island," Auk, vol. iS, N o . 2, pp. 211-213.

içoi (April). "On the Occurrence in Massachusetts of Certain Rare or Interesting Birds," Auk, vol. ι8, No. 2, p. 135. 1909 (April). "Barrow's Golden-Eye in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 26, No. 2, pp. ι j 3-164. Brooks, W. Sprague 1928. A preliminary list of the Birds of Nantucket, published by the Maria Mitchell Association. Bulletin: Massachusetts Audubon Society 1939 (March). "The Audubon Check-Lists for 1938," vol. 23, No. 2, PP· 4-6· 1942 (Oct.). "Discoveries," vol. 26, No. 6, p. 168. 1943 (June, Oct.). "Field Notes," vol. 27, Nos. 5 and 6, pp. 146,185186. 1944 (Oct., Nov., Dec.). "Field Notes," vol. 28, Nos. 6, 7, and 8, pp. 209, 235, 260. 1945 (J a n ·)· "Field Notes," vol. 28, No. 9, p. 287. 194$ (Jan., Oct., Dec.). "Records of New England Birds," vol. 1, Nos. 1-10,12, pp. 6,18, 26, 28, 30-32, 34, 37,40.45-48, 51—53, 56, 68, 72-73, 76, 83, 103-104, 106, 111-112, 114, 133-136, 138, 140-143, 145-146, 148-152, 154-162, 164, 166-171, 177, 179, 182, i86, 188-189, 201, 220-224, 226, 229-230. 1946 (Jan.) ."Records of New England Birds," vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 237238, 240-242, 247. 1946 (Feb.). "Field Notes," vol. 30, No. 1, p. 26. Clement, R. C. and E. A . Bergstrom 1942 (March). "1941 a Banner Bird Year," Bull. Mass. Aud. Soc., vol. 26, No. 2, p. 33. Crandall, Lee S. 1915 (July). "Gray Sea Eagle Off Nantucket," Auk, vol. 32, No. 3, p. 368. Eliot, Samuel Α., Jr. 1946 (April). "The Early Birds of 1945," Bull. Mass. Aud. Soc., vol. 30, No. 3, p. 83. Elkins, Frances T . 1946 (April). " A Review of the Audubon Check-Lists," Bull. Mass. Aud. Soc., vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 74-77, 80, 82. 142

Fay, S. Prescott 1908 (April). "Barrow's Golden Eye (Clangula islándico) in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 25, No. 2, p. 217. 1910 (Oct.). "The Canvas-Back in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 27, No. 4, p. 373. Forbush, Edward Howe 1912. A History of the Game Birds, Wild-Fowl, and Shore Birds of Massachusetts and Adjacent States, pp. 74, 90, 97, 109, 115, 123, 141, 143, 1 4 9 , 1 5 4 , 1 5 6 , 1 6 2 , 1 6 4 , 1 7 2 , 1 8 0 , 1 8 6 , 1 8 8 , 1 9 1 , 1 9 5 , 2 2 0 , 226, 237, 249, 251, 263, 310, 314, 327, 339, 344, 34S, 347, 359, 371, 3 8 0 , 4 2 0 , 4 2 J .

1925. Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States, vol. 1, pp. xxii, 23, 44-45, 51-52, 55, 57, 64, 74, 84-86, 101, 108,113-114, 117, 121, 123, 133, 142, 157, 167, 185, 210, 236, 239, 2 5 8 - 2 5 9 , 2 6 2 - 2 6 3 , 266-267, 1 7 ° , 276, 291, 294, 297, 298, 299, 304, 310, 327, 331, 362, 376, 378, 386, 395, 403, 426, 444, 464.

1927. Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States, vol. 2, pp. xiii, xviii-xix, x x v i , xxxi-xxxii, XXXV, xxxvii, 84, 142, 149, 166, 177, 184, 198-202, 366, 403, 417.

1929. Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States, vol. 3, pp. 67, 1 3 5 - 1 3 6 , 1 9 4 , 318-319, 362.

