THE 1994 STATISTICAL REPORT

by Robert H. Stymeist, Statistician

During 1994, the Brookline Bird Club listed 314 species of birds on 176 reported trips. A total of 198 trips were scheduled, 77 all-day, 92 morning, 23 afternoon or evening, and six weekends. Twenty-two trips were not reported. In Massachusetts a total of 297 species plus one subspecies, Ipswich Sparrow, and one hybrid species, Brewster’s Warbler were recorded on 165 trips. Fourteen trips to Essex County recorded the Whooper Swans whose origins have yet to be explained. The Bar-headed Goose reported April 17th is undoubtedly a bona fide escape.

Eight trips to New Hampshire, six led by Alan and Barbara Delorey, totaled 175 species. The weekend trip to Pittsburg in the Connecticut Lakes area of northern New Hampshire yielded 85 species, including the Club’s only Spruce Grouse and Gray Jay. Other highlights from this boreal area included two Black-backed Woodpeckers, two Olive-sided Flycatchers, six Boreal Chickadees, two Philadelphia Vireos, four Mourning Warblers, and an amazing 22 Winter Wrens.

Trips along the New Hampshire coast totaled 103 species, including such highlights as Lesser Golden Plover, Baird’s Sandpiper, Orange-crowned Warbler and Yellow-breasted Chat.

Ida Giriunas on her annual trip to Machias Seal Island and surroundings led 15 members through many different habitats and recorded 108 species including three species not recorded on any Massachusetts trip, including a Garganey at Belgrade, 1800 Atlantic Puffins, and 19 Common Murres.

A special trip extension of Bill Drummond’s May 21^st Newburyport trip listed a Fork-tailed Flycatcher at Kittery Point, Maine. Twenty-one of the original 48 participants made the trip. A new trip led by Steve Moore to Delaware in August listed 99 species. They could not find a Rock Dove to make 100 but did add nine species not seen on any Massachusetts trip. Highlights included 19 Clapper Rails, a King Rail, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Royal Tern, a Black Skimmer, 6 Black-necked Stilts, a Fulvous Whistling Duck, two Boat-tailed Grackle, and a White-winged Tern.

Another Bill Drummond extension to Warwick, Rhode Island, on September 11, added the Monk Parakeetto the BBC Life List.

The following write-ins to the Massachusetts Audubon Society (MAS) Checklist were reported by the Club in 1994:

Hoary Redpoll             West Newbury            January 15

Thayer’s Gull               Provincetown              January 23

Eared Grebe                Rockport                     January 29

Arctic/Pacific Loon      Salisbury                      January 30

Harris’ Sparrow           Dartmouth                  March 12

Cerulean Warbler       Mount Auburn            April 26

Summer Tanager        Mount Auburn            May 16

Kentucky Warbler       Plum Island                 May 27

Black-tailed Godwit    Wellfleet                     May 28

Sandwich Tern            Chatham                     August 6

American Avocet        N. Monomoy               August 6

Sabine’s Gull               Cashes Ledge              August 22

Le Conte’s Sparrow     N. Attleboro                October 23

White-fronted Goose West Newbury            November 13

Missing from the Club list in 1994 were Sooty Shearwater, King Eider, Clapper and King rails, Western Sandpiper, Ruff, both Red and Red-necked Phalaropes, Glaucous Gull, Caspian Tern, Royal Tern, Black Skimmer, Dovekie, Barn Owl, Western Kingbird, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Loggerhead Shrike, Golden-winged Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Dickcissel, and Pine Grosbeak.

Essex County was visited by the Club most often, with a total of 75 trips (48 to Newburyport and Plum Island and nine trips each to Cape Ann and Ipswich made up the bulk of the trips). Mount Auburn Cemetery was second with 28 trips. Other trips were led in over 30 different locations. Truly a well-traveled group!

A special thank-you to the sixty-five leaders who guided our members throughout New England and Delaware. Several leaders deserve special mention. John Nave and Bill Drummond each led 13 trips. Dennis Oliver and Glenn d’Entremont tied for second with ten trips each, followed by Robert Stymeist with nine trips and John Kennedy with eight trips.

The biggest trip list was as always Bill Drummond’s 14.5 hour marathon on May 21st with 137 species. Forty-eight members were present at the start and 21 continued on to Kittery to add the Fork-tailed Flycatcher at the end of the day.