Garrison, David L . 1939 (Nov.). "The Fall Flight near Boston," Bull. Mass. Aud. Soc., vol. 23, No. 7, p. 5. Hagar, Joseph A . 1937 (May). "Least Tern Studies-1935 and 1936," Bull. Mass. Aud. Soc., vol. 21, No. 4, p. 5. Howe, Reginald Heber and Glover Morrill Allen 1901. The Birds of Massachusetts, pp. 18-60, 68, 125. Mackay, George Henry 1890 (July). "Notes on Several Species of Water Birds at Muskeget Island, Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 294-295. 1890 (Oct.). "Somateria dresseri, the American Eider," Auk, vol. 7, N o . 4, pp. 315-319.

1891 (Jan.). "The Habits of the Golden Plover (Charadrius domtnicus) in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 17-24. 1891 (Jan.). "Uncommon Birds for Nantucket Island, Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 8, No. ι, p. 120.

143

1891 (July)· " T h e Scoters (Oidemia americana, O. deglandi and O. perspicillata) in N e w England," Auk, vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 279-290. 1892 (Jan.). "Habits of the Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) m N e w England," Auk, vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 16-21. 1892 Qan.). "Calidris arenaria in Massachusetts in W i n t e r , " A u k , vol. 9, No. ι, p. 72. 1892 (April). "Habits of the Black-Bellied Plover (Charadrius squatarola) in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 143-152. 1892 (April). " T h e Migration of Charadrius dominicus in Massachusetts in 1891," Auk, vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 199-200. 1892 Guly)· " T h e Spring Migration of the Scoters in 1892,"Auk, vol. 9, No. 3, p. 294. 1892 (July). The Red Phalarope (Crymophilus fulicarius) at Nantucket Island, Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 294-298. 1892 (July). " A Correction," Auk, vol. 9, No. 3, p. 300. 1892 (July). "Water Birds at Nantucket, Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 304-30J. 1892 (Oct.). "Habits of Oldsquaw (Clangula hyemails') in N e w England," Auk, vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 330-337. 1892 (Oct.). "Habits of Hudsonian Curlew in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 345-352· 1892 (Oct.). "TryngitessubruficoHis," Auk, vol. 9, N o . 4, pp. 389-390. 1893 (Jan.). "Observations on the Knot (Tringa canutus)," Auk, vol. 10, No. ι, pp. 26, 28-29. 1893 (Jan.). "Larus argentatussmithstmianus," Auk, vol. 10, No. 1, p. 76. 1893 (Jan.). "Branta bernicla at Nantucket, Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 10, No. ι, p. 77. 1893 (Jan.). " T h e Migration of Numenius borealis in Massachusetts in 1892," Auk, vol. 10, N o . ι, p. 79. 1893 (Jan.). " T h e Migration of Charadrius dominicus in Massachusetts in 1892," Auk, vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 79-82. 1893 (July). " F l y Lines," Auk, vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 245-249. 1893 (Oct.). "Observations on the Breeding Habits of Larus atricilla in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 333-336. 1893 (Oct.). "Stray Notes from the Vicinity of Muskeget Island, Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 10, No. 4, p. 370. 1894 (Jan.) . " T h e 189 3 Migration of Charadrius dominicus and Numenius borealis in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. n, No. 1, pp. 7 5 - 7 6 . 1894 (July). "Notes on Certain Water Birds in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. il, No. 3, pp. 223-228.

144

ι895 (Jan.). " T h e Terns of Muskeget Island, Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 12, No. ι, pp. 32-48. 1895 (Jan.). "Numenius hudsonicus," Auk, vol. 12, No. 1, p. 77. 1895 0 a n · ) · " T h e 1894 Migration of Charadrius dominicas in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 12, No. ι, pp. 78-79. 189j (July). "Nantucket Notes," Auk, vol. 12, No. 3, p. 310. 1896 (Jan.). " T h e Terns of Muskeget Island, Massachusetts, Part I I , " Auk, vol. 13, No. ι, pp. 4 7 - 5 J . 1896 0 a n · ) · " T h e 1895 Migration of Charadrius dominicus in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 13, No. ι, p. 80. 1896 (Jan.). "Nantucket and Muskeget Island Notes," Auk, vol. 13, No. ι, p. 88. 1897 (April). "Sundry Notes," Auk, vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 228-229. 1897 (April). " T h e 1896 Migration of Charadrius dominicus and Numenius borialis in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 212-214. 1897 (Oct.). " T h e Terns of Muskeget Island, Massachusetts, Part I I I , " Auk, vol. 14, N o . 4, pp. 383-390. 1898 (Jan.). " T h e 1897 Migration of the Golden Plover (Charadrius dominicus) and the Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 15, No. ι, pp. 52-53. 1898 (Jan.). Report of the A . O. U . Committee on Protection of North American Birds," Auk, vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 86-89. 1898 (April). " T h e "Ierns of Muskeget Island, Massachusetts, Part I V , " Auk, vol. l j , No. 2, pp. 168-172. 1898 (April). " T h e Fauna of Muskeget Island—A R e p l y , " Auk, vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 210-211. 1899 (Jan.). "Report of A . O . U . Committee on Protection of North American Birds," Auk, vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 63-64. 1899 (April). " T h e 1898 Migration of the Golden Plover (Charadrius dominicus) and Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 16, No. 2, p. 180. 1899 (April). "Barn Swallows," Auk, vol. 16, No. 2, p. 184. 1899 (July). " T h e Terns of Muskeget and Penikese Islands, Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 259-264. 1904 (Jan.). "Letter about Bird Protection in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 21, No. ι, p. 168. 1911 (Jan.). "Old Records for Massachusetts and Rhode Island," Auk, vol. 28, N o . ι, pp. 119-120. I4S

(April). "American Golden Plover (Charadrius d. dominicas) at Nantucket Island," Auk, vol. 33, N o . 2, p. 199. 1921 (April). "Sanderling on Nantucket in December," Auk, vol. 38, N o . 2, pp. 273-274. 1921 (Oct.). "Hudsonian Curlew and Golden Plover at Nantucket," Auk, vol. 38, No. 4, p. 600. 1925 (Oct.). "Breeding of the Herring Gull {LOTUS argentatus) in Massachusetts," Auk, vol. 42, N o . 4, pp. 517-518. 1926 (Jan.). "Nantucket Island Notes," Auk, vol. 43, N o . 1, pp. 103104. 1928 (Oct.). "Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottes) Nesting on Nantucket," Auk, vol. 45, N o . 4, pp. 511-512. 1929. Shooting Journal of George Henry Mackay, 1865-1922, pp. 96-97, 107-113, 132-143, 151-164, 168-171, 178-185, 189-210, 213-216, 230236, 241-243, 246-252, 256-269, 273-281, 284-304, 313-373. 1930 (Oct.). "Nantucket Island Notes," Auk, vol. 47, No. 4, p. 572. IÇI6

Mason, C. Russell 1944 (Nov.). "Summer Birds of Nantucket," Bull. Mass. Aud. Soc., vol. 28, No. 7, pp. 217-220. Maynard, C. J. 1877. The Naturalists' Guide in Collecting and Preserving Objects of Natural History with a complete catalogue of the Birds of Eastern Massachusetts, pp. 117-118, 149, 151, 154-155, 157. Meade, Gordon 1942 (June). "Some Late Summer Birds of Nantucket," Bull. Mass. Aud. Soc., vol. 26, N o . 5, pp. 121-129. 1944 (Nov.). "October Birds on Nantucket," Bull. Mass. Aud. Soc., vol. 28, N o . 7, pp. 221-224. Miller, Gerritt Smith, Jr. 1898 (Jan.). " T h e Fauna of Muskeget Island—A Protest," Auk, vol. 15, N o . 1, pp. 75-77Monaghan, James 1942. "Thoreau in Nantucket," Proc. Nan. Hist. Assoc., p. 28. Palmer, Theodore S. 1906 (Jan.). "Additional American Records of the R u f f , " Auk, vol. 23, N o . ι, pp. 98-99.

146

Phillips, John Charles 1929. "Shooting Stands of Eastern Massachusetts" Purdie, Henry A . 1882 (April). "Rhynchops nigra—An Early Record for the Massachusetts Coast," Bull. Nutt. OTTI. Club, vol. 7, No. 2, p. 12J. 1882 (Oct.). "Garzetta candidissima at Nantucket, Massachusetts," Bull. Nutt. Ont. Club, vol. 7, No. 4, p. 251. Turner, Harry B. 1944. Nantucket "Argument Settlers," pp. 41, 48, 78,107. Wyatt, Grace 1944. "Report of the Director of Natural Science," The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association, 4.2nd Annual Report, p. ιό.

147

^ Accipiter cooperi, 4j gentilis, 44 striatus, 45 Actitis macularia, 64 Agelaius phoeniceus, 128 fx sponsa, 36 Alca torda, 89 allí, 90 Ammodramus savannarum, 13$ Ammospiza caudacuta, 135 maritima, 136 Anas platyrhynchos, 32 rubripes, 33 Anser albifrons, 32 Anthus spinoletta, iij Archilochus colubris, 97 Ardea herodias, 25 Arenaria interpres, J9 Arquatclla maritima, 67 Asió flammeus, 94 Auk, Great, 12, 89 Razor-billed, 89 Baldpate, 5, 34 Bartramia longicauda, 63 Bittern, American, 29 Blackbird, Red-winged, 128 Rusty, 129 Yellow-headed, 128 Bluebird, 113 Bobolink, 127 Bob-white, j ι Bombycilla cedrorum, nj Bonasa umbellus, ji Botaurus lentiginosus, 29 Brant, American, j , 31 Branta bernicla, 31 canadensis, 31 Brewster, William, 7, 12

INDEX Brooks, W. Sprague, 8 Bufflehead, 39 Bunting, Indigo, 132 Snow, 139 Buteo jamaicensis, 46 lagopus, 47 lineatus, 47 Butorides virescens, 27 Calcarius lapponicus, 139 Calidris canutas, 67 Canvasback, j , 37 Capella delicata, 60 Caprimulgus vociferus, 95 Carpodacus purpureus, 132 Casmerodius egretta, 26 Catbird, m Catharacta skua, 76 Cathartes aura, 44 Catoptrophorus inornatus, 66 semipalmatus, 6$ Cepphus grylle, 90 Certhia familiaris, 109 Chaetura pelagica, 96 Charadrius melodus, J4 semipalmatus, J4 vociferus, 55 Charitonetta albeola, 39 Chat, Yellow-breasted, 126 Chewink, 134 Chickadee, Black-capped, 107 Chlidonias nigra, 87 Chondestes grammacus, 137 Chordeiles minor, 96 Circus cyaneus, 49 Clangula hyemalis, 39 Coatue Beach, 3, 4, i j Coccyzus americanas, 92 erythrophthalmus, 93

Colaptes auratus, 97 Colinus virginianus, Ji Columba livia, 91 Colymbus auritus, 19 grisegena, 19 Compsothlypis americana, 119 Coot, American, 53 Cormorant, Double-crested, 2 j European, 24 Corvus brachyrhynchos, 107 ossifragus, 107 Cowbird, 130 Creeper, Brown, 109 Crocethia alba, 73 Crossbill, Red, 133 Crow, 107 Fish, 107 Cryptoglaux acadica, 95 Cuckoo, Black-billed, 93 Yellow-billed, 92 Curlew, Eskimo, 7, 62 Hudsonian, 61 Long-billed, 61 Cyanocitta cristata, 106 Cygnus columbianus, 30 olor, 30 Dafila acuta, 3 5 Dendroica aestiva, 119 caerulescens, 120 castanea, 122 coronata, 121 discolor, 124 dominica, 121 fusca, 122 magnolia, 120 palmarum, 124 hypochrysea, 12 j pensylvanica, 122 pinus, 123 striata, 123

Dendroica tigrina, 120 vir ens, 121 Dolichonyx oryzivorus, 127 Dove, Mourning, 91 Rock, 91 Dovekie, 90 Dowitcher, Eastern, 69 Long-billed, 70 Dryobates pubescens, 99 villosus, 99 Duck, Black, 33 Harlequin, 40 Labrador, 12 Ruddy, 43 Wood, 36 Dumetella carolinensis, m Dunlin, 69 Eagle, Bald, 48 Sea, 48 Ectopistes migratorius, 92 Egret, American, 26 Snowy, 26 Egretta tkula, 26 Eider, American, j , 40 King, 41 Northern, 40 Empidomax minimus, iot Erewnetes mentri, 71 pusillus, 71 Euphagus carolinus, 129 Falco columbarius, 50 peregrinus, j o sparverius, 50 Finch, Purple, 132 Flicker, Northern, 97 Florida caerulea, 26 Flycatcher, Least, 101 Olive-sided, 102 Forbush, Ε. H., 8

150

Fúlica americana, 53

Hawk, Marsh, 48 Pigeon, 50 Red-shouldered, 47 Red-tailed, 46 Rough-legged, 47 Sharp-shinned, 45 Sparrow, j o Heather, 3 Hedymeles ludovicianus, 131 Helmitheros vermivorus, 118 Heron, Black-crowned Night, 27 Great Blue, 25 Green, 27 Little Blue, 26 Hesperiphona vespertina, 132 Hidden Forest, 12 Hirundo rustica, roj Histrionicus histrionicus, 40 Hummingbird, Ruby-throated, 97 Hydroprogne caspia, 87 Hylocichla guttata, 112 minima, 112 ustulata, 113

Gallínula chloropus, j 3 Gallinule, Florida, 53 Purple, 53 Gannet, 24 Gavia immer, 18 stellata, 18 Geothlypis trichas, 126 Glmicionetta americana, 39 Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray, 114 God wit, Hudsonian, 72 Marbled, 72 Golden-eye, American, 39 Barrow's, 39 Goldfinch, 133 Goose, Canada, 31 White-fronted, 32 Goshawk, 44 Grackle, Bronzed, 129 Ridgway's, 130 Great Point, 3, 9, 15 Grebe, Holboell's, 19 Horned, 19 Pied-billed, 20 Grosbeak, Evening, 132 Rose-breasted, 131 Grouse, Ruffed, 12, 51 Guillemot, Black, 90 Gull, Bonaparte's, 81 Great Black-backed, 13, 77 Herring, 13, 78 Laughing, 13, 80 Iceland, 77 Ring-billed, 79

Ibis, Glossy, 30 Icteria vir ens, 126 Icterus galbula, 129 lomornis martinica, 53 IridopTOcne bicolor, 103 Islands, lack of birds on, 16 traps for land birds, 16 Jaeger, Long-tailed, 75 Parasitic, 75 Pomarine, 75 J a y , Blue, 106 Junco hyemalis, 137 Junco, Slate-colored, 137

Haliaeëtus albicilla, 48 leucocephala, 48 Hawk, Cooper's, 45 Duck, j o Fish, 49

Killdeer, 55 Kingbird, 100 I

Kingbird, Arkansas, ioo Kinglet, Golden-crowned, 114 Ruby-crowned, 114 Kingfisher, Belted, 97 Kittiwake, Atlantic, 81 Knot, American, 67

Megaceryle alcyon, 97 Melanerpes erythrocephalus, 98 Melospiza melodia, 139 Merganser, American, 43 Hooded, 43 Red-breasted, 44 Mergus americamis, 43 serrator, 44 Micropalama himantopus, 70 Mimus polyglottes, no Mniotilta varia, 117 Mockingbird, no Molothrus ater, 130 Monomoy Point, 9 Moth, Pine, ravages of, 12 Murre, Atlantic, 90 Brunnich's, 90 Muskeget, bird colonies of, 13 location of, 3 shore-line changes, 4 Myiochanes virens, ιοί

Land bird migrants, 9. 10, 15, 17 Lantus excubitor, 115 ludovicianus, 116 Lark, Horned, Northern, 102 Horned, Prairie, 102 Larus, argentatus, 78 atricilla, 80 delawarensis, 79 leucopterus, 77 marinus, 77 fhiladelphia, 81 Laterallus jamaicensis, J3 Limosa fedoa, 72 haemastica, 72 Limnodromus griseus, 69 scolopactus, 70 Lobipes lobatus, 74 Longspur, Lapland, 139 Loon, Common, 18 Red-throated, 18 Lophodytes cucullatus, 43 Latin curvirostra, 133

Nannus hiemalis, no Nantucket, area of, 3 changes in bird life, 12 climate of, 6 conservation efforts, 8 endemic mammals of, 3 flora, 3 geological history of, 3 location of, 3 market gunning, j moors of, 4 opportunity of, 16 ornithological history of, 7, 8 ornithological problems o f , 1 4 pine plantations, 12 pond changes, 4-5 shoals of, 14 shore-line changes, 4 sportsmens' paradise, 5

Mackay, George H., 4, 7 Mallard, 32 Mammals, species lacking, 3 endemic species, 3 M areca americana, 34 penelope, 34 Maria Mitchell Association, 6, 8 Martin, Purple, 106 Massachusetts Audubon Society, 6 Meade, Gordon M . , 14 Meadowlark, 128 Iii

Nantucket, spread of trees, 4 topography of, 3 Netti/m carolinense, 35 crecca, 35 Nighthawk, 96 Numenius americanus, 61 borealis, 62 hudsonicus, 61 Nuthatch, Red-breasted, 11,109 White-breasted, 108 Nuttallomis mesoleucus, 102 Nyctea scandiaca, 94 Nycticorax nycticorax, 27 Nyroca ajfinis, 38 americana, 37 marila, 38 valisineria, 37 Oceanites oceanicus, 23 Occanodroma leworhoa, 22 Oidemia deglandi, 41 nigra, 42 perspicillata, 42 Old-squaw, 39 Oporornis agilis, 126 Oriole, Baltimore, 129 Osprey, 49 Otocoris alpestris alpestris, 102 alpestris praticola, 102 Otus asio, 93 O w l , Saw-whet, 9 j Screech, 93 Short-eared, 12, 94 Snowy, 94 Pandion haliaëtus, 49 Parus atricapillus, 107 Passer domesticus, 127 Passerculus princeps, 134 sandwichensis, 134 Passerella iliaca, 138

Passerina cyanea, 132 Pelecanus occidentalis, 2} Pelican, Brown, 23 White, 23 Pelidna alpina, 69 Petrel, Leach's, 22 Wilson's, 23 Petrochelidon albifrons, 10 j Pewee, Wood, 101 Phalacrocorax auritus, 25 carbo, 24 Phalarope, Northern, 74 Red, 73 Wilson's, 74 Phalaropus fulicarius, 73 Phasianus torquatus, 52 Pheasant, Ring-necked, 52 Phillips, John C , 8 Philohela minor, 60 Philomachus pugnax, 73 Phoebe, 101 Picoides amicus, 100 Pigeon, Passenger, 12, 92 Pintail, American, 3 j Pipilo erythrophthalmus, 134 Pipit, American, n j Piranga olivacea, 131 rubra, 131 Pisobia bairdi, 68 fuscicollis, 68 melano tos, 68 minutilla, 69 Plautus impennis, 89 Plectrophenax nivalis, 139 Plegadis falcinellus, 30 Plover, Black-bellied, ¡9 Golden, 7, j 6 Piping, 54 Semipalmated, 54 Upland, 12, 63 Pluvialis dominica, $6

153

Podilymbus podiceps, 20 Polioptila caerulea, 114 Pooecetcs gramíneas, 136 Porzana carolina, 52 Progne subis., 106 Puffinus diomedea, 12 gravis, 21 griseus, 20 Quail, 51 Querquedula discors, 3J Quiscalus aeneus, 129 ridgwayi, 130 Rail, Little Black, 53 Virginia, j 2 Rallus limicola, j 2 Redhead, j , 37 Redstart, 127 Regulus calendula, 114 satrapa, 114 Ring-neck, $4 Riparia riparia, 104 Rissa tridactyla, 81 Robin, 112 Ruff, European, 73 Rynchops nigra, 88 Sanderling, 73 Sandpiper, Bajrd's, 68 Buff-breasted, 72 Least, 69 Pectoral, j , 68 Purple, 67 Red-backed, 69 Semipalmated, 71 Solitary, 6 j Spotted, 64 Stilt, 70 Western, 71 White-rumped, 68

Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied, 98 Sayornis phoebe, 101 Scaup, Greater, 38 Lesser, 38 Scotch Pine, 3 Scoter, American, 42 Surf, 42 White-winged, 41 Seiurus motacilla, 125 noveboracensis, 125 Setophaga ruticilla, 127 Shearwater, Cory's, 22 Greater, 21 Sooty, 20 Shoveller, 36 Shrike, Migrant, 116 Northern, u j Sialia stalls, 113 Siskin, Pine, 133 Sitta canadensis, 109 carolinensis, 108 Skimmer, Black, 13, 88 Skua, Northern, 76 Snipe, Wilson's, 60 Somateria borealis, 40 dresseri, 40 spectabilis, 41 Sora, 5 2 Sparrow, Chipping, 137 Field, 138 Fox, 138 Grasshopper, 12, 135 House, 127 Ipswich, 134 Lark, 137 Savannah, 12, 134 Seaside, 136 Sharp-tailed, 13 j Song, 139 Swamp, 10, il Tree, 137

154

Sparrow, Vesper, 12, 136 White-crowned, 138 White-throated, 138 Spatula clypeata, 36 Sphyrapicus varius, 98 Spinus pinus, 133 tristis, 133 Spizella arborea, 137 passerina, 137 pusilla, 138 Squatarola squatarola, 59 Starling, 116 Steganopus tricolor, 74 Stelgidopteryx serripennis, 105 Stercorarius longicaudus, 75 parasiticus, 75 pomarinus, 75 Sterna albifrons, 86 dougalli, 8 j forsteri, 82 fuscata, 86 hirundo, 82 paradisaea, 83 Sturnella magna, 128 Sturnus vulgaris, 116 Sula bassana, 24 Swallow, Bank, 104 Barn, JOJ Cliff, i o j

Tern, Artie, 83 Black, 87 Caspian, 87 Common, 82 Forster's, 82 Least, 86 Roseate, 8j Royal, 13, 87 Sooty, 86 Thalasseus maximus, 87 Thrasher, Brown, m Thryothorus ludovicianus, no Thrush, Gray-checked, 113 Hermit, 112 Olive-backed, 113 Totanusflavipes,66

Rough-winged, IOJ Tree, 103 Swan, Mute, 30 Whistling, 5, 30 Swift, Chimney, 96

Oria lomvia, 89

Tanager, Scarlet, 131 Summer, 131 Teal, Blue-winged, 35 European, 3J Green-winged, 35 Tehnatodytes palustris, no

melanoleucus, 66 Towhee, Red-eyed, 134 Toxostoma rufum, HI Tringa solitaria, 6j Troglodytes aëdon, 109 Tryngites subruficollis, 72 Tuckernuck, location of, 3 shore-line changes, 4 Turdus migratorius, 112 Turnstone, Ruddy, 59 Tyrannus tyrannus, 100 verticalis, 100

Vagrant, definition of, 10 examples of, 10 Vermivora peregrina, 118 pinus, 118 ruficapilla, 119 Víreo, Blue-headed, 117 Philadelphia, 117 Red-eyed, 117 White-eyed, 116 Yellow-throated, 116

'55

Víreo flavif Tons, ii6 griseus, 116 olivaceus, 117 philadelphicus, 117 solitarias, 117 Vulture, T u r k e y , 44 Warbler, Bay-breasted, 122 Black and W h i t e , 117 Blackburnian, 122 Blackpoll, 123 Black-throated Blue, 120 Black-throated G r e e n , 121 Blue-winged, 118 Canada, 126 C a p e M a y , 120 Chestnut-sided, 122 Connecticut, 126 Magnolia, 120 M y r t l e , 121 Nashville, 119 Palm, Western, 124 Yellow, 124 Parula, 119 Pine, 123 Prairie, ro, 124 Tennessee, 118 Wilson's, 126 Worm-eating, 118 Y e l l o w , 119

Warbler, Yellow-throated, 121 Water-thrush, Louisiana, 125 Northern, 1 2 J W a x w i n g , Cedar, i i j Whippoorwill, 95 W i d g e o n , European, 34 W i l l e t , Eastern, 13, 6 j Western, 66 Wilsonia canadensis, 127 pusilla, 126 W o o d c o c k , 60 W o o d p e c k e r , A r c t i c Three-toed, 100 D o w n y , 99 H a i r y , 99 Red-headed, 98 W r e n , Carolina, no House, 109 Long-billed M a r s h , no W i n t e r , no Xanthocephalus Xanthocephalus, Yellowlegs, G r e a t e r , 66 Lesser, 66 Yellowthroat, Northern, 126 Zenaida macroura, 91 Zonotrichia albicollis, 138 leucophrys, 138

156

128